Game Night: A Winner is Me!

[dudelovenext]

So last night was pretty fun. I headed over to Stef's for Game Night. As usual, he had some tasty food and drinks for the group (consisting of Arren, Eric, and myself). We played this pretty fun card game called Illuminati. Arren was looking like a sure winner for a moment until I pointed out that I was immune from government attacks. Mwu, ha, ha! I quickly won after that. :) Though I'm sure it was a bit of luck, too...

Afterwards I went home and chilled. I got my latest issue of the Official U.S. Playstation Magazine. They had a playable demo of Shadow of the Colossus.

This game is absolutely beautiful. It really follows in the steps of Ico: this is art. If you see any nutjob that claims that video games can't be art, just show 'em one of the two previously mentioned games.

But here we are again, another day of work. Next week might be good and bad. I might do another week of my project, so I'll only have Sunday and Monday off. While this means I won't have to use any vacation time for Labor Day (so I can use it for Hawaii instead), it would also mean I wouldn't get my other two days off. Alexis? Maybe up for an early dinner? `^_^ Or are you gonna be pretty busy that evening? I would get off of work at 5pm. I still need to check with my lead and see what the deal is, though.

There's more on my mind...hm, lost the train of thought. `^_^

Comments

[ryuumi.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm supposed to meet Lauren for late dinner/snack at 8:30...At this point, I'm thinking about cancelling that weekend because the plans are getting so screwy. Or at least doing a big plan overhaul. I'll let you know later today - right now I'm late for an appointment!

[ryuumi.livejournal.com]

Psst...just sent an email about scheduling changes...Let me know what works for you so I can get next weekend's plans set before this weekend! ^_^;;;

[seattleotaku.livejournal.com]

I <3 Ico and am waiting for the sequel (presumably called Nico) with much "Anticip--". ^_^

[katana22.livejournal.com]

That game kind of osunds like a Game called Risk o_o

[dudelovenext.livejournal.com]

Mmmm...it's a little bit like that I think. Though I've never played Risk.

[katana22.livejournal.com]

Neith have I but m ymom just bought it. Says it's good. I guess it's like you're trying to take over the world or somthing o-o

[kittykitsune.livejournal.com]

so when you go to hawaii are you gonna bring me back something cool from my native land?

[dudelovenext.livejournal.com]

Hmmm...what would you like? :)

[fearless-son.livejournal.com]

I spent last night playing Shadow of the Colossus too. You are right about it following in Ico's footsteps. Just the mode of gameplay, the artistic direction, the use of light, and implicit story-telling all demonstrate that this game was made by the Ico team and they still have got it. I would indeed prefer it if more studios and publishers said "Screw the bottom line, screw the flavor-of-the-month, screw the competition, we are going to make beautiful games and that is all that matters!"

[seattleotaku.livejournal.com]

*Becomes all giddy when he googles and learns that SotC is Nico after all!*

[fearless-son.livejournal.com]

Actually, I read in an interview with the creator where he corraborated exactly that. SotC is indeed Nico. However, Nico was never intended to be a sequel, per-say, just another game with a similar intent to its design.

[seattleotaku.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I always imagined it being maybe a spin-off or such; unless of course the ending of Ico wasn't really what we thought. And I did get a kick out of seeing a girl in some of the SotC clips I've seen who looks suspiciously Yorda-like.

There were spots in the original that I'd just "hang out" for the heck of it. There aren't many games out there that have "meditative" areas. :)

[dudelovenext.livejournal.com]

Ico does have a rather peaceful ambiance to it, huh? That's what I felt playing SotC. Well, up until fighting the Colossus. :)

[seattleotaku.livejournal.com]

"stab stab" != "peaceful". :)

But then, neither does "hit it with a stick". :p

[fearless-son.livejournal.com]

SotC is peaceful when you are not fighting, like Ico. However, have you noticed that when you finally slay a colossus the music turns all sad? You have just destroyed something unique that never intended you any harm until you started intruding on its space. Yes, you are doing this to romantically save your lost love, but in the end is that really the right thing?

Even the slaying is a form of meditation.

[dudelovenext.livejournal.com]

It does bear the question "how valuable is one life for another?" Or, in this case, several lives for one?

Of course, we really don't know the whole story. Perhaps these Colossuses have something to do with the girl's condition?

[dudelovenext.livejournal.com]

I want more games like this. Killer 7, while obviously in a different genre, I would consider along the lines of "art". It's a REALLY deep game, on a political, physical, and spiritual level.

Regardless, I would really love companies to just try new things and really focus on the game and not "well, it's Mega Man Battle Network 12: Hyper Moon Version. Let's hope it sells well!" There're places for those games, but there's too many of them.

[fearless-son.livejournal.com]

What you should try playing is Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. That one did not actually do all that well, since I guess a lot of people were put off by Kojima's cleverness in MGS2 where he pulled a fast one on the market by making Solid Snake not the main character.

However, I believe that MGS3 is truly a work of Art. It might not have been designed with the intent of being "Art" but it is Art regardless. I have yet to play a game that has as strong an emotional effect on the player. It is one of those things that can move a grown man to tears, but not in an emasculating way. I will not describe the final boss battle in the game because that would spoil some things, but also because no words I could write or say would be able to do it justice. I suppose that the best way I can indicate how that battle fells is as "poetry in game form." There is something moving and even deeply intimate about that battle, almost like making love by combat. Suffice to say, some details to give you an idea of just how "Art" this is, the fight takes place in a field of white flowers to the tune of a piece of sixties-style lounge music.

Damn beautiful game...

[dudelovenext.livejournal.com]

I need to play through the first two. I tried playing MGS on the GameCube, but...I dunno, I'm not used to Stealth games. Maybe I'll give it another try. From what you've said, I definitely want to work my way up and play MGS3.

[fearless-son.livejournal.com]

Well, MGS3 is actually a prequel to the entire series, so you are not messing up the plot to play that particular game out of order.