Video games can do something that literature and film cannot realistically accomplish; A game can take the player, deposit them in another world, and allow them to interact directly with it.
Now before I offend all of my beloved bibliophiles and cinephiles, let me emphasize that these mediums have other strengths not shared by video games.
I would argue that books can provide a more detailed rendering of any given experience, so long as it is powered mutually by the intricate weaving of words and the adequate strength of the reader's imagination. In that sense, the author and the reader work together to create the experience.
Contrastingly, movies have the distinct ability to convey a precise story (complete with perfectly edited sound, visuals, script, tone, and acting) to millions of people with the only true variation being in its interpretation. That in itself is immensely powerful, as a relatively small crew of people can share an amazingly uniform message to a huge audience.
Both are beautiful art forms that games cannot replace.
But through their interactivity, games can send a message that novels and films can't. Because the player is a part of the experience, and this encourages him or her to be far more empathetic and exposed.
Empathy. Not to be confused with sympathy, empathy is a very difficult thing to draw out of someone in a subtle and natural way when they are just looking to be entertained, yet video games do it exceptionally well.
I can demonstrate this simply by honing in on five distinct feelings: accomplishment, vulnerability, attachment, responsibility, and anguish. For each emotion, I will provide two or three video game examples that elicit that particular form of empathy from the player.
Because I will be relying heavily on the connections between interactive gameplay and the narrative itself, there will certainly be some spoilers from here on out. With this in mind, I have hidden the remaining content of this post behind show/hide buttons whether I felt they were particularly "spoilery" or not. That way you can ensure your own reading experience is spoiler free.
If you wish to know what games I will be discussing, I have listed them here for your convenience. If you spot a game you know you wish to play someday, I would definitely avoid reading that particular portion of this post. As always, continue at your own risk.
Games to be discussed:
Uncharted
Portal
The Last of Us
Heavy Rain
999
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Tomb Raider
The Walking Dead: Season 1
Mass Effect 2
The World Ends With You
Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
I'll start with the most obvious feeling video games love to make you feel.
Interactivity Allows the Player to Feel Accomplished
Example 1: The Uncharted Series
There's nothing like putting yourself in Nathan Drake's epic shoes to make you feel like the most amazing, most heroic adventurer there ever was. Every time you conquer an obstacle--whether it be an army of thugs or a particularly daunting puzzle complete with ridiculously far-fetched jumps--this beautifully warm feeling of satisfaction floods into your brain. You did it. You didn't just watch Nathan take out that entire train, complete with machine gun and heavy brutes. You did it.
Example 2: Portal
I distinctly remember how I felt the first time I played Portal. I can still feel my own hesitant confusion in the early hours of the game. I can recall my growing distrust of GLaDOS, the increasingly hostile AI. But the moment I feel proudest of was that fateful moment in test chamber 19 when I was promised cake and was instead ushered slowly toward a flaming pit, about to be burned alive. You are given a few seconds to decide what to do, and I remember it feeling more like a painful eternity as I struggled with the scenario. I kept asking myself, "what am I supposed to do?" and "what does the game want me to do?" Finally, I realized these were not the right questions to be asking myself. I wasn't going to listen to this murderous AI anymore. I wanted to be free! I didn't realize until years later how truly brilliant this is. Because simultaneously, the main character (Chell) and the player (you and I) are both stepping outside of the boundaries provided for us. No longer are we obediently working through test chamber after test chamber. That moment left me with such satisfaction, particularly because I accomplished this feat on my first try.
Interactivity Pushes the Player to Feel Vulnerable
Example 3: The Last of Us
The Last of Us is loaded with examples of how the gameplay is specifically designed to draw on the player's vulnerabilities whether they be physical, mental, or emotional. In fact, the Naughty Dog team sets this in motion right from the beginning. When the prologue begins, you do not play as Ellie. We're twenty years too early for that. Nor do we play as strong, capable Joel. When the outbreak first shatters the world and brings forth its heart wrenching chaos, you play as small, lovable, fragile Sarah. They did this on purpose, and we can infer their reasoning was at least two-fold.
First, it gives the player a better chance of connecting to Sarah when you play as her. There is attachment there because when you moved your controller, Sarah was the one who interacted with the world for you. It sped up the bonding process. It's vaguely similar to how ranches never name the animals because it makes it harder when you lose them. Naming them causes accelerated attachment. It makes things personal.
Second, playing as Sarah makes the player feel weak and fearful, which is the perfect way to start out a game where the world is a broken and violent place. I remember first walking Sarah through the house in Austin and noting her body language. Hunched over with hands firmly across her chest, walking slowly and nervously, she looked a lot like I imagine I would in that situation. It perfectly projects her vulnerability onto the player.
This same emotion is felt through other interactive segments of The Last of Us, including when: Joel carries Sarah with Tommy as their only defense; Joel must slowly hobble out of the university with a life-threatening injury while being pursued by hunters; and Ellie must do enough to survive on her own and protect Joel through the winter despite being weak.
There is one more that comes to mind as I write, though it is a bit different in that it doesn't communicate vulnerability. However, it is an excellent example of how interactivity affects the gaming experience, so I will list it here. At the end of the game, when Joel busts into that operating room, many people expected either a choice or a cutscene. Instead, what happened is the player was forced to take action, eliminate the doctor(s), and take Ellie back. This is brilliant because it provides no excuses to the player. The player doesn't get to just sit back and watch a PlayStation rendered video clip. They don't get to choose a nicer ending. The ending is what it is, and the player is the one that has to pull the trigger. In that way, The Last of Us makes us take ownership of the ending and really grapple with it in a more meaningful way.
Example 4: Heavy Rain
I think it is safe to say that the entire game of Heavy Rain is one big quick time event/adventure game hybrid. While I know there are plenty of people out there who despise QTEs with a fiery hot passion, I do think they were executed rather well for Heavy Rain's purposes.
In order to understand my reasoning, it is important to contrast typical QTEs with the ones found in Heavy Rain. Most games have the player perform a quick time event in a way that closely resembles a cutscene. The playable character moves largely on their own save a few buttons the player must press within a limited amount of time. If the player presses the incorrect button or takes too long, the main character usually dies and the player is forced to replay the cutscene until they do it correctly.
However, with Heavy Rain, the entire game is a QTE. And if you fail, you don't replay anything; instead, you must accept your failure and the resulting consequences as you continue on with the game. In this way, Heavy Rain makes every action you take--no matter how trivial--feel like it could irreversibly affect the rest of your experience.
Interactivity Encourages the Player to Feel Connected
Example 5: 999 (Zero Escape 1)
As everyone who has taken more than a glance at this blog would know, I am a huge Zero Escape fan. It is without a doubt one of the most well written games I have ever played. What I haven't yet spoken of is how its mechanics enhance the already brilliant experience.
There are two distinct examples of interactivity in 999 that really made me as the player feel like an integral part of what was happening in the game. The first is the multiple endings feature that is executed far differently than any other game I've seen. The second is the final puzzle. Both examples stand alone, so I will discuss them separately.
Lots of games have multiple endings. Mass Effect, Chrono Trigger, Persona 4, Catherine, and Heavy Rain are just a few examples. But with most games, having different story endings that are all isolated from one another leads to the player experiencing separate scenarios and eventually satisfying him/herself with the "true" ending, None of the other endings really happened. They were all just possibilities that may have been.
Zero Escape takes a different approach. It takes the idea of multiple endings and makes them all essential to the plot. Because--and here's the crazy part--the main character unknowingly has the ability to access information from other timelines. So once you have experienced a "bad" timeline, you and the main character both have new knowledge necessary to progress further into the story from another timeline. That is, you and the main character learn something in timeline A and use it in timeline B despite not having a legitimate excuse for knowing the information learned from timeline A in the first place. It is a lovely system because your experiences as the player are mirrored by the main character. What results is a feeling of being connected to the main character in a rather surreal way.
The second example from 999 is very subtle and much simpler, but it happens when you get to the sudoku puzzle at the end. It sounds trivial, but when I had to flip my DS upside down, there was something there that got me all choked up. I guess it was the thought of being able to save the scared little girl on the other end of that puzzle that made it feel very real and important. To the game's creator I wanted to say, "well done, Uchikoshi. You got me."
Example 6: Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
This one will be short and sweet instead of all the long-winded stuff I normally write. Shadow of Mordor has something called the Nemesis System. It means that the enemies you face (the important ones at least) remember you. They remember vanquishing you or else they remember their own crushing defeat. In fact, the enemies in Shadow of Mordor make a point to bring it up frequently. If they lost, they will swear vengeance. If they won they will gloat shamelessly. Even the enemies' character models reflect the affect your character had on them. If you beheaded them, they might have a head all wrapped up in bandages next time. If you blew them up in a raging fire, they might be burning a flame atop their head upon your second encounter. There are plenty of other cool changes the baddies endure as they hunt you down unceasingly. What ends up eventually happening is you develop this awful rivalry with that one disgusting Uruk who won't leave you alone. It's fantastic.
Example 7: Tomb Raider
My experience with the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot was largely influenced by this article by GameSpot blogger Tom McShea. It talks about the dichotomy of available play styles in the game as various weapons become available to Lara. Do you go through the game stealthily with your bow taking out enemies with them oblivious of the coming threat? Do you go in with guns ablazing fueled by Lara's righteous fury? Either way the choice in gameplay style allows the player to project his or her feelings onto Lara.
Interactivity Forces the Player to Feel Responsible
Example 8: The Walking Dead (Season 1)
I've mentioned this before, but remember when I stole those rations and supplies out of that apparently abandoned car? There is something about the way the stranger in episode 5 confronted me that made me feel immensely responsible for the way the game turned out in the end.
Books can't do that to me. Movies can't do that to me either. Because in those mediums, none of the things that happen are my fault. In fact, I can pick everything apart and reassure myself that the situation in question would never happen to me because I am just too smart to stumble into such circumstances. Horror movies are always susceptible to that mentality (not that I watch them...way too full of images you can't unsee).
But in a game, it is my fault in a way. I made the choice within the confines of the game, and I would have to deal with the consequences.
Example 9: Mass Effect 2
Like Telltale's The Walking Dead, this series is all about the choices you make. I chose the second entry in the series because of the epic third act, the "suicide mission". Shepard is tasked with assigning roles to each of his crew members in the hopes of utilizing their strengths, guarding their weaknesses, and keeping everyone alive. That's right. Their survival is entirely dependent upon your choices and adequate preparation. If you don't do this right, you could ultimately feel responsible for your favorite character's untimely demise.
Interactivity Compels the Player to Feel Anguish
Example 10: The World Ends With You
In this Square Enix cult classic, the MC is forced to play a game with his life (among other things) at stake. By offering up what he values most as a sort of blind bet, the main character (Neku) must gamble on something called "the reaper's game" for a week with the grand prize being an opportunity to reclaim his own destiny and move on. Only it doesn't happen like that at all.
Neku finds himself being cheated repeatedly and forced to play for a second week and then a third. The unfairness is evident as more and more is taken away from him, ridiculous loopholes keep him from getting out of it, and even his chance to succeed is heavily interfered with. What results is the player's own despairing mentality as you play the same week long game three times over. You feel the way Neku feels as you confront a game that isn't exactly what you thought it was.
Example 11: Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core
Now here is an ending my husband and I have spent hours here and there discussing in depth. If you are reading this one thinking you will never play it so you may as well read, please do yourself a favor now and click the hide button. This is about as big as a spoiler can get, and it’s not worth wrecking such a beautiful ending. Instead of reading this, go find an old PSP and a used copy of the game (Crisis Core alone is reason enough to buy the outdated system). Or at least go watch the movie version on YouTube. This game is too good to spoil here. So again, turn back now if you haven’t played. Pretty please.
Free advertising aside, you know those games where you are forced to enter a battle, fight beautifully 80% of the way toward victory, are forced to quit, and then are shown a cutscene in which you lose despite how well you performed? Crisis Core doesn't do that.
Oh you will lose. Epically. By fighting until you can't fight anymore. For however long it takes. With no indication that you are actually supposed to lose. So you fight tooth and nail past one hundred, five hundred, a thousand enemies. And finally it clicks. You can't win. The infinite tide of enemies eventually overtakes you.
Now they easily could have changed this experience into a cutscene, taken the power away from the player, and shown you the inevitable end to the battle. But they didn't. They let you experience the ending and interact with it, and it makes the climax heartfelt and memorable and heartbreaking in a way that a regular old cutscene couldn't have.
It Can't Be Found Elsewhere
Yes, games tell a story. Games can be a lot of fun, too. But ultimately, they provide a unique way to communicate emotion in that they can imprint feelings onto the player. And the industry is still so young, meaning every day developers learn new ways to accomplish this amazing feat. It's a fascinating concept that at this point only video games can effectively utilize, and it is exciting to think about how they will use it next.
I apologize for the delay in posting my E3 reactions.
You would think that the first few weeks of summer for a teacher would be purely serene downtime during which plenty of blog posts can be constructed, but it just plain isn't. Yes, it has been a much needed time for relaxation, but it has also been filled with the busy task of catching up on all the responsibilities that have been outright neglected during the school year.
Anyway, I had the fantastic privilege of watching all the exciting E3 conferences alongside my husband and some close friends this year. We made a big event out of it and enjoyed getting collectively hyped over the very big reveals. This year's conference, in my opinion, completely overshadowed last year's and was about on par with 2013's. Below are some of my favorite announcements (in no particular order) from the gaming community's most exciting week.
The Last Guardian gameplay was irresistibly enticing
This beautiful experience certainly came to life at the opening of Sony's conference. The interaction between the boy and his colossal feathery friend was heartwarming in all the right ways and certainly left me wanting more. Like a Pixar short film, this gameplay trailer got me to laugh out loud, cringe with fear, and "aww" with welled up emotion all in a few short minutes. It certainly left me impatiently wanting more.
Kingdom Hearts III showcased previously unseen footage
Anything at all that gives me a fresh glimpse into the long awaited 9th installment of this franchise deserves to be listed here. While many consider Kingdom Hearts III to be the third "real" game in the series (because it will be launched on a home console instead of a handheld or mobile device), it will actually be the culmination of the entire first arc labeled "The Xehanort Saga". As such, it will theoretically bring together all the epic foreshadowing of the eight games that come before it, particularly bringing closure to the events of "Birth by Sleep" and "Dream Drop Distance". As a longtime thirteen year fan who has incidentally waited nearly ten years for this game, I can honestly say I am more than a little excited.
Kingdom Hearts Unchained X is officially coming west
Among the many Kingdom Hearts games mistakenly labeled as spin-offs, this game will bring fans the mysterious background of the Keyblade War. It was originally announced as a Japan only release, but E3 made it clear that it would eventually release elsewhere allowing fans in the west to play as well.
Final Fantasy VII remake is no longer a rumor
When the announcement was made back in December 2014 that the PC version of FF VII would be ported to PS4 sometime in 2015, millions of hearts sank. This was not the long awaited remake that so many die hard Final Fantasy fans wanted. I can only conclude that Square Enix must have noticed the tangible collective disappointment and secretly adjusted their plans. While I am quite certain that we will not see this large scale Final Fantasy VII remake for quite a long time, I believe Tetsuya Nomura and his team will do it justice. And I've always been okay with a longer wait if it means we get a better product.
Unravel's reveal was touching
This game looks cute. I like the 2D puzzle platformer genre, and the yarn concept definitely looks intriguing. But what really got me here was how the adorably nervous (understandably so) Martin Sahlin described his humble story regarding his little red yarn doll in front of a massive audience. Here is a person who has seen his imagination come to life, and it is absolutely moving.
Horizon: Zero Dawn helps us imagine what it would be like to hunt robot dinosaurs (but they apparently aren't dinosaurs)
I think this is one of the games my husband was most excited about during the many E3 conferences we watched, and I really can't disagree. This game looks a bit like a mixture of Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Enslaved: Odyssey to the West. Maybe sprinkle some Tomb Raider in there, but there are also elements that--to me--look brand new. There is something very fresh about this trailer. (Incidentally, that's something I look for at every E3, live stream, and expo. It is essential that new franchises show off a certain uniqueness; otherwise, it is far too easy for me to say "I've seen this before" and forget about it entirely.)
Firewatch teases a mysterious character-focused narrative
There's nothing like a couple of quietly charismatic characters and a scenario I've never seen to get me wondering about what kind of story might be told. Firewatch makes me tilt my head with intrigue as I consider the ramifications of being alone in the woods with nothing but a friendly voice over a dinky radio to help you while some unknown creep is roaming through your territory.
Fallout 4 demonstrates its breadth and depth of gameplay
I don't know about you guys, but I was thoroughly impressed with Bethesda's first ever E3 conference. To me, they came off as being far more professional than Ubisoft or EA, and they had quite a bit to show off despite being newcomers. Fallout 4 was absolutely the highlight of their event, and it showcased a lot of cool features. In particular, I enjoyed their character creation, settlement building, and interaction with the MC's companion.
Uncharted 4 gameplay and writing made me smile from ear to ear
The original announcement that Uncharted 4 was coming brought forth a kind of somber tone for the series. There feels like something rather final to it. Maybe it was the deep blue color scheme of their second teaser (the one where Drake first appears, not the one where Sully does a voice over while the camera pans over a bunch of adventure gear). Maybe it was the fact that Nathan Drake has aged. Maybe it's the downright funereal title, "A Thief's End" that does it. Either way, I both highly anticipate and slightly fear playing Uncharted 4. As much as I am 100% confident that they know what they are doing, I don't want Naughty Dog to do anything too drastic with my beloved Uncharted characters.
So when they tossed some new gameplay onto the big E3 screen, I didn't really know what kind of sequence we would be seeing. Would it be another sneaky combat sequence like the cave/forest mashup we saw last time? Or would it be something dark like the Nathan Drake teaser? I was rather relieved to see some typical Uncharted banter, including some beautifully crafted humor between Sully and Drake. I thought I would get an ominous or even teary cutscene. What we got instead had me laughing and cheering and getting excited about seeing the old gang take on another big Indiana Jones-esque adventure.
Recore allows you to save your puppy... by turning it into a gorilla
Here's another game that doesn't look like any other game I've played. The characters were instantly endearing, and the concept paves the way for new and interesting gameplay. I hope Recore lives up to the many possibilities it represents. Not to mention I love how strong female characters are becoming more of a matter of fact thing instead of a big deal due to their rarity.
Honorable Mentions:
New Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness was announced.
Just Cause looks like a whole lot of mindless, destructive fun
Rise of the Tomb Raider will include more tombs than the 2013 reboot
Trackmania looks full of fun and laughter
World of Final Fantasy looks sweet and probably includes some fan service for long time fans
No Man's Sky still boasts amazing possibilities of exploration
HoloLens has unexpected potential if they can overcome stumbling blocks
Fire Emblem: Fates still looks good, and will arrive in 2016
For Honor's trifecta of knights, vikings, and samurai certainly impressed
Anno 2205 allows players to build futuristic moon cities
Super Smash Bros. lineup is joined by Roy and Ryu (albeit a bit before the official start of E3)
With last night’s successful Bethesda conference on my mind
and the many possibilities on the horizon as the rest of E3 approaches, I have managed
to motivate my lazy summer self to write about how excited I am this year.
Let me clarify my intentions for this wish list. There are
many things I hope to see over the next few days, so I am going to maintain a
focus on things that would truly make my day. These can fall anywhere on the
realistic spectrum from “that could totally happen” to “that’s never going to
happen, but it would indeed be awesome.”
Let’s cut to the chase before conferences actually begin!
1. Some Kingdom Hearts details are revealed
I would love to hear a little more about the franchise that
defined my childhood. There are so many things I can imagine for Kingdom Hearts
3, but I’ll stick to some nifty ideas I have had and steer clear of spoilers.
I would like to see the following worlds appear in Kingdom
Hearts 3:
Shibuya (from The World Ends With You)
Tangled
Frozen
Pixar worlds
Big Hero 6
Another Final Fantasy world apart from Radiant
Garden
Chrono Trigger world (long shot, but hey… this
is a wish list!)
Marvel Cinematic Universe
It would also make my day to hear about these characters either
(A) debuting for the first time or (B) returning after a long absence:
Noctis from Final Fantasy XV
Tidus (reappearing and older than he was in KH1)
Zack Fair (reappearing and older than he was in
Birth by Sleep)
Kefka from FFXI
Zidane Tribal from FFIX
The World Ends With You characters
The Avengers
Rocket and Groot
Before anyone asks why I didn’t include Star Wars on here,
let me just say that I am not opposed to the idea. I just don’t particularly
wish for it either.
2. Rise of the Tomb Raider receives a PS4 release
date
And let’s say it is released a mere three months after the
Xbox One release. I can wait that long.
Side note: I own an Xbox One, but do not want to encourage
Crystal Dynamic’s choice to alienate their long term fans in favor of a quick
buck. So we will hopefully be purchasing this game for a Sony console. Because business.
3. Theatrhythm: Kingdom Hearts is announced for 3DS
So this could totally happen at the Square Enix conference,
and that would be fantastic. I’ve already detailed how this game could work in
my very first blog post, and I welcome the surreal feeling of seeing something
I wrote about months ago coming to life at E3.
4. An HD remake of Final Fantasy VII bundled with
FFVII: Crisis Core released for PS4
So I am convinced this one is not going to happen. My
brother pointed out this morning that there are rumors abounding yet again, but
I just can’t seem to get over the disappointment of last year’s PlayStation
Experience announcement. They made it pretty clear there that they were only
porting the PC version onto PS4. No touchups. No enhanced musical scores. It
would be a dream come true of this were all some creepy ruse and they really
were listening intently to what fans want. I just can’t let myself be vulnerable
to this one again after the huge let down last year.
Jokingly, I came up with a wistfully enticing collector’s edition
pre-order bundle. It could include the blu-ray for Advent Children, the
reimagined soundtrack to both games and the movie, a hard-covered art book, a
hand painted knights of the round figurine, and a set of glass materia complete
with display case. Oh, and a $20 credit toward Final Fantasy XV. Because why
not? This is a wish list after all.
5. Limited Persona 5 details announced
So I don’t want to know too much about Persona 5, since this
is a franchise that just needs to be experienced. But I am curious about a
couple things that would not ruin the surprises that are surely embedded inside
this definite masterpiece.
First of all, I want to know the official release date. It
is immensely satisfying knowing that Persona 5 should be released in the East
and West simultaneously, but I still need to know when.
Second, I’m curious about the voice cast for Persona 5. I
doubt this will be announced anytime soon, but if it was, I would like to hear
about participation from the likes of Travis Willingham, Nolan North, Colleen
Clinkenbeard, Monica Rial, and (of course) Yuri Lowenthal. It just wouldn’t be
right to have a Persona game without Yuri Lowenthal.
6. Mass Effect 4’s main character and other details
revealed
We know so little about this one. I mainly want to discover
more about the character that will define the next arc of this series.
Additionally, it wouldn’t hurt to hear where they plan on taking this universe
next, and whether or not it takes any steps forward in terms of a divergent
ending based on your actions throughout the series.
7. Shin Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem
Nintendo. Please, please tell me why I want to play this. It
looks bizarre. I very much want to like it. I just need to know why. I trust
that putting these two great things together will make a brand new game that
can’t NOT impress me. But I want some encouragement here, and maybe something
spectacular to convince me that I am not crazy for wanting this one.
8. Any fantastic new IP
I am sure there is someone out
there that had an as of yet unknown stroke of brilliance that they will
announce either today or tomorrow. I look forward to that and hope it is every
bit as wonderful as the rest of these things that have made my list.
So I’m sure I am leaving something out, but my husband is
telling me it is time to publish. No time for proof reading or tweaking my
words or phrasing. The Microsoft conference is about to start after all! I will
do my best to document the most exciting announcements throughout the next few
days. I look forward to all the exciting news and hope this is an E3 akin to
2013’s (not last year’s… that one was kind of a letdown).
There is something bittersweet about anticipating a new
game.
First, the sweet.
There is the enveloping excitement that emerges immediately
when a project is officially announced. Then follows the unbridled hunger for
that first teaser trailer. Theories begin to fly regarding mechanics, design,
story, and characters. Gameplay footage is showcased as development progresses.
Clues are excavated from every screenshot, video, and announcement made public.
Then, the bitter.
Uncertainty plagues fans. Release dates are either announced
ridiculously far in advance (causing an unbearably long wait), surprisingly
late (leaving fans in the dark for longer), or are delayed completely (when the
industry can’t keep up with the timeline they set without sacrificing quality).
Some projects are brought to the public’s attention only to go silent for years
(e.g. The Last Guardian).
It seems like my own personal list of games I am eagerly
expecting ebbs and flows like waves on the sand. There are dry spells usually
around summer and Christmas when release dates are more common and new projects
are in their early stages around the world. Then there are times (like now)
where there are a plethora of expected masterpieces that I impatiently await.
In honor of this spring’s greater than average
quantity/quality of upcoming games, below are 11 games I am incredibly excited
about.
11. No Man’s Sky
I hesitantly trust that No Man’s Sky lives up to all the
hype. I know how excited people are (I am too), but I have this fear that it’s
going to end up like Fable: lots of raised hopes only to lead to unnecessary let
downs. Because, like Fable, I can totally see No Man’s Sky being an excellent
game. But I can also see it not quite living up to all the lofty expectations.
If No Man’s Sky ends up being a solid A- game, I really hope that people refrain
from criticizing it for not being an A+.
I mainly want to play No Man’s Sky to make good on the
promise that I can be the first to discover my own planet.
10. The Legend of Zelda: Wii U
Riding Epona as she naturally doesn’t
run into trees? Leaping off her back while firing arrows at my enemies? Playing in a
vast open Hyrule akin to Skyrim? Yes please!
Enough said.
9. Quantum Break
I was saddened by the news that Quantum Break would be
delayed but hopeful that the extended development time would ensure a quality
product. I feel like this gem has been flying under the radar for months, so if
you haven’t seen anything about it, please watch the embedded video below. It gets really interesting around the 5 minute mark.
Quantum Break’s physics/time based gameplay looks like a
blast. Its visuals are gorgeous and eerie. I hope it lives up to my
expectations, and the delay ends up benefiting the project as a whole. I can
honestly say that this is my most anticipated Xbox One exclusive as of yet.
8. Danganronpa 3
I think most people would agree that the high school
experience was pretty awful. Sure, there might be some popular kids who enjoyed
it pretty thoroughly, but even they might say that high school did a disservice
to them by not preparing them for a world that doesn’t care how attractive or
athletic they are. Well our high school days were nothing compared to the horrible,
upside-down world of Danganronpa.
This series has a pretty fantastic formula. Take a group of “ultimate”
high school students who all excel in one oddly specific area of life. Trap
them somewhere. Force them to murder a classmate and get away with it if they
ever want to escape.
What ensues is a murder mystery teen social mashup that
delivers better than I would have ever guessed. These games are full of crazy
twists, humorous dialogue, and creative storytelling.
I played the first game in the series when it was ported to
Vita, and I loved it. But I was dubious regarding the success of Danganronpa 2:
Goodbye Despair because I couldn’t foresee how it could even work. How could
there be more crazy twists when the underlying secrets of the first game were,
for the most part, exposed? But sure enough, I was wrong. The second game was
every bit as wonderful and shocking as I could have hoped. I have no idea how
writer Kodaka (friends with Kotaro Uchikoshi) will make a third game that still
surprises his fans, but I now have confidence he can do it.
If you enjoy Zero Escape’s suspenseful story, Phoenix Wright’s
courtroom battles, or Persona’s social links, you will probably enjoy
Danganronpa. Start with the first entry, Trigger Happy Havoc. Meanwhile, I will
be eagerly awaiting Danganronpa 3.
7. Rise of the Tomb Raider
When a close friend recommended the 2013 reboot to the Tomb
Raider franchise, I was cautiously optimistic. Here was a franchise I had
always liked that seemed to be falling behind the times in terms of mechanics,
innovation, graphics, and character development. Well. I guess you could say the
old Lara Croft is “developed” (overly so!), but not in a relatable way…
Comparison composite via howmanly.com, left image via GameInformer.com, right image via laracroft.wikia.com
You can imagine my pleasant surprise at the new character
model for Lara. Her redesign leaves her looking real, healthy, and strong. Her
personality was also given a complete overhaul, and it did wonders for the
series.
The Tomb Raider reboot takes Lara back to her origin story,
in which she is mentally naïve, physically inexperienced, and emotionally desperate.
I thoroughly enjoyed the fresh take on a classic character and hungrily
anticipate Rise of the Tomb Raider, the next entry in the beautifully resurrected
franchise.
Unfortunately, Rise of the Tomb Raider appears to be a timed
exclusive for Xbox One (which makes no sense, considering Tomb Raider has
always been for the most part a PlayStation thing). Out of an effort to support
Sony, we will try to wait it out and purchase the game on PlayStation 4
whenever it is released for the system. I'm sure we won't be the only ones
either. Hopefully that will help send a collective message to Crystal Dynamics
that their loyal fans are more important than a quick cash grab.
6. Fire Emblem: If
Finally, a Fire Emblem in which you are the (customizable) main character. Since Awakening balanced perfectly the old school elements of
Fire Emblem with many new and welcome features, I believe Fire Emblem: If will
be free to improve further on the series thanks to Awakening’s success. And the
character models will finally have feet!
5. Final Fantasy XV
I had the immense pleasure of playing the Final Fantasy XV
demo when it was released, and I must say I was thoroughly impressed. Many old
school FF fans are dissatisfied with the current state of things, particularly
that Final Fantasy XIII has taken such a massive chunk of development time and
effort when they could have moved on to other things. But I think Final Fantasy
XV is really going to get everything back on track.
Its design brings me back to what Final Fantasy VII felt
like in terms of atmosphere. The universe seems like a strange amalgam of
modern and fantasy. One minute you are in a lush landscape filled with bizarre
fantasy creatures. The next you find yourself in a convenience store parking
lot next to your rockin’ black convertible. Familiar Final Fantasy feelings
come rushing back. Remember what it felt
like when you first discovered Final Fantasy VII was an open world? Remember
seeing the grand expanse that was Final Fantasy X’s Calm Lands for the first
time? Remember learning the draw system and milking it to maximize every spell
in Final Fantasy VIII? Remember managing your gear in Final Fantasy IX to make
the most of each battle? And while the essence of the game certainly has that
nostalgia factor, Final Fantasy XV feels revitalized, refreshing, and novel. Plus the soundtrack is going to be amazing.
4. Uncharted 4
I know this is going to be a fantastic game. Naughty Dog has
proven to their fans time after time that they will do what it takes to build top
notch products. If you don’t believe me, watch Grounded: The Making of The Last of Us. It’s clear how hard these
guys (and ladies) work. If they do anything short of our expectations, it is
because the hardware, gameplay, or other such circumstances demand it. But in
the end, they are going to ensure that the experience they provide to fans is
the best one they can create.
That being said, there have been criticisms regarding
Uncharted 4’s gameplay showcased at the 2014 E3. I have a hard time believing
the final product will suffer from these same criticisms. Naughty Dog isn’t
done. Games frequently do not end up matching with their early gameplay trailers.
So graphical limitations that seem to be there now may not be there by the time
the game is released. Case in point, check this out.
In other words, they are still learning. The game is still
evolving. And I trust Naughty Dog to do it right. That being said, the gameplay
here looks super fun.
3. Persona 5
Every Persona fan salivated in unison over the Persona 5
trailer released earlier this year; so much so that if they had all been
gathered in Cowboys Stadium to watch the trailer on the massive jumbotron,
their drool would have filled the place like a fish bowl. That’s because the
video Atlus released was slick. It
was filled with style, intrigue, and a completely fresh atmosphere.
I want Persona 5. In fact, my husband and I have been
brainstorming for months trying to decide how both of us can play it
immediately after it comes out without spoiling the story for each other. Do we
take turns playing in a room closed off from the world? Do we track our
calendar days so that whoever is ahead in the game can watch the other person?
Do we get two copies and play simultaneously in separate rooms like a couple
who've let their love die out? We are still debating the best solution.
2. Kingdom Hearts III
There is almost no game I long for more than Kingdom Hearts
III. The first installment came out in 2002 just before I turned fourteen. I
remember soaking in its imaginative story as a kid. I loved every piece of it,
including the Disney influence that so many feared would never work. Kingdom
Hearts II came out in late 2005, meaning I had to wait over three years for the
full blown sequel. I remember the horribly long wait between KH1 and KH2.
Once Kingdom Hearts II came out, I think a lot of people realized
the beauty of this universe. Suddenly, it wasn’t just a Disney/Square Enix
crossover. It was an epic clash of light and darkness. It was a coming-of-age
tale revolving around themes everyone on the planet can relate to (including
love, friendship, loyalty, burdens, tenacity, and sacrifice). But along with
Kingdom Hearts II came something else: the extensive wait for the next big
game. Sure, there were smaller games in between (that—believe it or not—are instrumental
to the overarching story), but every fan of the series knows that there are big,
unresolved issues that only Kingdom Hearts III can address.
This franchise has matured with me. I feel like I have grown
up with Sora and the gang. As I have become a more complex person, the
characters have developed more multifaceted personalities right there with me.
The themes of the games have matured as well. Just try playing Birth By Sleep
(included in Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix) and not feel the emotional weight of its
story.
I cannot wait to see what 10-ish years in the making will do
for Kingdom Hearts III. I hope its theme of maturation continues and we see a
truly developed, dynamic world with the same spectacular cast of characters. I
hope the game maintains Sora as his same old good hearted self while simultaneously
addressing the heavy burdens he carries. I hope to see some more intense Square
Enix characters thrown into the mix, including a fully grown Tidus (he was a
kid in Kingdom Hearts I, so why not let him grow up with Sora too?), a
villainously insane Kefka, and a mischievous Zidane Tribal. I hope the game has
Shibuya (from The World Ends With You) as a playable world, and I hope the
gameplay feels both balanced and powerful. But no matter what they do with it,
I know Tetsuya Nomura has a crazy intricate plan that I will love.
1. Zero Escape 3
Okay, so I cheated a little. I put Zero Escape 3 on this
list despite the fact that it has not been announced yet. But as I stated in my
previous post, “The Dangerous Nature of Hype,” I have succumbed to the
excitement. My hopes are up.
The Zero Escape series is the smartest game I have ever
played. Its writing is quite frankly genius, and I have never experienced
anything as exciting before or since. Maybe it’s because of my love for math,
psychology, video games, and a good story. All of these elements come together
beautifully in 999 and Virtue’s Last Reward.
I have written quite a bit regarding the Zero Escape franchise.
I was also extremely fortunate to have many excited readers view my articles after
Uchikoshi generously retweeted my husband’s link to this blog. So you guys
already know how I feel. In fact, many of you probably guessed that this would
be number 1. Now all I can do is look forward to the other ten games on this
list and hope this will be released among them soon enough.
I used to have a lot of free time, particularly when I was
in high school and college. I could play straight through 60 hour games after
my classes and still have plenty of time to go hang out with friends, get all
my schoolwork done, and go to work. Ever since graduation, however, I haven’t
seen quite so much free time. Sure, I can make it through games in the summers
thanks to my career as a teacher. But even with the luxury of summers off, I am
swamped with planning the next school year, attending professional development
seminars, and doing other school related jobs on my computer. I cannot spend
every ounce of my time trying to make it through massively sprawling open world
games with hours upon hours of content. I have an apartment to keep up with,
laundry to clean, food to cook, papers to grade, lessons to plan, relationships
to maintain, and a life to live.
Does this mean I don’t enjoy playing games anymore?
Absolutely not! I just need to pick and choose what games I play. It’s amazing
that as soon as you start to earn enough money to buy games, the time you have
to play them seems to decrease and the stockpile of games you haven’t yet
played builds up. Thanks to the inverse relationship of free time and net
income, I imagine the correlation looks something like this:
So I have found myself gravitating toward the following
types of games in an effort to continue this hobby without allowing it to
overwhelm the rest of my life.
1. Short games
If I can play a game, master its gameplay, enjoy the story,
and only spend ten hours of my life doing it, I am a very happy camper.
If I know a game is worth a huge investment of time because
I have played it before and enjoyed it, I will likely play it again.
Examples: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, Persona, Skyrim
3. Games I can start and stop without having to remember
what happened last time
If I don’t have to stay committed to a game, I don’t have a
problem starting it up from time to time.
Examples: Theatrhythm, Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros.,
Towerfall Ascension, Audiosurf, Rockband, Little Big Planet
Of course, I've recently poured 93 hours into a game I still
haven’t finished (Persona Q). So while I say I appreciate short games and games
I don’t have to feel committed to, every now and then, I find myself pouring a
bunch of time into a monster of an RPG regardless. Oh well. Back to leveling
up.
As everyone knows, the Final Fantasy franchise has had its
ups and downs, its massive successes and its occasional flops. As such, I got
curious and started investigating which games are the most critically
acclaimed. I surfed through a few sites, but mainly spent my time digging
through metacritic scores. Interestingly, the game that tops Final Fantasy’s
list may surprise you.
No, it’s not Final Fantasy VII, despite it being so
revolutionary and well-known. No, it’s not Final Fantasy VI regardless of its deeper
subject matter and incredible story. No, it’s not Final Fantasy X with its
gorgeous graphics, immensely fun battle system, and charming story. In fact, there
are quite a few entries that I personally cherish, but the one that has topped
both the metacritic charts and my own subjective list is Final Fantasy IX. Yes,
the one with the weird art style and the protagonist with a tail.
I don’t claim to know all the components that went into
Final Fantasy IX’s stellar metacritic score, but below are some reasons that I
personally love the game.
1. The main character isn't moody, brooding, or
whiny
There is something immensely refreshing
about a character that is downright cheerful; between all the overpowered bad
boys, sullen heroes, and otherwise exaggerated protagonists, I believe a witty,
optimistic, baselessly confident good guy fills a void that I have been craving
lately. Zidane is that guy. He is the Nathan Drake of JRPGs. A little reckless,
always funny, certainly flirtatious, and never burdened with an overabundance
of gloominess. It also helps that he reminds me so much of my always-cheerful
husband.
The beauty of having a character
whose default disposition is happy is that when the character has a legitimate
crisis, the mood shift is more defined. There are a couple distinct
developments in Final Fantasy IX’s story that cause great distress to Zidane,
and as such, the contrast between his temporary emotional state and his typical
upbeat, mischievous attitude is stark. It is enough to make the player realize
that if this character is so upset,
clearly something is very, very wrong.
2.The music is fantastic
If you enjoy listening to video
game soundtracks, chances are good that at least one entry from the Final
Fantasy franchise has made your playlist. Let me assure you that the ninth game
in the series can certainly hold its own.
First there is the eloquently
simple “A Place to Call Home” (a.k.a. “The Place I’ll Return to Someday”). Then
you have the immensely catchy, energetic “Vamo’alla Flamenco” that plays both
during the staged sword fight in the first act and during the chocobo mini game
later on. There’s also the hauntingly understated “Freya’s Theme” (reiterated
in the track “A Face Unforgotten”) and the emotional peaks and valleys of “You
Are Not Alone”. I could go on for ages, but I will limit myself to two more
mentions: the twin themes of “Rose of May” and “Something to Protect.” All of
these will be posted below my list in case a desire to investigate happens to
be strong enough for you to listen.
3.The ability mechanics are addictive
Having complete control over what
skills my party learns and in what order is incredibly gratifying. Final
Fantasy IX gives you that kind of influence over your game. I love equipping
all the different weapons, armor, and accessories to immediately gain an
ability with which I can destroy my enemies. By the end of the game, your abundant
selection of abilities can give you a wide array of battle strategies, making
fighting have plenty of depth and multiple paths to victory.
4.The game has something important to say
Many JRPGs these days seem to get
caught up in the convoluted nature of the genre and don’t really end up saying
much of anything by the end of the experience. It is complex for the sake of
complexity. While the Final Fantasy series has never really seemed to suffer
from that problem (at least not until after X), I will say that IX has a very
different story than the surrounding entries.
This game focuses on the themes of
war, power, self-acceptance, sacrifice, loss, a sense of home and belonging, mortality,
and captivity. Okay, so every JRPG covers these themes. But Final Fantasy IX
does carry them out in a new and fresh way, and it does this well.
5.Love
Final Fantasy IX is a love story.
It carries some heavy themes just like VI, VII, and X, but it is also driven
mainly by romance. While the characters in every other game have a huge purpose
with love almost being a side mission of sorts, Zidane clearly is driven almost
wholly by his affection for the female lead. In fact, the player is given the
chance in game to select that as his motivating factor for everything he has
done up until that point. And honestly, it is the choice that makes the most
sense.
Believing that he cannot be with
Garnet completely demotivates Zidane, and when he eventually tries to take on
the group’s quest on his own, his solo mission results in massively negative
effects. Because Zidane is ineffective without Garnet, which is beautiful
really. It harkens back to what we all already know about man needing a helper
(רעֵ֫זֶ). It’s not that Zidane isn’t
skilled (it’s clear he is) or that he “needs her” or that she “completes him”
or anything tacky or misguided like that. But when she is with him, he becomes
a better version of himself. He is more selfless, more confident, more driven.
Now I’m sure anyone could argue
that Final Fantasy X is a love story on par with IX. But I would also argue
that the tones of these two stories are vastly different. I appreciate IX’s
lighthearted take on what love can accomplish.
Finally...
I recently found time to replay
the PlayStation classic in all its glory. Considering it was released 15 years
ago back in 2000, it has aged remarkably well to the point where the game felt
simultaneously fresh and nostalgic. I never once felt demotivated by
traditional RPG grinding, nor did the graphics hinder the experience in the
least. The mechanics remained quite solid, and the story still captivated me.
All these pieces of the puzzle come together to form a very complete,
satisfying game.
Here’s what I am trying to say
(unfortunately veiled behind pretty words and elaborate sentence structure): I
really enjoyed it to the point where thinking about it gives me a bittersweet,
melancholy feeling because I beat the game and miss playing it.
There are
some videogames that tell a new story, utilize innovative mechanics, and
present it all in a shiny package with plenty of style. But not every game can
coax the player into pondering a game for extended periods of time after its
conclusion. As such, I have compiled a list of games that I personally spent an
extended amount of time sorting through the complexities found within their
stories or gameplay.
Since the
following list—in no particular order—is comprised of only games that I have
experienced the entirety of, I am declaring a loud and resounding spoiler alert
from here on. If you don’t want to know any details about the following games,
please heed my warning!
__________________________
1. The World
Ends With You
MetascoreNintendo DS: 88
iOS: 95
For a game
that initially comes off as incredibly shallow (due mainly to the abrasive
introversion of the protagonist), The Word Ends with You is a game that matures
right alongside the wonderful cast of characters. Its story is good enough that
even after playing it repeatedly, new things jump out at me about the
characterization, themes, and plot twists throughout the whole experience. But
what really charms me is how its tone abruptly shifts mid-game.
When I
originally played TWEWY, my first impressions led me to believe that it was
merely about a self-isolated teenage boy named Neku who wanted everything to go
back to how it was before. And really, bearing in mind the trials he overcomes,
restoring his world to what it once was would have been considered a win in my
book. But what I discovered was so much better; Neku changed into a person who
didn’t want to be isolated anymore. The people he once saw as beneath him
became treasured comrades. The world he thought was cramped and crowded became
open and inviting.
Conveniently,
this change in Neku was something I needed to experience back in 2007 when the
game initially came out. As an introvert, I saw many of my own qualities—both good
and bad—in the protagonist. The fact that he could change so drastically gave
me encouragement that I could do the same.
__________________________
2. Chrono
Trigger
Metascore
Nintendo DS: 92
Following
along the same Square Enix vein, Chrono Trigger is a game I appreciate for its
grand story, flawless utilization of time travel, and gameplay perfection. Originally
on the SNES, Chrono Trigger was released on the DS back in 2008. If you haven’t
played this fantastic RPG yet, you should go back and do so. It has aged impeccably
well.
Chrono
Trigger makes me think mainly due to the implications of moving through eras
and making history-altering changes as you go. Its cleverness shines in its
many puzzles in which you must make a change in the past and watch it play out
in the future. I hesitate to give examples here, because I really want anyone
who bothers to read this to experience it for him/herself.
In addition
to the time travel mechanic, there are some important quests littered
throughout the story that give the characters some added depth. Lucca’s side
mission in particular makes the player consider their own life and what changes
they would make if they had access to a portal that could take them back in
time. I mean this reflectively, not regretfully. By dwelling on the past, we
become self-focused and crippled by remorse; by understanding our mistakes in
the past, we can move forward in a fashion that is wiser.
__________________________
3. Braid
Metascore
X360/PS3: 93
PC: 90
This’ll be
short. Braid is a thought-provoking experience for two reasons.
1) Braid has
some of the most interesting puzzle mechanics I’ve ever played with. And as a
lady who loves puzzle games, this is a significant accomplishment.
2) The twist.
The only
thing that keeps Braid from being one of my favorite games is the condescending
tone embedded within its script. It had a tendency to chisel away at my
enjoyment when I played it. But I can’t deny the puzzles and story definitely
engage your brain.
__________________________
4. The Last
of Us
Metascore
PS3/PS4: 95
In 2013, my
husband and I were vaguely excited about this zombie survival third person
shooter. It looked interesting, although between it and Beyond Two Souls, I
wasn’t sure which one would be more fun. What I realized a few days after its
release was that this game wasn’t going to be “fun” exactly. But it was going
to be gripping like a train wreck and just as unsettling to watch. My husband
played for a couple hours each day following its release. I watched like the
story enthusiast I am. As he got past particularly difficult parts of the game
(both gameplay and story), I wanted him to keep trudging through the broken
universe. However, the game was more exhausting than expected (in a good way)
and had to be put down after the emotionally draining portions in particular.
After each
stint of gameplay, my brain continued to reel. But that was nothing compared to
the amount of consideration I gave this gem after it was finished. Over the
next week, I contemplated the story that Naughty Dog told and had to come to
grips with all the decisions that were made by the main characters. I didn’t
fully fathom all the choices that the protagonist made at the time, but a lot
of combing through the script and deliberation over his actions eventually led
to what I believe is a decent understanding of the game.
The Last of
Us is too complicated for me to summarize here, but I will say that every time
I experience it, I see another layer of the onion get peeled back. Every single
time. The writing in this game is phenomenal thanks to the efforts of Neil
Druckmann. Every inch of its script has a face value, an underlying meaning to
each character, and a thematic significance regarding what the story is trying
to say as a whole. I can honestly say it is the most well written game I have
ever played.
__________________________
5. Ghost
Trick
Metascore
Nintendo DS: 83
iOS: 87
Here’s
another one of those puzzlers I love. Like Braid, Ghost Trick is on here both
for its gameplay and for its story.
Ghost Trick
takes a new approach to the puzzle genre by allowing the main character to systematically
manipulate objects in the game to achieve a desired outcome. You can open an
umbrella to startle an enemy or turn on a light to get the attention of an NPC.
There are other mechanics as well, such as switching objects’ locations as long
as they are both of the same shape. The goal is to save lives by altering the
four minutes before a person’s death.
Not only is
this another one of those games where time travel is a huge factor, but the
story behind it, while silly and “out there”, stays true to the laws of the
game and provides several meaningful twists. There were a few times during this
deceptively childish looking game that I had to stop and wrap my mind around
the final timeline that was formed and the events that led up to it.
__________________________
6. The
Walking Dead: Season 1
Metascore
PS3: 94
I wasn’t
sure I wanted to play this game after the first episode. It's pretty intense, and I can't even stomach the comics in all honesty. The idea of a zombie
getting me simply because I did not do a QTE properly was a little unnerving,
and the puzzles seemed relatively simple. However, this game really shines
through its depiction of decision making. The player is frequently given four
choices to either say or do under a time limit. While this sounds easy, I found
some of the decisions to be incredibly difficult.
One that I
remember mulling over involved my cold and hungry group of survivors coming
across what appeared to be an abandoned vehicle full of food and other supplies.
I was given the choice to take the rations and gear or not. I remember quickly
weighing my options. Chances are whoever owned the vehicle was already dead. It
would be a waste to let the supplies sit there if that was indeed the case. And
right in front of me I have starving people who need the food to survive. I am
supposed to be leading them, and I know I’ll lose their respect if I choose not
to take this opportunity. But I lose respect from someone close to me if I do
take it when there is a chance the owner of the vehicle is still alive. Also,
if the owner is still alive, I would be stealing from them. There is no
scenario that makes everyone happy (which makes me very uncomfortable), not to
mention I only had about 5 or 10 seconds to make the choice. So I took the
food.
I know. I’m
terrible.
But the real
beauty of The Walking Dead is that eventually, you get confronted with the
choices you made in the past. There is no hiding from them, no excuses, no
explanation that can make everything look better in hindsight. And yes, I know
the game tends to funnel all your decisions into a single, relatively linear
game. But it never feels that way.
__________________________
7. The Zero
Escape Series (Volumes 1, 2, and maybe someday 3)
Metascore
Volume 1 (999) on Nintendo DS: 82
Volume 2 (VLR) on Nintendo DS: 88
Volume 2 (VLR) on PSVita: 84
Both volumes
in this series alternate between two game modes as they progress through a
suspenseful mystery involving 9 strangers forced to put their lives on the
line.
The first game mode utilized is that of a graphic novel with
lots and lots of text. I have to stress, however, that as boring as games with
a lot of exposition can be, this game is anything but. Every written word has
voice (despite no voice acting in the first entry) and the urgency with which
everything is happening will hold your interest as you progress through the
story. This game is filled with everything from basic psychology to mathematics
to quantum physics, so it's not just a bunch of meaningless text to fill time.
Every line is important later on.
The second format the game takes on is that of escape
puzzles. You've probably played escape games before, and I often find they are
fun but often meaningless ("Why am I trapped?"). 999 gives purpose to
the typical escape game, and you feel like you've really accomplished something
as you solve each puzzle.
I will not
say anything of the plot; even with the warning at the top of the page, I
cannot bear to let someone accidentally stumble across a spoiler on this one.
__________________________
8. Persona 4/Persona
4 Golden
Metascore
PS2: 90
PSVita: 93
Persona 4 is
about a group of high school kids who try to solve a murder mystery in their
small country town. This isn’t the most mind-bending game, and there really
aren’t puzzles or crazy decisions to make due to it being a dungeon crawling
JRPG. However, there are two reasons I still let this one join the list.
First off,
the battle system is genius. That’s not something I contemplate, exactly, but it is worth noting. It manages to be both
simple and deep in all the right ways, and I never got bored of taking out
enemies.
Second, there
are a few points in the game where your entire perception of things is completely
100% wrong. Your deduction regarding who is responsible for all the terrible
things happening in your hometown, while logical, still manages to be
fallacious. Time and time again. And the real cause of troubles is an even
bigger surprise than all the other twists in the game. That being said, the
final few hours of Persona 4 are incredible.
__________________________
9. Danganronpa
1 and 2
Metascore
Danganronpa 1 on PSVita: 80
Danganronpa 2 on PSVita: 81
There is no video here because everything I found either spoiled something or was too weird out of context. Just play this and the weirdness will all make sense. Kind of.
Frequently
described as Phoenix Wright meets Persona meets Zero Escape (three of my
favorite franchises), Danganronpa is a creepy teen life/mystery game in a
mostly visual novel format. Game segments alternate between spending time with
your friends and solving mysteries all while trying to escape a high school.
Danganronpa
struggles a bit with its execution of puzzle gameplay. I love challenging
puzzles as much as (or more than) anyone, but the player should never feel like
a puzzle is unfair. Unfortunately, Danganronpa can sometimes feel this way due
to its sometimes-too-large jumps in logic and a few terrible mini games. But
don’t let that scare you away from a very unique and fun experience.
Again, my
reason for including Danganronpa is twofold.
For one, the
mysteries are pretty decent. There were a few really clever ones in there that
got me to gasp out loud (or yell with excitement) when I solved them.
But my main
reason for including Danganronpa is for the plot twists. As you’ve probably
figured out by now, I love a good twist. Danganronpa has several of them.
Usually all in quick succession. Twist after twist after twist. I remember
thinking about the endings of both games for several days after beating them.
Even the idea of playing them again and experiencing all the twists again is
appealing.
__________________________
Honorable
Mention: Mario Party (any of them)
Because I
end up contemplating whether a few hours of fun was really worth losing all my
friends.
__________________________
So there you
have it. I understand the games that made the cut here are ultimately skewed in
favor of the games I enjoyed or spent more of my time on. But then again, this
is my blog, so you’ve gotta deal with it.
