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Feb 14th, 2018 at 11:41:02 - Firewatch (XBONE) |
Firewatch #2, 14 February 2018
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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.
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Feb 13th, 2018 at 00:30:36 - Firewatch (XBONE) |
Firewatch #1, 12 February 2018
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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.
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Jan 18th, 2018 at 04:41:00 - Shadow of Mordor (XBONE) |
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 edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 18th, 2018 at 04:43:03.
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Jan 18th, 2018 at 00:45:22 - Shadow of Mordor (XBONE) |
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?
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Dalton.Rees has been with GameLog for 6 years, 10 months, and 6 days |
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