After playing and analyzing five new games over the course of a semester, I can say the biggest thing I have learned is to appreciate different kinds of games…and also that Bioshock is the best ever!
To this day, I trend more towards the popular IP’s such as Halo, Call of Duty, The Elder Scrolls, sports games, and Rockstar titles. Those style games are always what I have enjoyed and I rarely go away from that. However, after playing games like Edith Finch, The Walking Dead, and Chrono Trigger, I have found respect for games I would not likely play on my own time.
The amount of time and detail that has gone into these games from a story aspect is tremendous. While not a thriller by any means, I found Edith Finch to be very emotional and compelling due to the various gameplay sections featuring different family members and how that impacts the game mechanics.
The Walking Dead was the most surprisingly emotional and fun game i played (besides Bioshock OBVIOUSLY). I really connected with Lee, Clementine, and Kenny, and felt emotional investment throughout till the end when I forced myself to shoot Lee. Surprisingly tragic and enjoyable.
I have never played a game like Chrono Trigger before, from the 8-bit graphics to the style of the game, I now understand and respect why people like that type of game, even though it is not my cup of tea.
As I’d hoped before the class started, I learned a great deal about storytelling in video games and the amount of work that goes into them. I never knew video game companies took their stories so seriously as to sign a writer that makes all decisions before the game is even made. Story driven games’ success really hinges on the writing and voice acting just as much as gameplay to a degree. That is crazy to me and puts video games on the same pedestal as movies.
Do I plan to continue the conversation of games as literature? Yes and no. Honestly, I’m a recluse when it comes to online interaction, so I like to listen to what other people have to say. On the other hand, it is something I’ll continue to talk about with my friends in person soo…kinda.
Besides appreciation, my relationship with games has not changed much. I still love them and enjoy them as much as before. If anything, I take longer now to play games just to take in the details. I just started playing Halo: Infinite and have spent more time than usual taking in the open world campaign and exploring everything it has to offer.
Video games really are incredible pieces of entertainment, art, and technology that can’t be taken for granted.