Blurring Lines

Remember all the coverage leading up to the release of Fallout 3? The previews from E3; the haunting dulcet tones of "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire," from the commercials; the sterling reviews that poured in as the release date neared? I knew this was a game I had to experience because like many others, I loved Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. However, I was unable to start it until this past March. As a result, I saw Fallout 3 win a number of Game of the Year awards before I even started it. Now that I actually have had a chance to try it out (approximately twenty hours of it), I have a big problem:

I cannot bring myself to continue.

It’s the depravity of the human condition, the loneliness of the Wasteland, and the great sorrow that permeates the landscape. They haunt me. The discovery of a woman resorting to prostitution in order to survive the harsh world was shocking; misery and depression seeped from her. I remember the elderly woman who lost her violin and the loving tones with which she referred to it. She needed that reminder of a happy past; moreover, she just needed hope.

The Wasteland intimidates me. It bombards me with dull tones of greens, grays, and browns. There are times when I traverse the landscape and go twenty, thirty, even forty seconds without encountering anyone, friend or foe. That short amount of time seems like nothing in the real world, but in a video game, going that long without doing anything is a near-eternity. Unless the in-game radio is turned on, there is no soundtrack to keep me company. Fallout 3 is by no means a beautiful game, at least not in the way Oblivion is beautiful. When there are no enemies to fight or strangers to meet, I am forced to observe the fallen metropolis. Some critics leveled a similar charge (technologically stunning, but not aesthetically beautiful) at Killzone 2, as well as inFamous. Both depict fallen societies caught in the midst of conflict and disaster. However, both provide a great deal of action and activity to keep a player continuously engaged. Lulls do not exist in those titles, but Fallout 3 forces me to accept its bleak loneliness.

However, nothing in the game is as disconcerting as the victims of the wastelands. After escaping from the vault, I discovered a skeleton sitting on what used to be a boat dock. It sat there, facing the sunset, with a bottle on one side and a teddy bear on the other, and the thought hit me: this person died watching the sunset, attempting to find comfort in a childhood security and the bottom of a bottle. The image of that person sitting on the dock, probably knowing they were about to die, was so unsettling that I put down the controller and just stared at the screen for a solid two or three minutes. There was also the couple in the house. I do not remember which house it was, but I cannot forget the image of the two of them lying there together, one skeleton snuggled up hopelessly against the back of the other. Again, the realization: these two died in each other’s arms. If only everyone was fortunate enough to leave this world in that fashion.

Fallout 3 is not an Oscar worthy film or Nobel Prize winning novel; it is just a game. Because of the status that video games hold in society, it is ridiculous to think it could affect a person in these ways. However, it does affect me, and because of that, I know I must finish Bethesda’s latest masterpiece. I have only played a fraction of the game, not even touching the main storyline, and already I have found everything described above. It is a remarkable example of how far gaming has come in my lifetime, and a great encouragement to what the future of gaming holds, especially in the hands of true artists such as those at Bethesda. I purchased Fallout 3 to play one of the most anticipated titles of 2008; instead, I received one of the most engaging, gripping, emotional episodes of gaming I have ever come across. Never before have I experienced such a deep emotional resonance from a video game.

I believe that video games, because of their interactive nature, have the potential to grasp their audience on a far deeper level than either movies or music. The philosophical ideas presented in BioShock, as well as the cinematic presentation and production value of Mass Effect, have only furthered this notion. Hollywood is beginning to look more seriously to the gaming industry for ideas and intellectual properties, with film adaptations of Gears of War, BioShock, and even Halo at one point, in production. How far can gaming go? Can it provide a viable medium for commentary on society? Activision’s recent dropping of Six Days in Fallujah- a first person shooter based on the battle of the same name from the Iraq War- seems to point to “no,” but if the level of quality in Fallout 3 is what we as a gaming community have to look forward to, then the future is bright indeed.

Now, if only I could find more stimpaks…

Wow. My apologies for not posting anything in a while. I just moved to a new place last weekend, and as anyone who has done that can tell you, it consumes your life. I haven't had any time to write, but I haven't forgotten about RMG. My new place will allow me a greater freedom to not only write, but also research and play a greater variety of games.

It may be another week or so before I get a legitimate piece up on the website, but rest assured that when that time finally comes, there will be a DELUGE of material.

Cheers, to all; I leave you with this picture I found on Kotaku of one person's insane collection of PS2 games.

IGN: Contrarian Corner: Infamous

This is one of the best articles on inFamous I have found to date. My sincere thanks to Michael Thomsen over at IGN for such an incredible in-depth analysis.

This is the kind of material I really wish IGN would publish more often. At the time inFamous was released, I wondered if the initial review was somewhat tainted by all of the preview time the reviewer received before the game's release date. Don't get me wrong, inFamous is a really good game, but I haven't given any serious time to it since I finished it; that was three weeks ago. When I don't go back to a game after I finish it, it clues me in to the fact said game may not be as good as I thought it was when in the middle of it.

Posting an opposing viewpoint to reviews is not done often enough at IGN. I don't know if that's a result of not devoting two writers to the same title when the possibility exists both will have the same opinion, or if it is another reason altogether, but IGN needs to provide a second opinion on major titles. Game Informer does it, and it's something I appreciate. When I see two seperate people agree agree on the quality of a game, it emboldens me to play/purchase that game.

I'll stop blathering now; read this article:

IGN: Contrarian Corner: Infamous

The Big D likes Halo 3

So Jerry Jones has been building a new stadium for the Cowboys down in the Big D. The place is huge: capable of holding up to 100,00 for Super Bowls, somehting like 2,000 toilets, and the largest screen capable of producing a 1080p image in the world.

And what did they do to test the big screen out?

Play Halo 3.

Scribblenauts Blows My Mind

For the longest time now, I thought I would never purchase a portable platform such as the PSP or the DS. I never saw the need for it. Why play on a cramped little device and squint my eyes to see the 2.5 inch screen when I can hold an incredibly comfortable controller in my hands and watch my progress on a gorgeous 47 inch LCD TV? It's never made sense to me.

Until now.

Scribblenauts is a title coming for Nintendo's DS platform sometime at the end of the year. The basic premise is simple: you play as a character named Maxwell, and you must collect what are called "starites." Why do you need these starites? Sounds a little like Mario or something, right?

Who. CARES.

The shining point of this game is also incredibly simple, but amazingly deep: you type in the objects you need/want to appear on screen. Yes, you read that right. You type in words, and the objects they represent actually appear on the game screen.

This is why I love Nintendo: somehow, they continue to acquire these phenomenal IPs that are completely unique and fun. Playing a mini version of God of War or Resistance doesn't hold any appeal to me; playing a game where I can introduce literally anything I want into the game itself? Definitely.

In the video below, you'll see Scribblenauts creator Jeremiah Slaczka type in everything from an axe to God riding on a skateboard. I could go on about how incredible this looks, but I'll just let you watch the video below, courtesy of IGN.com.

Needless to say, I may just be asking for a DS for Christmas just so I can get this game.