This was an essay we had to in English class, "What work of art influenced you and how?" and I chose Shadow of the Colossus. It's just a rough draft, but in the end the ideas will be the same, just different formatting (probably). I figured what the hell, I'll throw it up here. Also, spoilers.



The stone creature ambles around the open plains, passive to every thing around it. It is larger than any creature before it, save maybe a blue whale. Grass covers its sides and back, and rocks jut out as well. Footholds and places to grip. It is magnificent, majestic even, except for the stone mask covering its face. All that is visible are two beady ocean blue eyes. It makes the creature less alive, a smart decision. If you could see the anguish in its face as you stabbed your sword deep into the back of its head, would you be willing to kill it?

This is the first colossus you encounter in the video game, Shadow of the Colossus, a game many deem the first video game that really made the argument “video games are a medium of art” valid. The sprawling plains, ruins you climb through, and forests you traverse are all beautiful, but the main thing that makes the game one of the most influential games of all time, and a piece of creative art that influenced me more than any other work are the colossi, and the reasoning behind killing them.

The only story in the game is at the beginning and the end. The beginning starts out with your character, Wander, crossing the land on the back of your companion horse, and a girl slumped over sitting behind you. The girl's relation to Wander is never explained; she may be his sister, the love of his life, or perhaps just a girl he met while on his travels. He is going to a temple and seeking the help of a demon named Dormin, with the hope to bring the girl back to life. Dormin agrees to bring her back to life, but only if Wander will kill sixteen different colossi wandering the land.

And so I went, without any questioning, off to kill my first colossus. And that leads me to the opening paragraph. There I was, seeing this beautiful colossus, not even attacking me. However, I had no suspicion, I assumed it just didn't see me. Killing it wasn't that difficult, and once that was complete, I was teleported back to the temple, and was sent off to kill the second colossus.

There are no small enemies in the game. It really consists of sixteen boss fights, and the journey to each one. That's it. And all you have to fight them with are your sword, your bow, and your horse.

After the first few colossi, I started to question what I was doing. One colossus attacked me on sight, the rest remained passive. Why were I killing these colossi? They weren't harming me. I wasn't the prey, them the predator. Instead, the roles were reversed. I was killing these beasts for my own selfish gain, and they had done nothing to deserve it.

This moral ambiguity, the questioning I felt as I killed each colossus is what really intrigued me about the game. What was the right thing to do, and what was the wrong thing? I didn't know. Of course I couldn't progress without killing the colossi, but I felt remorse after each kill. I didn't know which was the morally right thing to do. For all I knew, these colossi had it coming to them, but for some reason I couldn't believe that. This is the first time the game pushed me toward a specific ideal of Nihilism: moral Nihilism.

Maybe killing each colossus wasn't good, or evil. It was just a means to an end. Maybe what I was doing was just, or unjust. It just was. I mean, I was doing it for a noble cause, bringing someone back to life, right?

And so I kept going, killing each colossus, going back to the temple, rinse, repeat. The game wasn't getting dull by any means, each fight was different and entertaining, but I still had that nagging thought in the back of my head.

Once the end of the game came, and the sixteenth colossus was dead, I went back to the temple for a final time. Dormin kept his promise, and brought the girl back to life. I, Wander, however, became possessed by Dormin. The purpose of the colossi was to protect the land from Dormin, keep him from coming back to the world. I was his pawn, used by him because of my selfish intentions. I didn't know who was to blame, me or him. But that is beside the point. Along with the girl coming back to life, a baby with horns was born. That baby was Wander's legacy, his mark on the world.

I wasn't there to enjoy it though. Wander was dead. Well, not dead, but possessed and unable to control himself. What was the point then. I wanted to see what happened next to the girl and the horned baby.

This leads to another ideal of Nihilism: that there is no point in living. I went on an epic quest, wanting to bring back this girl, but in the end, I succeeded in the mission, but I was dead. I couldn't enjoy the fruits of my labor. Which made me wonder. Why do we toil all day, work our asses off in order to build a fortune, and in the end regret our decisions? Why don't we enjoy life, live it to the fullest each day, because in the end, it doesn't matter. Once you're dead you can't appreciate all you did in life.

Although the ideals of Nihilism I bent and twisted a little to fit my own needs, the end result that I have changed me. I now think in a more objective way, and instead of working towards building an empire, I do what makes me happy.

It's the little things in life that matter most in the end.

Don't worry, no spoilers

There I was, at Gamestop with a few of my friends. I had sixty dollars in my pocket; I was all set to get Demon Souls. I had played my friend's copy of the game, and enjoyed it immensely. It was time for me to get my own copy.

I head over to the PS3 games, and look around. I don't see Demon Souls anywhere, not even under the "used" section. Slightly panicked, I quickly go the cashier and question him. Apparently Demon Soul's wasn't in stock.

Dejected, I began to look around the store some more, the money burning a hole in my pocket. I had to buy a game; I wouldn't leave the store without one.

And so I searched. I knew I wanted to get a game for the PS3 (no matter how good Uncharted 2 is, it can't be my only PS3 game). Killzone 2 interested me, but I didn't want to spend sixty bucks on it. I knew inFamous was coming in the mail (my dad ordered it off Amazon). There were seemingly no games to buy.

My eyes fell upon a game who had an interesting boxart. Colorful, anime-inspired, but not with a completely androgynous protagonist (he's still androgynous, but not as badly as say, Cloud Strife).

The game was Valkyria Chronicles, and it was only twenty dollars. After glancing at the back of the box, I quickly took it to the counter and purchased it.

"You're lucky, that's the last of this game we have in stock," he said. Hmmm, did that mean the game was good?

Yes, yes it was.



/end anecdote

Games nowadays aren't necessarily bad, but they're not unique. Modern Warfare 2: quite a fun game, but original? Hell no. Uncharted 2: game of the year to me, but original? Hell no. Halo: ODST: loved the narrative, but was it original? Hell no. I think you get the point.

Valkyria Chronicles however, is a game unlike any I have ever played. It's a third person shooter mixed with tactical RPG, and strategy seen with RTSs. The characters are lovable, especially Welkin. He's not your typical JRPG hero; he's bumbling, awkward around girls, not moody, cheerful, and intelligent.

The art style blew me away. It looks like I'm playing a watercolor painting. Voice-acting ain't half bad either.

But why did it restore my faith in video games?

Because everything was new. Every single thing in the game was unique, and it was all good.

Don't even get me started on the romance between Alicia and Welkin. It was cute, not overdone, and to me was the best relationship in a game since the original Uncharted with Nate/Elena.

I wish more games would try something different like Valkyria Chronicles did. We don't get enough uniqueness nowadays, and that's a bad thing.

Hell, Valkyria Chronicles blew me away so much that I watched the anime that released in Japan that follows the game, and I hate anime. That should tell you something. I loved the universe and characters so much I watched a TV show based on a game I just played. Same plot and everything (well, some differences, but same for the most part).

Sure we get uniqueness from Indy games, but I want uniqueness from main-stream studios. Though I think Hell would freeze over before EA made a game completely unique XD.

After reading this, if you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, just go buy Valkyria Chronicles. You'll understand after playing it.

-Nate

Spoilers, just a warnin'.

So, I got Dragon Age for Christmas (I know, a little late to the party), and I made a human noble, and for fun, named him Aragorn (a decision I now deeply regret). He was just going to be a character I learned the ropes with, then I wanted to make an elf for my actual character.

Little did I know that I would become attached to Aragorn, and the other companions in the game.

Now, Dragon Age was one of the most enjoyable and satisfying games I've played in a long time (not the best by any means, but satisfying). But that isn't what this post is about, is it? I believe the title was about why I didn't want to finish the game, not what I thought about it.

So, moving on.

Why did I not want to complete Dragon Age? Well, because of one reason.



Yes, I did not want to finish Dragon Age because of the amoral, devil on your shoulder woman known as Morrigan.

When I started the game, I didn't want to romance Morrigan. I was going to go after Leliana: the pure, Chantry girl.

I would have Morrigan in my party, and that would be it. I wanted her DPS but nothing more. She seemed to be too difficult to romance, and from what I've heard from everyone else, she was unlikable, and quite frankly, kind of a bitch.

So there I was, a naive human noble (warrior), who managed to romance the elvish girl who crushed on you, off into the world of Ferelden. Alistair was the first to join my party; a man who started out as a goody two shoes but quickly turned into my favorite bro. now call him Brolistair.

Next came Morrigan. She was attractive, yes, but her skimpy outfit I didn't care for, and the way she spoke to me and my comrades was fairly degrading. Nevertheless, I pressed on.

Leliana joined my party, and I rejoiced. Awesome! A rogue to pick locks for me and the girl I was to romance!

However, from the moment I stepped into camp the first time and spoke to every character in the camp, something changed for Aragorn. I didn't want to romance Leliana any more. She wasn't the interesting one. Morrigan was. She disapproved everything I did, and that prevented a challenge.

I bested that challenged (even managed to bed her before dealing with Flemeth), and I was a proud man. The she said "Where do we go from here?"

We would we go from there? I was unsure what I wanted. The thrill of the chase was gone, and now what was left was I could stay with Morrigan, or go back after Leliana.

I chose Morrigan before I even knew what I was doing.

And so from that moment on, I gave gifts to Morrigan, and did my best to get on her good side.

Then she stopped sleeping with me. WTF? I did nothing wrong. In fact, I did everything right. What was wrong?

Apparently she was starting to feel for me past the fling. And that made me think. Was I actually growing attached to this character? Did Aragorn really like her past just a sexual desire?

Yes, yes he/I did.

I continued the game, annoyed, hoping that Morrigan would change and open up to me. All I wanted to do was help.

Nothing happened, not until the night before we would storm Denerim. She came to me with the offer of her bearing my child so I could live. She told me she would leave forever after the final battle. I initially tried to work around it; I didn't want her to leave me. Then came the more dreadful option: she would leave that night if I didn't impregnate her.

She told me she wanted to save me, and her job was to save me, that's why Flemeth sent her. I was hurt. I was manipulated, a mere pawn in her plan to have an Old God child.

Then she said I was a pawn, at first. Caring for me was not part of the plan. I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth or not, but I wanted to believe her, so I did. I slept with her, and the next day we headed to Denerim.

As I spoke to every team member before attacking, when it came to Morrigan, I swore to her I would go after her, and find her. She chuckled, told me it was unwise, then continued, but not before calling me her love. That determined it right there; I would go after her.

Later on in the battle I accidentally talked to her, and she told me we never should have gotten into this tangled web. I asked if that was all it really was, and she replied, confused about her feelings. She apologized that things would end like this, and I was even more determined to chase after her after the battle.

I didn't want to beat the game though, because if I did, Morrigan would leave, and I didn't want that.

Alas, I did end of finishing the game, and at the end of the game was when the Archdemon was slayed (not counting the epilogue), I was not allowed to chase her.

If DA2 comes out and you can import your character a la Mass Effect 2, I will import Aragorn, and if there are any romanceable characters, I will ignore them. Aragorn was turned into a one-woman man.

In Mass Effect 2, I don't care that I romanced Ashley, I'm going after Miranda. Dragon Age did something different though. With Aragorn, I can't go after any other women without feeling guilt.

So I applaud Bioware for creating a masterful piece of role-playing gaming with Dragon Age, and I applaud their ability to create a character that at least I got attached to.

Yes, I am a complete geek, but hey, it's my guilty pleasure.

-Nate

I was talking with my friend (who is an avid Twilight fan), and I told her how empty the romance was between Edward and Bella in the original Twilight (yes, I've seen the movie). Now I'm not blaming the actors, because it could either be the script was terrible, the acting was terrible, or the directing was terrible, but whatever.

Anyway, she suddenly got ballsy enough to tell me that Twilight was more romantic than any video game would ever be, and that video games would never even be romantic at all.

I instantly cited three examples to prove her wrong.

*Spoilers for the three games*

1) Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core



Regardless of whether or not you hate Final Fantasy, you can't deny that the story-telling and presentation in the games are always phenomenal. Crisis Core was no exception. But I'm not going to get into all that. I'm just going to talk about the romance.

Sure, it was completely linear and non-optional, but they did it very well. It wasn't even that the voice-acting was that great (it wasn't), but the e-mails you get from friends, the 88 letters you get from Aerith, all those are minor things but really show the relationship Aerith and Zack share.

And then the ending, where you (Zack), die to save your best friend (not even romance, but damn that was more emotional than the majority of movies I've seen), but you also die a couple miles outside Midgar, the city where Aerith resides. And the only thing driving Zack to get to Midgar is to see Aerith.

Yes, it's a tragic romance, and Zack and Aerith are star-crossed lovers, but still, it's better than watching the girl you love sleep.

2)Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic



Not only was Knights of the Old Republic one of the best RPGs of all time, but it was one of the first games to include a romantic subplot that was actually compelling and good. Not only was it quality, but it was optional, which made it all the more romantic and rewarding at the end, because you (the player) worked for it and it wasn't just handed to you on a silver platter.

Story goes you and Bastila have a special connection . . . she's snobby and elitist and first and couldn't give a rat's ass about you, but as the game goes on, after each planet you're on, you can talk to her, and new dialogue opens up each time. You can flirt with her, have meaningful discussions, and no matter what you choose, the dialogue is good.

Then, after you work so hard, you and Bastila eventually kiss. And then she tells you it won't work out and it's like "balls."

I didn't give up though. I had worked for that kiss, and I wasn't going to just let her toss me aside like that. The game though, every time, told me it was over when no more options were available to say to her.

Eventually she gets captured by Malak and gets turned into his apprentice, and I won't get into the light or dark side ending (I've played both, but light is canon).

After storming the Star Forge, you come face to face with Bastila. Alone. You two fight, and you eventually overpower her, and she asks you to kill her.

You [i]can[/img] kill her, but I was drawn to the last option. You can tell her you could never kill her, and that you love her. She confesses her love for you too, and comes back from the dark side.

Revan is able to convince Bastila to turn from the dark side to the light side simply because of love. Eat it Edward.

3) Uncharted 2: Among Thieves



Last, but not least, is Uncharted 2 (a game you'll hear me talk a lot about).

It's not that the romance is thrown at you, because it's not. The romance isn't even that deep. It's the chemistry between the voice actors that really hit it home for me.

When the game started, I wondered where Elena was, but when this new hot girl (Chloe) came it, I put Elena in the back of my mind and cheered on any romance between Chloe and Nate.

And I got a lot of it. Almost every time Nate and Chloe banter in a level it's flirtatious, and a lot less tame than Nate and Elena's from the first game.

Then, Elena came back. And she starts with, "Name's Elena. Last year's model." And I fell in love with her all over again.

The voice actors did a fantastic job with putting in tension between Chloe and Elena, and the chemistry between Nate and Elena was just as good and between Nate and Chloe.

However, throughout the game, I stared to like Elena more and more than Chloe, partly because she always had Nate's back, wasn't double crossing anyone, and was just a whole lot more tasteful.

I was sincerely concerned when Elena seemingly died at the end, and when Chloe asks Nate, "Do you love her?" I was silently rooting for him to say "Yes."

When he told Chloe he was sorry, and then Elena came out and the two kissed, I grinned until I went to sleep (no lie).

Wish I could've seen that chemistry between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart in Twilight. Not.

So, all in all, romance doesn't have to be thrown at you to be good, it could be slightly there with nothing more than flirting, or it could even be optional. But don't you ever say romance in video games sucks.

-Nate

P.S. Who do you like better? Chloe or Elena?

Hey all,

Name's Nate, or "Kwazy Nate".

I guess I'm using this blog as a soap box for me to review games and rant about things in video games (coming up, the "No Russian" level).

Sometimes, especially when ranting, my posts will contain language, so, if that's an issue . . . yea.

I plan on reviewing games both old and new, and maybe highlighting games I particularly enjoyed or maybe something I saw in a game that I thought was revolutionary or maybe just cool.

Any games in particular you want me to review, or anything you want me post about, just request it in the comments or message me!

-Nate