Footprints In The Sandbox

Gaming is a very subjective medium, saturated with expressive connotations, compulsory affinities and informal biased (hello!). Almost every aspect of the industry is receptive to interpretation, with the attenuated predictability of some gamers restricting their peripheral vision to conceive an alternative presentation. Linearity for instance is often spoken with venomous condemnation or used as a divisive adjective to describe a games shackling mediocrity. Linearity is structured, demonstrated in the narrowed breadth for deviation from the abbreviated content. Though open world or sandbox games propose far expansive grandeur, they can sometimes over-compensate for such spacious opulence by reducing the level of textural detail, architectural integration and largely desolate communities. Some individuals however are so adamantly opposed to the linearity of conceived worlds, irrespective of the beautifully constructed, textured compositions emitted, almost infuriated by the committal walls of transparency that restrict exploratory whim that they often feel coerced through levels that feel deprived of legitimacy.

“The rendered state in Red Dead Redemption was so dynamically diverse.”

I personally enjoy the sense of propulsive freedom to navigate through exploratory terrain, but often the need to explore becomes a novelty. Take GTA for instance; A city awash with superlatives vehicles, satirical depictions of superficial LA (sorry “Los Santos”), nihilistic protagonists and residual, law-abiding directives, but despite such a capacious city and its surrounding municipal boroughs the freedom to indulge becomes diluted by the ethereal desertion of civilian activity. For such a sprawling, culturally animated city it appears devoid of character, with airports with no ambient sense of wider, domesticated lives. Your granted a fictional world of festering banality to interact with and eradicate, but after extensive hours firmly integrated into 3 separate narratives that often overlap intermittently, that when you eventual reach the games finality you wish there was more, because the errant fun prevailed due to the linearity of scripted activities. If a simulated world seems rudimentary in the way it conveys an open, suggestible world, why allow it to be a free-flowing creation and rather conserve the overall stability into a less mailable form?

“….well I’m very flattered, but spoken for.”

Understandably gamers feel a genuine accumulative liberation from expanded, supple lands brimming with resonating life, mitigating the immediate reliance on progressing a games centralised story by curtly skipping through elegant meadows, altering the aesthetic appearance of a character or simply mowing down hoes in a Hummer. Though games such as the Elder Scrolls arguably couldn’t conform to such restrictive limitations, it does diminish the intricate detail that has to be distributed proportionately across a vivid, versatile lands and disfigured assembled community. Oblivion–which is still a highly provocative and richly cultivated continent, pervade a contrasting land full of subverted catacombs to explore and myriad of mountains to ascend, but the enormity of the grandeur meant there were visual imperfections that marred the stunning views, with settlements heaving with literally….10 inhabitants with distinctively similar dialects and vernaculars boasting an array of facially contorted renderings, with one publican grimacing like a castrated canine discussing goblins with an adventurer displaying an aghast look of desperation and a faint imitation of Bales surly Batman, with a open-mouthed façade akin to a blow up toy that has been sexually satisfied.

Implementing such prohibitive injunctions on primitive exploratory inquisitiveness is a hugely preventative measure and one that certainly personifies the experience. Red Dead Redemption (and yes even Skyrim) have proved that open worlds are enriching diversities. But games such as Uncharted, Arkham Asylum and many others besides have benefited from deterrent exploration attached to them, providing satisfying, focused game-play without becoming convoluted by expansion. Open worlds are often cited as an instinctive barometer of quality, which is latent speculation. Linearity deserves a degree of respect and not so flippantly condemned as a malignant paradigm of infamy or inferiority. Remember that even the most inviting sandbox’s could conceal hidden excrement.

Are open worlds better than more restrictive games? Let me know what you think. Cheers.

Lifes A Glitch For Bethesda

Glitches have become a significant occurrence in the gaming industry, one that many of us have adapted to accept, and for much of it, obtuse sensibilities is a satisfying deterrent, until the little bugs and glitches that were once irrelevant and unassuming, suddenly become more pronounced and insipid. It’s an unconscious sensation, born out unbeknownst resentment. Vaguely tolerable circumstances that you barely comprehended before, are suddenly infuriatingly clear. You maintained a constant vigilance on accomplishing your required conclusion, that any deviation was of a secondary concern. But somehow, through some kind of desperate, inconceivable notion to disappoint, Bethesda created glitches beyond the simple pails of this world. Somehow procuring the aid of Lucifer himself in the creation of some of the most conceptually genius creations, and transforming them into heinous acts of ignorance and callous stupidity, unheard of since the city of Troy graciously accepted the Trojan horse with great sincerity, from the apparent generosity of the Greeks, rather than adopt a sense of speculative curiosity and inspect their newly acquired trophy.

That’s what their games should be to them, trophies. Such a blatant disregard for quality is so apparent that its offensive. It’s as though Bethesda, nearing the completion of their products, as the game testers are reciting the numerous, amalgamated errors that need adjusting or just neutralised entirely. Bethesda rapidly place their ignorant fingers into their ears, in an attempt to disregard the countless faults. Fallout 3 was derided for its inconsistencies on the PS3 on initial release. From blurry textures, infinite cap bugs (useful, but inappropriate) and general freezing which accompanies so many games, but nothing truly detrimental to your progress. Fallout: New Vegas, which was arguably more enjoyable than its predecessor, but its enduring legacy will be far less grandeurs than the vast desolate land it conveyed. Bethesda failed, or indeed ignored the crippling glitches that were so blatant in Fallout 3, and instead decided to puncture widening, penetrative holes into their credibility.

Tarnished by more punctual proficient, glitches that would persuade a rehabilitated drug addict to relapse. New Vegas was a haven for Doctors with necks of such flexible dexterity, that their face can perform a 360 more efficiently, that even an owl would hoot in approval. Riddled with textural anomalies, characters seemingly typing on ghostly typewriters, moon walking hounds, or inexplicable, visual misdemeanors that culminate in you plummeting into randomly recurring vortexes, that leave you spiralling helplessly into pixellated oblivion. But readers who regularly frequent my blog will already be well aware of both my admiration, and disdain that I possess for Skyrim. The grievances and misdemeanors perpetrated by this potential game of the year, are beyond reprehensible.

Bethesda’s inefficiency to craft a game without incessant glitches is one thing; you learn from your mistakes and move on, but you don’t then continue to incorporate the same obtrusive monstrosities, so conspicuously apparent throughout previous titles. Your tolerances are further tested, when reducing the space on your PS3 to accommodate Skyrim, is the equivalent of trying squeeze Antony Worrall Thompson into a pint glass. But you carry on regardless, hoping beyond all reasonable hope for a reprieve, stubbornly persevering, scouting for any tangible clarity amongst a the siege of pixellated travesties, determined to succeed despite the fragmented world seemingly crashing around my Nord. I’m not aggrieved by the discernible lack of content available, I couldn’t be more indifferent about the eventual release of Dawnguard; just grant me a world without slain, enemies torso’s that periodically spasm, dragons flying in reverse, or having to reload to the game due to the unforseen complications when attempting to access a door!

Many of the most notable lags and glitches have now been removed from these games (though Skyrim is still far from perfected), with no discernible effects on gameplay, but this it what it should have been like to begin with. Perhaps I’m just venting concentrated frustration, and demonstrating a merciless assessment, of an undoubtedly talented developer, but I would be surprised if I was the only one throughly exasperated* by Bethesda lethargic approach.

(Or conversely, replace this word with a profanity of your choice.)

How have you been affected by glitches? Or can you ignore them? (If so, please tell me how!)

Skyrim; Marking Your Way To Boredom

Skyrim has aroused a rather tumultuous reaction among fans, and is rapidly becoming conspicuously, the literal equivalent of Yin and Yang. On the one hand Skyrim presented dream like inspirations of such exquisite magnitudes, and a world that defies all whimsical aspirations, teething with more deadly foes than Arkham City reunion party. On the other it populated the snow-capped beauty of Skyrim, with depicted facial features of such abhorrent vulgarities, that Orc woman were considerable more viable prospect for my Nord’s hand in marriage. As well as repetitive missions largely consisting of voyaging through caves to retrieve certain particulars, or murdering inhabitants for, well no established reason. But most notably Skyrim will be remembered for glitches, stutters and jerking more profound and tiresome than my Aunt attempting eat peas from a fork. But The Elder Scrolls V defining distinction is exploration.

Many of us, myself included accentuated exploitation of the map marker, rather than deviate from the linear quests. It’s an accommodating convenience that totally nullifies the open world you should be exploring. You become so obsessed with the finality of quests rather than the emotional correlation you should discern on your vagrancy. With a breadth of enchanting landscapes so ripe with potential, and with the right exploitative mentality; why own a game with a fluctuation of variables, and just consummate various trivial repetitive, quests rather than engulfing yourself in these mesmerizing lands? It isn’t Call of Duty! (Thankfully).

You may think that exploration is a fairly obvious requisite, but so many of us have become slaves to the map marker, yielding to every whim and destination it ordains to guide us. Let your own curiosity dictate your voyage, dispel the allegorical shackles that bind and manipulate our destiny. The dangerous land of Skyrim is fraught with many imposing visages which can be overwhelming at first, but feelings of apprehension which manifest when entering a completely unknown location is a natural progression to the unfasten accolade, and exude analytical conciseness in the face of unbeknownst adversity, in a world where persistence is both persuasive and rewarding.

Are your adventures dictated by map markers? Or do you embrace the world around you? Let me know how you play Skyrim.

The Skyrim Obsession Part 2; The Bookeeper

I have already previously alluded to my unintended, desire for the cultivation and nurturing of wood in Skyrim (not in the Biblical sense), and constantly vying for every scrap of wood I can get my grubby, little Nord hands on. But a newer, substantially more queer obsession has begun to consume my precious, and currently glitch, afflicted time in the benevolent continent of Skyrim. This utterly ridiculous compulsion to find, buy, pillage or more conveniently, just dubiously stealing books to fill the empty shelves that inhabit my perpetually, extensive range of properties I’m acquiring.

It’s ludicrous, it’s crazy, it’s ludirazy! It’s nuttier than a day trip to a peanut factory, accompanied by an incredulous looking squirrel who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lindsey Lohan, whose time is solely consumed by reciting verses from “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”, and that’s pretty nutty. When your time becomes singularly consumed by obtaining as many varieties, often similar books, to fill the gaps in your prospective shelves, solely for the continuity of your homestead, it’s hard not feel slighty concerned that your playing the game incredibly wrong, and equally fearing for the frailties of your mental aptitude. But it suddenly occurs to you, that its inconceivable to play Skyrim in any other way than your own, its purely down to your own broad/narrow perceptions. Just because a villager has pointed you in the direction of Whitrun, doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where you have to go, similarly, if a cunning, opportunist thief is cowering in fear after a petulant encounter with yourself, begging for your sympathy, does not negate that your malevolence shouldnt be fourth cumming, or to show compassion. And just because someone is an implicit fan of Ricky Gervais, doesn’t justify that the individual should be unceremoniously hanged at the gallows (though this is advisable).

If you have the desire to plunder caves, confront savage beasts, bludgeon inhabitants or collect books to your proud growing collection, then that’s ok, because in the savage but equally tranquil land of Skyrim, everything is acceptable. Except necrophilia, that’s just wrong!

What is your favourite obsession in Skyrim (apart from restarting due to crippling glitches), let me know your thoughts.

You Know The Score; The Importance Of Gaming Music

It’s easy to forget how essential music is in modern-day video games to their narrative’s, and your overall experience, sometimes heightening titles beyond their rivals. I’m ashamed to admit that during my recent play through of Skyrim, I only just finally began to realise how important game soundtracks are to your journey, and the fact that I hadn’t really responded to the musics influence during my time is testament to the care and attention that Bethesda have taken, so the game has time to flow and isn’t overshadowed by its admittedly incredible musical score or by the detail of its wonderfully constructed world, the balance is perfect. The immersive experience you undergo as you traverse the wide and varied landscapes of Skyrim, are already so engrossing that the entire game could be on mute, and it could still challenge the more stereo driven titles to claim the game of the year plaudits. But with the exquisite score that accompanies you as you plunder derelict tombs, battle enraged dragons and generally, bask in the decadence of the world around you, the music effortlessly encapsulates whatever situations you find yourself involved with.

The epic concertos, beautifully mirror the extensive lands of Skyrim, from every gruesome battle to every sombre death, your senses are noticeably heightened by the renditions. It’s not just the more traditional type of music that has this effect either. Games such as Devil May Cry and Dead Rising are also equally harmonic, although for a more alternative reason. The Heavy metal and break beat inspired sounds, give each of these games a huge sense of grandeur, and when your continually battling demonic demons from the depths of hell, and shuffling cannibals from, well, there probably relations, or possibly neighbours, is an important factor when attempting to accentuate the importance of any given situation. But this is a case of perception and what kind of musical score’s inspire you, personal preference is paramount. It’s apparently clear though, that music in any form, is a key element in gaming, whether it’s the epic scale of Uncharted or FIFA’s more popular, mainstream approach. Hearing is as integral to your experience, as what you see.

What games do you believe are heightened by musical scores? Let me know your opinions.