Category: Essays
Things that don’t fit anywhere else.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.Psalm 34:18
This is my primary mode of thought regarding video games and life: you try, you get destroyed, and you get back again. God brings you back to life every day for each new challenge and circumstance. So what does this have to do with video games?
A funny thing started happening to me as I play video games: I talk to myself.
Ah, Kumobius. I know I’m supposed to be excited for Duet, your game involving a multi-tasking Super Hexagon-like experience. I just couldn’t get into that one, much as I tried. Bean Dreams interested me far more purely from the level of accessible, easy fun. It doesn’t hurt that the thing itself looks and sounds unbelievably cute! Yes, I went there.
Tearaway is not a narrative-heavy game, but there are some conceptual and mechanical spoilers in this article.
In Tearaway, you play as yourself.
By this I am not referring to an opportunity of customising the playable character into an avatar resembling your likeness. That would hardly be worth mentioning in the world of gaming. Instead, I am talking about the fact that you — the real you existing in our physical reality — are an integral part of the story that unfolds through engagement with the game’s paper craft microcosm. With the dynamic PlayStation Vita acting as the tear between worlds, the resulting interactivity motivates the journey shared by the player and his virtual kirigami companion.
Regarding Aztez, I’m incredibly angry. No, not about the game – it’s clearly magnificent and deserving of your time. Rather, I’m disappointed that I could not find Team Colorblind’s booth until ten minutes before the Expo Hall closed. There can be no greater pain than to miss out on the game that you specifically searched high and low to find, only to completely miss it. There’s nothing more frustrating than that!