Graduated Gamer's Game of the Year 2013

The end of another year is nearly upon us and like clockwork every gaming site, magazine, and blogger big and small is making a list of their top games of the year. I’ve never really been much of a sucker for this sort of thing, whether it’s done by self-touted experts or fan voting, because as I’ve said numerous times before on this blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter, gaming tastes are extremely subjective. Sure, there are some phenomenally rated games every year, but does it mean that they should be considered Game of the Year (GOTY) over lesser-rated games? Does a number truly dictate if a game offers significantly better entertainment value to a gamer?

These matters are what drive websites to more hits, because humans are drawn to interaction and discussion with others, even if it involves nothing more than fanboy arguments and homophobic slurs (if you’re not sure what I’m talking about, just check out any IGN or YouTube comments section about anything). Still, opinions are like assholes (and even worse, it’s mostly assholes who share their opinions) and every year the voting and conversations about GOTY lead to arguments about games that get the most press because “experts” use their groupthink to give them all near-perfect scores in an attempt to avoid the wrath of the deranged masses. It makes me sad to think that we live in a world where people demand a reviewer be fired for giving GTA 5 less than a perfect score, but alas it’s true.

Well somebody's getting fired!

Regardless, I like to think that there are still sane, reasonable gamers in the world who prefer to think for themselves rather than let the opinions of others sway them. I mean, do you really trust someone who thinks a single sentence and a paragraph can be the same thing?

I know I certainly don’t.

But I digress – I’ve decided to cave this year and tell you all what game I’ve chose as my GOTY. Now I’ll admit right now that about 95% of my gaming is done on the Xbox 360, and I also didn’t start gaming seriously until about halfway through the year. Oh, and one more caveat – I played a lot of retro games and games not from 2013 this year. So essentially, when you boil down my seriously playing time to games from 2013, you get Grand Theft Auto V and Dynasty Warriors 8. And this is where most of you should stop reading, because I’m about to name a personal GOTY based on non-empirical and highly subjective data from a severely limited pool of games from this past year on one console (are you beginning to see yet why I hate GOTY awards?).

If you’re still reading, I apologize, but I’ll just get to it. The winner of the inaugural Graduated Gamer Game of the Year Award (henceforth known as GGGOTY) is Grand Theft Auto V. This should come as no shock to my followers and readers, as I spent an unacceptable amount of time playing this came when it released. For one, I was at the midnight release which I’ve never done before for a video game, and I played it for almost 8 hours straight that first night before going to bed for a few hours to promptly wake up and play it the entire next day.

Rockstar, you're a bunch of mad geniuses.

Now amount of playing time doesn’t necessarily make this a great game, but the reason why I was so enthralled does. For one, the story is at least engaging, which is a plus for a GTA game. After the now-understood abomination of a game in Grand Theft Auto IV gave us not only a boring story but uninteresting characters with no emotional attachment, the geniuses at Rockstar seemed to realize their mistake and put a lot of effort into the design of the characters and their respective story-arcs. I was extremely engaged and invested in these characters, and even more so I found myself laughing out loud at the in-game and cut scene dialogue. If the game wasn’t so absolutely gorgeous to look at, I’d say that the writing was the best thing about this game.

But alas, the graphics are phenomenal, and as someone who always stays away from the argument of “game X will be amazing because the graphics are great”, this pains me to say. But I can’t deny a game so beautiful that I actually spent moments in the game taking in-game pictures of scenery and just moving the camera around to catch the perfect shot of a sunset over a mountain. For a world this large with various ecosystems and a large city to explore, the textures are well-done (even if it does take them a few seconds to fully realize when you’re moving across the map) and I found myself just staring in awe at how well-designed every detail was. You could certainly tell that the makers of this game took pride in what they were doing, and I have to appreciate this.

Gorgeous mountain views await you in Los Santos!

Lastly, the gameplay is a blast. The GTA series has always done a good job (understatement) of adding new and revolutionary ways to play in their wide open worlds, and they certainly set the bar pretty high in their latest installment. Almost everything you see in the game can be driven and/or explored and/or stolen and/or reached and/or destroyed and/or killed. The amount of freedom you are given in this game is impressive, and the nice little touches to crimes you can commit and missions you can complete make all the difference between a great game and my GGGOTY. Store clerks shooting at you after you rob them isn’t a necessary touch, but it adds a small detail that will make you stand up and slow-clap…once you get the hell out of there and evade the cops that is.

I could continue to drone on and on about how Grand Theft Auto V is my GGGOTY, and I haven’t even gotten into the online portion of the game (which, depending on your viewpoint and experience, could make or break my argument for this game being the best of 2013), but I don’t want to bore everyone to sleep. Besides, as I said earlier this is all subjective garbage that most of you will disagree with, and frankly I want you too. My experience is extremely limited with games from 2013, and sticking to only the Xbox 360 this past year I’ve missed out on amazing titles like The Last of Us, Diablo III (PC), and Gone Home.

So please, disagree with me, and take everything you read from so-called experts with a grain of salt – the truth of the matter is, your opinion is just as valuable and chances are more informed than those who write for the likes of IGN and Game Informer. Happy New Year everyone – here’s to an amazing 2014 filled with great gaming and fewer fanboy fights about XB1 and PS4. Cheers!

Game Series as High School Cliques

Okay, interesting twist time. We all know about the stereotypical Hollywood high school cliques seen in cheesy 80's and 90's movies. There's always a jock, a nerd, a skater, etc. Well here's my take on which video game series I think best fit those cliché high school cliques.

Jock – Grand Theft Auto

They’re the coolest kids in school, beloved by almost everyone even though they get into trouble from time to time. Sure they pick on other cliques and can be offensive, but they’re just so good at what they do. Whether you love or hate them, you still respect them from taking the team to the state championship…or something like that.

Geek – Lego Series

If there’s ever a series that has its hand in nearly every major player of geek-culture, it’s the Lego series of games. Batman, DC Universe, Star Wars, Marvel Universe, Indiana Jones – if it’s got a following of geeks ready to pummel you with useless facts that nobody else knows or cares about, Lego will make a game about it. I’m still waiting for my Lego: Doctor Who by the way. MAKE IT HAPPEN! 

Skater – Sonic the Hedgehog

He’s fast, he’s hip, and he doesn't give a damn that you like Mario more than him – he’s gonna keep living fast and hard and listening to Sonic Youth on his Walkman (see what I did there?). Seriously, the tennis shoes, the spiked hair, and the demeanor just scream Skater, and frankly, it’s perfect, especially because the sole purpose of everyone’s favorite blue blur was to bring attitude to the video game world.

Hipster – Minecraft

No matter how many clones released that are predicated on creative world design and a little bit of survival, Minecraft will always be the game to say they were doing it long before the rest of the posers. Like a hipster creates a look that we know took a long time to assemble yet they claim took no effort at all, so too does Minecraft have that feel of beautiful gameplay and simplistically stunning graphics that look as though they took little to no effort to create. When everyone is playing games like this in the future through our implanted brain chip virtual reality simulators, we’ll look back and appreciate Minecraft for making what was once uncool cool again.

Scenester – Saints Row

Oh Saints Row – always eager to fit in yet somehow only getting labeled as a GTA-wannabe. We know that you’re an open-world game, but GTA made it popular first. And those crazy antics and insane weapons? Well, sure they’re fun and all but it just seems like you’re trying too hard. Honestly, we appreciate you for what you are, but we simply cannot ignore the fact that you’re a poser that will never live up to the hype and awesomeness of GTA.

Prep – Final Fantasy

If there is any series out there more concerned with keeping up appearances, I haven’t found it. When you've been around as long as Final Fantasy and are known for not only setting trends but also destroying them altogether with your style and gameplay, you’re bound to be under a lot of pressure to do it time and again with every game you release. Sure, they’re always a candidate for prom king GOTY, and people always get excited about what new clothes innovations they release, but sometimes they don’t live up to expectations.

Nerd – World of Warcraft

I know I’m delving into generalizations and stereotypes here, but when South Park rips on your fanbase for being overweight, basement-dwelling social lepers, well, if the shoe fits… Seriously though, for a game as massive as World of Warcraft where people sink not just hours or days, but weeks of their life into it, you’re bound to be compared to the cliché nerd with a lack of fashion and social skills that make you a normal, contributing member of the gaming social ladder. Regardless, even if this offends WoW players, they’ll never read this because they’re too busy raiding or whatever the hell it is they do in that game.

Mean Girls – Call of Duty

Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by Call of Duty? Seriously, it’s the series that walks into a room and everyone immediately hates them for one reason or another. However, with over 120 million games sold, the franchise has the clout to back-up its claim as the “popular” kids at school. Still, no matter how popular they are, they’re obnoxious in the way they belittle everyone else for not being them.

Emo – Metal Gear

Seriously, is there a more complicated and long-winded story line than that of Metal Gear? Every time I read up on the canon I feel like I reading a script of a damn soap opera. The series itself is said to not take itself too seriously, but then it goes ahead and creates lengthy, emotionally driven trailers for their upcoming game. The only things missing from this series is a soundtrack featuring Dashboard Confessional and Hinder (please God no).

Well there you have it - my take on video game series as stereotypical high school cliques. Have any other suggestions? Agree or disagree with my choices? Feel free to let me know on Twitter or in the comments below.

Violence in Video Games, Children, and GTA V Roundtable

As my readers and followers likely know by now, I've been playing GTA V for an obscene amount of time the past week, including an all-nighter starting with the midnight release. Although I know the game contains extremely graphic and violent material, I found it extremely enjoyable and think it's a strong contender for GOTY. However, whenever a game as controversial as Grand Theft Auto is released we seem to have the same damn conversation about whether these games are appropriate for children. Having played the game first-hand, the short answer is no, and the long answer is hell no.

So why am I chiming in about this topic? Recently a friend of mine Josh, aka - The Noyse, approached me about sitting in on a roundtable discussion regarding a very sensitive subject: violence in video games. Particularly, the discussion centered around GTA V and whether it was appropriate for children to play this game. Having bought the game and played it for about 50 hours at the time of the podcast, he felt I had enough knowledge to speak about the content on the game. I will say that I do not have children and haven't had to deal with this topic yet, thus my opinions may not mean as much as those coming from a parent. 

However, I was raised by two awesome parents who also happened to be of the opinion that games like Grand Theft Auto were inappropriate for anyone under the age of 17, especially young children. Given that I went through a time where I was unable to buy and play those types of games until I was old enough to buy them myself, I feel that I was able to bring a unique experience to the group, who all just happened to be not only older than myself, but also parents and/or uncles to younger children. 

Because I love making sentences into hyperlinks, you can find the podcast by clicking this. [WARNING - Content NSFW. We do discuss GTA V after all.] I hope you enjoy the conversation. Please feel free to comment below with your thoughts on the subject. For more information about game rating, check out the ESRB website where they give more detailed information about the ratings games like GTA V.

Grand Theft Auto IV - A Retrospective

I have a weird relationship with the Grand Theft Auto series. At this point in my life, I’m somewhere between cautiously optimistic and blindingly ecstatic about the release of GTA V. If you spoke to me a month ago, I would have told you there was no other game I wanted more in the world than the fifth installment in this storied yet controversial franchise. That was right around the time I decided to reacquaint myself with the critically acclaimed GTA IV for the Xbox 360 to get in the mood for the new game’s release on September 17^th. I was so close to placing a pre-order, but before I dropped the coin I decided instead to focus on not only playing GTA IV, but also beating it for the first time. However, after finishing GTA IV, my anticipation for GTA V and my decision to pre-order it have both cooled.

Before I dive too deep into my recent experience with GTA IV, I’d like to give you more insight into my history with Grand Theft Auto. When GTA III was approaching its release date, I was both extremely excited and somber. Excited because I always love when revolutionary video games are released and have the chance to change the landscape of the industry (games like Halo, Bioshock, and Final Fantasy VII), yet somber because I was 15 and there was no way my parents would allow me to get this game. Looking back at it, my parents had a point and made the right decision in not getting me the game. I’m no sociopath and I know the difference between the real world and video games, but my parents are people of principle and did not think a game where you could just as easily shoot a cop as order a burger was appropriate for a minor. Still, as a kid obsessed with video games and wanting to be a part of the revolution GTA III represented, I didn't quite see it that way.

Seriously, these games are rated "M" for a reason.

To say I threw a tantrum is an understatement. I actually had a few big yelling matches with my father, after which I refused to speak to him for over a week since he still refused to buy me the game. From that moment on, the Grand Theft Auto series held a special place in my gaming mind, because it was something unattainable and forbidden, and as we all know the more you try and keep something away from people the more they want it (see: marijuana, prohibition, sex). I was obsessed with the series, eating up everything I could about the world of Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas until I finally entered my freshman year of college and got to experience the joy of open-world action firsthand. I waited four years until I could finally see what everyone was raving about, and it did not disappoint. I’ll be honest with you – I skipped my fair share of classes to play Grand Theft Auto during those first two years of college because the games were everything I expected them to be and more.

Fast forward a couple of years later, I played GTA IV for the first time and I fell in love with it just like the others. Unfortunately, my love affair was cut short when my roommate left for the summer, taking the game with him and leaving me with an unfinished campaign. I actually managed to forget about the game for years until a few months ago when I bought it in my excitement and anticipation for GTA V. I decided to play it through once more to see if the game held up nearly four years later. All of the sudden it was like my first year in college all over again, except this time I knew a bit more of what to expect…or so I thought, which brings us to present day.

So why all the postulating and explanation of my past with this series? Why the information about my anticipation of GTA V? Well, frankly, because I want you to understand why it was such a shock to me that I didn't love GTA IV the second time through. Even worse, I was mostly bored playing through the game and actually found it to be unbalanced and unrewarding.

I’m not going to try and sugar coat things because that wouldn't be fair to you or me. I also know that there are many people out there that will disagree with this retrospective on the previous installment in the series (especially with all the fanfare surrounding GTA V), but after returning to Liberty City the second time around my excitement about the series and GTA V has lowered immensely. I’m still planning on being there for the midnight release of GTA V and I’ll give it a fair shake, but I hope the new game offers more balance and reward than its predecessor.

Will this be my reaction and feeling after playing GTA V as well?

So what exactly did I find so damning the second time around? For one, the game is severely unbalanced in its difficulty and story. Let’s start with the difficulty – seriously, I can’t tell you how many times I went from one mission to another that seemed like they should have been at opposite ends of the game. One would be laughably easy, the next would be next to impossible. Maybe I’m just used to games where the difficulty progressively gets harder and harder as you go along and your character becomes stronger and stronger, but I certainly didn’t expect the lopsidedness of GTA IV. For example, the arguably toughest mission you have all game is pretty early on when you have to retrieve a bag of cocaine from a gang holed up in an abandoned building. The gang is easy to dispatch, but as soon as you touch that bag your wanted level shoots up two stars and the place is crawling with feds. Not too hard until you’re left with no choice but to kill a few cops to escape, raising your wanted level to three stars. Now you’re running for your life from a swarm of cop cars and a relentless helicopter. At that point in the game, the highest wanted level I ever had was two stars and I promptly died on my first three attempts at the mission having no idea how to escape. That’s a bit brutal for only 20% through the game.

Then, you don’t get another difficult mission like that until much later in the game when you rob a bank, and even then the game seems to hold your hand through it making it much more manageable. How can a game from the geniuses at Rockstar (and I truly mean that, I respect them immensely) be so unbalanced in difficulty? Is it so hard to make a game where you actually progress as a player? Apparently it is, because the story itself seemed disjointed and completely out of touch with itself as it wound down. What started as a simple story of the “American Dream” and revenge lost focus about halfway through the game. Eventually, your character, Niko, seems to care less and less about revenge and more about making money. Even though it’s assumed the money is a means to an end, Niko doesn't explain that much himself and I was left wondering if he even knew what drove him to commit these in-game atrocities. Then, out of nowhere it seems, Niko gets his revenge, and the game takes a big turn. I won’t spoil the game for anyone out there who still hasn't played it, but the plot becomes about love, then getting out of the game, then revenge again, all in the matter of an hour. It’s like the writers went tripolar (I know that’s not a thing) and couldn't decide how to end the game so they threw darts at a board and then took everything the darts hit. It was a very unfulfilling and confusing end.

Still, I think the element of the game that caused the story to flounder most was character design. Not their physical make-up of course but their personalities. At first I really liked Niko because of his ambition and ability to give zero fucks, but that eventually became stale and his supporting cast of characters didn't lend anything to the story except fodder for Niko’s passive-aggressive insults and segues into missions. I felt no personal attachment to any of the characters in the game, and therefore really didn't care much about their fates. This is usually a bad thing in story-driven game, but more so in a game involves motives like revenge. Honestly, if the game ended with Niko dying for good, I wouldn't have batted an eyelash (actually, that may have been a better ending, but what do I know).

Overwhelming Feeling =  Apathy

Now those are the two main gripes I have with the game, but there are other issues I’d like to mention, just to air out the dirty laundry. The law enforcement AI was spotty: at most points in the game firing a few bullets into a bystander would warrant a single star, but start shooting up a gang at an abandoned building and the cops would be swarming the place with a two star wanted level. Other times, I could run over a cop and get only one star but be absolutely punished with two stars if I dropped one harmless grenade in an empty street in the middle of the night. I honestly still have trouble identifying what crimes garner which wanted levels, and I played the game for 40+ hours. Lastly, driving in GTA IV was a nightmare, especially motorcycles. After hitting what seemed like an infinite amount of invisible bumps that spilled me and my bike to the concrete, I became so enraged that I quickly gave up bikes (except when forced to ride them in those awful chase missions). From then on I went out of my way to ram my vehicle into anyone else riding a motorcycle just for spite.

Phew, now that we got that out of the way, it’s time for what this all means to me. Honestly, it means a lot but also a little. This experience has taught me that series, no matter how great at their apex, can stutter, can become stale, and can also change over the years without changing at all (I know this could just as easily mean that I have changed as a gamer more than the game since it honestly hasn't changed at all since I played it in 2009, but it just feels the other way around). However, it also means very little in my feelings towards Rockstar and the release of GTA V. Sure my expectations are tapered a bit, but won’t stop me from picking it up on day one because every game deserves a fair shake, regardless of the games before it. I think the most important lesson I got out of this experience was that games, people, and tastes change. If I had played GTA IV four years ago and written about it then, I would have been hard pressed to find things that were wrong with it. Then again, I was also a pretty happy-go-lucky dude about to graduate college with not a care in the world but what bar to drink at each night. Four years is a hell of a long time, and twelve years feels like a lifetime; in that span of time I like to think that my eye for games and what makes them great has become more critical, based more on the game itself than my personal feelings. Because of this, I now see games more for what they are, not for what I want them to be. Will this take some of the “sexiness” out of playing a game as touted as GTA V? I guess we’ll find out sometime on September 17^th.