I remember one of the first video games I ever played was an educational one in school, which was built to teach the difference between verbs and adjectives. It might have been primitive 1980s technology of the time, but I was fascinated by it and ever since, I wished that every subject could be delivered in the same way. After all, each of us learn through many different methods, and I've always been better when I can see and interact with the subject matter.
Viewing entries tagged
realism
As much as I love a short little game that tells a personal story from the developer's own experience, I'm often left wondering if it can actually work in a meaningful way. Sometimes it seems that unless I've had the exact same experience, I'll find it hard to connect and understand the story I'm being told, which only ends up confusing me a little. Is it simply the case of niche experiences not relating to many people, or does it indicate a lack of story-telling skill, when your audience is unable to connect?
Expectations are an interesting thing when it comes to entertainment media. In many ways, we're thrilled to have our preconceptions subverted and we love twists and turns. On the other hand, our monkey brains love the consistency that allows us to keep track of what's happening and follow a story from start to finish. Perhaps this is why so many of us feel short-changed when our expectations are completely thrown out the window.
Ever since I was a kid I've loved science fiction, but mostly one particular kind of science fiction that doesn't always stand out. I suppose a lot of the time when I mention science fiction, people tend to think up fantastical future things like Star Wars, or something completely off the wall like Transformers. While I do enjoy that side of the genre, what really gets me going are the stories that seem to be firmly tied to what's actually possible.
To this day I'm always amazed at how much I enjoy certain simulator games. Not because I have something against the genre, but the ratio between good and bad simulators has been levelled heavily in favour of the bad for a long time now. In fact, it seems that genuinely decent simulators are rare enough that when one comes along, it should be held aloft for doing things the right way.
Looking back, it feels like there's been a long-standing side quest happening throughout the history of PC gaming: who can make the best pinball game?! At the very least it's been an element of PC generations that stands out to me as a marker of technological advancements. A new pinball game meant that there had been a breakthrough and a new generation of tech was on its way; but it seems like this pursuit may have only been a fetch-quest after all.