New Battlegrounds (achievements)

I've never been big on competing in video games. Never a big fan of fighting, sport, racing or any competitive multiplayer games. What compels me to play video games is the story telling and self accomplishment side of the medium. I've been able to avoid competition in video games through most of my life. The golden age of arcades and "high scores" started to die out with the release of the very popular and history changing console, the NINTENDO ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM. I was born four years later and only knew home console video gaming. Not competing with anyone else, saving Princess Peach was a personal accomplishment. I remember playing Street Fighter II for the first time against a friend and not understanding why everyone loved it so much. It wasn't fun to me. It was frustrating. The reasons of me not liking it most likely revolved around the fact that I wasn't very good at it. When someone is introduced to a game and it's supposed to be FUN and isn't because the person you're playing is way better than you because of the hours of practice, it's a turn off. This was always the case for most multiplayer games for me. So needless to say, I steered clear of them. I ended up loving games because of the challenge they presented within themselves. For years, I was comfortable. For years I was safe from competition..

.. Then the "Achievements" were born.

At first Achievements seemed like a cool idea. Pushing personal goals to a new level. But soon enough, Achievements took hold of what I held so dear and made it into something irritating. Achievements added competition into my safe little world. And it has bothered me ever since it's creation.

The GAMER SCORE (GS) has become something of a "bragging right." You get an Achievement, it brings with it a certain amount of points that are all added to your GS. The increasing amount of games you play that unlocks more and more achievements is added to your GS. This process has become an addiction and a competition to many. Whether they want a higher score because they think it means they're better "gamers" or just need to complete a game as much as possible simply for the "completionist" title, Achievements gave birth to the "Achievement Whore" (AW).

The AW will make playing games that have no competition element whatsoever into an all out "hell in a cell" match! In the past you would beat a game like MAX PAYNE and all you would have to you are memories. The only trophy or proof you would have is your own honest pride. The only motivation would be self accomplishment. You would do it for you. You could brag about it to the friends who cared, and they could believe you or not, but in the end the only one that remembers and believes you is you. That's pride. Imagine we began to be watched and rewarded for giving money to the homeless. How many more people would be doing it because of the reward? And how do the people who always did it start to look? They get piled up with the rest of them. You might be thinking to yourself..

"O Anthony, why don't you just ignore those AW if they bother you that much!?"

That's a good point! But let me explain the thing about this that bothers me most.

My favorite game of all time is GTAIV. When someone has all the achievements for GTAIV and looks at my achievements for the game and sees that I don't have all the achievements, they scoff. I ask them how much they like the game and they say..

"eh, it's ok. I like Saints Row more.."

That's when the angry fires from my heart begin to burn! You're telling me that an amazing game that you don't like much was only worth the GS? How dare you treat a MASTERPIECE like GTAIV like if it were some PROSTITUTE! It's as if some guy was using the woman of your dreams just for sex, and treated her like dirt, when you would treat her like a Goddess because she's worth your time and love! THATS what bothers me about achievements. "Bragging rights" instead of being self proud. I'm sick of seeing these AW's scores and by the numbers, they're considered "better gamers" than me! They most likely have all the time in the world to get all those achievements just so they can brag about it to people who don't have the time, like myself!

If you love a game, play the hell out of it and get all the achievements. You deserve to have that bond with a game you love. If you think it's OK, then play it once and don't go out of your way to get achievements that you don't even care about. Leave those for the people that care for that game. Otherwise, you're just feeding your unhealthy AW addiction. And no one likes an addict.

In the end, if someone has a lot of Achievements that only represent time and not love or fun, then that person loves the fake reputation. Not the game. My GS is over 25000 points. I have over 100 Xbox games with 1000 points to each. Which means that I have only achieved 25 percent of the achievements available to me. Some might call me lazy or under-appreciating. I disagree. I only use my time to appreciate video games. Not squeeze the life out of them. I respect the genre too much to simply just PLAY or boast about how much I can waste time.

RAGE against the machine

It's been over a week since ID Software's new IP, RAGE, hit store shelves and critics are already releasing negative and misunderstanding criticism. Having played the game, there's a couple of game elements I'd like to set straight in the expecting and disappointed minds. RAGE has a lot to offer in 2011 by offering nothing new at all. It is that balance that makes this game one of the best and (to few) disappointing games this year. RAGE has successfully left most of the gaming world confused in how much the game should be praised or cursed. I give this game nothing but praise because I understand what it stands for and what it intended to deliver; good ol' fashion first person shooter (FPS) fun.

What should you expect from this game? Well, if you've ever played an ID Software game, you should know what to expect. ID has shaped the FPS genre to what it so gloriously is today. Most of our most beloved games today only exist thanks to the development team at ID Software. You can imagine that when making some of the first FPS's, ID had a simple idea for the games; shoot the enemies. Since then, with technology advancements, the FPS genre seemed to have outgrown ID with games like HALF LIFE and BIOSHOCK. These modern shooters pushed the genre to different levels of capability and story telling. There is no denying that within the past five years we have stumbled upon some of the most ground breaking and best story driven games in history. So needless to say, ID was being treated like the "old dog" when DOOM 3 was released in 2004. Despite overall good reviews, DOOM 3 was looked at as proof that ID is stuck in the old ways of the FPS; shoot the enemies. It may not be bad, but it isn't innovative. Seven years later, ID's next game (RAGE) is released to the earth with the exact same reaction they got from DOOM 3; "it's not bad, but it isn't innovative." What's an ID game? SHOOT THE ENEMIES. So if ID can perfect that philosophy and make it what video games are all about (fun), then they have done nothing to deserve a negative response. It's a little irritating to think there's quite a bit of people who didn't like RAGE because it didn't follow the status quo of a modern shooter. Modern shooters always bring way more to the table than just shooting. Some of the most important elements of a modern shooter is complex gameplay. Complex gameplay is anything more than shooting. RAGE is, for the most part, simply shooting. People seem to have a problem with that for some reason. What did they expect? It's an ID game.

RAGE never intended to be an open world experience. Yet, one of the reasons this game is being shot down is that the "open world element was not polished." Open world games are typically games that the developers seemed to have focused on the game world first and then sprinkled the gameplay and narrative on top. No levels, no area limits and no straight direction. We have been treated to some of the most detailed, living and breathing open world locales. Liberty City (GRAND THEFT AUTO IV) is a great example of succeeding in delivering a realistic and free form style of the open world genre. RAGE isn't this. RAGE has a traditional game world style, which revolves around actual linear levels. The level layout resembles THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME in that there is a large middle section of your map called "The Wasteland" that is like ZELDA's "Hyrule Field." That section is "open" and has little purpose other than being the game's lobby to the bulk of the game; Settlements (separate sections of interests. Much like ZELDA's "Temples" where most of the gameplay takes place). The fact that ID added optional vehicle battles in-between levels is quite generous and keeps the game's pace set to "high." So I wouldn't go as far as placing this game in the "open world" genre of games. That would be foolish of a regular game player like myself to treat it like one.

Who said RAGE was going to be a role playing game (RPG)? Not ID. The creative director of RAGE, Tim Willits, said himself about RAGE, "It has adventure elements, but I hate to say adventure because then people think of Monkey Island, and it's not an RPG. I wish there was some word in between RPG and adventure, where you have an inventory." RAGE never set out to be an RPG, yet it's being criticized with the standards of one. You wouldn't hold the standards a football game against a shooter. That's foolish. RPG characteristics typically fall in the lines of exploration, collecting, character customization and lots of back story supported dialogue. These characteristics can be found in other genres of video games, but are prominent in RPGs. The characteristic that is closest to the RPG genre that is found in RAGE is the collecting element. In RPGs, collecting is necessary and sometimes crucial to progression. Sometimes you need to be looking for a specific item that is require for a specific objective. Sometimes items you find end up being a large deal to a character you stumble upon later in the game. The items you find may have a purpose or not. A box of nails could be used for building something or could be completely useless by the end of the game. You'll never know the worth of items until the opportunity presents itself to make the item useful. RAGE is very straight forward about the items you collect. You never have to second guess if you need the item or not. There are three types of items you find in RAGE; usable (grenades, wingsticks, etc.), buildable (scraps to create wingsticks and other useful items in combat) and sellable (items that are worth nothing but money so you can buy more bullets and combat items). After you pick an item up, you can check your inventory to see what category this item belongs to. In the end, all items you pick up support one element of the game; combat. You never have to worry about a rare object that might open up another branch in the story arch or anything else of the sort. If you did, this game would be in the RPG category.

RAGE does so many things right for itself, but I won't call it a perfect game. ID definitely perfected the shooting element of the game, but again, the game is not perfect. RAGE reminds us that video games have always been about the fun factor. That without having fun, the game becomes a chore. ID reminds us that they remain to be the "forefathers" of the FPS genre. Its heartwarming to play this game and to recognize that it feels traditionally simple. Given that it was created by the "forefathers" of the genre, it feels like you're being treated to a story about the "good ol' days" told by your grandpa. Your grandpa's stories are about a different time and different priorities, but you enjoy hearing them. Its an escape from your world. And you gotta admit it.. Grandpa knows how to cock a shotgun.

Are you a gamer?

"Are you a gamer?"
I get asked this question from time to time. The question bugs me because I don't know how to answer it. Whenever I get an opportunity to talk about games, I kinda go overboard with the subject. But when someone asks me this particular question, I've come to be very cautious about the person asking me before answering. This is because I have  to  figure out if the person asking is a “gamer” or a “casual gamer.” Casual gamers don't know they're casual gamers. Depending on what type a gamer the person asking is, I can more efficiently answer the question. I used to get myself caught in one sided conversations because of this; I would end up feeling like I was talking to a seven year old about the theory of evolution when they just discovered that babies don’t come from a stork...

"Hey Anthony! Are you a gamer like me?"
"O heck yeah!! Dude, how psyched are you for ARKHAM CITY?? I read that the game will pack double the number of combat animations than it did in the first one! How crazy is that? Rocksteady is really proving themselves to be a triple ‘A’ studio, huh???"
"..?.. Uh... Black ops?"
"... O... No, I don't play video games.. I'll see you later.."

When I  talk about video games to a person and they look at me like I’m speaking an unfamiliar language, I know I'm talking too much about to much to someone who doesn't know much about much. I know I'm talking to a casual gamer.

I would imagine the term "gamer" is more often used by people who are not very knowledgeable (or perhaps don’t care to know) about people who dedicatedly play video games.. To these people, if you play games, you're a gamer. That's fine and understandable. If you like to shop, I'll call you a shopper; makes sense. My gripe isn't with those people, it's with people who play games who use the term lightly amongst themselves. I try not to use the term AT ALL because I'm not comfortable with what it typically represents.

The term "gamer" tends to represent a very large and still growing group of people who occasionally play games. A majority of these "gamers" are more so competitive gamers. I've become uncomfortable with the fact that video games have become more socially acceptable to the general population, resulting in the saturation of passionate video game players. Basically, what's happening to games is what happened to comic books. For some reason, comic books and anything relating to comic books has become WIDELY accepted by the general population. About a generation ago, it was uncool to read comic books, and in general  was perceived as "nerdy". Now we see the "cool" kids sporting Captain America shirts and having Spiderman theme songs as their ring tones. They've taken something that used to be "uncool" and made it "cool". But the thing is, they most likely don't love comic books. They love Captain America. They love Spiderman. They might own ONE comic book of that hero or none at all. But they don't go out of their way to the comic book store for a new Captain America issue. Their "love" for comic books is just touching the surface of what LOVING comic books is all about. It’s as if comic books became a fad. The devoted readers are now mixed in with the "fad" people. So when a comic book "lover" comes over to talk to a comic book LOVER and ends up not knowing what he's talking about, he leaves the LOVER confused and thinking to himself, "why does he call himself a comic book lover when he's really not? I hope he doesn't think we share the same passion." This is the problem I have with "gamers".

The term "gamer" means "one who plays lots of games". I find this to be the reason because "games" are plentiful in quantity. So if someone plays one game very much, I wouldn't call that person a gamer. I'd call him devoted to whatever game he's playing. You wouldn't call someone who only watches football a "sports fanatic". He's not into sports. He's into football. So when someone comes up to me and claims to be a "gamer" and ends up only playing CALL OF DUTY (COD), I can't help but feel irritated. You need to play more games than COD to be seen as "one who plays lots of gameS". Otherwise, you're not a gamer, you're a COD buff.

I visited my cousin that I haven't seen in a while and he's in his room playing MODERN WARFARE 2. So I automatically assumed he liked to play video games. I come to find out that he only really owns MODERN WARFARE 2. I figure he's a little tight on cash so I offer to let him borrow some of my games. I first let him borrow BAD COMPANY 2. I figure that its pretty close to CALL OF DUTY, in  gameplay. He beat it in two days and says..

"it's alright. MODERN WARFARE is better"

So, I let him borrow FEAR 2; a solid first person shooter with a story that's a little more elaborate than "war stuff." He plays (not beats) it within two days and says..

"I didn't like it. I got stuck at this one part. And I don't like the shooting."

So, I take a step back into war stuff and let him borrow CRYSIS 2; an awesome first person shooter with extremely fine shooting mechanics as well as amazing graphics and gameplay. One day later,

"I didn't like it. It's too confusing.."

Two weeks later, I see him at a restaurant. I ask how the gaming goes.. He says..

"Aw.. Video games?.. Man, I don't play video games anymore. I'm trying to sell my Xbox. How much do you think I can get for it?"

I came to the recognition that he didn't love playing video games.. He loved playing CALL OF DUTY; and even then,  not very much... "I don't play video games anymore"... Needless to say, I was irritated. This guy who was so “into playing games" less than a month ago just gives up on VIDEO GAMES. Not just on CALL OF DUTY.. on ALL video games.. WTF??? Someone who claims to love something and devote a large amount of time to it, then just decides to drop it, couldn't have truly loved it. I cannot even imagine myself selling any of my video games, let alone, the system itself. This is because, I LOVE to play video games. Not just one game extensively, but lots of games. Simply because I enjoy it. If anyone deserves to be called a "gamer", it's me. Not individuals like my cousin. Not the people who bought an Xbox for CALL OF DUTY. Not the people who refuse to give any other game a real chance. Not the people who feed society an image of gamers screaming and cursing over a headset. There is more to a "gamer" than CALL OF DUTY.

(note: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is one of my top favorite games of all time)

So when it comes to the term "gamer" I am very cautious about when and where I use it. I find the term to be meaningful and deserving to be taken seriously. This is because I don't want to be in the same category as the casual gamer. I, like many others, have  worked too hard and spent too much money to be in the same category as a casual gamer (if you need further proof that I am indeed “one who plays lots of games,” just look at my gamerscore. I bet I have more points than you. I rock and roll all day long, sweet susie.)

GTA and Me

Rockstar Games have been around since 1998, but didn't shake the earth until 2001 with the release of GRAND THEFT AUTO III. It was their first step into the third dimension with the GTA series. GTAIII punched you in the face with AWESOME! The game was realistic with a freedom never seen before in a video game. And has since, been seen as an extremely important landmark in video game history. Rockstar released two GTA titles within the next five years (GTA VICE CITY and GTA SAN ANDREAS), and they were increasingly successful. Rockstar seemed to have followed the motto "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", while only adding to the successful recipe. Frosting on the cake.

I wasn't fortunate enough to own a PS2 when GTAIII came out in 2001, but that didn't stop me from getting my eager hands on it. I borrowed a PS2 from a spoiled friend of mine who wasn't using it, and I owned a copy of GTAIII (a friend gave it to me). To me, there was no other game that mattered on earth. This game was the best game ever made. I finished the game within a week, and kept playing whenever I got a chance. I obviously had to give back my friend's PS2, so with a tear and a hope, I put GTAIII into my drawer. Over the years I got to simply play VICE CITY and SAN ANDREAS, but never beat them. I noticed that those games surpassed my beloved GTAIII, but I had no access to them. I did loads of research and was always updated online with GTA SAN ANDREAS news. I was so excited for this game before it came out that I was thinking of buying it on the launch day without even having a PS2. I was convinced that even if I just owned it, that I would be fulfilled. But in that time, I was in high school, and my priorities changed. I was becoming more and more worried about how I looked than releases of video games I had no access to. It was 2004, and I still only had a Playstation. I gave up, needless to say, on keeping up. GTA SAN ANDREAS released and I watched it pass by. I wasn't too worried about it. I was more worried about the "super successful" band I was in. Time went by and I put my "childish toys" away..

Until GTAIV was announced at E3 2006.

The announcement of GTAIV didn't really hit me until about a year later when I saw the first trailer. I had gotten a job in 2006 and bought myself an Xbox 360 with my first paycheck. PS3's were too expensive and people were getting shot and trampled on because of them. So I took the safe route and got a 360. Like I said, it didn't hit me until 2007.. "I will finally own a GTA game on my own system on the actual launch date.." My buried dreams were coming back to life. I waited and got pumped up for this game that I was sure was going to be good. Once I pressed the "close tray" button, expectations needed to be met. To this day, GTAIV holds a special place in my heart and has earned the rightfully earned title (by me in my opinion), THE BEST GAME EVER MADE (no. 1 on my list of favorite games).

There are obvious achievements this game has to offer like amazing top notch HD visuals powered by Rockstar's own in-house engine, an unbelievably realistic physics engine, high quality voice acting powered by incredible writing from Dan Houser (co-founder of Rockstar Games) himself, an optional cover system that works perfectly with the solid gunplay mechanics, tuned driving mechanics that feel just right, very fun activities, over 40 hours of creative gameplay and SO MUCH MORE. The direction of this installment was obviously different from its predecessor as well. Where GTA SAN ANDREAS began to cross the line from realism into craziness, GTAIV made it evident that Rockstar Games made the decision to make their games as believable as possible. The story of the main protagonist is simply a story of an immigrant's submission to his dark past that he wished to leave in his old country. America is no pure country. That theme is a theme that I personally love. All GTA games have the underlining tone of being a parody of American culture. GTAIV was more obvious because it was through the lens of a character who is new to the country.

For four years, this game has been played more than any other game that I have ever played. For four years, there was nothing that could stand against my favorite game.

Until GTAV was announced.

I was at work when this game was announced on Rockstar's website at nine in the morning. What did they give me? A logo. I cried. A little. With it was a date claiming the release of a trailer. It's been nine months since the announcement and Rockstar has released a trailer and ten screenshots. With that alone, I have been COMPLETELY convinced that this game will take the mantle of being my favorite game ever. Taking the locale back to the LOS ANGELES is one of the reasons why I'm going nuts over this game. I'm from the LA area, so to be able to play in a world that is based off of a city that I regularly visit is pretty exciting.

My excitement for this game has shown me something else about my connection and love for this series in general. I've grown up really liking crime movies. There's something about having your protagonist be not morally conformed to following the law that has always intrigued me in story telling. When GTAIII came out, my dreams had come true. I love video games. I love crime movies. Mash them together and you get the GTA series. I loved every single GTA game because they were everything I could want in a game. I've had conversations with friends about how I could so easily replace my number one favorite game. I couldn't nail the reason why it has been so easy for me to say "Most likely GTAV will be my favorite game ever." I think I might have a reason now. I love the Grand Theft Auto series. I love what they represent, how they play and how they're presented. Each one has topped the last in every way. I'm in love with the cities Rockstar creates. The world in which you roam is the main character. The protagonists are the secondary characters. I love these games first and foremost because of the detail of realism they pour into these worlds. In GTAV, I'm sure the story will be fantastic, but I know the world they create will be much more impressive. That's what GTA means to me. Video games are becoming more and more sophisticated in representing the cities and worlds we live in today. Nobody does it better than Rockstar Games. No series does it better than Grand Theft Auto.

GTAV will release within a year. I will watch every trailer. Look at every screenshot. Read every article. Pre-order the special edition (maybe twice). I will most likely replace GTAIV in my heart with this game. And in six years, I will probably GTAV with another GTA game. Because in the end, my number one game is not one game. It's a series of games. A philosophy of game design. A genre of tone and mechanics. It is Grand Theft Auto.

The Timeless Game

I've been trying to write this ever since I beat the game about over a month ago. What took me so long was not the loss of time, but the loss for words to describe this game. It's rare when I play a game that is over 10 years old and it successfully fulfills it's expectations. I was not fortunate enough to own a Nintendo 64 when I was growing up, so I didn't have access to this game when it came out in 1998. After 13 years of thinking I was never going to play it, partly because I had no interest, I finally got my hands on it. I borrowed my girlfriend's Wii and my good friend Et heard that I had obtained a key to finally unlock the experience that convinced him that it was THE BEST GAME EVER MADE. So, he was excited to hear that I can TRY to experience what he did so long ago. The next day, Et walked into my room with the game in hand and a smile of excitement that I could not understand. It couldn't be that great. I mean, what can be so great about THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: OCARINA OF TIME?

To completely honest, starting this game, I wanted to hate it. I wanted to be like..

"Yo! I just finished OCARINA OF TIME!"

"O YEAH!?! SWEET!! Best game ever right!?"

"HA! NO! That game was stupid! Its over 10 years old and its stupid! And the only reason why people love it is because they played it when they were 10! And EVERYTHING is better when you're 10!! You're dumb!"

"o.... yeah... you're totally right.. I'm dumb.. Anthony, you're so smart..OCARINA OF TIME is dumb."

So, I popped in the game and the first thing I notice is that it looks old. "UGH! I'm going to have to play this old looking game.." And then I noticed something else.. "I HAVE TO READ!?!?" There were no voice overs. All conversations were carried out through text that I had to read. This game was starting off on the wrong foot (is what my hater self was thinking). This game was setting itself up to not impress me. It was dated, I didn't know how to play it and I had to read A LOT (more than I'm used to)! Zelda.. you've failed me..

...3 hours later, I have a change of mind.

I realized by the first temple, which was the "Forest Temple", that this game had a lot more to offer than reading and dated graphics. It had immediate replay value, amazing level design, a simple story executed in the most complex way and a genius way of immersing the player into the game itself. There were so many times that this game blew my mind. I just did not expect to get what I got. It was ahead of its time in so many ways, doing what others dared not. And that is what a game should do.

The awesome level design was one trait that this game had that caught me off guard. I didn't expect to see things I haven't seen already in a more refined and improved way. But this game seemed to have high ambitions. I would enter a room, and it would be intimidating, yet, inviting. After being worried about how I'd ever solve out how to get moving along, I immediately became excited to "crack the code". And, once "cracked", I would think to myself, "Of course I have to shoot the eye above the door! That makes sense!" The level design had a PERFECT marriage with the puzzles themselves. Its as if the puzzles were created before the levels. And you cant help but to think after you've figured something out, that only a genius could come up with this awesome temple! The temple puzzles were always a level of difficulty that wasn't too brutal and always rewarding. Not once was anything in this game so hard that I wanted to give up. It was always human error that made my time longer in this game. Once I figured out what I was doing wrong, I could only smile and laugh at myself. Never cursing the developers for making an unfair game. And that's what makes games that have puzzles in them fun and successful. And these developers knew this well.

Another thing that the developers knew well, was that immersing the character into their newly created world was VERY important if they wanted to make an impact in the gaming world. The way that they did this, was subtle and clever. You'll notice immediately that your character doesn't talk or have a default name. So, you immediately think, because of that, the developers wanted you to feel like you were the character himself. "Cheap attempt at trying to immerse me..", is what I thought. But as simple as this sounds, it worked AMAZINGLY. The character doesn't know anything about almost anything or anyone. He was raised in his own little forest village his own life, and doesn't know much about the outside world.. Just like the player! And that's where the genius lies. Whatever is new to the character, is new to you. Normally, when you play a game, you're main character (controlled character) has to be a badass and know everything about everything. But that leaves the player thinking "Huh? What? No, I don't know what the locust are and I don't know why Marcus is in jail.. but Marcus knows.. But I'm Marcus..?.. hes keeping secrets from me." In OCARINA, every time you meet a race, find a new area, learn a technique or find a new weapon or tool, its new to both YOU, the player, and YOU, the character. Making the player and the character ONE. It keeps the player immersed and the experiences close to his/her heart, because it feels personal. And that is gold.

Whats a game that's repetitive and has no replay value? A BAD GAME, is what that is. OCARINA OF TIME steers clear of that ice burg. In fact, this game had IMMEDIATE replay value. You would pass so many objects and areas that either made no sense or was missing something that you knew you didn't have (after an hour of looking like an idiot wasting all your resources on a square on the floor that had a little soil in the middle of it). And those areas stay in your mind, because after acquiring a new item or weapon, those areas start to make sense. You get excited to go back to those areas to try out the process, and its always rewarding, no matter what it ends up being. This happens a whole lot in this game, and it is truly so much fun. Where other games hardly give you a reason to go back to anything, this game keeps everything as fresh as possible, and you'll never be bored.

Besides these main reasons, this game is great for many reasons; A charming cast of characters, lots of collectibles, solid combat mechanics, very creatively fun boss fights, an epic conclusion and so much more. This game surprised me in so many ways, that it is... surprising, that it took me this long to play it. But to be honest, I think it happened the best way. Knowing myself 5 years ago, I wouldn't have given this game a second chance after the first hour of it. But I've matured over the years (in gaming), and I know that I appreciated this game for lots more different reasons than everyone else did. Besides it being an unforgettably fun experience, this game taught me something that will stick with me for a while.. games that accomplish something truly unique and ambitious, need to be recognized and appreciated always. Even if the game is over 10 years old with bad graphics and no voice overs, its very possible that you will be stumbling upon a game and an awesome experience that happens to be TRULY.. timeless.

Left behind?

I work from 8 to 5, Monday through Friday. I have a girlfriend who takes up most of my weekend free time. I try to visit my large family from time to time. I also am forced against my will to workout on Tuesday's and Thursday's after work with my girlfriend. So what do I do with my "free time"? I play video games. I have a PS3, PS2, Xbox 360, Wii, N64 and Super Nintendo. Collectively, I have over a hundred games, in which about 20 of them I have not beaten. Those 20 do not include games that don't have a campaign (sports, racing and fighting games). Besides those games I haven't beaten, there is a line around the block of games I'm looking forward to that will be released in the near future that will be first priority when I get my hands on them. So, my point? I have no time for games. And not in the initial way that you're thinking. I play games ALL THE TIME. So it's not the issue of me not playing enough games, it's the issue of.. Not.. Playing..?.. Enough games?.. Let me explain!

It took me about 6 hours to arguably finish ASSASSIN'S CREED BROTHERHOOD. I say arguably because I did close to none of the secondary missions. I see secondary missions as.. well.. secondary. Not important. Not necessary. I've been told that BROTHERHOOD's greatness is evenly spread throughout the variety of the secondary missions. But I didn't care. I wanted to "finish" the game, so I can play another game I just bought I haven't played. I told myself that if I finish the Primary Main story missions, I can put the game in my "finished games" pile. Done and done. But am I truly "finished"?

This scenario with ASSASSIN'S CREED BROTHERHOOD is not foreign or crazy to me. I've done this quite a few times.. Ok, most times.. Almost every single game I play. But I wasn't always like this! No no no! I used to play my games until I knew everything there is to know about them. Every secret and collectible. So what happened? I'll tell you what happened! Accessibility happened! Along with a good paying job and no real responsibilities. What happened, was that after getting my first job, I started going crazy trying to buy as many games as possible. I'm assuming I thought I was making up for the lost years of no gaming. So I was playing game after game. It got to a point where I started buying games bi-monthly, MINIMUM. Sounds like heaven, right? Well.. it is.. Until I couldn't keep up, because I was developing a life outside the controller. So, I was minimizing my game time and expanding my social time, while still buying the same amount of video games. A new game came out that I was REMOTELY interested in, I bought it. Old games that I missed out on that I felt I needed to play, I bought them. I needed a system to play the old games, I bought the system. Piles upon piles of games with less time to play them. Before I knew it, I was drowning in games that I started and then quit because a "better" or "more interesting" game came wandering around. I was in trouble.

Recently, I've found more time to play. That would be a great thing if I still didn't have all these games that have been pushed back over the years. So, now I find myself playing games like its a job. Clock in, get it done, clock out. No overtime. No trying to impress my boss. No above and beyond the call of duty.

Its obviously not THAT extreme, but I feel like I've betrayed the very core of the reason why I love playing video games.. Fun. From as far as I remember, I've had fun playing video games. Whether it was by myself or with others, I was having fun engaging in these fictional and non-fictional worlds, saving the earth in bullet time slow-mo. If I remove the fun factor from video games, then what do they have to offer? I'm assuming its what I'm feeling now.. work. But I don't want to feel that about the medium I love most. I need to stop rushing and stop to smell the digital roses. Inhale that pixelated air. And swim with the fish sprites. Where are these games going? Nowhere. They're staying right in my drawer, waiting patiently for me. So, I'll do not only the developers the pleasure of playing their games through and through, but also myself the pleasure. Get back to the basics of playing video games. What got me into loving them to begin with. Fun.

I think I'm cheating on my girlfriend with video games..

Ok, so this post is not as creepy as the title suggests. It’s a little deeper than that. I mentioned in an earlier post that I've been playing Modern Warfare on "Veteran". Anyone who's played any of the Call of Duty’s on Veteran knows that it is extremely difficult and highly frustrating. I know when I finish this game on "Veteran", I'll try not to remember how childish the experience was, when people ask me...

"Hey! Have you ever beaten Modern Warfare on 'Veteran'"?
"O yeah... did it a couple years back... psh... got the acheivements to prove it...”
"Wasn’t it hard??"
"Eh... it was a little tough... But no challenge for the best gamer in the world... me."
"Wow, Anthony! You're so amazing, can we be friends!??!"


Yeah... works that way for real... kinda... not really... that’s never happened... it won’t happen. I will purposely leave out the details of the process of earning those POINTLESS achievements. It takes you half a second to read the achievements that say that I've beaten every level on "Veteran". Half a second or less! But, for the achiever... for me... those little pictures with points next to them represent hours upon hours of the most frusterating, imature and painful experience of my life. I did things from...


-cursing
-flipping off the TV
-punching the ground
-throwing the controller
-kicking my entertainment center
-checking my bank account to see if I have enough money to buy another TV so I can throw my controller at my TV (I didn’t)
-Turn off the system, take a breath and turn it back on
-slap myself

So, slapping myself I think is the more retarded one. But the point is, is that this game made me do things I don’t do when I'm at a calm and rational state of mind. It makes me truly ANGERY. But here’s where things sound way more irrational... I keep playing. I keep playing until I beat it. My goal? 40pts gamerscore and bragging rights to like 3 people that really might be impressed...... Seriously? 4 hours of ripping my hair out for that? Is that even worth it!?!? The answer.. Yes. To me, it is way worth it. My goal is the ultimate goal to me. Completion and the right to say that I LOVE this game. Now, you must be asking yourself, "How does this relate to cheating on your girlfriend with this medium?” Let me tell you. To me, there is NO OTHER thing in life that makes me as frustrated and angry and STILL has me willingly coming back to it as much as a relationship. Specifically my girlfriend now. That I'm assuming will be my girlfriend forever. She frustrates me. Makes me angry. Makes me pull out my hair... And yet, I keep coming back to her. The goal for MW is 40pts and bragging rights. The goal for my girlfriend? Her happiness and a kiss... Seriously? 4 YEARS of ripping my hair out for that? Is that even worth it?!?!? The answer... yes. To me, it is way worth it. My goal is the ultimate goal to me. To see her smile and be happy is golden to me. She is the achievement.

So as of now, I have two loves in my life. Kareen and Video games. They frustrate me and for some reason I keep coming back. Is that a ME thing or a MAN thing? I hope it’s a man thing... Should be. It'll explain the reason why we are always the ones to say sorry and crawl back to her feet/controller.

Whats a game without a gun??

I’m getting a very unique experience from CATHERINE that I hardly get from playing video games. Its weird when you try to pitch it to other game kids..

“So, what’s CATHERINE about?”
“O, man! It’s so awesome! You play a character that accidently cheats on his girlfriend and doesn’t know what to do!”
“…?... Sounds stupid..”

I don’t blame them. I might as well say that the game is about a teenager who gets an “F” in English and has to keep it from his parents before they ground him from the big dance coming up at school. The fact of the matter is is that dealing with REAL life situations sounds boring. I’m no different. If you ask me..

“Would you rather have a western shootout in “El Chuparosa” with a bunch of crazy outlaw Mexicans with the ability to slow down time to give effect to the awesome nature of action and precision… or deal with your inner feelings?”
“Can I shoot my feelings in the face in slow-mo?”
“No”
“Bring on the outlaws!!!”

All that, and yet, I’m talking to EVERYONE in the bar that Vincent gets to walk around in when he’s not dealing with his crazy puzzle nightmares. Getting more back story and advice on what he should do about his situation. And that’s optional! Ask any of my friends who know the way I play a game and they’ll tell you that I don’t go out of my way to collect ANYTHING. If it’s not on the path of the main campaign storyline, I don’t want anything to do with it. I didn’t collect the INTEL, FEATHERS, COG TAGS, PLAYBOY MAGS, RIDDLER’S RIDDLES, AUDIO DIARIES, COFFEE MUGS, MANUSCRIPTS, HIDDEN TRESURE, GOLDEN BOLTS, GORGON EYES, NEWSPAPERS or even the FLYING RATS. What I tell myself is that when I don’t collect that stuff, I give the game replay value. I’ll just come back to it. Yeah… I don’t. But for some reason, I’m talking to everyone and interacting with anything interact-able. And I think the reason is because, I CARE!! DUN DUN DUN!!! *scary music*
Another thing that I’ve noticed about CATHERINE besides the developers making me care about Vincent’s dilemma is that there is no villain. Every time you play a game, you know who your villain is pretty quickly. Take BIOSHOCK, for example: Right when you get into Rapture, you know the villain is Andrew Ryan. You will spend the next 10 hours hunting him down because he is your target. And that’s the way it is with all games with a story campaign. Its as if we are all trained to be bounty hunters or something. But CATHERINE is not clear on who I’m supposed to be hunting down. Its because it doesn’t seem like anyone is “the bad guy” in this game. You’d figure that Catherine is the bad guy.. er.. girl?.. whatever.. because she is the one that gets Vincent to cheat on his girlfriend. But she didn’t know he was taken! So it seems that Vincent would be the bad guy!...?... So, I’m playing as the villain? Or is his mind the villain? And if this is the case through the whole game (having no real villain), then this game is something I’ve never played before. And that’s a great thing! In a world where like more than 60 percent is a shooter based game, a different game all together sounds good. We can’t let new ideas be flushed away because we’re so used to the ones we already have. We can’t let the video game medium become what films have, which is a huge bulk of remakes and sequels. We can’t be afraid to try new things. I need to listen to my own advice. My top three favorite games are sequels. Bottom line, is that CATHERINE is a great game so far. I doubt it’ll be game of the year or anything, but I’m sure it’ll be a risky success.