I remember one of the first video games I ever played was an educational one in school, which was built to teach the difference between verbs and adjectives. It might have been primitive 1980s technology of the time, but I was fascinated by it and ever since, I wished that every subject could be delivered in the same way. After all, each of us learn through many different methods, and I've always been better when I can see and interact with the subject matter.
Puzzle games are often doomed to be limited in scope, as they involve some kind of abstract game mechanics that have been taken from real world equivalents. Translating something like a sudoku puzzle into a video game actually appears to be a difficult task, at least if you're trying to jazz it up a little and not just make another cookie cutter version of the same thing. With that in mind, I'm thrilled to have discovered that Murder by Numbers is to Picross, as Huniepop is to Match 3.
There's always so much to be gained from going into a game blind, with no real idea about what to expect. Then again, we've all be burned by a movie or a game that looked interesting, but turned out to be a stinker. However, when you go in blind and discover an excellent little experience that you were never expecting, the overall level of satisfaction gets raised significantly.
I often post about a game because I feel like I have something to say that actually has a point beyond whether or not I think it's good or not. I find myself enjoying just about every game I play for one reason or another, but not every game gives me something meaty enough to talk about. However, every now and then I find myself wanting to say something about a game that ultimately doesn't need to have much said about it at all.
I think one of the most interesting things about discussing art in any form, is that one hundred different people will give you one hundred different interpretations. Of course there are often common threads to each understanding, but every one of us brings our own past experience and context to every piece of art we encounter. At least, this is what I tell myself when I fail to connect as deeply and meaningfully as everyone else around me does.
Life has been pretty good in the world of licensed games for the last decade or so, but it wasn't always that way. If you've been around long enough you might remember when the term "licensed" could be synonymous with "rushed" or just "crap". Thankfully though, these days when a licensed game is released, fans of whatever franchise is being given the treatment can look on with interest and expect something worth diving into.
This is something of a different post than usual, as I'll be talking about a collection of games instead of an individual release. From time to time I like to pick up a cheap little bundle of indie games that are nothing more than a showcase of the kind of creative and unique ideas that are out there. Sure it means I've bought a bunch of total stinkers in the past, but every now and then I get lucky and stumble upon a handful of excellent little hors d'oeuvres to wet my creative appetite.
When I finished playing Life Is Strange 2, I didn't really have much to say that I hadn't already touched on when I wrote about the first game. While the story was something new, everything else was just more of the same, including the nauseating and oh-so-hip characterisations that kept me at arm's length for the entire game. However, now Dontnod are back with their latest take on the formula that has kept them going for a while. Could this be a breath of fresh air, or just another dredge through niche cultural hipster life?
I feel like at this stage, I could ask any regular reader of this blog for a short list of things that I really like to see in games and anyone keeping track would have an easy time figuring it out. Perhaps you might start with a narrative, or some king of story-telling device that plays a central role. You might then add in some kind of aesthetic importance, where the graphics can be considered art, and they play an important role in telling the aforementioned story. Finally, even though it's not as obvious as the others, you might think to shape the game mechanically as a traditional point-and-click adventure. If you did all that, you'd undoubtedly be pretty close to a game that really can't fail to impress me.
As much as I love a short little game that tells a personal story from the developer's own experience, I'm often left wondering if it can actually work in a meaningful way. Sometimes it seems that unless I've had the exact same experience, I'll find it hard to connect and understand the story I'm being told, which only ends up confusing me a little. Is it simply the case of niche experiences not relating to many people, or does it indicate a lack of story-telling skill, when your audience is unable to connect?
For most of my life, I've been a PC gamer. Yes, I am a member of the master race I do believe that there is no better way to experience gaming than with a personal computer that allows you to play however you want to play and with little to no limitations. However, as of the Playstation 3, I have also enjoyed the reliable and predictable experiences that console gaming can bring. There's something to be said about knowing that every game you buy for a system should be able to run well on it, as the hardware is the same for every single player. Not to mention the many console exclusives that get released regularly as an enticement to buy the hardware, which is why about a year ago I found myself with a brand new Xbox One X - the first Xbox I have ever owned.
Sometimes I wonder if I've been living under a rock, but then I remember that I don't consume as much news media as I used to, especially when it comes to games. Therefore I tend to miss a big game every now and then, so I have no idea about hype levels or expectations. Sometimes I'm fortunate enough to just boot up a game because the trailer looked interesting and that's about that.
Not going to lie, I 'm pretty happy to get back to a good old point-and-click adventure again. This is one of my favourite genres, as it has the potential to combine gameplay elements and story-telling in such a satisfying way. Besides, there's nothing that makes you feel smarter than finally hunting down the perfect pixel, or solving that maddening moon-logic puzzle once and for all.
In recent times, Bithell Games have been making a name for themselves as an indie developer to watch. Of course Mike Bithell is someone that's been on my radar since I first played the brilliant Thomas Was Alone, and I suspect I'm not the only one. However, what's really excited me about his company's recent work, is that they've released a series of "Bithell Shorts". These are short, but high quality games, that explore a unique mechanic or system and tell a succinct story. Needless to say, this is a winning combination for me, as I often prefer to play smaller games with nothing but quality content, as opposed to bloated hundred hour grinds that never truly satisfy.
I've never gone back to a game that I've already posted about before, but I also didn't think I'd be going back to Spiritfarer after the technical difficulties I faced last time around. In fact, it should be a testament to the game's success that I even went back at all, because after hitting a game-breaking bug ten hours in, I would usually uninstall with glee and never give it any more of my time.
I remember when I was first getting into visual novels in general. At first I didn't really understand the appeal, as most of the ones recommended to me consisted of little more than sexually suggestive anime. In fact, I didn't realise that visual novels as a genre could ever exist without some kind of horny element, which I later found out to be completely false. This, however, is not one those visual novels. This is one of those anime-looking, unnecessarily horny entries into the visual novel library.
Sometimes when I sit down to write these blog posts, I wonder to myself what kind of point I might want to make about the game in question. Often I have something I want to say, so I just ramble on until I think I've said it, but then there are those special cases where I don't really feel like I have a lot to say, but I still want to ramble on a bit because I had such a good time after all.
I'm starting to think that there's something about controversial game releases that fascinates me a little. I often remember the titles that get a bad reception and then somehow manage to keep existing in the world, even spawning sequels and spinoffs despite their lack of success. I suppose one way to ensure your game will sell no matter how good or bad it is, would be to use one of the biggest intellectual properties in the world. Surely nothing can go wrong when you're in a galaxy far, far away.
I know it might not seem like it at times, but I try to keep these posts stacked into the positive column a little more than the negative. After all, I often want to share the joy a game can bring instead of the pain, so even though I have been known to complain here and there, I like to think that the overall vibe of this blog is one of enjoyment and optimism. However, just saying that kind of gives away how much of a big old "but" might be coming along in this particular post.
Are all games art? Or are art games actually games? How much art makes a game art instead of a game? At what point does a game with great art become nothing like a game, leaving only the art? What if the art is split between visuals and music, while the game focuses on generic elements, overshadowed by the art? When does a game become art, or when does art become a game? After all, games are an artform, but they rarely contain beautiful art.
