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Nov 2nd, 2008 at 08:46:55 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
In my final gameplay, I got to go Hell, but then I died (Which doesn't
seem to make any sense to me at all). I found myself asking, "what is
purpose or goal of the game? What am I trying to accomplish as I play
these characters?" And then I started thinking about how pointless this
game appeared to be. It game me the feeling of a GTA game without
a real story line.
I wouldn't call myself a "gamer", maybe in the past when I was younger,
but not now. However, my experience with video games as always been
about a good story line and strong characters the player can relate to. In
this game, there is no story line, it just seems like mass anarchy where
the characters are god-like creatures who can't die except by their own
choice.
The only part of the game that I found interesting or engaging at all was
when the characters were in Hell. Yet, there was still no real ultimate goal
presented to the player. It all seemed trivial.
There was a point, during the school massacre, that I thought was interesting.
I went into the mens restroom and saw four guys beating up one smaller guy.
The characters, killed the four guys and let the smaller guy go free. This gave
me the impression of one life being more important than the other. This is not
the only part of the game this happens either. I can recall at least two other
instances in the game where the characters don't kill a certain person (one is
outside at the beginning of the shooting and the other inside the library). This
got me thinking about the first week in class when we talked about the Baby
Theresa dilemma in which one of the arguments against killing the baby was
that one life cannot be more important than another. Now I am not saying that
killing a person is ok, but the two characters are placing a different value
on each one of the students/faculity lives and deciding who should live and
who should die.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Nov 3rd, 2008 at 11:16:40.
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Nov 1st, 2008 at 16:33:20 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
I started to push further through the game the second time around. During my play this time, I was
actually exposed to the violent portion of the game. I have to admit, up to this point, the game was
very boring.
Now, I have played many RPGs in my life, they are basically the only kind of games that
I like, but this game doesn't really have that RPG feel, at least not for me. There doesn't seem to be
any puzzles or tasks that need to be solved. The only reason, I believe, they were able to call it "RPG"
at all was because of the look. During the gameplay, your characters gain levels and experience
points, but for what? To get more life in a game where you ultimately die? What's that all about?
At the climatic point in the game (when you start killing everybody), you have somewhat of free-range to go
to any location within the school that you want. After killing a number of "students", the police show up and
this is where you are given a real choice as the player. You are given the choice as to wither or not to
continue this massacre or to end your characters life. If you decide to end your life, then you no longer
and killing innocent people, but if you decide to continue, then you are making more of an immoral choice.
Plaything this game, I am reminded of the virtue theory and I start to question, would Aristotle play a game
like this? The obvious answer is that of course he wouldn't but there are a number of games that we, as
a society, would play or do that Aristotle would not.
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Nov 1st, 2008 at 12:24:38 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
When I first heard we had to play this game for the class I am in, I was pissed. This game is based on a tragic
incident that should never be taken lightly. Why someone would decided to make a game like this is beyond me.
However, seeing as I had to play the game for a grade and not wanting to be too judgmental about it. I figured there
might be some sort of message the developers/creators of the game are trying to convey to the public.
The game, right at the beginning, reminded of my old NES days when I played Final Fantasy and other RPGs.
You move your character around, checking every nook and cranny for items and clues to your objectives. During
this scavenger hunt, I found the location where the two characters left one last video. This particular part of the game
struck me in a curious manner. We, the players, learn that the characters in the game know that what they are about
to do is wrong. In fact, I believe this is the first time we see this side of the characters. In previous interactions, the
characters go on and on about how cool this is going to be and how they are going to be famous and that this is
all about vengeance to all those who have done them wrong. The difference here is that, in the last video they leave
behind, we learn that at least one of the characters are remorseful for their future actions. I got the sense that he
wasn't doing this because he wanted but because he was being forced.
Because the characters know what they are going to do is wrong and because there is the feeling of guilt, we can
conclude that the action is immoral based on this idea of a "natural moral law". The characters are feeling the guilt
of their actions because they know what they are going to do is unnatural.
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Oct 6th, 2008 at 09:16:29 - Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas (PS2) |
As the game continues, you are given a number of missions that you must complete to progress through the game. You are usually given a choice as to what mission you would like to do next, but ultimately, you must complete all the missions (except those that are optional, which I haven't played long enough to get to). Each mission you complete, you gain respect and money as a reward and every mission involves some level of illegal activity. So the game follows this idea of rewarding bad deeds that are done. Now, from a strictly entertainment point of view, I find no problem with this. However, looking at it from a more critical angle, I feel that this game gives the impression that they only way to gain respect from fellow peers, is to do harm in society. A young kid playing this game, who has no sense of how the world works might view this as the correct way to interact with others. The flip side of that coin is very apparent with the 'M' logo on the front cover and the ESRB content rating on the back. But another problem arises when I think back to when I purchased the game, that the sales rep didn't ask to see my ID to verify my age. So it would seem that the rating system is only as affective if it is actually enforced.
GTA San Andreas seems to follow this idea of 'kill or be killed', which is no surprise since many video games on the market now days follow the same goal/objective. Now, I've never beaten this game before, but I have beaten the other GTA games in the past and I remember that by the end of the game, your character is 'on top of the world'. The baddest guy in the neighborhood that no one will mess with, but the only way to get there is to follow that same idea, 'kill or be killed'. Case in point, during the "Sweet's Girl" mission, CJ's brother is pined down at a hotel and it is up to you to get him out of this bind. You show up and there are 4 to 5 different ballers and you must kill every one of them to save CJ's brother. After you have saved him, you jump in a car and race back to your hood to avoid being killed by the backup ballers that come to the scene after you killed everyone.
None of the GTA games follow any kind of moral or ethical code. This is apparent on how the characters do not value life. Because they do not value life, a society like this could never survive. It remains of a passage in the reading we did when there was no consequences for killing others, then there would be no trust and no central form of society. Only when a small group of people agree not to harm one another will there be any sign of progress or structure of society.
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