Tag Archives: opinion
Generation Kill
Let it be known that I am a man. I can enjoy violence and explosions in my fiction. I have watched plenty of films and T.V shows and played even more video games that revolve entirely around the concept of macho guys who exist with the sole purpose of ending the existence of other guys. I recognise the appeal of all that business; ‘bitches and guns’ if you will. And I certainly have acted out my power fantasies of being a bad-arse of some kind – in my bedroom whilst wearing pyjamas – at various points in my life, even since legally becoming an adult.
So with my manliness forever safe from question, I hereby proclaim that I’m sick of all the killing in games! And more importantly, I believe it is essential for the evolution of the medium that we all agree to call a truce.
Allow me to philosophise here. What is our medium trying to say to the world? And how do we, as the players, relate to our games and the roles we embody within them?
Of Wars Amongst The Stars
A little background first; I have been playing Blizzard Entertainment’s massively popular, profitable, and multiplayer, online roleplaying game World of Warcraft, on-and-off, for nearly seven years now. My very first time entering said world was simply life altering. A newcomer to both RPGs and online games, I barely even knew what MMOs are; and so the seemingly endless, vibrant, spectacular world before me opened my eyes to wondrous adventures beyond what I ever thought was possible from the medium. It was a magical moment yet to be matched by any other game, and although I eventually found the reality of it falling far below my grand expectations, I have over time learnt to greatly appreciate WoW for being a brilliantly crafted, maintained and ever-updated experience.
So make of my opinions as you will.
I recently played a few hours of EA and BioWare’s most recent attempt to capture my imagination in a similar way, and to take £8.99 from my bank account on a monthly basis, also known as Star Wars: The Old Republic.
The Evolution of Mass Effect: What Does This Mean For Future RPGs?
On March 6, 2012, the third and (let’s be honest, probably not) final game in the Mass Effect series will be released in North America. Critically acclaimed by most publications and gamers alike, in a relatively short amount of time this series has come a long way from its 2007 debut. The first was an ambitious game in the way that most new franchises are. It hoped to draw in gamers with its epic story spanning across galaxies mixed with a grand soundtrack, moderately fast paced action, and the now-standard Bioware dialogue system. For the most part, they succeeded.