AER: Memories of Old is a game that owes much to Ico, Journey and Rime in terms of its gameplay style but what sets it apart is its gorgeous, low-poly aesthetic. Travelling the world in my 4 hour or so playthrough I was constantly stopping to take screenshots of gorgeous vistas, almost painterly in their style.
The game is a beautifully meditative experience and it nails the flying aspect, as your avatar changes form into a bird to explore the stunning world. Check out my screenshots below.
Rime is a beautiful, melancholy adventure game in which you play the role of a young boy who is washed up on a mysterious island. Over the course of 6 or so hours you solve a series of environmental puzzles to piece together just what happened to your character and how you ended up on the island. The game is similar to Ico in terms of gameplay and stylistically like Journey, but lacks the heart and soul of either title, however it is worth a play to enjoy the stunning art and powerful ending.
Soundtracks nowadays are similar in style and vein to movie scores, full of cinematic scope and bombast, which is great as it leads to fantastic scores like the ones for Journey, Thomas Was Alone or DMC. However there was a simpler time where space was limited and the sound files had to be compressed and optimised to fit on a cartridge with 8 or 16 megs. This economy of scale led to thoughtful and creative masterpieces that are still iconic even today.
Now we could rattle off the famous game soundtracks that usually fit into many of the 'greatest Megadrive / SNES / NES soundtrack compilations' which you can find on YouTube but I want to choose a few pieces that time has forgotten. This is away from the usual Castlevania, Sonic, Megaman and Mario soundtrack scores as everyone knows them and loves them. I'm talking about the rarely heard soundtracks of yore. Here are a few of my favourites, maybe you could tell me yours!
This music plays during the Underwater levels from the Disney game World Of Illusion. It also plays during Mickey's Coral Reef section.
Music from R-Type 1987 by Irem- this level could be described as looking like the contents of a stomach, possibly after eating genetically modified food.
Thunder Force 3 - Stage 5: Ellis. This music was so upbeat and rocking that I loved leaving it to last!
Desert Island Discs is a British Institution. The format is simple: a guest is invited by the host to choose the eight records they would take with them to a desert island. Since it was created in 1942 the show has had hundreds of guests including such illustrious people such as Tom Hanks, Lily Allan and Bill Gates.
However rather than just doing a list of 8 songs I thought I'd do the 8 video game soundtracks I'd take on the desert island with me instead. Many gaming music composers were anonymous and they didn't realise until recently that their music had a profound effect on millions of people across the world. For many of us it was the soundtrack of our childhoods. These are tracks that have scored my life.
This is one of the greatest soundtracks of the Playstation 2 era. The soundtrack is orchestrated wonderfully and works well to create some very emotional sounding pieces of music that echo the lead character's determination to save his loved one, as well as the loneliness of his quest and the land that it's set in.
This track is used right at the beginning of the game and introduces the protagonist through an epic cut-scene which sets the mood wonderfully.
I love the Zelda score and all the games have an amazing soundtrack but this track is just wonderful. It has a light breezy mariachi band feel which is punctuated with staccato castanets under the floaty panpipes. Whenever I listen to this track it reminds me of my time sailing around the world.
BGE is an underappreciated gem that didn't get the recognition I feel that it truly deserved. As well as having a wonderful female character and brilliant gameplay the soundtrack was astonishing. There are moments of real beauty contained and it was hard to choose but this track near the end of the game perfectly captures the essence of the game.
Thunder Force III is one the the best shmups ever and has very fitting upbeat music. Each stage and boss has a unique sound set specifically for it. While the usual mechanical sound of the Sega audio chips is present, it's not very distracting since the game is meant to be futuristic. Ellis is the ice world and the track for this level is pretty awesome. Whenever I hear the music it has me hyped!
Sometimes a game comes along and surprises you. It may be for any number of reasons but for me Thomas Was Alone is the game that most surprised me. It made me feel things... for a bunch of quadrilaterals. Yup, a bunch of squares and rectangles had me feeling things, emotional things. The game is a simple puzzler but the witty heartfelt writing and majestic score raised the stakes on the emotion front higher. This track is wonderful and I still listen to it most days, especially when I'm in one of my soul-searching moods.
The Donkey Kong soundtracks are all amazing, especially when the great David Wise composed them. Out of all the great soundtracks that stick with me the most recent game, Tropical Freeze has the track that still send shivers down my spine. Seashore War is majestic and sweeps along beuatifully. The track appears near the end of the game. After a long, tough battle to get close to the finishing post this track seems like a balm giving you hope and motivating you to beat the game. A true gem that I listen to daily whilst marking my pupils' work.
There are few games that you know you will remember for the rest of your life. For me Journey is one of those games. It is a short experience but within that limited time you questions the meaning of life, universe, everything. The game is gloriously scored by Austin Wintory and his wonderful orchestration touches the heart. A profound yet beautiful score which will stick with me forever.
This is a bit of a weird one I know but I love it. The original 4 Sonic games had some amazing soundtracks but this one stuck with me for some reason. I just loved Sonic 3 and even though Marble Gardens is not a good level by any means the soundtrack was amazing and even now I still hum the tracks occasionally.
So these are my 8 video game Desert Island Discs. I'm sure a lot of you are thinking 'what the heck, you missed blah blah blah' but this isn't an official top 8, just my personal favourites. So what are your favourite tracks and why? I'd like to know and if doing 8 is too much just give me your one favourite in the comments below.
Reading through my copy of Edge I came across an advert for three books which look at various aspects of gaming. I am always looking for books that look at the impact of gaming on society and so purchased a copy of How Games Move Us.
Katherine Isbister's How Games Move Us is an interesting critique of the current conversation surrounding video games and how the talk has not really moved on, even there have been some amazingly profound and deep games created over the last few years that require a higher level of thought and conversation to be had.
The first part of the book titled A Series of Interesting Choices: The Building Blocks of Emotional Design looks at the strategies and techniques used to create an emotional experience. Isbister examines the role of NPC's, avatars and the meaningful choices presented within games that invest you in the worlds. It's an interesting look at why humans can attach meanings to inanimate objects and illusory 'real-world' choices. I found the examination of 'Love Sims' particularly insightful as this is a real example of the real world being affected by video games which depend on emotions. In Japan there are many men who 'date' their virtual girlfriends at the cost of getting real world girlfriends. The trend is so worrying that Japan is the only country in the world with a contracting and aging population.
Avatars, NPC's and meaningful choices encourage rich emotional experiences and Isbister covers this well in her first chapter. She looks at how there has been a move to allow customisation of avatars but also how there are characters with no discernible characteristics that could be anyone, this universality calls to mind the points made by Scott McCloud.
The second chapter, Social Play: Designing for Multiplayer Emotions looks at what happens when gamers play with other people. It does away with the idea that gamers are solitary players who engage in video games in isolation but rather that most gamers are social and play with others either online or from within the same room. It looks at research that corroborates anecdotal data that people like playing games against real people rather than the computer, there is a need for human interaction and intimacy occurs through social play and having active experiences. It delves into the building blocks designers use to provoke an emotional response: coordinated action, role-play, and social situations. The chapter is fascinating and especially when discussing the changing world of MMO's when new rules are introduced but players have a sense of etiquette and do not abide by the new rules but follow the collective older orders.
Chapter 3, Bodies at Play: Using Movement Design to Create Emotion and Connection, looks at how physically moving creates a connection between the avatar and the individual. The Nintendo Wii is discussed here and so are the Kinect and Move, all ways to get people moving in their sedentary hobby of video games. Dance based video games are discussed and DDR is talked in the context of creating lots of social connections and groups. There are a variety of indie games cited and they all look suitably wacky. The international senior citizens Wii competition, which allows people in old people homes to compete against one another is wonderful inventive. The results of the research show that people who share physical activity and have a mutual gaze have a longer positive social effect, in short people bond easier when they are together physically. In an age of wearables and movement based controllers the social and emotions connections forged can be deep. However it could lead to issues with identity and who is the real you?
The penultimate chapter; Bridging Distance to Create Intimacy and Connection, looks at the changing face of connection. Initially connection meant that players would be in the same room playing together, humans are designed to not be alone but rather a part of a community. With networked connections and online play connections can be created in different ways. The chapter considers Words With Friends, people challenging each other over potentially long distances without any bonding but the through the act of playing together bonds can be formed. In the game Journey your character collaborates with a random person on the Playstation Network and through in game sounds you can communicate but it is not any language that could be expanded to have a meaningful conversation. Together you head towards the light at the top of the mountain and only together can you do some of the activities or see the wonders. At the end of the game as both avatars are reaching the zenith of the peak the snow falls heavily and it is only through the use of each others' body heat that you can ascend, and even then you don't make it. Journey is a profound experience and is better shared, the connection formed with the people who joined you has been said to be spiritual for a lot of gamers including me. The chapter looks at how games like Journey are creating intimate bonds between random strangers on a network.
The book finishes with Endgame: A Few Last Thoughts in which Isbister provides a fitting conclusion about why videogames should be talked about on a higher academic level than they currently are.
How Games Move Us is a well written and well researched book which attempts to present new ways to think about and appreciate video games. Isbister tries to move the conversation forward and that can only be a good thing. This is an enlightening and interesting read for anyone interested in the power of games and I recommend it for anyone who is engaged in gaming but also wants to think about the impact it has culturally and socially in our lives.
Many games nowadays are about spectacle, those amazingly honed set pieces that wouldn't look out of place in a Hollywood production. But what about those quiet more contemplative moments in games, moments that stay with you long after the end credits roll? Well I'm sure we all have them but these are some of my favourites in no particular order. If you can think of some more let me know. Oh and BTW Spoilers alert!
Red Dead Redemption- John Marston entering Mexico to that Jose Gonzales track. When I played the game the sun was slowly setting in the horizon and I had my horse at a gentle gallop to take in the beautiful scenery.
Superbrothers Swords and Sworcery- This game has many moments like sitting at the Moon Grotto or going to the Concert in the Woods but for me the ending as you float down the stream dead sticks out. Perhaps it would have been insincere to have the Sythian survive her wofeul erand.
Fallout 3- This is one of the most breathtaking moment I have ever experienced in a game. You open the vault door and with the sun blinding you, your eyes adjust to the light. Then you look out and you see the Washington Monument with huge chunks missing and the Capitol Building with part of the dome caved in- you realise just how fragile the world really is...
Assassins Creed 2- It's a-me Mario! Nuff said.
Ico- In a game about friendship and love the moment that most sticks with me is sitting down with Yorda. A moment of respite and peace in a hostile world.
Bioshock Infinite- This game upped the ante from the original Bioshock. The opening when you ascend into the sky and enter Columbia will stick with me for a long time. The scene with the candles and baptism is really spellbinding.
Journey- This game is full of moments but the ending where you die, just before reaching the mountains zenith is heartbreaking. However the journey is not over, you come back and travel the world as a spirit- this game is transcendant!
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons- This game is beautiful to look at, rather like those strange Eastern Block country animations and Jim Henson's The Storyteller style art prevalent in the late 70's and early 80's in particular. The ending is a real heartwrencher, I completed this game with my cousin and we both sat there in shock and full of despair. Get the tissues ready!
Final Fantasy 6- The opera scene where Celes poses as the Opera singer Maria and turns in a legendary performance. At the time this blew my mind!
Links Awakening- The Windfish waking up is a masterpiece on the Gameboy. This is one of my favourite Zelda moments of all time!
Monument Valley- In Monument Valley you'll guide Ida, the silent princess, through many levels that are filled with optical illusions, mysterious Crow people and more. You are all alone in this hostile world until you befriend a totem, then he dies.... slowly... in front of your eyes. Gaaaah the feels, the feels!
Proteus- This whole game is beautiful and full of wonderful imagery but I particularly remember the sunsets. Magical. In the video it starts at 12 minutes)
Okami- This is one of the most beautiful and underappreciated games of all time. The art style is unique and will never age but the thing that sticks with me is the marraige of the visuals to the sound, especially when the world is in bloom.
Thomas Was Alone- This game has some wonderful dialogue but Level 7.9 has some of the most honest writing in gaming; "James still felt weird, but he realised that everyone else was too. They were a crew of weirdos." It's difficult to convey the humanity of this game, especially because everyone in it is a quadrilateral, but trust me, it will get to you and make you think about friendships, relationships and your past and formative years. It's that good!
Deadly Premonition- Out of all the games this was the one that will stick with me forever due to the pure weirdness and brutality of the deaths. For those who don't know a homicidal maniac known as the 'Raincoat Killer' is murdering people ritualistically. there are many horrible deaths but this one of Becky Ames is tempered with moments of beauty as she becomes a Goddess. A twisted masterpiece that needs to be played, especially for those who are fans of Twin Peaks and David Lynch.
So these are the moments of gaming that will stick with me, not all are wonderfully cheerful but they do have a beauty to them that I like. So are there parts of a game that will stay with you?
With E3 over and the next generation of consoles imminent, the message being trotted out is that more photo-realistic games will lead to more emotional connections between players and the onscreen characters. Christoph Hartman, boss of 2K Games said
“To dramatically change the industry to where we can insert a whole range of emotions, I feel it will only happen when we reach the point that games are photorealistic; then we will have reached an endpoint and that might be the final console."
The theory that if the computer characters looks more realistic then more emotions will be elicited from the player is a fallacy in my opinion. Humans can elicit emotions through other means. Music, art and animation can all touch us individually. Take the claymation Frankenweenie which is a beautifully created animation that shows the relationship between a young boy and his dog. When the dog dies and the boy mourns his loss it really is touching. Even though the characters portrayed in the film are not photorealistic but merely clay models, I felt more of a connection to Victor (the young boy in Frankenweenie) than any number of 80’s action hero films starring real people. In part this was due to the well crafted characterization and storytelling but it was also due to the cinematography, music and dialogue.
Frankenweenie, a beautiful film which will make many a grown man cry... including this one!
Scott McCloud in his seminal work ‘Understanding Comics’ wrote about the ‘Power of Abstraction’. This is the idea that simplicity is great as you project yourself onto the character. To help you understand his concept look at the image below which simply outlines his idea.
Projecting ourselves according to Scott McCloud
In my opinion, photorealism in games is not important to elicit emotion; books can do it through description and illustrations, art through use of colour and composition. We don’t need the uncanny valley like Polar Express, but we need pathos and humanity like the dead colossi in Shadow of the Colossus or the mysterious figures in Journey. In my opinion there was more emotion in Toy Story 3 than in Final Fantasy: The Spirit Within because the characters were more relatable even though the Final Fantasy people looked more human!
Tom Hanks looked scary in the Polar Express, the uncanny valley strikes again!
For games great developers know that a great game begins with a great vision and the technology is only a means to achieving that vision, never an end in itself. Game technology can express a story without a game getting in the way, but through interaction games can add to a sense of involvement in the world.
Hidetaka Miyazaki, the Game Director at From Software has said that,
“The greatest tool for narrative is the world you create for it to exist in, a well designed world could tell its story in silence”.
Here are some of the worlds which I feel act as a great writing stimulus, have a look and see what you think:
