Category: Video games

An enormous part of Xenoblade Chronicles beguiling power is it’s fascinating premise – the entire world is set literally on the body and limbs of a massive benevolent creature known as the Bionis. In doing so it manages to ably sidestep one of the most tired conventions in JRPGs – the staleness of divinity and its impact on the game world.

And therein lies the fascinating concept of Xenoblade – the movement between the very very large, and the very very small.

The Bionis and Mechonis

Xenoblade boasts a massive world with the entire spectrum of nature on display; massive waterfalls, valleys, mountains and civilisations – all working in paradox with the core idea behind the world. The first (enormous) city you explore is undermined almost immediately by several views later on, one of the most powerful of which is the whole circumference of the first (enormous) city explored clearly visible below you on the ankle of the creature you are currently standing on.

Each new area you stumble across is introduced by indicating whereabouts on the Bionis you are, and this is the idea that both mystifies and bothers me – as the game progresses the gameworld (and in turn the giant that houses it) becomes more tangible. It is often shocking to realise where you’re standing on this creature. It is for me equal parts horrific and awe inspiring.

Here’s a short video that puts the unique geography of the world into perspective.

This unique view of a universe is at the center of Xenoblade’s narrative. The Bionis is not the only giant in this strange universe, it’s rival world – the Mechonis (the colossus that appears on the boxart) – looms over many of the starting areas, blocking out much of the sky above your characters as you explore.

The renewal of the Bionis and Mechonis from former gods into the physical basis of a world is such a potent idea. It doesn’t surprise me at all that it was this central idea that entirely inspired both the story and setting of Xenoblade (as discussed here in a fascinating Iwata asks which focuses on Xenoblade’s design decisions).

It’s a very interesting take on spirituality in a genre that frequently overuses ancient powers.

Divinity at the heart of the game

The ideas at play here allude to our own ancient understanding of the universe. The game literally plays with the idea of a creator that sustains life forming the body of the world. As such each step on the Bionis haunts me, it feels as though I am looking at the physical presence of something that I simply shouldn’t be able to. By playing the game I am encouraged to literally walk on the back of a God-like creature, it feels like one massive (but beautiful) taboo.

That’s without discussing some of the games incredible world physics – the examination of which would spoil some of the later games more mind-blowing moments, where you literally spot something far above, or far below you and your mind whirrs as you attempt to process what you are seeing. It goes without saying that the rules and boundaries of our universe do not apply.

And yet it feels so natural. The story of the Bionis and Mechonis is ancient story passed down from one generation to the next. The Bionis becomes the life-giving creature that battled the Homs (essentially humans) ancient arch enemy. Both Gods now stand slumbering, pinned together in a vast, unseen ocean. The proof of the legend is in the sky, therefore the giant haunting their horizon is not something to be feared as they stand on an equal power.

But I still find the paradoxical idea of the gameworld troubling me as I attempt to explore it further, it makes me ponder what lives outside of the Bionis’ and Mechonis’ vast horizon. The Bionis is a world without a map, judged not on the continents that are amassed on a sphere, but the steeper or lower points on a enormous creature paused in a moment of battle.

It’s troubling to see such peaceful (and beautiful) lands nestled in such a way, but I cannot help but admit that Xenoblade’s universe could well be one of the most compelling game worlds that I have ever had the pleasure (and occasional discomfort) of exploring.

Micro decisions in a delicately designed universe

As such Xenoblade has a carefully choreographed atmosphere. You’re tasked with not only exploring the massive god-like Bionis but also to really get to know and influence it’s inhabitants. There are numerous characters in every area that follow their own routines and have their own problems to attend to. As your understanding of one area of the world improves.

Think about the relationships that Link attempted to influence in Majora’s Mask and you’re halfway there – except on a much larger scale. Every single dot in this picture is a person I have actively sought out and slowly gotten to know, this chart also indicates how each of the character I have met relate to one another.

Every named NPC in the game has a particular routine to their day, appearing at a certain point (and in a certain place) during the day night cycle. As you progress you connect more individuals together. As you play more, you find yourself genuinely starting to understand and appreciate the inner workings of the communities in each area. This makes the motivation to be complete rewards less about crossing something off a list and more about putting the player in the mindset of the Bionis’ citizens.

All characters are grateful for their world – evidently proud and respectful out of reverence for the sacrifice two Gods have made. The giants in the sky do not scare, but comfort them.

And in my view Xenoblade presents one of the rare applications of in-game divinity that I can understand. The Gods of this game are tangible, impressive, protective and powerful all at once. Not just from being huge, or mighty, but for literally sustaining life quietly and silently until you take a moment to stop, and look up again at their massive, frozen forms.

February 6th 2009 was a bittersweet day for European gamers. For this was the day that we finally got an PAL version of the seminal SNES game Chrono Trigger. This may come as a shock to many readers, but Europe, Australia and New Zealand had to wait 14 years for a localised version of the game that many regard as one of the finest RPGs of all time.

This is part of the reason Final Fantasy 7 is such an important RPG here – we simply did not, and still haven’t got many of the great RPGs that the rest of the world considers their staples.

A sad reversal of fortune

So for the first time in a very long time I find myself in a position where I do not have to import an RPG I desire. I will not be importing Xenoblade Chronicles because I have bought it easily from my country of origin.

It’s hard to know how to feel about campaigns like Operation Rainfall. On the one hand I feel empowered by fellow gamers taking a stand against a lack of release dates, on the other hand, I feel disappointed at Nintendo and many many other developers and publishers for consistently dropping the ball like this.

Primarily though I am frustrated by the poor status quo of release dates in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the other places in the world where a lack of releases are the norm, how we have to sit by and make do, without the great mass of population that America has in one continent. We simply aren’t able to campaign in a similar way, due to language barriers, distances, timezones and different technical setups.

This won’t be easy for anyone in America to hear but, we’ve been subject to this sort of scorn for decades now, and I don’t envy the position American gamers find themselves in this week partly because I have been there numerous times before.

How importing games became the norm

Importing is pretty much the norm outside of America and Japan, and unfortunately not just for the rare titles from Japan that are only released there and never translated, it becomes standard behaviour by ardent non-American gamers in order to get the bare minimum that the rest of the world expects.

It’s also about getting games in a timely fashion. The UK normally has to wait two months to a year (on top of the American wait of a year or more from Japan). Poor Austraila and New Zealand often have to wait even longer.

This wouldn’t be so bad but for the slight stigma created around importing games (usually by game developers or publishers) who often discourage this course of action on the whole, particularly as some of the routes used to play imported games are usually against manufacturers terms of service.

The usual response is this; to not put your intended audience in a position where they need to import games in order to enjoy the same levels of service as the rest of the world. It’s something most gamers do begrudgingly as they don’t have much choice.

There is the option of emulation in many cases, but that has even more legal pitfalls, (and I sense that this is a feeling that American gamers can understand now) it’s the principle of the matter more than than anything else, as most gamers would like a proper version of the game to support.

The decision to region lock the 3DS for example penalises gamers outside the US who have to wait many months (or many years) after everyone else, often when the buzz about a particular game has passed, and that’s before considering the issue of spoilers.

Therefore gamers in other regions are getting increasingly more familiar with the dark arts needed to import games, it is part of our quiet vernacular. Widely practiced, but rarely talked about.

Where Xenoblade comes in

Something that is perhaps dawning on the rest of the world this week with the release of Xenoblade Chronicles. This complicates a difficult situation, with many American gamers facing practicalities they have rarely had to think about before, whether or not to import and how to, after all the need to import from Europe does not arise often.

So in a strange reversal of fortunes the getting an European release date for Xenoblade Chronicles before America seems like a gift. Not something to be smug about, but something to be grateful for. Moments where we are put first like this are extremely rare. I can personally only think of only two other occasions (Vib Ribbon and Terranigma), while I don’t envy American gamers at all right now for having to follow our footsteps for a change, I do have a sense of quiet relief for the gaming community here in the UK and elsewhere.

I do believe (and hope) the American audience will get a release date for Xenoblade, The Last Story, and Pandora’s Tower, my only hope is that it this experience will help increase empathy for our collective gaming experience of the past few decades. Things are getting better in the PAL regions and elsewhere, but there is a lot more to do and great deal of progress to be made.

A plea

To conclude, as well as releasing the three Wii games above, the relevant publishers and developers could start by releasing the (by no means exhaustive list of) RPGs in Europe, Austraila and New Zealand (and anywhere else that hasn’t got them yet).

Xenogears
Chrono Cross
Earthbound
Parasite Eve
Xenosaga Episode III
Threads of Fate
Wild Arms 2
Suikoden III
Legend of Mana
Arc the Lad Collection
Dragon Warrior VII
SaGa Frontier
Tales of Destiny
Lunar 1
Lunar 2

And here’s a list of RPGs we got late.

Chrono Trigger (2009)
Valkyrie Profile (2007)
Tactics Ogre (2011)
Tales of Destiny II (2006)
Final Fantasy I (2003)
Final Fantasy II (2003)
Final Fantasy III (2006)
Final Fantasy IV (2002)
Final Fantasy V (2002)
Final Fantasy VI (2002)
Final Fantasy Tactics (2007)

Looking at my unfinished pile of games, there is one thing they all have in common; I can accurately pinpoint the moment where I lost interest.

It’s a genuine shame because for the most part I was really enjoying the experience. Starting a new adventure is not normally something I undertake lightly – my time is even more precious than it used to be.

So in most cases it’s not really a case of disliking the game that I am playing, more disliking what it’s trying to do at a particular moment.

An uncharacteristic spike in difficulty

I’ve talked about my sublime first experience with Super Metroid before. It is a game that I was unprepared to play in the past due to a historic bigotry on my part caused by being raised on the Sega side of the Sega vs. Nintendo war. I deeply enjoyed what I was able to play and was enamoured with the mood it had set (including the gameplay and music) until I hit my first wall, quite literally.

Wall jumping was the death of my positive experience, as I couldn’t do it and therefore couldn’t proceed. I return to Metroid ritually to keep trying so I can try reignite that passionate experience that I was enjoying. But I felt at the time that wall jumping was a bit beyond my ability, and the difficulty of the moment fractured the marvellous experience I was having up until that point.

A difficult boss

I use the example of a boss here but it could be any gameplay device that actively prevents you from continuing. I would describe these as moments where its impossible to seek help in a normal way (such as asking someone or looking up what to do in a video or walkthrough) It’s the sort of fiddly moment you’d happily hand the controller over for someone else to do if such a thing were possible.

These moments frustrate and annoy and I think some bosses personify this marvellously. RPGs have an unfortunate habit of compounding this problem by placing bosses at a moment far from a save point, preluded by a long (often unskippable) series of cutscenes or dialogue. This makes repeating the boss even more of an effort to what would otherwise would be an annoying but tolerable situation.

These sort of moments (by method of annoying repetition) make you a master of the area leading up to the moment of difficulty as you begin to repeat an area or boss over and over again in a desperate attempt to win. In most cases however you never had any particular difficulty in doing the proceeding the bit to what you were stuck on anyway, and this only amplifies the frustration further.

Bad or inconsistant pacing

I’m sad to say that I have lost many games this way. The game may intrigue or interest me enough for me to get so far into a game (often very far, over halfway or more). But then it will drop me in a dull dip of an area or plot point that I simply no longer have the desire or momentum to get out of. Most of the times when this happens I have felt this one or twice in a game already, and it is the third or forth dip that challenges my desire to keep playing.

If this happens I will try to take the shortest path to inspiring my interest (such as avoiding any extra side missions). I will do the anything that I can to get back into the momentum of the game quickly, so that I am actively enjoying the experience again. As a find myself with less and less time, it is the games that go out out their way to hamper my enjoyment that I move on from. I usually give these types of games my utmost, but it concludes with the game no longer giving me anything back to make continued play worthwhile.

I have used Final Fantasy 13 as a pictorial example here, but to its credit, it does also makes it very simple to return to the game should I want to (using its loading screen story overview). In this particular case though I won’t be returning. If I leave a game due to its bad pacing generally I am looking for an excuse to leave so I can play something that will reward me.

Wasted time?

My experience with a spike in difficulty in Super Metroid is indicative of the general idea. This situation is so frustrating because I can easily glean from the content of the game so far that its a experience I will enjoy. Moreover I want to continue to enjoy it, but a combination of my own incompetence, impatience (and more often than not a pinch of bad design practice) means I often never back to playing the game I was enjoying so intently. So does this mean that the time I’ve invested to get this far in a game is now wasted?

Personally I continue to enjoy the experience of playing any game – despite any premature end. The enjoyment of experiencing what I was able to is often justification enough for picking it up. Although I must admit that most of my game purchases now are retro ones, any of these game-stopping scenarios must be far more frustrating for those who have just handed over full-price for a brand new game.

I would rarely describe playing (even an uncompleted) game as wasted time, I had fun and if it’s good enough I’ll get back to it eventually.

Or so I keep telling myself…

Not long after I started this website I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. It is nothing life threatening, but it’s something that would go on to irrevocably change me. My energy levels sank, and I continue to struggle with daily pain.

The consequences of my illness are now always with me, and the one aspect that’s taken me the longest to notice is its effect on my relationship with video games.

Playing through illness

Despite a very trying couple of years my enthusiasm for life hasn’t changed, but I find that video games are one of the few things I can actively partake in without too much difficulty. I am still very much a happy person, but continuing to play games has definitely helped console me when it became clear I could no longer be physically active. That’s a difficult prospect to cope with at 25 – the fact that you are ill and you always will be.

Weirdly it’s actually the small little details in life that I miss. Such as being able to run unabated, to be able to be spontaneous and energetic. The fact that I can still experience this in some small part in a game helps to take some of that fatigue and sorrow away. I think that’s why I now prefer walking the vast horizons of Minecraft rather than building anything, exploring each new world I create is a greater reward for me at the moment than making my mark with stone or brick.

The way I play Minecraft has changed and this is a pretty good metaphor for my illness. My time spent in video games has become less goal driven and far more about passive relief.

I’ve never really understood the concept of video game escapism. Video games have rarely about escapism for me in the past. They’ve always been a passion, something I’ve always enjoyed doing for as far back as I can remember. What they offer me now is a little bit extra, unbridled moments of peace; free from fatigue. A world full of excitement and risk, but with careful rules intact. You often have a set amount of health in a game, or an agreed amount of gravity or determined physics to name but two examples.

Illness has taken away the security out of life, my pain follows no pattern, there is no set time it will leave me. Oddly it is the boundaries and rules of a video game that I appreciate now as much as its freedoms.

Minecraft and recovery

Playing games is thankfully the one area of life that I don’t have to scale back. I make no compromises in what is now my very important recuperation time. My emotional well-being is becoming as important my physical care and medical routine. As a result although my quality of life has suffered dearly in the time since starting this website, but the quality of my gaming experiences hasn’t. I find myself returning to Minecraft when I am tired, when I want to walk and climb. I roll into my virtual bed and awake for each new day completely refreshed. Sometimes I make the most beautiful world I can and just walk for hours.

It can sound trite, but playing games returns a small amount of freedom to my day. It is one one the few times where my mind can takes precedent over my rapidly tiring body, the tension and pain I experience daily is largely washed away in the moment of play. These moments of relaxation bring a slight feeling of shame and regret, as I never needed video games in such a way before.

The future

Games have had to be purely restorative in recent weeks during a genuinely difficult time. My options for a cure have all but dried up now. As a result it is harder to analyse video games of late when my mind is mostly preoccupied with pain and fatigue.

I am not stopping my updates, but I felt the time had come to explain that I simply cannot carry on at the pace of other websites. It simply easier to explore and play during my bad weeks rather than to write, when I am at my worst even the most amazing new title cannot stir my creative mind, it is simply easier to embrace the experience.

But fear not, in the same way I will never tire of video games, the desire to build (or write) always comes around again.

I’ve developed a bit of a personal gaming mantra in the last few months. It’s something I’ve always adhered to, but as the pressures of other commitments have kept me away from video games for longer and longer stretches it’s been made all the more important.

It’s a very basic idea and it’s remarkably liberating. Ditch the video game magazines, the PR spin and the website hype for a while and play what you feel like.

Not a new idea, but sometimes a rare one

The video game industry lives and dies on the members of the gaming community keeping their fingers on the pulse. We’re actively encouraged in nearly every media output to aspire to the next great game. Every potential gaming experienced already slightly mired by the anticipation the next big thing. We live for product cycles – beautifully designed gaming experiences but products nonetheless.

I’ve been easing myself out of this cycle in recent months. Playing based on mood and gaming appetite rather than anyone elses steer. A good game is a good game forever – despite how late into its release (be it days, or years) until you finally get around to playing it. Getting home and playing what your desire right at that moment – no matter what – is such an underrated pleasure.

Off the beaten path

Instead of desiring the gaming’s industries latest and greatest I’ve working through the guilty mass of secrets that is my gaming backlog. Starting and finishing games at my own pace, away from the worry of spoilers. As a result I’m avoiding the nervous hurry of wanting to finish and complete a game before elements of it are spoiled. Ultimately though it’s time for myself away from the scruntinous glare of others – a somewhat guilty pleasure – slightly at odds with my last post.

I’m moving away from being teased with details of a game months away from release. I am no longer being drip fed morsels of details about a game I desire. Instead I can simply examine the list of games I’ve always wanted to play, or pick up a title I’ve been meaning to experience.

I’ve realised throughout this process that I am a retro gamer at heart. Playing older games is at the very heart of my mantra. It’s also particularly exciting when I inspire this feeling in others; encouraging people to start or even return to a game that has languished on a shelf for years, it’s wonderful how a very personal urge, can evoke the same feeling in others.

Going back to gaming staples

I also use these quieter more contemplative moments of the gaming year to go back to games I love. These titles are the backbone of my video game palette and are tried and tested games that I can return to time and time again with minimal effort. I know them intimately. I’ve played them numerous times, and they are the benchmark upon which all future games are compared against.

These games are the rarest of the rare, they simply don’t come along often. There’s something both nostalgic and delightful about replaying these favourites. It takes me back to the pleasure of playing them for the first time, except I know every inch of their contents, and can play expertly from the off – it’s complete indulgence and a different sort of enjoyment to playing a new game.

I will eventually of course return to my desired new releases, but I am definitely a happier and more satisfied gamer in the meantime.