Thursday 13 August, 2009

After playing Super Columbine Massacre for the second time I noticed how detailed the game really is. The game cuts into President Clinton's actual speech he gave after the tragedy occurred. That is the first time I have played a game that included an actual piece of the USA's history. I also enjoyed the part of the game where it cut to a flashback of Harris and Klebold being picked on, harris in the locker room getting beat up by three students and Klebold in the cafeteria sitting by himself wishing someone would notice him. Then after these two flashbacks you have the option of shooting students in the gym, where the jocks that beat up Harris are and go into the cafeteria, the place that haunted Klebold. The cafeteria part of the game is very surreal because we have all seen the videotape footage of the tragedy taking place in that cafeteria. The use of the home made bombs and shooting people really made the game a realistic version of what really happened that day.

The only part i disliked while playing the game is the process it takes to actually shoot someone. There are too many sub screens and options just to shoot someone. It would be a lot more convenient if the game creators made a letter key the option to shoot someone instead of going through the violence screens over and over again. Super Columbine Massacre also shows the dead bodies after you kill someone, bloodied on the floor, which in my opinion would definitely bring back bad memories of the 13 people that died that day. I also thought it was weird that after every kill they would say victory for trench-coat mafia. I think that is a little harsh for a video game, especially one that had such a negative affect on many lives.

The game is very interesting though and i am looking forward to playing it again for the third time.

However, don't you think that perhaps by making the shooting more involved (ie, more button presses and screens) the designers is drawing attention to the fact that you're shooting people (rather than monsters)?