Does Anybody Remember Rainbow Six Patriots?

I'm always in the market for games and movies that tell a story from an unusual perspective or about a controversial subject. I've already talked about how Bioshock Infinite has you deal with a group with similar beliefs to the Ku Klux Klan, but there exists other forms of creativity as well. Persona 4 takes the social arrangements that we already have come to take for granted and adds a thick layer of Freudian psychology on top of them; the entire Metal Gear series (spin-offs as well) takes war and analyzes it on various levels (such as the stimuli behind war, the shattered psyches of deadly killers, advancing technology, conspiracy theories, etc); Deus Ex as a series weaves an extensive web of dystopias and New World Orders, etc. But perhaps one of the greatest examples of story-telling in video games for me was a game that really had no continuing story at all: SWAT 4. SWAT 4 had you simulating a typical SWAT team at a (sometimes detrimentally) deep level and delving into some of the tensest gameplay situations imaginable. I mean, forget Slender;  this is the game that made me lose sleep to night terrors, especially after you play it yourself and run through some of these surprisingly grim atmospheres. Two levels in particular stand out, each containing not only nail biting environments, but also some of the darkest imagery yet seen in video games. One involves a trip through a suspected serial killer's house and the other through a tenement rented out by cultists. This is the kind of writing that makes shows like Law & Order: Special Victims Unit so entertaining, sucking you into the moment and leaving you on the edge of your seat guessing the outcome of every situation. Entertainment is NOT pretentious eye candy like some developers and producers like to believe, it is the envelopment of a viewer or player into a world that makes it entertaining.

Speaking of games that simulated police forces and had interesting storytelling, does anyone remember Rainbow 6: Patriots? You know, the game from the series that is very similar to the SWAT series in almost every way? I haven't heard anything about that game in forever, and I'm starting to get worried that it got canceled. Patriots was a game that was supposed to do away with the industry standard of Middle Eastern landscapes and instead focus on something quite unique and time relevant: American made terror. You were supposed to be able to engage a hostage situation tactially and make non-black and white moral decisions (and this was before we knew that Bioshock Infinite had this kind of decision making). What the Hell, Ubisoft? We got all this news about FarCry 3 and Assassin's Creed III (the latter of which you should be ashamed of, but you aren't because people are under the delusion that game is great), but nothing about Patriots? Come on guys, don't be like Disney to LucasArts; give us a little something to chew on that doesn't involve an obvious exploitation of a game's undeserved praise -- meaning Assassin's Creed IV!       

Sickness and Philosphy

Frickin' stomach pains laid me up for the whole day yesterday. Let me just say, I haven't felt such uneasy feelings in my stomach since I sat through Jury Duty. Thankfully, a little R & R later, and I'm back in the swing of things. I really enjoyed what little time I had with Bioshock Infinite. As I predicted, Booker does become more likable once Elizabeth (who looks quite similar to Belle from Beauty and the Beast) is introduced to the picture. Escorting Elizabeth around Columbia is not your typical annoying escort mission; you do not have to worry about her at all. She offers aid through exploiting tears in reality and through throwing various pickup items your way. Also, I really am enjoying the choice system in the game. This is perhaps the first game I've seen that doesn't clearly define moral pathways for you, unlike, for example, InFAMOUS where you have a good and an evil path to follow, each with its own gameplay advantages and disadvantages. There are points were the right choice seems obvious, but there are other times when it isn't, like one scene soon after you rescue Elizabeth where you have the choice of executing a suspicious ticket master or just continuing on demanding tickets. I won't spoil what happens, but things like this are reasons why I think people are calling this game the best ever made. However, things that are considered ground-breaking in the video game industry usually don't remain ground-breaking for long -- other developers, seeing the popularity and success Bioshock Infinite has, will probably soon adopt this kind of story-telling for their own game. Will they use it to the same effect? Maybe not, maybe so, and maybe better. The point I'm trying to make is that while Bioshock Infinite may be the greatest game ever made to some, I think that future generations will look back on this game and scoff at it like I did at Half-Life 2. The graphic quality of video game elements may be hitting a cap, but developer creativity, technology (look at Oculus Rift), and certainly video game element quantity will never conform to any limit.

Bioshock Infinite First Impressions

Since my controller died just a few minutes ago, I thought I'd take a break and give you my first impressions of Bioshock Infinite. So far, I've played around two-three hours worth with most of it devoted to sightseeing.

• The delays to the games release date were definitely worth it; Columbia oozes rich, striking detail in every nook and cranny. The intro alone is quite a spectacle.
• The game is surprisingly difficult -- I've died twice so far (mostly because of the damn automated turrets!). Thankfully, the game is lenient with your incompetence and brings you back from the dead with you and your enemies partially healed and with you taking a hit in your finances.
• Skyhooks are awesome!
• You fight what is basically the Ku Klux Clan at first. It's kind of amusing to see things from their twisted view points given the bad picture history has painted of them. Speaking of bad pictures, one of the pictures in the game portrays Lincoln as the Devil. No joke.
• I like the changes to the health and mana system (or salt as they call it here). You no longer can carry health and mana packs around, you restore yourself primarily through pickups. To compensate for this, you also get a shield system similar to Borderlands (ironically, another 2K game).
• Close range combat is sometimes awkward with the ways enemies move around and how your melee attack works; your punches don't hit right in front of you, they come in from a diagonal direction. It's also sometimes a pain to know where enemies are coming from.
• I haven't warmed up to Booker (the main character) yet. He's kind of an unlikeable asshole.
• Squeamish people beware; this game has more gruesome melee finishers than Dishonored. However, I have yet to see something top the Summon Swarm spell from Dishonored -- yet.   

So far I'm really into the game. While I'm not so certain it deserves the Best Game of All Time title as of my first impression, it has already surpassed its preceding games and is easily going to be a Game of the Year contender. While close encounters are somewhat flawed, I still am enjoying the combat overall (who wouldn't like shooting the equivalent of KKK members in the face?) and I'm sure Booker will grow later in the story. Hopefully I will find something to deal with the turrets in the near future (because I was not kidding when I said they are annoying little health stealers).    

Before I Play Bioshock Infinite...

No wonder rental stores are going extinct; services like Netflix, Gamefly, and Redbox make it so easy to acquire the games that you want for little cost (I believe that Family Video is the only rental store chain that still exists in Wisconsin today). Anyways, I am just about to sit down to play Bioshock Infinite, a game that already has people claiming it is the next Half-Life 2 or the GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME. Personally, I believe that greatest game of all time needs a definition. For me, a game that is really good -- dare I say the BEST -- is an OVERALL experience that is not outdone by anything in the same class. Half-Life 2 does not fit that description; several games that came after it (like, ironically, the original Bioshock) had better physics and shooting mechanics and arguably a better atmosphere and story. A game's quality also is determined by personal taste. I could say that Metal Gear Rising is the best hack-and-slash game in existence  but many people would either argue that Bayonetta is a better quality game overall, or they would argue that "METAL GEAR RISING ISN'T A STEALTH GAME SO IT SUCKS BALLS!!!!". I, regretfully, have not played Bayonetta, (I'm poor; don't judge) and definitely am looking to play around with Bayonetta in the future -- if you know what I mean.

Now, as for Bioshock Infinite, I am definitely interested to see how much of the raving is actually justified. Hopefully I can get through a lot of the game in the one day that I have it. See you guys when I finish or when I get chomped in half by Songbird!      

So It Begins...

Have you ever had a paper due in English that had so many restrictions attached to it that you just couldn't write anything for it? The human animal is a social animal, so it is naturally frustrating when we run into impediments to our communicating with others. That's why this blog will have no subject restriction -- anything is fair game for discussion. I will report on anything that I find to be interesting, be it video games, movies, politics, business, science, etc. I will make a post every day, so that you may have a reason to view this blog and that I will learn responsibility. It shouldn't be hard to find subject matter; the Internet knows no restrictions and the world that houses it knows no sense of privacy. I might even branch into doing videos with my friends if my resources become vast enough.