Reflection on the best of games
August 6th, 2010 | 
Commodore128
Commodore128
Me too...
I have a question for all of you gamers out there. Have you ever played a game that you really connected with? And I'm not talking connected like holding a vibrating controller or crouching into a Virtual Boy. I'm talking about a game or series of games that touched you or just engaged you deeply on an emotional level. Sure, we've all had the conversation with our friends about our “favorite” games but I'm not sure that quite gets to it since many games that we love for one reason or another has nothing to do with emotional connection with it. For example I love Puzzle Quest but I doubt I'm surprising anybody in saying that it never really engaged me emotionally or touched me in any deep way. It's just a good game, it's not the greatest thing to happen to videogames.
But my question for all of you today is do you have games that really have gone to that extra level and touched you? Maybe you don't. Maybe the games you play are pure entertainment oriented, and the thrill of playing and eventually beating a game is the most important part for you. Maybe you like videogames but you're looking more for a way to occupy your mind, preferring not to think, let alone feel anything. Maybe you're a cold and heartless individual with an impossible threshold for emotional connection. But I'm betting here that most of you already have an answer to my question.
I bet most of you have a game that you think of immediately after I pose the question. And you don't just think of the game do you? You probably think of a moment in your life that was filled by engaging with this game right? Maybe you think of a game you played with friends or family that helped to shape what it means to you now. Maybe you found a story engaging, characters endearing, environments immersive, narrative cut-scenes gripping, or even a selective portion of a game particularly inviting. Folks I think we all know what these are like because we love games for what they are.
We know that not every game we pick up is going to change our lives, but we also know that every box contains a possible nugget of gold which will help to shape the way we think about videogames as a whole or, dare I say, life in general. Don't tell Jack Thompson.
No. Wait. DO tell Jack Thompson. In fact will somebody please tell Jack and anyone that will listen in the media that there are plenty of games out there that we love because they are beautifully produced, created, and executed? You see almost every time I hear about games in the news its just negative coverage, inappropriately focused and mostly missing the point entirely. But I never hear about anyone turning the conversation against these folks telling them how wonderfully rewarding videogames can be and are for all of us. And I think this is terrible not only for the medium, but for the way our culture(s) look at it.
You see, if there is even a modicum of truth in the naysayers' message that there is evil or negativity to be gleaned from videogames, then these folks must also accept the proposition that there is good and positivity there as well. Sure you might not learn anything about life from Unreal Tournament or Counter-Strike. That's ok. They aren't there to teach you. And incidentally, they're also a hell of a lot of fun in their own right. But I would argue that videogames can teach us about life in the same ways that any medium has the ability to do. In videogames, we find engaging experiences that span the full depth of human creativity (or at least we could theoretically). We see the powerful and artistic creativity of designers, artists, and producers in full swing.
So take some time gamers to reflect on the games that have effected you in your life. What was great about them? What made them so incredible? What kind of elements are you looking forward to in the future? As gamers, Let's celebrate the great games that have been made.
Steven Spielberg once famously suggested that videogames would become a legitimate medium when they had the power to make people cry. Steven Spielberg never played Final Fantasy 7.
I'm in no way denying what you say, and I know that at one point there was at least one game that held sway over me. However, even being the hoarder of games I am, I can't rightly say there's a game on my shelf that actually leaps out as me as being one of them. Could be that my memory is bad, which is a possibility, or that there really wasn't any that truly touched me. If it's the latter, I sincerly hope I find one soon. If it's the former, I hope I remember it soon.
And I definetely agree that a game doesn't have to be your favourite to be the one that reaches into you, the one that makes you take a long hard look inside. As almost anyone here knows, Dark Cloud is my favourite game of all time, but I couldn't keep a straight face and try and tell anyone that it really tugged on my heart strings.
I would also love to tell the media, nay, the world, that games truly are an acceptable medium for storytelling, but we've seen before that, whenever the video-game expert goes there to give an honest, informed opinion, they're ridiculed, cut short, and when it comes time for the verdict, they're ignored, and their evidence overlooked. Afer all, they can't let fact get in the way of a good story. Plus, I can't rightly say I'm the perfect candidate.
I hope someone else can give you better news. I really do.
Partly is the same for me (bad memory) but i can think of at least one time where i have actually had strong emotions while playing video games (off the top of my head)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
This is one of my favorite and in my opinion one the best games of all time Why? because not only did it turn me into a Zelda fan but also a gamer, so many emotions ran through me while i was playing at 6years old. I liked the fact that the hero was young (like me at the time) so i feel i connected with him, i believed i was him when the controller touched my hand. I was a little scared fighting the first boss, then going through the game and getting into the future and seeing it devastated made my heart sank, eventually when you learn Zelda is Sheik and we reunite Ganon comes and captures her, at that point i felt pissed cause he had screwed me over once again, then as i beat his tower and though i killed him his second formed showed, and THAT is where i felt really scared like "he might kill me" those Glowing white eyes didn't help either. When i beat the game and the credits rolled i felt relieved and happy i had saved a whole entire world from being taken over
When I try to think of three games that have really gotten to me and effected my life, three games games come straight to the front of my mind, (OoT, Space channel 5, and Mother 3) each for different reasons
Zelda: OoT came out right around the time my parent's entered a long and crazy divorce. they had separated and not really talking anymore.often times I became a messenger, and when I wasn't they didn't hold anything back. Now, My two cousins (one 17 and one my age, 10) were big Zelda fans and introduced me to Ocarina of Time. When I played that game, I got COMPLETELY sucked in and forgot about my parent's emotional crap. Soon, I got my own copy and I ended up playing it every day. It kind of became an escape for me because it made me so happy. I loved the story, the gameplay, everything. I still do.
Space channel 5 may seem like an odd one for this list, but it is one of my favorite games. This is mainly for it's pure ridiculousness. The gameplay is simple, the graphics have a cool style, but have not aged well, and it's really short, but the music and experience are great.For a game thats basically a glorified type of simon says, it's something that can easily make me laugh. it's a music game that isn't too hard to just pick up and play, and it has a fun reaction at parties and get togethers. when I have a bunch of people over, someone always starts it up and it draws a crowd. If I have a bad day I pop it in and I cheer up.
MOTHER 3 has, (to me,) one of the greatest video game stories of all time. It moves me, hooks me, and totally distracts from my study time. I am currently a college student and have been waffleing between weather I should be a psych, or Creative writing major. I love writing and am pretty good at it, but I'm also really good with psych and my parents were pushig me down that road. after beating Mother 3, I was so blown away by the story, that I instantly decided to pursue creative writing, because I want to move someone the way mother 3 moved me.
wow that was long O_O
To me the first game that made me feel that way was Illusion of Time. I know what you guys are talking about when you feel completely connected to a certain story or certain characters. It is not about just fun anymore as it turns into something bigger just as a really special movie to me it stops being just entertainment to turn into something that shapes me as a person.(Don't even get me started about music)
OoT also had that but I personally was more touched by Majora's Mask as it felt a bit darker and had some moments that really created a disturbing mood that really set it apart from any other game in the series in my opinion.
The most recent games that really sucked me in to their world would be Mass Effect 1 and 2.
I love games as mindless fun or pure healthy competition like Street Fighter,Call of Duty or even Mario but there is nothing like a huge world and an even bigger story that engages you. And thats the reason that we all like RPG's so much I guess.
I really like this thing,keep sharing guys :)
Earthbound - Need I say more?
For me, I probably have at least 2 games that I was heavily emotionally invested in: EarthBound (duh) and Final Fantasy VI. Both are probably due to me playing them at a younger age when you're not so hardened against the world and more able to open yourself up to a book, movie, or game - but I don't care, these games had a big impact on me and that'll never change.
Dealing with Ness's final battle with Giygas, or inner trip to Magicant, not to mention the rocky relationship of Celes & Locke, or Terra's inner turmoil to reconcile her past... these events imprinted heavy emotions on me due to the investment I made with these characters, and the masterful weaving of their stories. To me, the question on whether or not video games are art is a no-brainer. They require a lot more effort and time to complete the story (at least compared to a 2 hour movie), but I have no doubt that the plots can be at least as in depth as Citizen Cane or Gone With the Wind.
And that's why I have this internal conflict when it comes to the question of "What's your favorite game"? Because if it's the game I've had most fun with, my head would probably say somehting like Civilization 4. But I think my heart will always pull me back to saying Final Fantasy VI, and that would be my answer to this day.
I was probably most heavily influenced by my strong foray into RPGs in the PS1 era. Mainly games such as FFVII, Xenogears, Lunar, Grandia, and a few others that have since then remained a fond memory. I sometimes like to indulge my nostalgia for the good old days and load them back up. (even though my PS1 is nearly non-functional). I grew up with the SNES as well but I didn't make a deep connection with the story or characters until the era of CDs.
It is probably because it was at a formative period in game development where they best tried to bring fantasy worlds to life in all their lushness in such a giant storage medium for the time. Everybody was experimenting, new ideas, new concepts and characters rather than the focus group bullshit you see nowadays, pandering to the lowest common denominator.
Persona 3 FES nuff said. I got so mad when i found out what happened to Shinji.
I shat bricks at the end of MGS4...you know when that one dude popped up out of nowhere you thought was you know... I wanna say but I can't say for those that haven't played it :)
I've played just about every Final Fantasy game before the PS2, and not one of them has touched me as much as Super Mario bros. 3. I played that game with my sister and my dad for years. I remember memorizing all the tricks, all the secrets in every level. To this day, my favorite secrets aren't the ones that give the best items, but the ones that are the hardest to find. Like the secret in level 6-1. You'd never know it was there... ever. Its just a door in the sky that you have to fly to just the right spot to find.
We'd map out all the matching game grids, and we could usually figure out which one it was in only 3 flips, which was enough to follow the chart to perfection every time. Of course, the slots game was pretty hard... never quite got the hang of that one.
Games that affected my life? First and foremost: Chess
I started playing chess with my Dad when I was 4 years old. It was my first "real" game. I loved the time I got to spend with Dad. I remember the first time I beat him fairly. It was awesome. My entire love of all games descends from that first formative game. It's even shaped my attitude towards games in general. For example, I loathe games of pure chance, and I adore well-balanced games of strategy and skill.
The first one that comes to mind for me is The Legend of Zelda. It was the first video game that I really played (along with Super Mario Bros.), but I was so young that I couldn't really do much more than aimlessly wander around. As a result, I often would beg my brother to play so that I could watch. Whenever I'd pop in the game and hear that overworld music, I always felt a great sense of adventure... I don't have many memories from this young of an age, but I do remember that during recess at pre-school, I would pretend that I was Link every day and go adventuring. This is a pretty profound memory as I spent large portions of my childhood convinced that I didn't really have any imagination to speak of.
The other one I'll mention is Final Fantasy X. I only played it last summer, at the age of 21 mind you. I had never really been an RPG player, and had spent probably 10 years with my main gaming experiences being CS, Diablo 2, and Sports games, so stories were a bit of a foreign concept to me. As far as things going on in my life, I remember I was really down and stressed out about college and the whole "what am I going to do with my life?" business, but for the week or two that it took me to beat the game, I was really transported to another world; something that I hadn't found in a video game for a long, long time. I'd stay up till 4 in the morning because I just really wanted to know what was going to happen next. With the whole ominous worries associated with becoming an adult, I felt a little bit more like a carefree kid for a while... which was something that I really needed at the time.
Hey guys, sorry for bumping an old topic, but I might end up doing this a few times as there's a few things that interest me in your old posts, - that and I've finally caught up with all your videos after 3 or 4 nights of solid watching - got through 8 hours last night! :)
Anyway, just thought I'd share a couple of things that have affected me emotionally in gaming, as I really enjoy the subject and it's one that I've brought up myself a few times on forums such as Retro Gamer (a UK magazine). For me, although it's clichéd, I think the moment in a video that has brought me closest to tears is still Aeris' death in FF7. I got kind of a lump in my throat and I even knew it was coming and had seen the video before, but it was the first time I'd played it - and it was building up to that scene and just after the scene - it was truly remarkable that the power the scene has.
Another moment in a video game that surprised me and took me aback was actually in Dead Rising believe it or not. I was ust happily plowing my way through hordes of zombies with not a care in the world, and then I went outside and suddenly I witness someone get beaten to death with a club and a girl screaming by his side, and that really made my gut turn a little - I didn't enjoy it much at all. Luckily I found the game totally unplayable because of it's save system, so I didn't have to witness any more tragedy!