![]() Undertale is a game in which not killing any enemies is not just one option offered (many games offer that option, which has a particularly rich history within the stealth and RPG genres), but a philosophical choice that definitively alters the social world around you. Because the sense of inhabiting a place is precisely what ties together all of the other fantastic attributes of this game. In then end, though, I chose to place this game-which, I hope I have made clear, is one of the most essential of the past decade-here, in my “sense of place” category. It’s almost a rift on Edge Magazine’s much-parodied lament, back in 1993, that DOOM would be so much more captivating “if you could talk to these creatures.”) (It boldly re-writes the rules of RPG combat and conversation, turning every battle into the chance to make a new friend. (Although it flirts with “save-the-world”-isms, its ultimate construction is more intricate, and allows for a startling depth of moral culpability.) I could have placed it under my “ambition” category. (Certainly, the game’s enduring popularity as an inspiration for fan art has demonstrated that its characters worm their way into player’s hearts.) I could have placed it under my “stakes” category. ![]() I could have placed it under my “characters” category. Toby Fox’s Undertale is a game that could have gone many places on this list. Platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita I would like to think that that speaks to the high quality of these games: high enough to burst through my usual prejudices. I find few things as pleasurable as the simple act of navigating a virtual 3D space, and yet here, in my category devoted to places, that preference is thoroughly subverted. One last thing before we start: I was personally surprised by how few games with fully-rendered 3D graphics showed up on this list. They offer up spaces, places, worlds: opportunities for virtual exploration that exceed the possibilities of non-interactive media in their richness.Īnd so the games on this list don’t just just represent my favorite “settings.” They offer up some of my favorite places to visit, to spend time in, to explore, to discover. It has been twenty years now since Janet Murray, after playing DOOM (id Software, 1993), reported that “the fluid navigation through the enormous three-dimensional spaces was rapturous in itself.” It has been nearly as long since Espen Aarseth characterized games as being, above all else, “essentially concerned with spatial representation and negotiation.” Īnd so, while my last three categories (“pacing,” “characters,” “stakes”) have been elements of storytelling common to any form of narrative, I wanted to call this category something other than simply “setting.” Videogames don’t have “settings” in the same way that literary works do. Remember to use the search feature (or Google), especially before submitting posts asking simple questions.I will shock no one by saying that videogames, like architecture, sculpture, or gardening, have the potential to be a richly spatial art form. don't just spam links to your YouTube videos). Make sure to maintain a healthy ratio of self-promoting content to other contributions (i.e. Don't forget to flair your posts after posting, if applicable! AI "art" is not allowed here. Provide a source for all fanart/images, when available, and link to original sources rather than reuploading. ![]() Posts can be marked as spoilers (title hidden until mouseover) by clicking "spoiler." ![]() Mark major endgame spoilers in non-spoiler threads using the syntax below. In addition, please adhere to the discussion guidelines. Come home and waste your life away in Possum Springs.īasic stuff: don't be a jerk, follow reddiquette, keep it relatively PG-13. Break stuff, play bass, walk on powerlines, jump between roofs, and discover strange and amazing and terrible things you never asked for. ![]() Night in the Woods is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world. College dropout Mae Borowski returns home to the crumbling former mining town of Possum Springs seeking to resume her aimless former life and reconnect with the friends she left behind. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |