Monday 22 February, 2010

I picked up where I left off last time. The reel of pictures from the actual shooting is very disturbing. This time, I brought a friend to play with me and we were both sitting in complete shock and silence. Including this segment in the game takes the player out of game mode and shows the effects of the actions they just did in the game in real life. It is interesting because you do get to see the consequences to your actions in real life, which does not happen often in games. After overcoming this moment, I continued playing the game. I entered “hell.” I thought this was just ridiculous. I was not very successful at this part. I did not get very far. I still do not understand the point of this part of the game. The player already saw the consequences to their actions; maybe had I continued further, I would have actually seen the point. I just really thought that this part did not fit in. Up until this point, the game was based on some sense of reality. Everything really did happen. The “hell level” did not happen in real life (well no one will know for sure). It brought the game off the reality field and into a true gaming mode. It is an interesting combination to go from mimicking reality to exploring the uncertain. In a way, it devalues the first part of the game, the massacre. The shooting part is now seen as just another level in the game. Hell is the next level. I don’t know what will come after.
Overall, I did not enjoy playing this game. I thought the images and content was disturbing. It also was not good quality. However, it did provoke some interesting ethical issues.

" In a way, it devalues the first part of the game, the massacre."

Good point, and I kind of agree. I guess that it only makes sense in that it shows the consequences the killers faced. Sort of. In some sense the game would be incomplete if it only lingered on the victims and it has to somehow address the killers as well. What do you think?