Sunday 22 February, 2009

As you play through Super Columbine Massacre RPG, you gradually encounter a fair amount f story telling. This story telling often relates some information on why Dyllan and Eric. Almost as soon as you begin the game, you are hit with a flashback of when Dyllan and Eric are playing with what appears to be gun powder. You are given insight into their characters and the flashback alludes to them acquiring the weapons that are soon pulled from their duffle bags. All throughout the game, the characters are constantly discussing how everyone will pay, however, they make it a point to create a recording that blatantly states to not blame anyone other than themselves for the atrocity they are about to commit.

In a sort of way, their actions, while selfish, can be considered noble, making an effort to not involve anyone and dispel any form of guilt that may have been thrown on their parents or friends by the authorities. Later on in the game, after you’ve slain everyone in the gymnasium, you encounter a flashback of where Eric is beaten up in the men’s locker room by three jocks for absolutely no reason at all. He comments how he had been waiting to kill them all for so long and how it felt good to do it. Another situation arises where Dyllan comments to a teacher that it was a shame that she hated his writing so much as you proceed to kill her.

There are various other story elements like these that are made for you to throw into question the ‘evilness’ of Dyllan and Eric. This is, of course, until you take a step back and consider the facts. This game was made by a designer who was not present in the actual massacre. If they had been, there’s the possibility that they would either be dead or not want to reopen such sore wounds. Furthermore, this designer couldn’t possibly know any of what Dyllan and Eric were thinking, what exactly they did, let alone how the actual massacre occurred. Key facts, such as the propane bombs not exploding and the car bomb not being detonated can be drawn from historical documentation. Some commentary on behalf of the boys can also be drawn from security recordings. However, there is not viable way that the designer could have known what they were thinking, if the boys were reminiscing on events that led them to this destruction, or anything else. This leads everything to be conjecture and speculation.

The realism and authenticity of this work are completely thrown into question. There is no form of validity in any of the cut scenes or storytelling. Therefore all of the insight we are drawing from our main characters is completely false. Furthermore, as I just indicated in my referral to Dylan and Eric, they have become characters and are no longer real people within the realm of the game. Everything about them, Columbine, and the massacre lose a heavy amount of their authenticity. This game turns a serious event into something of a mockery and a spectacle for all to see and experience. It is heavily exploitative. This game cannot be taken seriously and along with that, the actual events of Columbine run the risk of losing their emphasis as well.

"This leads everything to be conjecture and speculation."

Not being entirely familiar with all the backstory (and the police files that were released) it is entirely possible (and plausible) that many of the flashbacks and scenes in the game refer to actual events experienced by Dylan and Eric. Or at least their interpretation of those events. This is then, of course, filtered/interpreted by Ledone.

Also, conjecture and speculation isn't necesarilly bad. Ledonne isn't saying "this is the way it was" so you could argue that the games is his idea of WHY the shootings happened. He's trying to rationalize the shooters' actions. (note that rationalize is different than justify, I don't think that Ledonne is trying to exculpate or exonerate the shooters).