Resident Evil: Code Veronica X - one out of one

The right to be God...

Resident Evil: Code Veronica X - 1/1 - Henry Arrambide

I've always loved Capcom. I can't think of anything they've ever done which is extremely terrible; even those spin-offs and odd little experiments seem to be, if not excellent payoffs (Devil May Cry), at least fun demonstrations which aren't bad at all and never feel like a waste of time (Resident Evil Gun Survivor). Something about what Capcom does just clicks; unlike say, Square-Enix who is a little too aware that video-games are a cultural artifact and try to cash in on their fruits with twenty FF7 spinoffs, FF remakes, and talking about their own accomplishments like they were holistic video-game canon (I get it I get it! Final Fantasy has been around for 20+ years), Capcom sort of just goes with the flow - Mega Man instantly comes to mind as a corporate and cult mascot, yet we aren't constantly bombarded with reminders that the blue bomber is a gaming tradition that must be respected. Hell, thankfully he isn't a sacred cow - or else spin-offs like the Zero and Legends games wouldn't happen. Also, instead of trying to make games that imitate popular art, Capcom just borrows and sometimes damn near plagiarizes concepts - Dead Rising, Resident Evil, and Mega Man once again come to mind. Let's take Astro-boy and Blade Runner and mix in midi's inspired by 80's Rock - boom, Mega Man X is made.

Gotta admit it takes more than copy and pasting to make the idea appealing.

By doing this a few things get accomplished: (1) The game is rooted in familiar pop-culture themes and concepts, it's easier to delve into and spread among the masses Easier to understand. You don't come off like a crazy neckbeard who smells of cheetos and mountain dew - the game is *gasp* somewhat attractive and holds mass appeal. (2) The game is self aware of what it is doing, rather than trying to march around as high art it realizes it's a videogame. Devil May Cry and Resident Evil 4 work really well because they embrace over-the-top situations that can only be pulled off in video-games; any other medium wouldn't be able to maintain the suspension of disbelief. (3) Being self-aware and embracing the fact that you're a video-game, not an interactive movie or an interactive novel, along with some semblance of artistic style and themes allows games to be made that, while not extreme deep, mind-altering endeavors, are extremely well put together and fun. They work. Mega Man 5 may be the worst in my opinion of the classic series, but it still works - and for an NES game, it still has what was for it's time an excellent little story boiling with all kinds of plot twists and cut-scenes which for an NES game were quite impressive. Mega Man 5 is also an example of the "Ain't Broke Don't Fix It" mentality the company runs with. So yeah...Code Veronica.

Silent Hill 2 - one out of one - Henry Arrambide

Silent Hill 2 – 1/1 – Henry Arrambide

The fact that a SH3 review preceded this is merely coincidence.

              When you set out to make something ‘mature’, you must be careful. Trying to prove that games are ‘mature’ may lead to something like Manhunt, where ‘maturity’ is just a coverall term for violence, cartoonish gore, or sexual deviancy. I find that striving to make something ‘mature’ in those oh so useful selling points comes off as insulting; it’s as if the creator is saying that the gaming populace is immature, unable to appreciate games properly, and so tits and violence must be added (not that cartoonish excess is a bad thing when handled correctly). You get so caught up in trying to make something ‘mature’ that you forget the other goals entirely.

              Silent Hill 2 understands this. The game is tasteful with its violence; blood and gore don’t spew forth with every gunshot and whack, but are effectively used when needed. It tells a simple yet twisted story, and expects you to pick up the pieces and determine the truth. There is no barrage of cutscenes and extended hours of dialogue. What exists are quick snippets, short lines dropped by characters as lost in the world as you are. No one knows what the hell is going on, not even the game in some cases. Why should there be an NPC telling you up to date plot points? (Answer: because the developers don’t think the gamer is paying attention; or the game is mechanically weak and hard to understand) You remember things, you take notes, and you draw conclusions. Some things you forget accidentally. Sometimes you want to forget the terrifying crap you just went through – the atmosphere works at creating this ever-looming fear that either motivates you or scares you into never wanting to play. You make implications based on your surroundings to figure out what happened where. In short, the game asks you to participate, not just listen, to the story; the game is aware that you are playing it, and so it wants to utilize that dimension. There is only as much meaning behind your actions as you interpret there to be, sure – but the game was made with the idea in mind that your actions in some way affect things on a deeper level. The game asks for you to be mature – not to play, because anyone can play, but to solve the deeper problems in James Sunderland’s life and get a full experience from the game. Interactive entertainment – you aren’t just moving the avatar from plot point A to plot point B and being info-dumped. That kind of audience respect is why Silent Hill 2 is mature.

AOOFAD and Silent Hill 3 Exciting Explosion Review

AOOFAD and Silent Hill 3 Exciting Explosion Review

Yeah this took about five minutes to whip up.

There are two things that make good video games. Likewise, good video games are good because of the same two things: atmosphere and mechanics. Without these two elements a game is either bad, or not a game in my opinion. Things like story can be found in a book, graphics in movies or television, but mechanics and atmosphere are unique to the interactive medium.

That’s not to say a good game can’t have a good story, or a bad game has it’s graphics to blame. I love the Phoenix Wright games for their story, and I love seeing a painstakingly rendered historic city stretch out before me in Assassin’s Creed. But these are just contributions to a whole, facets that catch the light and bend it towards the center of something that’s worth seeing or isn’t. That’s what we’re all about here, right?

Mechanics and atmosphere. Games like Tetris are good because of their mechanics, games like Jet Set Radio are good because of their atmosphere (it’s basically a barebones Tony Hawk clone made awesome by style and FUNK). Games like the Fallout series are good because of their synthesis of the two elements. The atmosphere influences the gameplay and vice-versa. I mean, you wouldn’t scrounge and pick up every little piece of scrap and ammunition unless it was the apocalypse, right? The point is, the two elements can be present alone or together, and with that said I arrive at the review proper.

All of Our Friends are Dead. Yeah.