Games have always been good at a few core things, and shooting has always been high up on this list. The natural feel of controlling a weapon, aiming and firing at targets mixes the interactivity and skill-based mechanics that separate games from other media, and the added adrenaline rush that comes from such visceral situations allows repetitive action to fill in the gaps in place of narrative and story. The fact is that shooting is what games do best, they work as power fantasy, as a way of engaging players with action and as immersion into situations most people are fortunate to never have to face in real life (believe me, when the alien invasion comes I’ll be down in the cellar, bravely protecting the food supplies). But whilst this experience was novel 20 years ago, the seemingly 3D hallways of Wolfenstein and Doom were such an advancement on the limitations of what had come before it was no wonder they grabbed so much attention, now technology within video games has reached such a peak that the notion of being able to walk around and interact with a virtual world no longer holds the same sort of inherent thrill.
Couple this with the fact that the genre has virtually fallen into stagnation in terms of basic gameplay design and you have vast swathes of the gaming landscape that no longer hold much appeal for me. But the issue goes deeper than just the modern military shooter, it extends to third person cover-based shooters and even action games. How many people does Nathan Drake kill over the course of the Uncharted games? As has been discussed before this not only leads to sections of the games feeling like a slog through bullet sponge enemies (and this is coming from a big fan of those games) but it also causes a fundamental disconnect between the character in the story Naughty Dog are trying to tell (flawed, charismatic and goofy adventure hero) with the mass murdering competent marksman who leaves a trail of bodies throughout the game.
This is but one of the problems that come with trying to tell more nuanced, human stories in modern games, whilst maintaining the gameplay template of what has come before. There are no easy answers though, if you aren't to spend your time shooting things, then what is it you would do for 10-15 hours in a strongly narrative driven game? One path is that of adventure games, where the emphasis is on exploration of environment, conversation and puzzle solving. But these games are often slow and unengaging for many used to the frantic pace of modern games. Rockstar’s flawed but ambition LA Noire looked to bridge this gap, similarly David Cage’s output from Fahrenheit to Heavy Rain and the upcoming Beyond: Two Souls have a heavy focus on character and story with little or no traditional gunplay.
Recently I played through Dear Esther, a very interesting piece of interactive fiction created using the Half Life 2 engine and set on a mysterious island. The game consists of randomised voice over clips playing as you explore the seemingly abandoned locale, there are no actions you can perform, but the combination of atmosphere, music and the ambiguous story that unveils itself to you as you play make it strangely compelling. It certainly stretches the boundaries of what you consider a game, having no real action or fail state, but it also works in a way not possible in a short film or art piece. It uses the medium of video games to create something new, and it got me excited by the possibility when developers look outside of the familiar.
Steve Gaynor, former Idle Thumbs contributor and designer responsible for the excellent Minerva’s Den DLC for Bioshock 2 recently left Irrational Games to form his own indie games studio where the focus is on smaller, story driven titles. The first of these announced is interesting games I have flagged for release in the coming year.Gone Home, a first person exploration game that already is one of the most Recently the Telltale Walking Dead games have provided me with some of the most intense and involving experiences I've had playing a game in years, all through crafting memorable, real characters, telling a compelling story and then tying that to simple gameplay that priorities choices and consequences in a way that no other medium can offer. It’s a compelling case for the kinds of games that I find engage me at the moment.
Not that all games should fit a specific mould, I'm merely advocating for a wider spectrum of experiences and for something new to be brought to the table. There is definitely a place for more traditional shooters, just as there is for tight gameplay-system driven games, but personally ever since Shenmue offered up a semblance of a realistic world to simply explore and live in, I have been enamoured with the possibility such games can offer. But even if you find yourself enjoying modern shooters, there is no reason why you still can’t look to innovate, or shake things up. Half Life did this magnificently back in 1997, fully immersing the player in a world and carefully setting up its story so that by the time the shooting started you were involved, you were fighting for your life.
Many have described the Call of Duty games and their ilk as rollercoasters, games that propel you through their narrative with tightly scripted events, bombast and a constant stream of shooting-gallery opponents. It’s a very distinctive, and at times effective style of game, but one that offers such restrictive freedom and such constrained gameplay systems (gunplay, turrets, vehicles) that it pulls me out completely. I enjoy these games on an immediate, visceral level, but nothing resonates, they provide a quick rush but nothing lasting, and I think as I grow up this is what has become important to me when I consider the time I want to spend consuming media, of all forms.
So yes, sometimes we just want to blow off steam, or save the world, or beat that high-score, but also if we ever want this wonderful, enthralling and frustrating art form of ours to grow we should demand more. We should want more challenging and engaging games that offer experiences we've never had before. It’s easier said than done I know, but what’s the point of aiming high, if you never take a shot?
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