Nier PS3 Review || Intimate Gamer column on Game People

I have never played a game quite like Nier before. But it took a while for me to realise what exactly that meant. Characters, relationships and story overtake its gameplay mechanics, and invite us to intrude on the painful loss of intimacy between a father and his sick daughter.

Part of my unusual reaction to Nier was how the game handled its characters and how they drove the story. Unlike many hack and slash adventure games I had played before, Nier offered me a wonderful, promising and sometimes interactive storyline.

From the offset, you are plunged into a weird and post apocalyptic world. It looked familiar at first, a grim world plagued by snow and cold, cluttered with devastated buildings and the colour grey. From that moment I saw the shell of a man, at first any typical forlorn and tragic hero, having lost everything, it looked like he had nothing to live for. But he got up and he fought, and it was quickly revealed that he was a father, and from that moment on, that was exactly how I saw him.

It became a story about a father striving to protect his sick daughter, and about a daughter who only wanted to spend time with her father, and not be a burden to him. I expected the girl to die, and our hero to become that tragic figure, wondering without a purpose. But unlike other games I've player that didn't happen, and I found that really refreshing.

Nier's daughter's name is Yonah. The dynamic between father and daughter meant I was instantly attached to her, which doesn't happen often. Children in video games rarely prove to be a driving force, more often a hindrance or a sorrowful plot device, and although Yonah may have been exactly that - a way to bring the magic and mystery to Nier's small village and give him purpose, it didn't feel forced.

The dynamic between father and daughter meant I was instantly attached to her.

It felt tragic in the loss of their parent-child intimacy. Through surprisingly believable reactions we see how Nier wants to make certain of what exactly is wrong with her. Searching for an answer he struggles to keep them afloat in a dying world, needing to spend time apart from his sick daughter in order to secure their future.

When Yonah's disease, the Black Scrawl, begins to makes itself known in full Nier is finally lost in his determination to find a cure. It becomes difficult to interact with anyone, such was his single minded intent -- the will of a man driven to find a cure for his daughter.

The architecture of a forgotten world, this bizarre landscape of bridges that lead nowhere and abandoned military bunkers turned junk heaps, creates a unique place for this intimacy to be played out.

But more than the world, it is the Neir-Yonah relationship that really makes the game work. The diary entries on the loading screens were a beautiful way of keeping Yonah present in her absence, bringing forward little details about her and her father that could not be expressed elsewhere.

It was already clear that Yonah loved her father, but through these messages you see her loneliness, and how in order to keep her alive Nier is almost negligent in his love. It is a sad dynamic that speaks for itself, something that rarely gets explored in video games.

It is a sad dynamic that speaks for itself, something that rarely gets explored in video games.

It's odd, but very realistic. Yonah, despite her illness, just wants her father around more. We are let into the innermost mind set of both Yonah and her father, and throughout the game I felt it push me forwards.

My only regret is that the gameplay mechanics weren't able to match the weight of the relationships. It often felt more like reading a novel than playing a game. In these terms it suffers next to more mature handling of characters we find in books. Many of the other characters were stale, and weren't terribly original. Despite the unusual world setting the people were all terribly familiar, almost type cast.

Although there are lovely touches here and there, characters like the hard-done-by outcast and spoilt-young-king detract from the father/daughter experience. I had such high hopes for the game, and although it did offer a different story and way of playing through it, I think that in the end, these ambitious actions may have been its own downfall.

Neir will always be special for me though. It may be one game that I've played where the plot and characters truly overtook everything else. The game-play was not exactly challenging, just awkward, so I kept on playing for the story alone, and I think that is both wonderful and a little weird too.

Hollie Simon wrote this Intimate Gamer article under the watchful eye of Emma Boyes.

"I thought it would be interesting to write about sex and relationships in Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS lite and PSP games. I'll also touch on other areas like how women are portrayed, gender roles, and being gay."

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Ms Splosion Man 360 XBLA Review || Intimate Gamer column on Game People

Ms Splosion Man may be pink but is no more intimate than her masculine counterpart. The same formula is fun for a while, but in the end I went looking for interesting characters and conversations elsewhere.

Arcade games aren't exactly known for their in depth plot-lines and diverse characters. Their uniqueness is in their ability to tell a fulfilling story on a smaller scale.

However, whilst playing Ms. Splosion Man, I didn't feel that there was much more than an original premise. I had wanted to discover how Ms. Splosion Man fitted into the universe established by her boyfriend (or perhaps husband) Splosion Man, but it was not exactly the most intimate or deep of games. It was fun to play, but it didn't really offer me anything more than that.

I have not played any Splosion Man games before and had no expectations, or in fact very much idea of what might happen. I had, however, hoped to find some sense of reason within Splosion Man world, but discovered quickly that this wasn't going to be the case. The story is essentially just: Splosion Man is captured.

It had it moments when I thought that there might be something beyond the explosions, when faced by new enemies and certainly in the very opening level when being chased by a giant robot. BUt amidst the tension that put me on the edge of my seat Ms. Splosion Man seemed almost entirely unaffected, completely oblivious to events around her.

I know this is just an arcade game, but a little bit of relational intimacy or characters to engage with would have got me through the battering gameplay. But without this, I never really became involved in the game or the character of Ms. Splosion Man.

It was not exactly the most intimate or deep of games.

Sure, she was entertaining with her singing and dancing, in a pop-culture referencing kind of way, but there was no substance beyond this, no personality of her own. It made it difficult to like her, she reminded me of a classic Loony Toons character, entertaining but not exactly unique. Fun for an entertaining evening, but certainly not someone to regularly date.

She left no food for thought, I was not for a moment interested in what she had to say or indeed if she had anything to say at all, it felt to me that she was not even aware of whatever goal she had.

Although Ms Splosion Man may not be for everyone, at least it didn't pretend to be anything more than what it is - an exciting, exploding, puzzle, platformer. For whatever reason, it lacked characters and conversations, but the game itself seemed to make up for it.

It lacked conversations, but the game itself seemed to make up for it.

Ms. Splosion Man didn't leave me hungry for more. I experienced it, and left it at that, it was easy to just leave behind. Male or female it appeared as though it wouldn't have made a difference to the game, to me, it just looked like yellow had been traded in for pink.

Hollie Simon wrote this Intimate Gamer article under the watchful eye of Emma Boyes.

"I thought it would be interesting to write about sex and relationships in Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS lite and PSP games. I'll also touch on other areas like how women are portrayed, gender roles, and being gay."

© GamePeople 2006-10 | Contact | Huh?

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion 360 Review || Intimate Gamer column on Game People

Oblivion is a timely reminder of the intimate experience a role play game generates. How I felt about the game mirrored Oblivion's complex character relationships, but like real life these were at times slippery and contradictory.

The Elder Scroll's series is known for revolutionising the fantasy role play genre with its previous titles such as Morrowind. With the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim out this year, I wanted to go back and play The Elder Scrolls IV, Oblivion.

First thing that strikes you is that this is still a spectacular game and has aged gracefully, crammed with lore and character diversity. I took my time, revelling in the dynamic character progression and the enthralling world itself.

Your character is paramount in the Elder Scrolls IV, and the game goes through a great deal of effort to make you feel important and unique -- capable of making many different choices. Your personal preferences are paid great attention to, your character is involved in everything, and recognised throughout the world of Oblivion for the skills you develop.

The game had such broad character capabilities, I felt almost overwhelmed by the amount of options available to me. There are hundreds of things I was able to do, and my character choices felt liberating rather than limiting. I was able to play the game the way that I wanted, which created an experience that was intimate because it was unique to me.

With different ways to complete missions and routes in and out of dungeons and houses, I could carve my own path through this world. Oblivion met me in this desire and actively encouraged me to play to my strengths. I was able to be as stealthy as I wanted, creeping my way through castles without being seen and striking from the dark, these were the talents that I had built up simply by playing the game. I really loved that it rewarded me for being consistent.

But like in any relationship, commitment and identity are complex and slippery concepts. I became head of the Brotherhood of Darkness, I became defined, I was someone, the leader of a secret order having crawled through the ranks. I was proud of my character and what I had achieved. But then almost unexpected I fell into the exact same role in the Fighter's Guild -- perhaps the total opposite of the sinful assassins that I had previously aligned myself with. It all felt a little wrong, I shouldn't be getting away with that, surely?

An experience that was intimate because it was unique to me.

It seemed like my actions were truly without limits, but at the same time these achievements accounted for nothing. The game was blind to what they ment in relationship to each other. It was simply a title placed in my journal.

Once reaching the head of the Fighter's Guild and the Brotherhood of Darkness, I too conquered the Mage's Guild and eventually went on to climb to the top of the Thieves Guild too. Such large accomplishments that seemingly amounted to nearly nothing.

In the end it felt disappointing. I had enjoyed climbing these towers, aiming to prove myself to this created world -- but I had fought for no reason. I came to realise how little my actions counted in Oblivion, and was disheartened by it despite how much I had achieved.

Oblivion is innovative, vast and challenging. Despite being a little overwhelming at times, the gameplay was enthralling and engaging, and the main quest line was enough to let you to trawl your way across mountains and through dungeons and long forgotten Elven Ruins.

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, but Oblivion often forgets this.

You make your own destiny and the game respected you for it, even if it didn't manage to make your successes feel worthwhile. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, but Oblivion often forgets this.

The game fought for its marvellous balance of entertainment and challenge. The non-playable characters were engaging and I could frequently overhear conversations that lead me to secrets and treasure. I felt comfortable and welcomed by the world, my character, even without a voice and background seemed a firm part of it.

If Skyrim can continue to build upon this foundation, and establish a stricter relationship between the different roles, it will be an experience not to be missed.

Hollie Simon wrote this Intimate Gamer article under the watchful eye of Emma Boyes.

"I thought it would be interesting to write about sex and relationships in Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, DS lite and PSP games. I'll also touch on other areas like how women are portrayed, gender roles, and being gay."

View the original article here

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.