magerette
Hedgewitch
- Joined
- October 18, 2006
- Messages
- 7,834
Sunday, and as usual, not a lot of excitement on the news front, so here's a little diversion in the form of an op-ed over at Next Gen that is basically discussing the question of emotional involvement in video games, and applauding how it makes for a more intense game experience, especially if it's depressing:
While not being completely down on lighter games, the author feels that pushing the boundaries of emotion is more effective in darker games as long as it's supported with good game structure:...It seems as though in many cases, bringing people down brings a medium up. Make the masses cry, make them depressed, make them question their very existence in a world painted bleak and black and brimming with futility, then you're the purveyor of what an audience often equates to "deep" entertainment.
There's a reason why the big question in games has been "Can games make you cry?" and not "Can games make you chortle?" We like to feel as though we have depth.
As people, we're drawn to different personalities. But it's not the skipping, grinning, happy-go-haha guy that we're intrigued by. It's the brooding, mysterious dark figure with a sketchy past whose head we're interested in. Many have wondered what makes Charles Manson tick. Fewer have wondered what makes Jessica Simpson tick.
More information.This isn't to say that simply being "emo" is enough to make a game truly push the boundaries of depression (or rather, emotions). There has to be gameplay, a good story and characters that you care about to keep a game from being a goth poser. GTA IV and BioShock herald what I consider a new breed of sulkiness in games. Sure, an optimist can find a ray of hope in those games' stories. But even though you can play those games a certain way, and maybe reach some kind of resolution where you're offered a hint of hope, it's the instances that you encounter that offer you no control--that make you do the opposite of what you originally intended to do in order to progress--that really have the potential to make your heart sink as not only a gamer, but a participant in interactive entertainment.
There is still room for the Saturday morning cartoon-type games,... But there's something to be said about the depressing, dramatic game. Perhaps the question shouldn't be, "Can games make you cry?" but "Can games make you feel like complete crap (in a good way, if that's even possible)?"...
...Nevertheless, an experience like Uncharted or Sam & Max leaves you in a totally different state of mind compared to something like GTA IV, BioShock, or (I'll throw another rather depressing-yet-great game in here) Shadow of the Colossus. All of these games are equally immersive, but the weightiness of a game that explores your darker side--one that tests or questions your sense of right and wrong, good and evil, love and hate--can bring games outside of a typical "popcorn" experience.
So bring on the gloom, the sorrow, the hopelessness. Give me the illusion of choice, and snatch it away from me. Make me feel like an empty vessel of a gamer. We need expertly crafted despair. We need more of it to strike a better balance with those popcorn games.
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2006
- Messages
- 7,834