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Nov 5th, 2008 at 12:16:37 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
There are undoubtedly deep ethical issues associated with the tragic events that took place at Columbine high school. However, the game makes no attempt to broach the subject, with or without any sense of tact.
Look at it this way: What if the characters and events which take place in Super Columbine Massacre were entirely a work of fiction? What would we have?
1. Hideous art direction.
2. Vapid, hokey, macho dialogue. ("Let's do this, dude!" "Fuck yeah, bro!")
3. A horrific linear story suffering a complete lack of compelling material
4. Game play mechanics which revolve around pushing blobs of color around and restarting levels as punishment.
All in all, I'm glad freedoms exist which allow forms of expression such as this game. However, if Super Columbine Massacre was created with any serious form of creative effort in mind, as someone whose played it for what I would call a decent length of time, I feel owed an apology. I feel a slight sense of comfort in the fact that I'm not alone: In 2006, PC World declared the game #2 on its list of "The 10 Worst Games of All Time." (Source: Wikipedia)
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Nov 5th, 2008 at 12:15:52 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
Ok, you're apparently supposed to hug the wall under the security cameras, while avoiding the endless stream of students chasing after you. If you don't position yourself EXACTLY under the camera or if you happen to get within 20 feet of another students, the game punishes you with the absolute worst and most frustrating game mechanic ever to be thought up: you re-start from the beginning. As an unintended side effect, ironically enough this part of the game is so frustrating it did make me feel like an angst-ridden teen.
I've replayed the game up until the parking lot/hallway area, and I'm certain I haven't forgot to do anything that might help me get through the hallway. If you hit the esc key, it brings up a menu where you can "gear up", but it doesn't appear to do anything. I seem to be at an impasse.
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Nov 5th, 2008 at 12:15:27 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
I've made it out of the characters house with the duffel bags, sat through some really poorly written dialogue, and had to listen to a looping midi of Nirvana for about 12 minutes.
So far, I feel as though I've absorbed a decent amount of plot, however no ethical standpoint has been taken, and no issues have been brought up. There has been no gratuitous violence, and the ethical issue of whether or not Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were entirely culpable for their actions due to any amount of cultural or media influence feels like the proverbial gorilla in the corner.
As an aside, STRICTLY from a game development standpoint, when I remember Columbine I think of the censorship advocates, lawmakers, and the resulting shitstorm that descended upon the game industry like a plague of locusts in order to point fingers and spread blame. I think of restrictions placed on creative forms of expression, liberties taken away "for our own good", and the notion of punishing all for actions of "the few."
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Oct 6th, 2008 at 11:10:07 - Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas (PS2) |
Ryder's First Mission
You make your way back to your old neighborhood (Grove Street) and begin working for your old friend, Ryder. The story unfolds that your old gang/family, the "Grove Street OG's" have been losing strength and numbers, while their major competitor, "The Ballas" have been getting stronger. Ryder wants to re-establish himself or gain respect by knocking over a pizza place while using you/CJ as an accomplice. On the way there, CJ decides to stop by "Old Reece," the barber, for a haircut. After the barber, the game's active tutorial leads you into the pizza place across the street for "nourishment." While ordering a "Buster Meal," Ryder comes in half-disguised and tries to rob the place. The man behind the counter immediately identifies him, brandishes a shotgun from behind the counter, and begins to pursue CJ and Ryder into the parking lot, where you make your getaway. For me, the most morally ironic or difficult decision wasn't whether or not to fire back at the pizza clerk, but which haircut I wanted from Old Reece, the barber. I didn't shoot the clerk, but I did buy cornrows.
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pbukk has been with GameLog for 15 years, 6 months, and 19 days |
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