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Decaying Dark Souls and an interest killed with kindness
Welcome to The Level Grind, a column that asks questions about game design and industry culture from the perspective of a game player. A few weeks ago I wrote about Dark Souls and how my initial impression of the game was, for the lack of a better term, "wrong." I'd given the game another shot after some convincing from a friend, and since the fanatical position on the game's brilliance had transitioned from boil to simmer.It's easy to say I fell in love with Dark Souls, yet weeks have passed and I haven't played the game at all. Though my time was focused on other games for review, I wondered why the urge to delve deeper into From Software's complex world had subsided after my gushing editorial. What I've come to realize is that kindness is to blame.%Gallery-165957%
Putting an end to fail states
Welcome to The Level Grind, a column hell-bent on asking questions about video game design from the gamer's perspective. This week we examine scary games, in celebration of Halloween! Linear storytelling isn't inherently a bad thing. Some of my favorite games of this generation have stories that abandon the ability to make your own choices. Half-Life 2, Dead Space, Assassin's Creed 2 are all, primarily, focused on telling a specific tale.But something has emerged out of telling specific stories that has altered my perception of lack of choice: linear gameplay.Linear gameplay builds walls in front of my enjoyment when it employs fail state situations. These issues occur most frequently when players run into the classic "Game Over" screen or booted back to a retry menu for not completing tasks exactly as the designers intended.Games like Heavy Rain and Mark of the Ninja (and others) get it right. Accomplished or failed tasks aren't requirements for progression; those outcomes branch off and create different gameplay experiences. The story changes in some cases, or the challenge scales based on these moments. We're left with a feeling that we've affected the world as a resident, rather than interrupted it as a visitor.
Killing terror with technology
Welcome to The Level Grind, a column hell-bent on asking questions about video game design from the gamer's perspective. This week we examine scary games, in celebration of Halloween! One of the main points stalwart defenders of Resident Evil 6 seem to be making in comments of many reviews is that we – as reviewers – should have adjusted our expectations. We wanted something classically scary but got an action game, and that was a reason for our staunch dismissal of the game, some have claimed. Though I disagree with that assessment and think what I've played of the game was a mess, it makes me wonder how much advancements in technology have mutated the survival horror genre.In the PlayStation era, games like Silent Hill forced you to baby-step around the world out of genuine fear for what was around the next corner. That game's signature fog helped create an atmosphere such that, even if you knew exactly where to go, you had little idea what to expect on the way to your destination. Though the effect added tension, which in turn morphed into fear, its primary use was in response to processing power issues of the era. Distance Fog, as it is referred to, obscures objects in the distance and loads higher resolution (not high-res, mind you) textures as players approach them. The fog, one of the signature elements of the original Silent Hill, was used to ease limitations of the hardware and Konami brilliantly used it as a narrative device.But as tech has grown more powerful, major developers have typically expanded games. With limitations abandoned, it seems they have no incentive to make reserved experiences. And with that, survival horror games of this generation have lost all mystery.
It's time for a new history in video games
Welcome to The Level Grind, a column hell-bent on asking questions about video game design from the gamer's perspective. Stay with me here: If an extraterrestrial being landed on earth and attempted to learn about the history of our world based on video games, things could go awry. This outlandish situation illustrates the fact that games made with the intent to share our planet's rich history – for the vast majority – boil down to battles. Video games are war's biggest fan.Video games require some semblance of conflict to remain entertaining, however. From the war-torn battlefields of first-person shooters to the internal fear and pressure found in indie horror games, there's always a driving force that pushes players forward.But it's war between countries or different sides of a coin that are the primary focus in historical games. Shooters have featured World War II and other great (as in large) battles countless times, strategy games help us relive gripping tales of land-grabbing conflict and even games that use history as its tapestry – Assassin's Creed for example – are all threaded through a story of a war. A story about killing.Our planet's past is made up of much more than words of war. Rich, amazing stories are littered through our history books, yet video games have mostly ignored these tales. If you look at the history of art, film, music and books, adaptations about our past beyond the scope of war exist. Video games need to take this plunge.
Sports School: If it's in the game, it's unexplained
Welcome to The Level Grind, a column hell-bent on asking questions about video game design from the gamer's perspective. Around the time of the UEFA 2012 Euro Championships, a group of my friends became so enraptured by the competition that they wanted to turn to video games to continue their new found love for the sport. With EA's FIFA franchise being the premiere soccer (sorry, Europe) experience, I recommended the latest game in the series: at the time, FIFA 2012.But few of those friends stuck by their purchases and told me that, while they enjoyed watching live games, they realized how little they understood the rules and strategies on the pitch.I've had a similar disconnect with the NFL. As a Canadian expat, my regular sport of choice is hockey. But with the NHL (once again) threatened by a season-long lockout, I've had to adopt a new sport. Over the last few weeks I've absorbed as much football as I could, watching any game my HD antenna can capture ... and I've grown quite fond of it.So, I grabbed a copy of Madden NFL 13 to extend that experience into another one of my passions and I realized that I don't have a clue what's going on.%Gallery-157686%
