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Culturegasm: Anthropomorphising video game 'enemies' - pros and cons.

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    • CommentAuthorFlabyo
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2008
     (424.21)
    The thing with Kojima is that he very quickly developed a 'frustrated movie director' streak, the later Metal Gear Solid games are incredibly overblown and have far too many overly long cutscenes, ridiculous plot twists and even the fourth wall breaking elements grated after a while. I'm all for complex plots in my games, but I do draw the line when the game feels that delivering it's plot is more important than giving the player a game to play.
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      CommentAuthorcurb
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2008
     (424.22)
    @Flabyo

    That's what I heard, sadly. I was so keen to play Sons of Liberty that I intended to buy a PS2, but heard nothing but bad things about the game and didn't bother. The PS1 version still, IMHO, acts as a decent blueprint for games that go further than the usual shooty death kill action.
  3.  (424.23)
    Whenever I play any of the stealth-type games (hitman, splinter cell, metal gear or tenchu) I always try to work out the best way through a level with minimum interaction with other characters. One reason is because I am clearly a lonely young man with few creative outlets. Another reason is that it is far more (to use the scientific term) 'BAD-ASS' to get through a game in such a manner. The final reason rests firmly with the reward scheme of most stealth games. If you knock people out or sneak past them (whether they are terrorists or civilians) you are often given greater skills/guns/cheats - similar to bioshock and the the little sister situation. I kind of like that although I am fully aware of potential panic-based future ramifications; its all very clockwork orange, in a way, what with kids (and myself... and you!) spending hours constantly bombarded by the games messages and images (except you are there of your own volition).

    I think it shows development of the form if you start to look at 'enemies' in a much more liberal way (like portal, bioshock and shadow of the colossus). It shows maturity if anything.

    If anyone remebers uesagi... uh, something-something. Uesagi yojimbo, thats it; samurai rabbit on the c64. You would walk down a long japanese pier and could only attack if you were, in turn, attacked. Some of the random people walking by looked suspicious but you were never sure... even with the villagers. Possibly the most paranoid game I ever played.
    • CommentAuthoracacia
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2008 edited
     (424.24)
    I don't think any artform needs more "auteurs". I'd be happy with (edit: more) original ideas.
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      CommentAuthorroque
    • CommentTimeJan 3rd 2008
     (424.25)
    Silent Hill, because you just don't know. are they "real" monsters? are they all in your mind? or are they hapless townsfolk that illusion or madness has caused to look like monsters? it's just ambiguous enough to add to the games' overall disturbingness.
    • CommentAuthorElohim
    • CommentTimeJan 4th 2008
     (424.26)
    Usagi Yojimbo is awesome!! Never played the games, but the books are amongst my favourite stories ever.
  7.  (424.27)
    the game is OLD. c64 anyone?

    Oh yeah, Half-life 2 kind of retconned one of the enemies of half-life 1 as good guys (can't for the life of me remeber their damn names). So, does that affect you when you play the game again just knowing they are slaves? Not literally, of course. Just a thought.
  8.  (424.28)
    The thing with Kojima is that he very quickly developed a 'frustrated movie director' streak, the later Metal Gear Solid games are incredibly overblown and have far too many overly long cutscenes, ridiculous plot twists and even the fourth wall breaking elements grated after a while. I'm all for complex plots in my games, but I do draw the line when the game feels that delivering it's plot is more important than giving the player a game to play.


    He's an over-the-top director, but he has his merits. The ending of Metal Gear Solid 3 is beautifully directed, and the action scenes are fantastic.
  9.  (424.29)
    I'll back you there navarro.

    Nothing wrong with cheesy action films or cheesy action film-based games especially when it is in the hands of Kojima who shows an awareness and deft mastery of genre, politics and philosophical issues all bound up in an easily recognisable, and often tongue-in-cheek, style.

    Anyway, you can skip the damn scenes.
  10.  (424.30)
    You could tell they were slaves in Half-Life 1, even without reading filenames of their models and textures.

    There's a level that's a factory for the warriors whose arms launch bee-darts.

    In it, if you don't attack the alien slave, they won't fight you, unless you break open one of the crates with the warriors in them, in which case their overseers force them to fight and they become hostile.
  11.  (424.31)
    I've honestly never had an issue with the wholesale slaughter of in-game characters regardless of their alignment, I wonder if how clear ones line between fantasy and reality factors in or if it is more a matter of empathy.
    I would like to assume fantasy vs. reality, because quite frankly otherwise I'd be past sociopath and into sick depraved monster, I just plain find fictional evil entertaining.
  12.  (424.32)
    Tetris. gets me everytime. they fit so nice and snug together and then bam! a whole line of the poor bastards gone forever...

    I've been playing splinter cell doublr agent too recently, it's interesting because your moral choice for that level has an effect on the next level and what happens, if you stay neutral i.e. kill some, knock out others, then neither side you're playing for get suspicious...

    after i'm done playing it i'm gonna go back and see what happens when you try snd stick mostly to one side, see how different the game progresses.

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