Button Mashin'

"Mash to win," he joked. Staring at the screen at a genre that was so unfamiliar to me, it seemed like good advice. I was never really into fighting games; the timing, patience, and finger dexterity where all things I severely lacked. However, I was always fascinated by the players who resolved to become so skilled at them. My roommate was one such person. He had grown up with fighting games, and his mind was so mentally attuned to the technical workings of them he had a habit of mastering the basics of any new fighter within hours. Suffice to say, after he coaxed me into playing him, I knew it would be a long while before I had any chance of besting him. So, being a novice I took the only advice I was given and followed it: mash buttons to win. The unpredictable nature of my offense (I didn't even know what I was going to do next) initial threw him off, and I was able to win the first match by hopping about like an idiot and smashing attacks when his character approached mine. He laughed at my sheer dumb luck as I sat confused as to what just happened. "It's a legitimate strategy," he offered. We loaded up the next game.

The Death of Couch Multiplayer

As a kid, if I wanted to play a game with a friend one of us would have to travel to the other's respective home and share couch space as we played against one another. It was a good a social experience as any other; two people in the same room casually chatting while entertaining ourselves on one television. However, that has changed with the introduction of online play over the past decade. Now it is possible for one to sit alone at home upon turning on their computer or console, instantly be connected to friends for mulitplayer experience. Many argue that this innovation is good, having led to better connectivity and little to no logistical requirements to play with friends. I however, miss the engagement and social bonding couch gaming played in my childhood. Talking into a microphone to other disembodied voices can't replicate the social interaction created when sharing a room with someone, enjoying a shared entertainment. It wasn't until I got to college and began playing games in the same space with my roommate did I realize how much I had missed it. Something about playing a game online with others shifts the focus to the game itself and not the fun shared by the people you play with it. It's a shame that this is what we've become used to. The death of couch multiplayer may be overshadowed by the birth of online gaming, but I don't plan on forgetting what it meant to me.

A Healthy Release...For Some

I saw an article recently that said playing games is healthy way to relax and that it promotes self esteem. I respectively disagree, at least personally. When I play games, especially competitive ones, the anger and frustration that boils to the surface has become something I am notoriously known for among my friends. Maybe it stems from a overly competitive nature, but when out in contest in something irrelevant like a game I become an aggressive monster. Though, thinking about it, maybe allowing those emotions to be released is a form of expression in itself. I certainly don't react that way to anything else. So, question of the day: how does playing games make you feel?

Thoughts: MGS V

Last night I saw the first nine minutes of Kojima Production's Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, this time with the English dub. In typical Kojima fashion, I was absorbed into the rainy setting almost immediately. For those who have yet to see it, prepare to enter the uncanny valley as Kojima Production's new Fox Engine produces graphics only possible with next generation consoles. Set to the song  "Here's to You" by Ennio Morricone and Joan Baez, the trailer is hauntingly juxtaposed with the visuals it presents. Hearing Kiefer Sutherland's voice come from Big Boss is still jarred to those familiar with David Hayter, but hopefully the former voice of Snake will make a return in one way or another for Ground Zeroes.

Grand Theft Auto V review

Grand Theft Auto V is the latest criminal epic in developer Rockstar's acclaimed franchise. The series returns to the fictional city of Los Santos, Rockstar's satirical take on Los Angeles last seen in 2004's GTA: San Andreas. The game follows three central protagonists introduced over the first quarter of the game: Michael, a retired bank robber who has settled down with his family, Trevor, his psychotic friend and former partner, and Franklin, a young gang thug looking to score big. Each character has a very distinct identity that is reflected in the story missions they undertake. Many of Michael's missions involve working to solve problems his (often dysfunctional) family has found themselves in; Franklin's missions have him stealing cars and making drug deals, and Trevor's missions often have him murdering an entire clan of people simply for pissing him off. On many occasions the characters meet up for missions, particularly “heists” --large scale missions in which a large amount of money is to be stolen or made. These multi-protagonist missions create a unique gameplay dynamic not typically seen in story driven third-person action games: the ability to switch characters on the fly. In one moment the player will be flying a helicopter as Trevor, and with the push of a button be sniping enemy helicopters from a rooftop as Franklin. Not only only does this keep missions exciting and fun but also allows players to experience multiple mission archetypes in a single scenario: driving, shooting, flying, etc. Players are also able to instantly switch characters while not in missions, often leading to a humorous scene that gives us a bit of insight as to what the character was doing while the player was not actively controlling them. For instance, when I first switched to Trevor after not playing him for a bit, he was drunk, in his underwear, lying on the guardrail of a suspension bridge. The sense of world immersion is so compelling I often found myself wanting to act in accordance with each respective character’s personality. Immediately after waking up on the bridge, I punched a construction worker who happened to walk by --because that’s what Trevor would do. It’s interesting that in a game that gives you so much freedom to do as you please (you can play tennis, do yoga, see a movie, go to a strip club, etc.) I consciously limited my gameplay within a character constraint. On the technical side, the game looks and plays extremely smooth, fully utilizing the graphical capabilities of both the PS3 and Xbox 360, letting both systems go out with a bang as the new console generation arrives in November with the release of the PS4 and Xbox One. With first day sales exceeding $800 million worth of copies, the hype-train has left the station and is rapidly heading toward critics’ Game of the Year Awards; deservedly so. GTA V is the epitome of the series in all its outrageous glory. The game takes a step back to its more satirical and ridiculous roots in terms of story and mission requirements compared to its notably darker predecessor GTA IV, while still maintaining the level of character depth IV established. Any GTA fan already knows that they’ll surely enjoy V, and for good reason. If you don’t have it yet, get it now. 4/4 stars.      

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