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jp's Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake (PSP)
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| [September 9, 2010 11:05:40 PM]
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I guess some games really need to be played online in order for you to both make sense of them as well as learn to play them. The problem with playing "solo" in a game like this is that since all the other characters are controlled by AI it's really hard to get a sense of the game's dynamics. How can you plan strategy, or even tactics, when you have no idea what your "teammates" are doing? (and why) It doesn't help that they won't yell at you for not doing the right thing either... It's a greater problem in this case because this game features varying objectives (from level to level) AND what seems like a rich and interesting variety of character roles. For many of the missions, I've assumed that I'm the only character who will pursue the direct goal (when it's an offensive one, such as capturing the enemy princess). This doesn't make for a very compelling experience since it gives you the sense that everyone else is just messing around.
I guess that's one of the things that makes Left 4 Dead such a brilliant game. You can learn how to play from watching the AI. Fat Princess is much to frantic for that to work, unfortunately.
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| [September 7, 2010 10:36:06 AM]
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There was some controversy about this game when it was announced. Something about obesity and sexism. These controversies tend to both amuse and frustrate me. Clearly a game with a provocative title HAS to be wrong. Right? There is NO OTHER possible way to understand it, right? I understand that people can get upset about the apparent failure of the games industry to exercise thoughtfulness and care in its choice of representations and messages regarding gender, obesity, race, and so on. I can also see how this game's title could, and should, cause you to at least raise an eyebrow. The title is the provocation, and you should wonder if the designers deliver something that is interesting, thoughtful, and more meaningful than that. Most people don't seem to be willing to give a game (or, for that matter, a book, movie, comic, etc.) any benefit of the doubt. More importantly, they don't seem to want to hold off on commenting until they've played the game. (recall the outrage surrounding Rockstar's Bully, which was ostensibly a critique of the social dynamics that seem prevalent in the US school system).
So, have I found, in my meager experience so far, that this game offers something interesting to say regarding obesity and femininity? Not really. It's mostly a cartoon (almost literally, if you consider the visual aesthetics) that sort of tries to poke fun of traditional fairy tales (and their tropes). It doesn't really go that far and the story elements (described before each of the story mode missions) tie things up a little bit and explain some of the context. The princesses are fat because they eat cake, and they eat the cake because it's cursed. But that's about it, really. It's a bit of a disappointment really.
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jp's Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake (PSP)
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Current Status: Stopped playing - Got Bored
GameLog started on: Saturday 4 September, 2010
GameLog closed on: Wednesday 19 January, 2011 |
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This is the only GameLog for Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake. |
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