Gaming Articles

These are all the writing pieces that fall under “Gaming Convo.”

Video Games ARE Art: Batman – Arkham Asylum

Gaming Articles

VIDEO GAME ARE ART:
BATMAN - ARKHAM ASYLUM

Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination to be appreciated primarily for beauty or emotional power. Typically, when one thinks of traditional art forms, paintings and sculptures are the first things to come to mind. However, over time, other mediums have been accepted under the art umbrella. Music, literature, and photography have, over time, been lumped into the art category and, most recently, movies and television have joined the ranks. Now, in the 21st century, we have a new medium that is just as large and impactful as those previously mentioned: video games.

Compared to the other forms of art mentioned, video games are most like movies and television. They combine elements of other art forms to create a new type of art. The difference between video games and movies and television, though, is how they are consumed. The participatory nature of videogames allows consumers to take a more active role in the way they interact with this particular art form. After all, they are games, but they sometimes are much more. In this piece, I examined a specific game whose artistic qualities reach this higher plain. Today’s game is Batman – Arkham Asylum.

THE HERO WE DESERVED

Once upon a time, superhero games were widely considered mediocre at best. More effort was put into their development with the rise of superheroes at the box office, but not enough to really make them stand out. For the most part, they were widely considered cash grabs with only a few standouts.

Then came the film Batman Begins, which changed the image of the Dark Knight in popular culture. Batman was no longer just a children’s character. He had complex layers that could be explored in interesting ways. At the time, this was a relatively new way to view superheroes unless you were familiar with their comic history.

With the movie came the video game for Batman Begins and it was forgettable. However, at the time, movie tie in video games were still popular among gaming studios. With the success of the film, a sequel was put into production along with another tie in game. That, of course, became The Dark Knight.

While the movie succeeded both critically and financially, the game never got off the ground. The project fell through and it ended up being scrapped but not before a fair bit of work had been done on it. There was enough material for the game to be potentially salvaged in another form. That material became entrusted to a relatively unknown gaming studio called Rocksteady and they were tasked to create something out of it.

Rocksteady saw their opportunity. They realized the magnitude of the gift they had been given and decided to take full advantage of it. In 2009, the fruit of their labor was released to the world as Batman: Arkham Asylum. Unlike most other superhero games then, it was not a movie tie in. It embraced the fantastical grit of the comics and adapted it for a video game medium. The result was a game that revolutionized the industry and became a standard.

BE THE BATMAN

Though there are many things that Arkham Asylum does well, what it is most renown for is its combat. You are more powerful than your enemies and the game makes you feel that way, but it never makes you feel overpowered. It is difficult to make a game in such a way and still have an element of challenge, but Rocksteady pulled it off with this title. Since its release, Arkham Asylum’s formula has been copied many times, but never quite to the same level of success.

Along with the combat, there are two other major gameplay elements: stealth and exploration. The exploration is relatively straightforward with the caveat that you are exploring like Batman. In other words, you are moving along rooftops, ventilation shafts, sewers, and other dark places with the help of a grapnel gun, gliding cape, and all the gadgets in the Dark Knight’s famous utility belt.

These tools also carry over into predator (stealth) mode. Like the combat, the player feels far more powerful than the enemies yet not overpowered. That is really where the similarity ends, however, between combat and stealth. Though you literally use all the same tools, they are used so differently between the two modes. It manages to do a lot with a little and makes each encounter feel diverse.

Rocksteady’s main focus when creating Arkham Asylum was to make players feel like Batman, either as a martial arts expert or a monster in the shadows. They used the character’s lore to create a fresh, new story and they far surpassed any expectations for superhero games at the time. It truly makes the player feel like a hero. This is why Batman – Arkham Asylum IS Art.

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Video Games ARE Art: The Last of Us

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VIDEO GAMES ARE ART:
THE LAST OF US

Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination to be appreciated primarily for beauty or emotional power. Typically, when one thinks of traditional art forms, paintings and sculptures are the first things to come to mind. However, over time, other mediums have been accepted under the art umbrella. Music, literature, and photography have, over time, been lumped into the art category and, most recently, movies and television have joined the ranks. Now, in the 21st century, we have a new medium that is just as large and impactful as those previously mentioned: video games.

Compared to the other forms of art mentioned, video games are most like movies and television. They combine elements of other art forms to create a new type of art. The difference between video games and movies and television, though, is how they are consumed. The participatory nature of videogames allows consumers to take a more active role in the way they interact with this particular art form. After all, they are games, but they sometimes are much more. In this piece, I examined a specific game whose artistic qualities reach this higher plain. Today’s game is The Last of Us.

THIS WON'T TAKE LONG...

What is there to say about this game that hasn’t already been said? It’s truly a masterpiece that is more like a playable movie than a video game. While I do not think it is a style suited for most games, it is nearly perfected in this instance.

Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson are brilliant as Joel and Ellie and the rest of the cast rises to match their stellar performances. It’s worth noting that the actors were motion captured for the game so not only did they lend their voices, but they supplied their movements and facial expressions to the developers as well. As players, we get to witness their full performances, which is a rarity in gaming..

Despite the game’s setting in a “zombie” apocalypse, it feels quite real. The movements are not exaggerated or fast and combat is brutal. As a player, you rarely feel super powered like you might in other games. In the few instances you do, it is only because of the difficulty setting. Players can make the game more realistic by making it harder. This in turn makes players feel more human and vulnerable.

The “zombies” aren’t too farfetched either. The disease that causes these zombie-like transformations in the game is one that actually exists in ants. It makes a seemingly unbelievable scenario more real and puts fear in the back of the player’s mind. One cannot help but wonder if this disease might one day evolve to affect humans.

Basically, everything in this game is incredible. The writing, storytelling, design, and characters are matched in quality by few other games. The fact that you play it instead of watch it adds a layer of immersion that you can’t get in most other media, including most other video games. For these and all the other reasons so many others have stated before, The Last of Us truly IS art. 

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Tabletop RPGs – Practicing the Art of Storytelling

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TABLETOP RPGS -
PRACTICING THE ART OF STORYTELLING

Storytelling is like any other skill: the more your practice it, the better you become. There are many ways to sharpen one’s storytelling abilities and some are more fun than others. Let’s talk about one of the more enjoyable methods: Tabletop RPGs.

THE BASICS

The best way I can describe Tabletop RPGs to someone unfamiliar with them is that they are essentially video games in your imagination and instead of a computer keeping track of all of your stats and gear, you have to do it with pencil and paper. A game master runs the game and everyone else participates as players. The players create their own characters that then interact with the world created by the game master.

The most famous Tabletop RPG is Dungeons & Dragons, but there are many others including Star Wars, Star Trek, Superheroes, Cyberpunk, Harry Potter, Horror, and even one based off the television show Dallas. Each of these has a unique set of rules that fit into its specific world, but the general idea described in the paragraph above holds true. No matter what your interest is, there is probably a Tabletop RPG for you.

THE BENEFIT OF PLAYING GAMES

So how exactly do Tabletop RPGs teach someone to be a better storyteller? Simple: they force all involved to use fundamental storytelling skills. The players are essentially actors as they are meant to become their characters, thinking and acting as they would. When a storyteller can truly adopt the mindset of varying characters, it makes for a more compelling narrative and players in Tabletop RPGs are forced to use those same storytelling skills.

The game master, meanwhile, has a much more arduous task. He or she needs to do what the players do, but instead of focusing on just one character, he or she has to populate the rest of the game world, create dynamic locations, and weave interesting plot threads to get the players invested.

Being a game master sharpens one’s skills far more than being a player because it invokes all the skills necessary to be a quality storyteller. However, it is more advantageous than writing or filmmaking because the feedback is instantaneous. If your characters are dull, your plot boring, or your locations uninteresting, you as a game master will see your players losing interest and not trying as hard. It’s easy to tell if you’re succeeding, as players will act more in character and want to keep on playing.

In short, Tabletop RPGs are disguises. They require hard work and creativity, but if it’s done correctly, it becomes an enticing game rather than an onerous chore. If you want a career as a storyteller, whether as an author or filmmaker or in some other fashion, then it might be time to try a Tabletop RPG.

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Video Games ARE Art: Assassin’s Creed – Black Flag

Gaming Articles

Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination to be appreciated primarily for beauty or emotional power. Typically, when one thinks of traditional art forms, paintings and sculptures are the first things to come to mind. However, over time, other mediums have been accepted under the art umbrella. Music, literature, and photography have, over time, been lumped into the art category and, most recently, movies and television have joined the ranks. Now, in the 21st century, we have a new medium that is just as large and impactful as those previously mentioned: video games.

Compared to the other forms of art mentioned, video games are most like movies and television. They combine elements of other art forms to create a new type of art. The difference between video games and movies and television, though, is how they are consumed. The participatory nature of videogames allows consumers to take a more active role in the way they interact with this particular art form. After all, they are games, but they sometimes are much more. In this piece, I examined a specific game whose artistic qualities reach this higher plain. Today’s game is Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.

PIRATE SIMULATOR

Assassin’s Creed had a set style with minor variations up until the premiere of Origins in 2017. It was then the franchise turned more to RPGs than stealth-based games. However, four years prior, Assassin’s Creed made its first big divergence though it didn’t yet change the direction of the franchise. The result was Black Flag and in 2020 it still holds a special place in many gamer’s hearts.

To be blunt, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag is a PG13 pirate simulator. Players sail across the Caribbean doing many of the things pirates were famous for all the while encountering famous figures from history and skipping over the uninteresting minutia. There are epic sea battles, exploration, treasures, gambling, drinking, heists, and all the other fun things one sees in a Pirates of the Caribbean movie with a bit more swearing.

It is the gameplay that takes center stage in Black Flag. The story the developers tell is admittedly forgettable, but it is actually more of a credit than a criticism in this particular case because the gameplay is so engaging that one can easily be distracted from the main story for hours.

In a way, Black Flag operates a lot like a mobile game. It gives players just enough fun things to do at perfectly balanced intervals to make players want to repeat the process over and over again. The Batman: Arkham franchise has mastered this as well with their balance between exploration, combat, and stealth. But what really separates Black Flag from mobile games and the Arkham franchise, besides the obvious, is that players have more freedom to create their own narratives through exploration. In this regard, the game is a lot like Skyrim but not as diverse.

What makes Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag so appealing is that it hit a sweet spot in game design. It’s not overwhelming with the things you can do and it doesn’t force players to do one thing for too long. It encourages exploration and, by extension, the creation of a personal narrative. While it is to the detriment of the main story somewhat, it also is what makes the game stand apart. All of these things combined to form what is now essentially the model for modern pirate video games and it still contends with newer releases of a similar style. This is why Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag IS Art.

Pain Gaming

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Video games are meant to be fun. People play them to escape and relax. However, there are some that don’t fit this mold and are instead designed to be migraine-inducing challenges. If video games are meant to be fun, then why is there such a strong fan base for ones like this? Why do people enjoy Pain Gaming?

Pain Gaming is my term for single player video games that causes more discomfort than enjoyment. While people can have frustrating times with multiplayer games, that isn’t necessarily because of game design. More likely it is because of other players. Pain Gaming is more of a self-torture.

In most modern single player games, Pain Gaming is usually an option through difficulty settings. If a player wants to make a game more challenging, they can choose to do so. However this is not what I classify as true Pain Gaming. That would be with a video game that has no difficultly settings and is still rage quit worthy. Dark Soulsis the most famous of these titles and the poster child for Pain Gaming.

So what is the appeal? At the end of a long day, why would someone frustrate themselves further with something like this? Well when one plays a video game, one is always up against the possibility of failure. When on Pain Games, that possibility is the more likely outcome rather than success. However failure in video games has all the benefits of real world failure without any of the drawbacks.

When a player fails in a video game, he or she learns a lesson. They adjust, adapt, and try again or they give up. The same is true of failure in real life. Unlike real life, however, there are little if any lingering consequences of failure and if there are any at all, they are only in the game world.

That is the appeal of Pain Gaming. It’s the thrill of taking on a difficult challenge without the risk of dire consequences. Players can fight and fail over and over again, learning and adapting until finally they reach that moment of victory. Because the struggle to get there was so long and difficult, the sense of accomplishment feels that much greater and gives the player a sort of natural high.

The reward of Pain Gaming comes in real life as well by giving a small sense of relief. Beating a difficult boss or level does not define one’s life, but it serves as a marker of accomplishment. It is a small win, the kind of win a person needs every now and again when life feels routine and static. It is also a subconscious teacher. From Pain Gaming, players can learn how to adjust from failure, adapt, and push on. Pain Gaming can give the courage to strive for real world goals.

Video Games ARE Art: Assassin’s Creed – Origins

Gaming Articles

Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination to be appreciated primarily for beauty or emotional power. Typically, when one thinks of traditional art forms, paintings and sculptures are the first things to come to mind. However, over time, other mediums have been accepted under the art umbrella. Music, literature, and photography have, over time, been lumped into the art category and, most recently, movies and television have joined the ranks. Now, in the 21stcentury, we have a new medium that is just as large and impactful as those previously mentioned: video games.

Compared to the other forms of art mentioned, video games are most like movies and television. They combine elements of other art forms to create a new type of art. The difference between video games and movies and television, though, is how they are consumed. The participatory nature of videogames allows consumers to take a more active role in the way they interact with this particular art form. After all, they are games, but they sometimes are much more. In this piece, I examined a specific game whose artistic qualities reach this higher plain. Today’s game is Assassin’s Creed: Origins.

REINVENTING A FRANCHISE

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has been around for many years and admittedly I have not played the majority of the titles. Origins was my introduction to the franchise and it instantly made me a fan. I know that many consider Assassin’s Creed II to be the best the series has to offer and that there are a lot of Assassin’s Creed fans who don’t actually consider Origins an AC game because of the changes Ubisoft made to the gameplay formula. However that is the very reason why Origins is special.

Before its reinvention, Assassin’s Creed had a very specific gameplay style. For the most part, players were meant to be stealthy and clever. The player character was never meant to be a powerful warrior that could take on a bunch of enemies in a strait up fight. They could easily be overwhelmed if not careful. There was usually only one-way to approach situations: the assassin way. Origins changed this, however, by adding play style options all the while keeping a lot of what made Assassin’s Creedpopular in the first place. There were also many more RPG elements in terms of items and gear customization, which added more personalization for each player’s interpretation of Bayek, the main character.

There was also a new skill tree system implemented with three distinct branches: warrior, hunter, and seer. These branches gave unique abilities, most new to the franchise, and they allowed for very different play styles depending on what combination of abilities the player chose. These changes were necessary to revitalize a franchise that has been around for more than a decade. And while all of these changes seem like simple tweaks, they were necessary in order to accommodate Assassin’s Creed: Origins’ setting.

THE GLORY OF ANCIENT EGYPT

Ancient Egypt is what truly makes this game spectacular. In the age of modern gaming, there are many vast and intricate virtual worlds that have been created, so many in fact that they have become somewhat of a standard and sometimes an afterthought. In Assassin’s Creed: Origins, however, the landscape takes center stage. When Bayek hits a sync point and the camera rises into the sky to slowly spin around and show you all that’s around, you are in awe. Seeing the Great Pyramid of Giza in the distance all the while knowing that you will actually be able to climb it later is truly remarkable.

Not only is the world stunning, but it is populated as well. Sure most of the NPCs are just mindless drones with no names or personalities, but in Origins they were at least programmed to give the appearance of having a daily life cycle. They work during the day and they sleep at night. They talk with one another and they react when things happen around them. These aren’t groundbreaking enhancements, but they are enough to make the game world feel alive.

There is so much to explore in Assassin’s Creed: Origins and while some of the quests can get repetitive, the world as a whole keeps you invested. There is so much to see and discover that the repetitive gameplay can be overlooked. The splendor of Ancient Egypt is fully realized in this game and if it doesn’t make you feel like you are actually there, it certainly makes you feel like you are on an adventure. This is why Assassin’s Creed: Origins IS art.

Gaming Wish List – Harry Potter RPG

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The Harry Potter fandom is massive. However, while the story and the characters are wonderful, the thing that seems to draw fans the most is the world itself. We muggles are fascinated by the workings of the Wizarding World and many have the desire to be apart of it, particularly Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In an earlier article, I suggested how just such an experience could be possible in the real world with a Hogwarts Hotel (check it out if you haven’t yet). Now I would like to discuss the same experience but based in the actual Wizarding World. What if you could go to school at Hogwarts, take classes, and explore the castle halls and grounds to your hearts content all the while performing real magic? Let’s discuss a Harry Potter RPG.

RECEIVING YOUR LETTER

This theoretical video game would be set during Harry’s attendance at Hogwarts and the player character would be in the same class year. At the start, players would be given the chance to create their character. There would be a basic aesthetic creation system in the style of Skyrim or Dragon Age, but there would also be questions to set up backstory. For example, is the player character pureblood, half-blood, or muggle born? If they are half-blood or muggle born, do their parents approve, like Hermione’s, or not, like the Dursleys?

Players will also be given the opportunity to give their characters personality traits during character creation. However, they can choose to omit this section entirely and go to Hogwarts as a blank slate. They are also given the chance to declare their character’s financial status. Do they come from a rich family, a poor family, or somewhere in the middle? Though this may seem an unnecessary question, it plays a role in how the game unfolds.

SHOPPING FOR SUPPLIES

Once your character is created, it’s time to buy your books, potion ingredients, and wand. This is where finances become a factor. Players can “buy” better starting gear right at the beginning if they have the money, but that does not guarantee an easier experience. One thing money can’t buy is a better wand. All wands at Olivander’s are the same price though they each have different proficiencies and players only get one wand for the entire game unless of course theirs breaks. While you may have some sway over the wand you get, the wand chooses the wizard. In other words, the personality choices you made at the start of the game would influence the type of wand you get. However, if you decided to be a blank slate, then your wand would be randomly generated.

It is also in Diagon Alley that players can purchase spell books and potion ingredients. Once again, players can buy more powerful spell books and more advanced potion ingredients if they have the funds. However, doing so might prevent special perks from being added to those particular spells and potions compared to a player who learns them naturally later on.

Also during the Diagon Alley portion of the game, players will have the chance to meet other characters. Some will be from the books while others are totally new, specific to the game. The book characters will play some part in the player’s story, but they won’t be as impactful expect for the large-scale events. The game characters, meanwhile, will directly affect the player’s story. During the first trip to Diagon Alley, players have the opportunity to make first impressions with many of the game specific characters. Depending on your choices during character creation as well as your interactions at this stage, the path of certain game characters can change. There is a heavy influence from Telltale here.

SORTING

Once you’ve got your supplies and you’ve met all the people you want to meet, then it’s off to Hogwarts. Upon arrival, the player character will be sorted. Players can simply let their personality dictate where they go or they can ask the Sorting Hat to place them in a specific house. Once sorted, players are given their course schedules and can officially begin their education at Hogwarts.

I SOLEMNLY SWEAR THAT I AM UP TO NO GOOD

From there, the castle and grounds open up. The game becomes open world and, though there is an overall narrative, it is up to the players to get things done. Like Kingdom Come: Deliverance and The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, things happen even when you are not present. Time doesn’t wait for you because, well, you’re not the most important narrative unfolding at Hogwarts during this time. However, your narrative is important to you and you can go about it how you see fit.

There are some things that players can change from the books, but only minor things. For example, player characters can join their house Quidditch team and replace a lesser-known character from the books or they can become a part of the DA in year five. However, your character will be unable to alter the course of major book events during their Hogwarts education. But other than that, you can pretty much do what you like. Want to be a good student? Want to skip all your classes and explore? Want to do a mix? You can do them all! Just remember your actions have consequences. Hogwarts is still a school after all.

THE LONG GAME

Once you start, then you are in it for the long haul. After you are sorted, the game’s timetable takes a Skyrim turn. There are in game days that match a normal calendar but are obviously much shorter. In that time, the game becomes somewhat of a “student simulator,” but there’s magic so it’s far less boring. There is also a lot of exploring and collecting to be done as well.

So would you like to be student at Hogwarts? Is this game too large of an idea to be executed or do we finally have the means? Share your thoughts below!

Gaming Wish List – Middle Earth RPG

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There have been many different MMOs, RPGs, and MMORPGs where players go on epic adventures and explore vast worlds. Games like World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Skyrim, Fallout, Dragon Age, and Dark Souls are all examples that fall under one of these designations. While there are many other games that have similar mechanics, these specific titles all allow players to create completely original characters that they can shape by the way they play. Other RPGs like Witcher III and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic have you play established characters. While you can make different decisions in these titles that change the player character’s personality to varying degrees, there is technically a “right way” to play these characters.

In this article, we will explore an idea for a game relating to the first set of titles mentioned. What if players had the opportunity to create their own characters in the fantasy setting that is considered the catalyst for all modern fantasy? What if we got a Skyrim style game… in Middle Earth?

A NEW KIND OF RPG

To get this out of the way, I am aware that there already is a MMORPG set in Middle Earth with Lord of the Rings Online. I am also aware there are other Lord of the Rings RPGs like War in the North and The Third Age, but these are more in line with Witcherwhere you play set characters. All these titles, however, are not the kind of game I am proposing. As mentioned before, this theoretical game would be heavily inspired by Skyrim along with many other titles.

For starters, it wouldn’t be a MMO, but single player. The combat would be some sort of cross between Dark Souls, Witcher, and Skyrim, requiring some skill to be good rather than the button mashing associated with MMO combat or even Skyrim. There would also be a heavy exploration element similar to Skyrim where you can discover new adventures all across the game map. However, it wouldn’t be the Elder Scrolls in Middle Earth. In fact, the feel would be very different from the start.

CHOICES

This game, first and foremost, would be about the player’s choices. From the start, players would have the option to pick their character’s race and their homeland. First, players would pick good or evil. From there, they would pick their race. Good could choose from Human, Elf, Dwarf, and Hobbit and evil could choose Orc, Uruk-Hai, Goblin, or Human. Then the player chooses their starting homeland, which will vary depending on their race. Certain races will have certain homelands available to them with a little crossover here and there. Hobbits, for example, come from the Shire and Bree. Orcs come from Mordor, Isengard, the Misty Mountains, or Dol Guldur. The idea is the same for the other races depending on where they typically come from in Middle Earth. Once those decisions are made, players will be asked a few simple questions to set up the general background for their character.

THE WORLD IS AHEAD

After all that, the gameplay begins. Based off of the choices and answers to the background questions, player characters will be given a starting quest in their homeland to get them started and to teach them the basics. These starting quests will vary based off of the choices made in character creation. However, players don’t need to complete this starting quest if they so choose. They can simply roam out in Middle Earth as soon as they are given control of their created character.

The game would start as Frodo leaves the Shire, even though the player character may not necessarily be there to see it happen. From there, the player can go through the events of the War of the Ring anywhere in Middle Earth in any manner. This would include events not specifically mentioned in the main books, but that are present in Middle Earth lore. If you want to fight at Helm’s Deep, you can do that. If you want to defend Lorien and Erebor from Sauron’s northern assault, you can do that. If you want to sit out the war entirely and focus on some other enterprise, you can do that. You could even try to take the ships into the west right from the beginning if you so desire. That would obviously be a very short play through, but it would still be an option all the same.

You would be able to do whatever you like in Middle Earth, but there is a catch. Time is a factor. Like in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask or Kingdom Come: Deliverance, events happen elsewhere even if you are not present. It wouldn’t be like Skyrim where things wait to unfold until you are present. If you want to be at Helm’s Deep, but something else sidetracks you and you miss it, then you miss it. Of course you could just do another play through or go back to an old save, but the point is that the world is huge and always in motion. Though you are a hero or villain, you are not at the epicenter of everything going on and your choices have consequences. This also presents a prime opportunity for drastically different stories on each play through, promoting replayability.

The other thing players can do is change outcomes of events in Middle Earth history to make a new history. Perhaps you lead the Uruk-Hai to victory at Helm’s Deep or you capture the One Ring from Frodo at Amon Hen. Or perhaps you manage to take the fight to Isengard before they build up their strength. No matter the decision, however, players will only have a set number of in game days. Basically, they will have until the One Ring is destroyed or until Sauron reclaims it. There is no middle ground.

So does this sort of game interest you? Do you think such a game is possible today? Am I just spouting nonsense? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Reality in Gaming

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Video games are games, obviously. They are meant to be entertainment, enjoyment with layers of challenge and necessary skill. As such, most video games have elements that defy reality or are just flat out unrealistic. A video game standard, the double jump, is not at all physically possible yet it is in so many games.

There are some games, however, that ignore this mentality and strive for more realistic experiences. After recently playing Red Dead Redemption 2, a game that could easily be reclassified as a ‘cowboy simulator,’ a question came to my mind that I wanted to discuss, or at least write out my thoughts. Does a more realistic gaming experience make a better game? Upon reflection, however, that seemed like too broad of a question. Every gamer could answer it differently depending on his or her taste. So instead I came up with a different two-part question: When should a game be more realistic and when should a game be more fantastical?

THE APPEAL OF REALITY

Video games are, for the most part, distractions from the real world. Like most television, movies, and recreational reading, they are meant to be forms of escapism. So why is it then that some games, including a few very popular games, add prevalent gameplay elements that revolve around mundane, real world tasks and physics?

 In Red Dead Redemption 2, for example, Arthur Morgan, the player character, moves at a normal walking speed. In most video games, this is rather unusual as the player character more than likely moves at a brisk jog the majority of the time. Whether it’s Witcher, Zelda, Assassin’s Creed, Arkham, or the majority of other major titles, standard movement speed is much faster than it is in reality. Yet RDR2 forces the player to move, well, like an actual human. You have to… walk!

But RDR2’s realism doesn’t stop there. Arthur Morgan needs to eat, sleep, and bathe in order to survive and thrive in the game world. The idea of doing such tasks in video games would largely be considered absurd by many without seeing it in practice. It’s more akin to taking care of a pet or child rather than playing a game. In most video games, player characters can go on for hours and hours without having to eat and sleep, let alone bathe. It’s just something that isn’t normally done. Hell the only realistic function Arthur Morgan doesn’t seem to have in RDR2 is the ability to relieve himself.

Despite these mundane activities RDR2 forces you to do in order to thrive, the game has achieved massive success. Not only that, but these mechanics have been praised to some extent and this gamer is personally a fan. Why? Why do people who want to play a game about the old west with gunfights and robberies end up praising and discussing Arthur Morgan’s cleaning, eating, and sleeping habits? And RDR2 isn’t alone with these sorts of necessary tasks in large-scale games. Both of Bethesda’s Fallout and Elder Scrolls series have a Survival Mode, which is similar to the basic needs of RDR2.

What these gaming elements seem to do is add to the immersion of the adventure. It’s not that exciting if you can cross Skyrim or the Old West without worrying about hunger, thirst, sleep, weather, disease, wounds, and a host of other basic real world concerns. But the second you have to take all those things into account, the journey becomes much more perilous and therefore much more intriguing. The challenge has been increased and with it the players desire to overcome that challenge. At the same time, there is no great loss upon failure. It is not the player who suffers should their character not survive (well, they may suffer annoyed disappointment.) It’s, well, the character that suffers. Simply put, realism simultaneously adds to the challenge and to the immersion. It psychologically makes players feel like they are on the adventure without actually putting them in harms way.

This might be true for large-scale epics, but what about smaller games that function more like simulators? Well, for those, the idea of realism is to strengthen the draw of whatever activity the game is simulating. For people to enjoy these sorts of games, they probably need to have a liking for the game’s topic before they pick up the controller. Otherwise, it would most likely be boring. This could be said for the epics as well to some extent, but they have a broader appeal with sweeping stories and a variety of tasks to do. Meanwhile, the smaller, simulator type games focus on one or two things.

THE FINE LINE

There is always an aspect of the fantastical in video games no matter how realistic one gets, and I don’t just mean with settings or magic. In RDR2, for example, there is the famous Dead Eye mechanic that briefly slows down time when you draw your gun. Eating in the Bethesda games is instantaneous. I personally have never eaten a whole chicken in one bite, but I might not be trying hard enough. And as stated before, normal movement in most games is at a brisk jog. I don’t know about you, but I can only move at that pace for about ten minutes before I need a break.

So it’s clear that all video games have elements of fantasy, but that begs the question of how much reality should go along with it? Well, frankly, the answer changes from game to game. More realism may be acceptable in RDR2, but frowned upon in something like Bloodborne. The elements of realism in each game vary as well depending on what the intended experience calls for. Adding a basic needs system to adventuring games like Skyrim or Fallout make sense because of the emphasis on exploration. Realism in fighting games, with the exception of boxing or UFC, probably wouldn’t be as fun or engaging as compared to the likes of Mortal Combat or Injustice. Realism has a time and place in video games, but at the end of the day, no matter how real one game may seem over another, they are all games in the end.

So what are thoughts on realism in gaming? Are you a fan or do you prefer the fantastical? Or do you prefer a healthy mix? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Video Games ARE Art: Bioshock Infinite

Gaming Articles

Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination to be appreciated primarily for beauty or emotional power. Typically, when one thinks of traditional art forms, paintings and sculptures are the first things to come to mind. However, over time, other mediums have been accepted under the art umbrella. Music, literature, and photography have, over time, been lumped into the art category and, most recently, movies and television have joined the ranks. Now, in the 21stcentury, we have a new medium that is just as large and impactful as those previously mentioned: video games.

Compared to the other forms of art mentioned, video games are most like movies and television. They combine elements of other art forms to create a new type of art. The difference between video games and movies and television, though, is how they are consumed. The participatory nature of video games allows consumers to take a more active role in the way they interact with this particular art form. After all, they are games, but they sometimes are much more. In this piece, I examined a specific game whose artistic qualities reach this higher plain. Today’s game is Bioshock Infinite.

WELCOME TO COLUMBIA

Set in 1912, Bioshock Infinite begins when the main character, Booker DeWitt, is tasked to find and rescue a woman named Elizabeth in order to wipe away his gambling debts. He is brought to a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean where he finds a bathysphere like contraption inside. Instead of taking him underwater, however, it catapults him into the sky to the hidden sky city of Columbia. It is here that Booker must search for and rescue Elizabeth.

WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN?

Bioshock Infinite does a lot of similar things compared to the original Bioshock. Just like the original, Bioshock Infinite has great level design, exciting combat, and a compelling narrative. It also has profound ideas throughout the game, similar to the ones that made the original so impactful though it doesn’t simply recycle all the old ideas. Both Columbia and Rapture are scientific marvels and their construction makes sense in the game worlds. While Rapture is more believable in a realistic sense, Columbia has its own unique personality. It is not how the two cities, and therefore two games are similar, but how they are different which warrants this discussion.

THERE IS ALWAYS A LIGHTHOUSE

In this “Video Games ARE Art” article series, there was one where I discussed an entire series in one piece. While I love all of the Dark Souls games and believe each has their own distinctive feel, I didn’t feel they were distinctive enough to warrant their own articles each. Even I, a huge fan who respects the nuances of what makes each of the three games unique, recognize that overall it’s the same gameplay experience.

That is not the case when it comes to Bioshock Infinite in relation to Bioshock. The experience is drastically different between the two games and it is because of what they choose to focus on. In Bioshock, it was all about the deep ideas that created Rapture’s atmosphere. Character, meanwhile, took a backseat. In Bioshock Infinite, the reverse is true.

The characters drive Bioshock Infinite, in particular the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth. They have depth, emotion, and are expertly performed by voice actors Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper. The supporting characters are strong and memorable in their own right, but so were the ones in the original. Meanwhile Jack, the main character from the first game, is a blank slate and has no personality except when it comes to his choices with the little sisters, a choice entirely up to the player. In short, the main character of the original Bioshock is a blank slate. In Bioshock Infinite, you are with two distinct personalities in Booker and Elizabeth. You are emotionally invested from the start and that investment only grows as the game progresses.

There are other key differences as well. While Rapture was a hellish, underwater cityscape, Columbia is a heavenly, sky city with a thriving and pleasant community. The people are warm and accepting of you when you first arrive, the exact opposite of Rapture. In fact, the first half hour of Bioshock Infinite has no combat at all until the drawing and then you’re reminded that this is indeed a Bioshock game. Also, where Rapture was based in the power of mankind, Columbia is based in the power of god. Science does play a heavy role in both cities, but with different effects on the community. The respective leaders are very different as well even though both are self-serving tyrants. Zachary Comstock really plays into his role as a prophet leader, a stark contrast to the businessman Andrew Ryan.

There are many more subtle differences as well that I won’t list here. They are pronounced enough in Bioshock Infinite to truly give a different gaming experience compared to the original. It is much more emotional and dramatic, relying on its characters rather than it’s ideas. For this, and all the reasons mentioned above, I submit that Bioshock Infinite IS Art.