Video Games

2017 has begun and I’m already prepared to weep in pain while looking at my bank account. This looks like it’ll be the year the PS4 really sets off with a fair few exclusives, while the launch of the Nintendo Switch promises a flurry of excellent releases. This is just the games I am most excited for – there are certainly plenty more. Let me know in the comments what you’re most looking forward to!

Resident Evil 7: Biohazard – 24th Jan (PC, PS4, XB1)

Regardless of what you may think of the available demos for Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, one things is for sure; this title sees a departure from the action-orientated previous two titles. For many fans of the series, that is a welcome departure. At worst, it should result in some good scares and at best, a return to survival horror superiority.

Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue – 24th Jan (PS4)

The staggering amount of Kingdom Hearts titles is confusing, to say the least. But for those who have managed to keep up, this one will be a must-play. As well as a HD remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, this instalment includes two new pieces of content, Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage and a new cinematic, Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover.

Horizon Zero Dawn – 1st Mar (PS4)

The first intellectual property released by Guerrilla Games since 2004’s Killzone, Horizon Zero Dawn looks set to impress. This action RPG is set in a distant future, where giant robotic dinosaurs are plundered by a lone huntress. With a mixture of traps, weapons and stealth the gameplay looks varied and relatively complex. It might sound pretty ridiculous but the result looks astonishingly beautiful.

NieR: Automata – 10th Mar (PC, PS4)

Although loosely based on the NieR series, this reboot from PlatinumGames looks to be bringing a new sense of style and sophistication. The hack n’ slash action gameplay manages to be be dazzlingly fun, whilst also having a level of difficulty that feels rewarding. Oh, and did I forget to mention you play a white-haired combat android who faces off against robots on a post-apocalyptic Earth?

Mass Effect Andromeda – 23rd Mar (PC, PS4, XB1)

The successor to Mass Effect 3 jumps the timeline forward some 600 years, which makes it a nice entry point for those new to the series. Not a huge amount is known about the title, but the Mass Effect series has historically been widely praised. No doubt Andromeda will be no different.

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 & 2.5 Remix – March 28th (PS4)

This collection of six games brings nothing ‘new’, per se. What is does bring is everything you need to introduce yourself to the series on the PS4 in a neat little HD package. If you missed out on Kingdom Hearts back in 2002, this is your opportunity to get acquainted.

Persona 5 – 4th Apr (PS4)

The past decade has seen perhaps a drop in popularity for JRPGs. Persona 5 looks set to change that with its sensational sense of style. If you enjoy a story driven game and turn-based battle systems, the estimated 100 hours of gameplay you’ll get from Persona 5 will be more than worth your money.

Launches without release dates

• Nintendo Switch.
  Set to launch in March. Titles we’re likely to see on Nintendo’s next home console include Mario Kart, Splatoon and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
• FFXII: The Zodiac Age.
  This HD edition of FFXII is a golden opportunity to replay this classic title.
• The Last of Us: Part II.
  The Last of Us reached huge critical acclaim for a good reason. The second instalment is already highly anticipated by many.
• Detroit Become Human.
  If you enjoyed Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain or are a fan of choice-driven games this will be worth checking out. A 2017 release is looking increasingly unlikely, however.
• Shenmue III.
  Fans have been left on a cliffhanger since the ending of 2001’s Shenmue II. Pegged for a December release, a delay to 2018 is possible.

None of us want to tread the minefield that is the comments section of a gaming review site.

I need say little about the plethora of clashing opinions nor the vigour some gamers will put into defending their favourite franchise.

There is one game I occasionally play (and stream) that comes to mind as being fairly divisive in people’s views.

The graphics and animations are up-to-scratch. The objectives and tasks are laid out and introduced in an easy to understand, well-paced manner. There is a large amount of content. The art style is pretty and well executed.

This game is Style Savvy: Fashion Forward.

What makes this game divisive, then?

We can generalise and say that on the whole, some look down Nintendo games as being ‘kids games’. From the off Nintendo can be a hard sell to some people.

On top of this, Style Savvy is, unabashedly, a game with a feminine style. Automatically, this seems to make some people write it off. I have had viewers ask whether the game is a mobile app, make fun of the entire premise and others ask me to play a ‘proper’ game. You need only take a look at some of the low-scoring reviews for Style Savvy to see the kind of attitude I mean.

I want to point out there are plenty of good reviews for Style Savvy that take a fairly objective approach. However, these two in particular give pause for thought. What’s wrong if someone wants to be girly? What is wrong with ‘just’ playing with dolls? Neither of these reviewers expand in a thoughtful way on why these aspects might make the game bad, it’s simply accepted that these things are inherently bad from the writers perspective.

It’s a matter of perspective.

The fact is, we can all only see from our own perspective. It doesn’t make something objectively bad if you don’t like it; there can be no unanimous good or bad, because what’s good and what’s bad differs from person to person, from culture to culture. I like dressing girly. I like dolls. I like Style Savvy.

Similarly, I gave Deus Ex: Mankind Divided a good go, I really did. But a world shrouded in shades of black, chrome and misery is a hard sell to me. Does that make it a bad game? Not by a long shot. It’s just not my sort of thing.

I have a similar view of Final Fantasy XV. I love Final Fantasy, but beyond the title it just doesn’t look like the sort of game I would play. It lacks many of the hallmark reasons I’m attracted to Final Fantasy. Will it be a bad game? Probably not, but from my personal perspective it doesn’t look good.

We’re all looking for something different.

Some games are fun, some are meaningful, some are tense, and some are relaxing. It’s one of the things I love about games, the variety of experiences I can have. One day I’m talking about fire hydrants to my bipedal cat neighbour in Animal Crossing, the next I’m fighting to survive against the odds in The Last of Us. Comments are so divisive because gaming is just a medium, and within that medium there is a whole spectrum of outputs.

How can we ever decide and agree what is ‘good’, then? Clearly, we’re not going to. And that’s OK. We can still be friends. Let’s not get vitriolic with each other because we have different ideas of what makes a game enjoyable.

Now excuse me, my boutique isn’t going to run itself!

It was Spring 2004. I was 14 years old. I spent most of my days watching anime, collecting figurines and playing games. However, that Spring would mark quite a big change in my life. I was going to discover Final Fantasy.

My memory is hazy, but I can recall seeing a TV advert showing an all-female cast dressed as witches. I was a huge Sailor Moon fan and into magic around that age, so I was instantly drawn to it. Having played games since I was a toddler – always wanting to play as ‘the girl’ – a female cast was appealing. I decided to buy this game with my pocket money.

It was Final Fantasy X-2. And I loved it.

The campy, exaggerated world with such a diverse environment, the bright, fun colour palette, the fast-paced battles, upbeat soundtrack, the mix of personalities among the main cast – even the buckles in places that made no sense – I loved it all. Of course, the story made very little sense to me since I had not played Final Fantasy X, but this just served to pique my interest to check out other Final Fantasy titles. I’ll freely admit I didn’t even realise the game was a sequel when I picked it up. I thought the X-2 was just some kind of funky moniker.

It has to be said, before the days of the internet being so prevalent, there was something slightly exciting about discovering a game for yourself. I’d be lying if I pretended I wasn’t your typical edgy teen, complete with my X-2 strategy guide proudly displayed at school *facepalm*.

My teenage years would end up being hugely formed by Final Fantasy. I would go on to play the MMO, XI, for around 5 years, and met my partner – who I am still with today – in-game.

It’s easy to either forget or not realise how powerful it can be for young people to have characters they can relate to. Are Yuna, Rikku and Paine great role models? Probably not. But in 2004 simply having a game centred around a group of adventuring ladies who can fight, can feel, can sing, can explore, felt refreshingly different from other experiences available to me in games I had played previously. I had played titles such as Tomb Raider, but I felt no connection with the titular character, with her dark hair, large lips and confidence. That’s not to be derogatory; she simply isn’t like me. I couldn’t connect with her emotions or worldview.

To me, having a diverse cast has traditionally been an area where Final Fantasy excels. Each title I played, I found one character I could connect with in some way. In XII, I fell in love with Fran. Her stoicism, elegance and wisdom resonated with me. In X, I admired Yuna’s kindness in the face of extreme adversity. And, as it always was, characters with dark hair and a more mature personality such as Lulu and Tifa didn’t resonate with me – but they weren’t the only characters within the narrative, so it didn’t bother me in the least. Rather, this range of personalities and styles compliment each other and make for interesting interactions and points of difference between the cast.

The range of characters and their accompanying tastes, experiences, stories and emotions, is, for me, a mainstay of the series. Funnily enough, it’s one area where X-2 falls short, because there are no male protagonists. The game does not do much to engage the male perspective and feels slightly one-note as a result.

Looking back, there was a lot wrong with X-2. I’ll be the first to joke about what a ‘bad game’ it is. I’m currently re-playing it and, oh boy, it’s just as questionable in places as I remember. My point isn’t to say FFX-2 is a ‘great game’. It’s not, by any stretch of the imagination. But I can’t fault Square Enix for making it and merely wave it off as being a cash-cow fanservice romp. If I hadn’t seen Yuna’s grinning face centre-stage in that 2004 advert, I would have never discovered the wonder of RPGs. It’s honestly that simple.

That’s why I can’t hate Final Fantasy X-2.

 

Every media outlet has been jumping on the explosively popular Pokémon Go app to talk about how it may-or-may-not be relevant for this-or-that.

A common narrative is how it is a ‘game changer’ for getting those basement dwelling teens out in some good ol’ sun. Walking, exercise, social interaction! Perfect!

The joys of Pokémon Go: exercise, the outdoors and ‘full-on escapism’ https://t.co/G01DwIB0Hn

— The Guardian (@guardian) July 12, 2016

On the face of it, that makes sense. There is lots of evidence for the benefits of spending time outdoors. Obesity remains a critical issue, especially here in the UK.

However, beneath this I find an unsettling dismissiveness towards video games — and for those who are not able to head outside and enjoy Pokémon Go. Video games as a medium provide a wonderful, immersive form of entertainment that are too readily derided because they do not tick enough boxes.

Convention, tradition and acceptance

It is both frustrating, but completely understandable, that video games are not viewed positively until they’re presented in terms in which the general public can relate to. For example, ‘E-sports’ are becoming increasingly acceptable. Recently, there was coverage of EVO — the world’s largest fighting games tournament — on ESPN, a major sporting network in the US.  With competitive gaming, the benefits and skills involved are distinct and easy to understand; memory, reflex, ambition, achievement.

Likewise, Pokémon Go has become another string to mainstream gaming’s bow. With the caveat of ‘it gets kids outdoors’, it’s more acceptable than it’s predecessors. I would argue that there has always been a lot to praise about video games that often goes unsung.

Video games as a positive emotional and creative experience

There are many ‘soft’ skills to be gained from video games. These are benefits gained that we can’t necessarily quantify. Friendships, new perspectives and emotional understanding, for example.

RPGs (Role Playing Games) have so much to offer in creativity, spirit and vision. Unlike competitive games, RPGs are largely focussed on narrative. It’s true that their benefits are difficult to quantify, but for me, their benefits are innumerable.

The cute and inspiring world of Zelda; the emotional journey of Final Fantasy; the style-heavy psychological romp Persona. Personally, as a creative, I find all of these titles incredibly inspiring. Not just in a literal sense, but also in an emotional sense. Just as you would snuggle up to a good book and get lost in another universe, video games offer much the same experience. That the two mediums are treated so wildly different by the media is perplexing.

An opportunity to have empathy

Part of the problem is a lack of empathy and understanding for other’s situations. Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone with too much anxiety to leave the house. Try to understand the position of those physically unable to visit their nearest Pokéstop. Then try to relate to  those who revel in the sheer joy of visiting fantastical worlds and meeting diverse characters.

Humanity doesn’t have to be about making everything quantifiable. We don’t have to have a distinct goal to every action in our life. Surely the end goal of our existence is to enjoy it! If games provide harmless fun or, indeed, positive experiences and role models, then they are something to be commended.

Onwards and upwards

It’s great to see a largely positive reception from the public towards Pokémon GO. I hope that this is a slow but steady move towards better understanding of video games and their benefits.

My ultimate wish, however, is that we display better understanding and positivity. There’s nothing wrong with being a basement-dwelling teen who’s exploring the wilds of Ivalice, and there’s also nothing wrong with getting out in the sun and becoming a Pokémon master.