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Feb 23rd, 2009 at 16:12:59 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
I'm a complete idiot, apparently, because I can't get even make it to the cafeteria. Yeah.
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Feb 21st, 2009 at 00:04:09 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
Yesterday I walked into the gamelab on the ninth floor on the CDM building with a "Can do, can kill my columbine classmates" attitude. I walked out knowing I could never be a killer. Bummer.
I started the game as one of the Columbine killers waking up the morning of the tragedy. I made a call to my sidekick, and went to the basement to collect my gear, which included bombs, anti depressants, and a Marilyn Manson cd. I then had what I assume was a flashback moment, when I was talking to my buddy about what we were going to do in the future. He got into a university and was planning to study Computer Science and I was going to join the Marines - but what did it matter anyhow? Life was hell, and it was going to end soon. The midi Nirvana song was a nice touch in this scene.
When I got to the school, I was told to "be cool," and every single hundred times that I was busted trying to make my way to the cafeteria, I was scolded for messing it up, and not being cool. I realized that I'm really bad at being cool about wanting to kill my classmates, and that that is not the right path for me in real life. Which is good. What's bad is that I spent like an hour trying to get through one part of the game, and never succeeded.
As far as the gameplay goes, it is not very realistic in terms of visuals. The dialogue, however, is almost chilling because it is representative of what was actually said between the two murderers. It's scary to think that a conversation of that nature once happened and that it led to the murder of 13 people with 23 others wounded. Also, while I have played the bad games in many games before, I have never played bad guys based on real bad guys who created a real life horrific event, and it's unnerving to be playing such a role.
Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to plant bombs in the cafeteria before I get sidetracked and play Counterstrike, again. At least I know that in Counterstrike, the good guys regenerate once the game is over. It's comforting.
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Jan 21st, 2009 at 00:07:23 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC) |
I know I should try to focus my attention on the ethical situations I face in playing this game, but I just can't stop getting sidetracked by the ridiculous and useless gameplay additions.
I have to get a haircut for my mission to be complete? I have to change my clothes? I have to eat? WHAT?
This is not the Sims, okay? This is Grand Theft Auto. As much as I love it, I want my time playing God limited to when I play the Sims - I absolutely do not want it to spill over to when I'm playing GTA. I don't care if my character hasn't eaten. I don't care if he's wearing the wrong colored shirt. I don't care if my haircut is not hood enough for my gang banging buddies. Seriously, I can hijack a car in a wifebeater just as easily as I can in a green hoodie. I can gain health by walking through little floating hearts instead of spending money at a pizza place. I am not amused with the silly haircut options I have, come on. I just want to steal cars, beat prostitutes, and play with flamethrowers, rocking an afro or a buzz cut, I don't care. Am I so wrong for that?
Obviously, this game is ethically corrupt in many ways. The negative stereotypes, for instance, are just inappropriate, and really come out of left field half of the time. But aside from the obvious unethical content, language, and violence parts of the game, there is the not so obvious side that makes it almost impossible to make an moral decision while playing GTA.
When I try to drive well, for example, - ignoring the fact that I had to steal a car to drive - I am unable to do so successfully. The game is actually missing stoplights, so a lot of the time I don't know whether or not I am allowed to cross through the intersection. There are stoplights for cars traveling perpendicular to me, I can see them, but I have no stoplight. What am I to do? I could pray that nobody hits me and I could just go, or I could wait there for all eternity waiting for a patch to come out that would put a stoplight in front of me. Neither is a good option, but I'll have to settle on the first. I don't know if legally this is the correct thing to do, though, because I don't think that there are actual laws regarding intersections with forgotten stoplights. At least I hope not, because there shouldn't be any need for such laws in reality.
Let's just say, though, that I happened to run a red light, and I cut off a cop car in the process. The cop car wouldn't stop me. They wouldn't put on their sirens. They would just let me go, pretending I didn't just run a red. Where is my motivation to act morally if there is no punishment when I act immorally?
Also, speaking of cops, they are completely immune to violence towards me by others, but as soon as I put a toe somewhere it's not wanted, I've got a cop after me. Earlier today, I was driving in the neighborhood of a rival gang, who began to shoot at me. To escape the unprecedented shootings, I sped off, and accidentally ran over a pedestrian. The cop who had been in front of me the whole time ignored the fact that I was an innocent victim getting shot at for no reason, and tried to arrest me for running over a pedestrian accidentally.
I feel like everybody is out to get me.
The game is obviously trying to turn me into a schizophrenic narcissist, which just can't be good for my ethical decision making skills.
I don't know, GTA, I just don't know with you anymore.
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Jan 17th, 2009 at 19:56:09 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC) |
Despite the fact that I am already completely addicted to the game, I am not in love with it. The negative stereotypes are still really baffling to me, and I just can't understand why the game developers felt it was necessary to include in the game.
I completed a mission today where I had to beat up rival gang members for bringing crack onto the streets. It is a good enough cause, I suppose, except that after the mission is completed, my gang member buddy starts talking about how it was a victory for our gang. Not because we got crack off of the streets, but because we were successful at beating cracked up gang members. In the car ride home, he talks about how he's going to enjoy this victorious moment while it lasts. At the start of the next mission, it is obvious that he is too drunk or high off of something to even drive. What a great message this game is sending to children: killing crack dealers is a good thing, and the best way to celebrate is to get high! YEAH!
I'm not in love.
Excuse me now, while I go play for another two hours.
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smannheim has been with GameLog for 15 years, 3 months, and 4 days |
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