Fear And Loathing in Computer Games
By sweep 7 Comments
When was the last time a video game made you angry
Not angry because of broken mechanics or unbalanced difficulty peaks. I'm not talking about throwing your controller away in disgust or punching the nearest wall/chair/person in rage. I mean - when did you last feel such blinding rage at the characterisation inside a computer game.For me this was Call Of Duty 4. That last scene of the single player campaign, on the bridge with your comrades was, as Ryan Davis once screamed, a NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! moment. That made me angry. It's not usually a concept I associate with computer games. Normally I either do not allow myself to become emmersed to that depth, or I have not been engaged by the characters enough to care about what happens to them. Gears Of War is a great game, but did anyone shed a tear when Lt. Kim was killed? I think not...
Other examples would include Pikmin and Viva Pinata. I hated seeing my Pinata get into fights and destroy one another, it added such a sinister element to what was otherwise a warm and comfortable game. I think the experiance is enhanced as a result, but it was still upsetting when a Pinata you tried so hard to attract is crushed by a stupid old Whirlm.
I find I remember emotions much stronger than I do individual experiances. Thats why sometimes a particular song can trigger past emotions and bring them flushing back into the present when you least expect it. I find the things I remember most strongly are sensations of fear, embaressment, amusement and rage. When I broke up with one of my previous girlfriends I sat in my room and listened to a coldplay album repeatedly for about 3 days in what was one of the most emo experiances of my life. That album now ramains unplayable, despite my love for the unique coldplay aesthetic. So it goes with computer games. I can remember my frustration at not being able to beat my step brother at street fighter 2, practicing for hours only to be defeated once again. I can remember how competitve I was with my friends at school playing Crash Team Racing on my PS1. I can remember how I felt much clearer than I can remember what the hell happened in the game.
These examples all retain a stong link - in that the emotions I feel were not directly influenced by the game. I didnt feel the adrenaline of Crash Bandicoot, nor did I feel the pain of Zangeif as his head was pulvarised into the ground by Sagat again and again. The emotions and feelings I felt were a result of the context in which the game was played, not the context of the game itself. This is my theory why nostalgia is so poisonous - because players play a game hoping to capture that same feeling, but all they can find is the game, and this can occasionally ruin the original. You can't go back to being 12 years old and fighting your brother for turns playing Tomb Raider.
The truely great games are those which push themselves to the forefront of your emotional spectrum, not only as entertainment but as an experiance. The memories that stick with you are - screaming in helplessness as you watch your innocently guided Pikmin drown in a small puddle - knowing their virtual pain is a result of your own carelessness. These are the experiances I treasure, and look forward to the most however frustrating they may feel at the time.
I watched "Reign Over Me" today, on a reccomendation of another Giantbomb user Claude. The protaonist has withdrawn into himself after the death of his family, to the extent he has mentally restricted himself with layers of paranoia and denial. He chooses to spend his time playing Shadow Of The Colossus. The film is articulate enough to imply this game was chosen for a very specific reason. He could have been inside playing Madden all day, but no doubt that would have resulted in a very different atmosphere. The concept was of a search for ones-self through the trials of the game. Pretentious perhaps, but interesting nevertheless - and I challenge anyone to play the game themselves, in sincerity, and not feel some form of doubt or impulsion to continue. I love computer games because thousands of people all over the world can share the same experiances but in their own minutely individual way. Shadow Of The Colossus felt extremely personal to me, and it was fascinating watching it being played by someone else as a form of emotional therapy, albeit as a concept in a film. (If you havent already seen the film I reccomend it, its one of the few testimonies to Adam Sandlers ability as an actor).
Games mean many different things to many different people, but what you come away with after playing is whats important - even if its only a way of killing time for a while.
People like to talk about "are games art?" - but that doesnt really matter. Games dont need to be art, games are great just being games.
Thanks for reading
Love Sweep