Beyond: Two Souls: Divisiveness: Narrative: Colons: Thoughts

Recently, I settled into my comfy chair with a bottle of pumpkin ale and a Red Box copy of Beyond: Two Souls, determined to get my money's worth by beating the game in one sitting. After approximately eight hours of some of the most unique "game play" I've ever come across, I finished the game with a new found understanding of all the hubbub that surrounds Beyond and why it is a game that regardless of positive or negative experiences, you just sort of have to play for yourself.

The Divisiveness: 

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I think it's important to note that I have never played Heavy Rain, and the name David Cage meant nothing to me before hearing about Beyond. I had no preconceived notions about narrative or game play mechanics in Beyond past the snippets of reviews and opinion pieces that I had seen around the internet. As someone who takes pride in having the ability to see validity in both sides of an argument, I found the prospect of playing such a divisive game exciting, and I dove in ready for anything. What I found was a game that created not a division between good and bad game play but between good theory and poor execution. From this, I realized that most of the support of the game came from people who valued the ideas and attempts at something different that Beyond made as opposed to the actual end result, and those against Beyond focused more on what was laid out in front of them rather than what they thought the creators were trying to accomplish. Neither process is right or wrong in comparison to the other, but for me, it was important to note the difference when reading various critics' personal reviews.

The Narrative:

In my experience, I saw attempts at something new within game play and narrative. The melding of traditional quick-time events into a system of directional reactions while fighting was interesting (when you could actually see what was happening), and I applaud Ellen Page and William Dafoe for being the first mainstream actors to take the leap into video game acting on such a large scale (regardless of whether they were truly utilized to their full potential). I did not particularly like the narrative itself, but I did appreciate the life and authenticity that Ellen Page brought to Jodie as the main character.

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The biggest problem that I have with the narrative is the possibility of choice where there should not have been choice. Whether or not the choices made actually changed the outcome of situations later in the game was not important, it was the fact that some of the choices themselves were odd and ill-fitting enough to take me out of the experience.

*Mild spoiler next. It's a section of the game that is not essential to the plot nor does it give any great details away, but it is a part of the game nonetheless. So don't hate on me if you read it and haven't played the game.*

One instance I found the most jarring was the casual dinner date scene in which you spend about ten real-time minutes doing the best you can to create an enjoyable atmosphere for Jodie and her date only to be given the option afterward to ruin the whole evening and deny Jodie her small moment of normality. It is made clear throughout the game that Jodie's ethereal companion, Aiden, has been the cause of Jodie's unhappiness and inability to lead a normal life. During this moment in which I was in control of Aiden, it could have been assumed that I should act in accordance to what he would most likely do and ruin the night for Jodie. I looked around the apartment, aware of the items that I could interact with and destroy. I even broke one glass that was nearby the table where Jodie and her guest were eating dinner, just to gauge their reaction. Then I decided no, I would not ruin this for her, I did not want that sort of decision on my hands. Besides, why would I spend all of that time doing everything that was asked of me just to destroy the entire scene?

*End spoilers* 

In a game where a player is in control of two separate characters who oftentimes work towards a common goal, it can feel jarring and uncomfortable to be put into a situation where the player has to work directly against themselves. I enjoyed the choices that complemented the feeling of moving forward in the game, but being given the decision to destroy what I had just created felt like a step back. Showing the struggles between Jodie and Aiden were an important part of the story, and I don't think for a second that they should have not been emphasized. I just believe that in these cases, there is nothing wrong with providing a bit of linearity in the narrative by just showing the internal problems as opposed to forcing the player to engage in the conflict.

The Experience:

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Beyond: Two Souls is another example, maybe even the best example, of an entertainment experience that has risen from the fusion of video games and movies but does not fall under either category comfortably. However, Beyond is not the first video game that played as nothing more than an interactive cinematic experience. Older games like Dragon's Lair and Space Ace were popular because the heavy emphasis on cinematography caught the eye of children, regardless of how much actual man power went into playing the game. Even now, games like The Walking Dead and The Last of Us are being praised and winning awards despite not providing much actual game play. I don't think that a narrative driven video game is any less of a game than, for example, an open-world game or RPG, but I do think that there needs to be an evaluation by publishers into the price of games and what constitutes reasonable prices for the experience that is being sold.

If you read my The Last of Us part 2 post, I talked about how the gaming industry should recognize that a $60 price tag for a 10-12 hour game doesn't really cut it anymore. To compete with companies that buy and sell used games, it might be in the publishers' best interests to do away with fixed prices and sell games at more realistic values. This may mean that your Skyrims and GTAs end up costing $80 dollars at launch, but games such as The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls cost $40. In the case of Beyond, I believe that the game could have benefited from a The Walking Dead-type of situation where sections of the game were released in episodes. With the rise of casual gaming and the ability to construct worlds and experiences in video games that are impossible to do in any other medium, it is not an inconceivable future for many other games of this type to follow. 

Although I do not think that Beyond: Two Souls is game-of-the-year material, especially in a year with so many strong contenders, I do think that this game will create ongoing discussions about the possibilities of narrative-driven video games and will serve as an important stepping block for future games that will explore these possibilities. Unlike many in the vocal minority of gaming, I hope for a true fusion of video games and t.v/movies into a new form of entertainment, and I believe that Beyond: Two Souls is the start of this movement.

Geek Beats Episode #3: Kingdom Hearts

Oh, how I absolutely love Kingdom Hearts. It is hands down my favorite game of all time, and I know a lot of people would agree that it is a phenomenal game that took some pretty interesting risks. I was originally trying to hold off on doing Kingdom Hearts, but with the recent release of Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix and the announcement of the future release of Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 Remix, I couldn't hold myself back any longer.

For those out there who had the misfortune of perhaps never owning a PlayStation 2 and are now just living under a rock, Kingdom Hearts is an action RPG developed and published by Square (now known as Square Enix) in 2002. The story follows Sora, a young boy who is thrown into a battle between light and darkness. Known primarily for melding Final Fantasy and Disney characters into the same universe, Kingdom Hearts allows you to travel between various Disney-themed worlds on your quest to overcome the darkness and save each world with the help of your trusty companions, Donald and Goofy. This is as basic of an overview as it comes, so if you haven't played Kingdom Hearts yet, just do it. No excuses. Do it now.

Now to get to what we're here for: the music. I've played some Final Fantasy games back in the day, and I know that Nobuo Uematsu is easily a legend within the video game community, and I do sincerely agree with that sentiment. However, I'm going to pull a Kanye right now and say that Yoko Shimomura has made the best video game music of all time. Obviously this is my opinion and no one has to agree, but when I hear the swelling opening of Hikari, the soft piano melody of Dearly Beloved, or the eerie but beautiful choral harmonies of Destati, I know that, to me, it can't get any better.

It is important to note that in the HD remake of Kingdom Hearts for PS3 all of the music has been re-recorded with actual instruments substituted for computerized sounds wherever possible. The original music, albeit fantastic, tended to be flat, and it was hard to decipher various timbre nuances and subtle ornamentation in each instrument. These new recordings provide fuller, more vibrant sound that allows the listener to hear every trill and frill that is played (jeez, I sound like I'm writing for one of my old music theory classes). Whether this change is a good or a bad thing is up to old fans of the series to decide, considering those of us who have played KH since its original release are more familiar with the older versions. I like to think that there is place for all versions of these iconic pieces, similar to newer arrangements of The Legend of Zelda or Super Mario themes.

I've picked two of my favorite pieces from Kingdom Hearts while trying to avoid the traditional opening and closing themes that everyone and their mamas have probably heard. Here is both the original and HD recordings of the Tarzan world theme and Hollow Bastion theme. Do you have a favorite Kingdom Hearts song? Tell me your favorites in the comments or on Twitter @SG_Gamer.

Game: Kingdom Hearts
Title: Deep Jungle
Composer: Yoko Shimomura

HD 1.5 Remix Version

Title: Hollow Bastion

HD 1.5 Remix Version

Geek Beats Episode #2: Sypro the Dragon

Recently I was watching some of the Did You Know Gaming videos on YouTube (it's a great series, I suggest you check it out if you haven't already), and I stumbled onto their video on the Spyro the Dragon series. The second I clicked play and the music started the nostalgia bug bit me again. I knew I had to talk about this game and, more importantly, the awesome music associated with it.

Spyro the Dragon is a 3D platformer developed by Insomniac Games for the PlayStation. It was originally created because Sony wanted more kid friendly games to compete with Nintendo. The game follows the adventures of scrappy young dragon Spyro as he roams around the Dragon Realms in order to free the other dragons of the land that have been frozen inside crystalline statues by banished antagonist Gnasty Gnorc. Enemy interaction with the playable character was implemented, bringing a unique charm to gameplay. A.I. would react to Spyro's presence with taunts and charges rather than following a static movement line. It was definitely one of the best platform games for PlayStation at the time, and of course it had some really amazing music as well.

The music of Spyro the Dragon was composed and performed by Stewart Copeland, former drummer of The Police. Many of the pieces or musical motifs from the game have been used in other Copeland pieces, such as the theme to The Amanda Show (hopefully some of you out there are old enough to remember Amanda Bynes' early years... you know... before the crazy). Each track has a fresh and catchy theme. The title screen theme, along with many others, features a driving bass line, twangy guitar, catchy drum beat, and vamping synth. Every home world has its own essence, and the musical themes fit every location.

Here is the opening title theme.

Game: Spyro the Dragon
Title: Opening Titles
Composer: Stewart Copeland

As an added bonus, I wanted to include gameplay of my favorite home world and favorite theme from the game.

Title: Magic Crafters Homeworld

Spyro the Dragon Wiki
DYKG Spyro the Dragon

The True Price of Cinematic Games - The Last of Us Thoughts: Part 2

There's a lot of ongoing talk concerning games that are highly cinematic and whether they should really be considered "video games" as we understand them or be put into an entirely different category altogether. The Last of Us has particularly been the example game in this debate, but I'm not here to argue for or against what the technical classifications of a game of this type should be. My real issue is with what The Last of Us offers and whether or not it's really worth $60 out the gate.

My previous post about The Last of Us expressed my disappointment in the ending of the game, and coupled with my short play time of only about 13 hours, I personally did not feel like this game warranted a full price tag. If I had picked this game up day one, I would have been upset about spending that kind of money. A general counter to this argument is usually how the multiplayer mode makes up for the short gameplay, but that only brings up another bothersome can of worms. Why does every game need a multiplayer mode? And furthermore, why does the mere existence of a multiplayer mode in a game supposedly justify the cost of a game?

All of this is more or less here to lead up to what could be a bold but possibly advantageous decision to make by a publisher of a story and cinematic-driven game. Instead of creating a multiplayer mode that is statistically destined to die out fairly quickly, how about just saving that money? A successful multiplayer experience in a game is a good way to encourage players to buy new and retain their copy of the game for its replay value instead of immediately selling the game back to stores like Game Stop. If a dev and publishing team cannot ensure a good multiplayer experience, then they might as well leave it out altogether.

Here's where the REALLY crazy idea comes in. Once the decision to leave out a multiplayer mode is made, sell the game cheaper at launch. Hear me out... The reason this could work is because right now, relatively short, cinematic games fall somewhere between longer games with much higher replay value or higher gameplay hours clocked in and epic movie trilogies. If there was a price tag attached to cinematic games that reflected the time commitment and value to playability in relation to longer games and movies, then I would wager more people would be inclined to pick it up new rather than wait for a cheaper used copy at some later time. If used games sales are so bad for devs and publishers, this could be a way to help counteract Game Stop's effectiveness. $40-45 for 13 hours of gameplay sounds a lot better than $60 if you're comparing it to a Skyrim, Fallout, Far Cry etc. that can give you anywhere from 30-100 hours of gameplay.

Obviously this wouldn't work in every situation, and it would be a big risk for a publisher to take, but I would love to see more price flexibility in general. With so much debate surrounding cinematic games' true value, this would be the best starting place for big publishers to take a chance at shaking up the status quo.

The Last of Us: Overview Thoughts - Part 1

I finished The Last of Us a little while ago, and although I'll put a foot on the bandwagon and agree that it is a game with a phenomenal story, there's definitely been something bothering me about the amount of hype vs. actual gameplay as far as my personal experience went. As an average Jane, I don't have the ability to run out and buy every hot game as soon as it hits the shelves, so I inevitably end up reading other people's opinion about a game before I myself get a crack at it. In the case of The Last of Us, it was particularly the ending that was so unlike the impression I had gotten from other people's opinions that it left me with a sour taste. Statements from average fans of the game as well as highly regarded video game reviewers painted a picture in my head of a game that was completely strong from beginning to end, that gave the player a sense of closure and satisfaction, and that, most importantly, actually ended. Like, wrapped it up, all the way, no loose ends. A game with a beginning, middle, and end. And the end is the end... I don't know if any of you realize how rare a game like that is, or any story-based entertainment for that matter, but when I believed that The Last of Us was one of those games it made me excited, and I'll explain why.

Too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing very quickly and easily. As much as I love certain video game, movie, and t.v. show series, I always want it to end before it's overstayed its welcome. That's why certain series (The Simpsons and Assassin's Creed, for example) are killing me inside; these are series that flourished at one point, providing compelling storylines and genuine entertainment based on ingenuity. But to me, they're losing their character, the thing that made them what they were in the first place. I hate to see that in new IP more than anything, which is why the prospect of a game that can be stand alone and do extremely well without needing to be open ended is such a powerful gesture.

To put it bluntly, I'm the one who goes, "Come on, devs, don't punk out. Kill that character off if you got the balls the do it, you know that's a better story, so do it!" I'm not saying that I wanted any particular character killed in The Last of Us, I'm just giving an example of my mindframe concerning this topic.

In any case, in the ever raging battle of "Bioshock Infinite vs. The Last of Us: who dun it better?" I think I'm going to preliminarily side with Bioshock for the time being. It gave me what I wanted, a story that was essentially uncompromising in its ending (and I do say "essentially" because I acknowledge what argument could be used against this). Of course, I'll reserve final judgement until I play through both games again.

Maybe this is why I like George R.R. Martin so much, that guy's not afraid to kill anyone.

Geek Beats: Episode #1

What's not to love about good video games and good music? I would wager that most of the world has heard the iconic scores from franchises such as Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Final Fantasy. For me, music and video games have been a major part of my life for years. I've been a band geek since elementary school, have played many different instruments, and even graduated from college with a degree in Music Theory and Composition. As long as I've been playing music, I have also been gaming, and one of my favorite things is to listen to great video game music. I've decided to incorporate my two loves through this blog to show you all songs from games that maybe you've never played before, or perhaps you've forgotten about a game and the nostalgia boot kicks you in the ass. These are just my opinions on my favorite songs, so feel free to love it or hate it.

My first pick today resulted from my own nostalgia ass-kicking a few days ago when I was browsing YouTube and stumbled upon the music from the game Soul Blade. I find it suiting that this is my first pick because this was the very first game I bought as a kid without any help from my parents, and independence as a child is the cornerstone of fond memories.

Soul Blade is a 2-player Fighter developed by Namco that was released as an arcade game until its port to the PlayStation. The game was the predecessor of the Soul Calibur series and established the lore of subsequent games. From what I can remember from my six-year old opinion, the gameplay was great, and it spurred my obsessive love of fighting games for the next ten years or so. But the music, now THAT was fantastic. The opening song is a driving rock tune that sets the stage for the tone of the game and serves as a good contrast to the more orchestrated sounds of the in-game score. On the game disk there was an option to go into Theater Mode where you could listen to all of the game music and see the cutscenes, and I spent a lot of time there listening to the two different soundtracks that were created for the game. Super nerdy, I know. Don't judge me, I'm a band geek and video game nerd rolled into one, I can't help it.

Without further ado, here is the opening title.

Game: Soul Blade/Edge
Title:  The Edge of Soul - performed by Khan
Album: Soul Edge Original Soundtrack - Khan Super Session

Oculus Rift: The Future is Now! And it's a little nauseating...

I want to try the Oculus Rift. Why? For the obvious reasons, of course. This machine has been making big headlines since E3 throughout the gaming community and beyond; it has been heralded as the dawn of a new era of gaming and technology, with the ability to change the way in which we play, view, and experience. Those are pretty lofty opinions, so of course I would want to decide whether the Oculus Rift stands up to the hype for myself. However, I've found that I have been forming an opinion about this virtual reality breakthrough through reading articles and watching reviews, and there are issues that I have with the system that will not be put to rest until I strap the goggle-like contraption on and take it for my own test drive.

The matter of physical limitations when using the Oculus Rift interests me more than anything. At this point, I've seen enough YouTube videos of people falling over, getting sick, or just generally losing their minds at what they are experiencing to wonder how much thought is going into the idea that something like this can be dangerous, physically and mentally. From what I've seen of the general population using the Oculus Rift, it serves more as a dare machine than anything else, something where people get together and see who is the first to fall or vomit or break something.

Obviously, there is personal responsibility involved in knowing your limitations, but because VR technology has never reached the scope of what the Oculus Rift has achieved, there is not much prior knowledge at hand for people to make that call. Using myself as an example, I know that I am excited and thrilled to ride a rollercoaster despite the sinking feeling in my stomach, I do not care for 3D movie experiences, I only play a Nintendo 3DS with the 3D feature enabled for minutes at a time, and I am not particularly one to get motion sickness. I'd wager that I would last a good 5-10 minutes in an Oculus Rift headset before I gave up, but there's no way to know without experience. However, I cannot imagine a situation in which I had to play through an entire game using the Oculus Rift.

To me, this problem is only enhanced by taking into consideration something like the Uncanny Valley of gaming mechanisms. Examining the world inside the Oculus would feel so close to real and almost believable, but there would always be limitations to how far your brain can register this virtual world. In my opinion, the worst thing that a developer could do would be to try and create a game that strives for perfect realism as opposed to new fantastical environments. The disconnect between the brain's knowledge of the real world and the slight deviations from that knowledge which would come from a realistic game would almost be unbearable. (Sounds a lot like Desmond in the Animus, if you ask me)

Despite some of my concerns, I do feel that there will be a place for the Oculus Rift. Experiences that rely heavily on passive involvement as opposed to active participation will most likely be the most immersive. I was really impressed by the use of the Oculus Rift coupled with Google Maps which allowed users to view any location in the world as if they were there themselves. It's amazing to imagine the possibility of someone who would never have the opportunity to visit the Eiffel Tower or Great Pyramids looking up at a lifelike simulation of them as if they were right there in front of these wonders. Hands-free gaming will be reborn with new possibilities. And for those who can handle it, horror games and film will become all too real, which is perfect for fans of the genre. I guess this is another one of those situations in which only time will tell, and hopefully within that time I'll get to have a chance with the Oculus Rift myself.