Dalton.Rees's GameLog

Prison Architect (XBONE) - Fri, 30 Mar 2018 02:39:09

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 02:39:09 CST

Prison Architect: Session #3, 29 March 2018 - City building and other unit management games like this one reveal the horrible potentialities of perceiving other human beings from a totally detached, mechanical vantage point. As both text on a paper and cartoon representations on the screen, quantifying other agents in this way allows one to systematically do unto others as they would not directly, in the flesh. Both parties lose humanity, and I really dislike being placed in this role in this game.

Prison Architect (XBONE) - Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:51:11

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 12:51:11 CST

Prison Architect � Entry #2, 28 March 2018 - When playing the game correctly (i.e., with finite operating funds and random, unexpected happenings), it becomes apparent that one must constantly deliberate between the health and happiness of those incarcerated and the maintenance and functionality of the prison as a 24/7 penal institution. It is always unsettling when I find myself rationalizing the mistreatment of the prisoners in the interest of my bottom line and ability to expand infrastructure. As the player becomes more proficient and effective at operating and expanding the prison as a whole, the incarcerated become progressively more monetized when managing them feels commonplace. Whether the player is conscious of it or not, the material valuation of these prisoners sets the precedent for their dehumanization. I found myself almost thinking of these prisoners as cattle as I directed them about the facilities and experimented on different approaches without their wellbeing in mind. I sense the same dynamic emerges in American prisons, our long-term incarceration institutions that function far more like industrial facilities than places for social reform and rehabilitation. Are we to blame capitalism or the human capacity for objectification? Both?

Prison Architect (XBONE) - Wed, 28 Mar 2018 00:26:29

Wed, 28 Mar 2018 00:26:29 CST

Prison Architect � Entry #1, 27 March 2018 - I've begun my plunge into this novelty prison administration simulator by way of the story mode. Although there is clearly narrative content, it feels fairly superficial; I sense that the polaroid story panes act only as an aesthetic layer over this mode's primary purpose: instructing the player on the game's core mechanics and how to respond to the various disasters that are bound to occur. I ultimately abandoned this mode after a couple of levels for the main sandbox mode, though the pedagogy was much appreciated. Prison Architect's greatest teacher, however, is the cataclysmic fail-states that follow inevitable slips of player error. The moral dimensions of this game are apparent through each moment of gameplay. I plan to discuss this more extensively in the coming entries, though I've noticed at this point that once one is able to see past the cartoony presentation and perceive the tiny prisoners as human beings, a sinister element emerges in the player's role as overseer, and the mechanical brutality of invisible bureaucracy is revealed.....

Firewatch (XBONE) - Fri, 16 Feb 2018 00:31:56

Fri, 16 Feb 2018 00:31:56 CST

Firewatch #3, 15 February 2018 � approximately 11:32 pm, NOT any inaccurate timezone report Gamelog may have produced. Please do not mark me down for lateness. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> Through my last binge session of Firewatch, I had the opportunity to see the game to its conclusion and take a moment to reflect on my experience. I've previously heard folks complain about the ending, decrying it to be anticlimactic and inadequate � ultimately failing to wrap-up the story that was otherwise so compelling. I figure that they simply have short attention spans and bloodlust at cause of their longtime dulling from Call-of-Duty-esque narratives and expectations. Firewatch is a game situated in idle pleasures and the joy in slow composure and subtle unfolding. While the narrative has a central conflict, twists, turns, surprises, and palpable mystery, it all progresses at the leasury pace of the rest of the game. Firewatch is sentimental, nuanced, and emotionally compelling, and doesn't need to rely upon high drama and the usual tropes we've come to expect � admittedly, their is a death, but it isn't what makes the story evocative and tragic. The moral dynamics of the game lie not in massive, binary decisions, but rather in human relationships, and questions on what obligations we truly have to others � this is likely what I will be writing about for the coming paper. We find in Firewatch the moral dimensions of human relationships, conversational speech, and the small-scale decisions of small-scale individuals. There is nothing grandiose in the actions of this game, nothing of massive weight and influence for anyone else but the few individuals involved; Firewatch is a game about, well, people that sit in towers and watch for fires in desolate forest � nothing more, nothing less. Moral struggles emerge in the lives of individuals. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Fri, 16 Feb 2018 00:33:20.)

Firewatch (XBONE) - Wed, 14 Feb 2018 11:41:02

Wed, 14 Feb 2018 11:41:02 CST

Firewatch #2, 14 February 2018 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> As I progress through this game, I can't help but fall in love with the overall aesthetic and the visceral experience evoked therein. One wouldn't typically assume that a game that consists almost entirely of hiking around and chatting with a faceless woman on the radio could be so damn compelling, but it really is. There is a certain tranquility and decompression that emerges from simply navigating around the environment with map and compass. As of yet, the central conflict or point of tension in this game is yet to appear, aside from a few isolated mysteries seemingly associated with the dealings of the other people treading through the same forest. It is presently difficult to derive any moral weight from Firewatch; aside from the possible moral implications of the protagonist's abandonment of his wife to take on this post, nothing seems entirely too provocative � perhaps there will be more substance of the sort to pick out as the narrative moves forward. The whole choice mechanism is really cool thus far: while one can't make huge waves in what happens in the story, names that the player has selected for certain natural fixtures seem to stick throughout. My decisions ultimately resulted in the apt names of the "Flapjack Fire" and the protagonist's dog in the game's initial moments. I feel very special and involved.

Firewatch (XBONE) - Tue, 13 Feb 2018 00:30:36

Tue, 13 Feb 2018 00:30:36 CST

Firewatch #1, 12 February 2018 <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> The initial moments of exposition were captivating and tragic. Like many of the forlorn watchmen of the woods, Henry seems to have taken the job in order to escape from something; namely, the consequent loneliness of his wife's descent into dementia and the departure to her parent's house in Australia. Firewatch is clearly a game that is influenced by player choice, though I sense that it doesn't have profound bearing on the overall narrative. So far, the decisions seem to be purely aesthetic: my choice to have the Henry of the past pose as a Victoria's Secret model for his wife resulted in a scandalous illustration of the sort in his journal, and dialogue choices with Delilah provoke different replies. I plan to pay closer attention to the consequences of these seemingly minor decisions, and determine just how aesthetic and nominal they really are. Aside from all of the philosophy jargon, this is a very beautiful and intelligent game, and I look forward to progressing deeper into the experience.

Shadow of Mordor (XBONE) - Thu, 18 Jan 2018 04:41:00

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 04:41:00 CST

Shadow of Mordor #3 This session I finally allowed myself sufficient time to really mouth-breathe and become absorbed by the game. It is evident that the developers really wanted to embrace and emphasize the open-world structure; while a linear story does exist, primary quests that forward the narrative are spread all over the place and are never compulsory. It seems that two parallel narratives emerge as one progresses through Shadow of Mordor: 1) the protagonist's onslaught for vengeance and exposition and 2) the hierarchical power dynamics amongst Uruk tribes. It is obvious that Assassin's Creed was a huge influence here, as the map is illuminated by climbable, spire beacons, stealth and parkour maneuvering is central, and the combat system is super similar. I haven't been able to derive much about the history and sociopolitical geography of this world. It appears that all that is left of humanity are slaves and disperate resistance groups, and the Ork/Uruks rule the land entirely. While they don't seem to be at war with anyone but one another, they are constantly militarized and on patrol. I overheard a conversation between two of these creatures about the protagonist, discussing as to why he persists upon killing them when they can recall actually finishing him off previously. They ultimately conclude that he is a ghost; though, really, aren't all beings in this game recurring, deathless ghosts and entirely aware of it?? Whether through reviving souls or constant rematerialization, all of the fallen captains return after death, just as the player does, and they always mention having been killed before � one even got a scar from our last encounter, and mentioned it! Could this world be hell, or purgatory? (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 18 Jan 2018 04:43:03.)

Shadow of Mordor (XBONE) - Thu, 18 Jan 2018 00:45:22

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 00:45:22 CST

Shadow of Mordor #2: The gameplay has begun to assume a different feel as I grow more accustomed to the pacing and controls. What initial felt like a weighty combat system � similar, but not nearly as unforgiving, to Dark Souls � now is becoming progressively easier. This game, like many others, is revealing itself to be somewhat of a power fantasy, as one can vicariously feel impenetrable and boundlessly powerful. The dynamic of Uruk sentience is still on my mind. They, like the player, are aware of the game's ontology of deathlessness, as each time they are reencountered one is greeted with a familiar message along the lines of "Ah! Think you'll do better this time, maggot face?" or something similar. Just how meta is this game, really?

Shadow of Mordor (XBONE) - Wed, 17 Jan 2018 01:31:55

Wed, 17 Jan 2018 01:31:55 CST

Shadow of Mordor #1: Initial thoughts While I am not entirely too knowledgeable about the Lord of the Rings canon or mythos, the narrative of this game seems to mirror that of the original texts in a really abstract, superficial way. Singular red eye set on domination and malice, Saruman has come to Mordor (either returning or just arriving?), but this time with Uruks rather than Orks! Although the primary combat mechanics consist ostensibly of reactive button-mashing, the gameplay is very stimulating. With the active hierarchical ranking system, Uruks are ascribed a very surprising degree of personhood, which upon further reflection raises some concerns. Given that these bipedal semi-hominid creatures use standardized language and have aspirations, desires, and notions of personal identity, they are clearly sentient. Is the protagonist's role ruthlessly mowing down these conscious creatures morally justified? He fights to avenge his family, no doubt, but why target the autonomous Uruks far lower on the hierarchy � rather than the real antagonist directly? Is the player justified in complicit participation in this murderous power fantasy? That remains to be seen, but man I sure am enjoying this.