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Nov 5th, 2008 at 01:57:07 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
My last session in the game came several hours after playing my first two. I went back to just randomly killing people to demonstrate the game to my roomate, who found the game funny and wants to download it and play in his freetime. The hallways of the school still had the bloody remains of the dead exactly as they were left. Classrooms were empty after killing everyone in them. There's only so many times you can use the space bar to defeat the jock type male whose dodging your attacks matrix style before you begin searching for an end. I discovered the library and began searching around in there for something new. I encountered a window when the cops pulled up. Fire was exchanged several times before the window asked me if now was the time to end it all or continue my killing spree. I opted to end it all and get this game to its end. Several cut scenes led me through the "no last words" finale and an emotional picture gallery of the events and pictures of Eric and Dylan reminding us all that these were once two happy boys who had no idea that they would become heartless killers. I didn't quite understand the point of the Hell:Epilogue. More aimless killing, but now it's with lost souls and demon soldiers? These guys were much tougher villains and I was defeated for once, ending my game for good.
I definitely felt that this was a great game to demonstrate ethics in video games. Is it okay for a game of a tragedy of this magnitude to be made and played? Would this inspire a 9/11 game (which I'm sure already exists) or an Oklahoma City bombing game? Do games lead to violence? I absolutely disagree. Games serve a purpose to entertain and enlighten us and this game did both. I think anyone who still believes Marilyn Manson caused that tragic event to download this on his or her PC and lighten up and realize what they're playing is ridiculing all those who still share that same opinion.
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Nov 4th, 2008 at 18:00:57 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
My second session was definitely the middle section of the game. I suffered more stress at trying to properly figure out what to do in the cafeteria with setting the bombs off, after about 8 tries to finally get in there. I realized I didn't even have the bombs on me, and had to go all the way back to the trunk and get them. Oh, and every time I died I had to start all over again; talk about frustrating game play! After completing this objective, I set the car bomb and watched on a hill as the cafeteria bombs did not detonate, but then everyone started running out. The massacre had begun. The only objective I had from this point out was to kill; run up to people with my space bar and hit auto-kill and blow the jock guy or the nerdy girl away. I found out that males put up a fight, while the girls are usually dead in one kill. The stereotypes were humorous of the characters. Sheltered girl, prom queen, openly gay male (who looks just like Prince) all crossed my path and fell victim to my 12-gauge. I felt very bored though after a few minutes of aimless killing and decided to call this session quits.
I think that the focus on this game was never intended to have great gameplay or an engaging story but rather send a message about this event and the way it was blamed by the media as the "the media's" fault. There was no emotional impact this time from playing the game this time. I was more concerned with completing my objectives and finishing the game. At this point, I found the game fairly entertaining, though quite annoying, and can imagine Dylan and Eric could never fathom that they would become icons for this tragedy. Video games and movies (Elephant) have come out of the most famous school shooting in history. It's quite sad that tragedies must never be forgotten but recycled through various forms of media over the years.
This entry has been edited 2 times. It was last edited on Nov 5th, 2008 at 01:45:41.
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Nov 4th, 2008 at 17:54:24 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
I immediately found it surprising how much of an emotional impact Columbine still has today, and we're approaching the tenth anniversary this upcoming April. Never before has a massacre changed a country so much, like Columbine has. This satircal game on the PC that resembles an early Nintendo game captures everything about that day, and the way media blamed video games and music for the shooting. In my first half hour of play, I started out just checking everything out. I clicked on pretty much everything to see what I could find, including a copy of Doom, a Marilyn Manson album, and 2 duffel bags of weapons and bombs. My partner in crime met up with me and recorded a last words video. I was particularly disturbed at this point and with the "flashback" of Eric and Dylan testing the bombs out with the polyphonic Nirvana "Come As You Are" and talking about the future and how it just doesn't fucking matter anymore. My session ended with me attempting to get into the caffeteria and set up the preliminary bombs, but i was having trouble evading the hall monitor. I gave up after about 8 tries, and see if I could figure out a new way to continue on.
After only a half hour, I'm shocked at the realism in this game. There's nothing really violent or disturbing visually in the game, it's moreso the subject matter, and the way this "world" has been capture in a video game. Everything related to this brutal event has been squeezed into a pixalated adventure to recreate it in 8-bit graphics. It's fun to play, I suppose, but there's a very uneasy feeling in playing this game, as if it's just not meant to be recreated this way, or at all.
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Oct 6th, 2008 at 02:42:07 - Grand Theft Auto - San Andreas (PS2) |
My last time playing San Andreas tonight was spent continuing in on the missions portion of the game. My missions were now done through Sweet, Carl's brother. He's a reformed gang member who wants the streets cleaned up.
His first mission reflects this as you Carl has to drive around with Sweet and spray over other tags in the area.
This mission is actually a reversal of moral standards for Carl. Carl is doing a positive and cleaning up the area, through non-violent ways. The mission after this continues the same trend, but by using violence. You have to track down a drug dealer, kill him and take his bat. Then, you head to a crack house and beat a rival gang senseless. You return home and collect your reward for killing gang members and drug dealers. Sure, the "bad people" of society are eliminated, but at a violent and immoral cost.
A utilitarian approach would say that if these actions produce happiness amongst a person or group, then these actions would be considered moral. The result of the action is what is important, not the action in itself. Would the drug dealer and the rival gangs lives still being there have made Carl's group less happy? Or does more unhappiness cause from the drug dealers being dead? I'd say more happiness comes from the gang members and drug dealer being dead, but at the cost of ending their lives? I can't really say if it's worth it because I don't believe in ending anyone's life, no matter the cost. I guess under that philosophy, it's not worth it all and should be deemed morally incorrect.
After playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas tonight, and examining the game in a moral context, I still don't see the game as anything but a great escape to reality and something that should not be taken too seriously. It's a fantastic satirical look at today's American society and places great examination at a culture centered around race, violence and the American dream.
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dejavuent3ndu has been with GameLog for 15 years, 6 months, and 20 days |
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