Comments on: Final fantasies http://www.rotational.co.uk/2009/07/final-fantasies/ Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:44:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Marsh http://www.rotational.co.uk/2009/07/final-fantasies/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Marsh Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:15:25 +0000 http://www.rotational.co.uk/?p=30#comment-14 I very rarely dotted back and forth between saves while I played Fallout, although I revisited a few key decisions when the game was over. Mostly this was because, with a few exceptions, the choices available were blandly defined by moralaity, and I knew what kind of character I wanted to be. The only time I'd jump back to an earlier game was when I made what I deemed to be a mistake - like letting Grace Jones Lookalike die. Although, even then, I quickly gave up and left her corpse in a lonely corner of the Nuka Cola factory. Of course, there are no mistakes in a narrative, except perhaps those which end it prematurely. I think games should strive to let the player embrace consequence, whatever that may be, as part of a perfectly valid ongoing experience. One way they can do this is by avoiding a moral slalom, in which the player already perceives the route he wishes to take from the off, and feels like he's failed if he doesn't stick to it. I think Far Cry 2 did this well with its buddies, even if the significance of their life and death was limited to the last half-hour of the game. I was hoping Heavy Rain might offer this as well, but it seems like the choice you get in each character is simply whether she/he dies or survives. I very rarely dotted back and forth between saves while I played Fallout, although I revisited a few key decisions when the game was over. Mostly this was because, with a few exceptions, the choices available were blandly defined by moralaity, and I knew what kind of character I wanted to be. The only time I’d jump back to an earlier game was when I made what I deemed to be a mistake – like letting Grace Jones Lookalike die. Although, even then, I quickly gave up and left her corpse in a lonely corner of the Nuka Cola factory.

Of course, there are no mistakes in a narrative, except perhaps those which end it prematurely. I think games should strive to let the player embrace consequence, whatever that may be, as part of a perfectly valid ongoing experience. One way they can do this is by avoiding a moral slalom, in which the player already perceives the route he wishes to take from the off, and feels like he’s failed if he doesn’t stick to it. I think Far Cry 2 did this well with its buddies, even if the significance of their life and death was limited to the last half-hour of the game. I was hoping Heavy Rain might offer this as well, but it seems like the choice you get in each character is simply whether she/he dies or survives.

]]> By: Cakes http://www.rotational.co.uk/2009/07/final-fantasies/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Cakes Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:50:00 +0000 http://www.rotational.co.uk/?p=30#comment-11 I can't believe you're using multiple saves! That's wrong wrong WRONG! You should play it first as a good and righteous citizen with absolute consistency ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Then, once you've finished, you should put do it again but through the E-VIL filter. Obviously! I can’t believe you’re using multiple saves! That’s wrong wrong WRONG! You should play it first as a good and righteous citizen with absolute consistency ALL THE WAY THROUGH. Then, once you’ve finished, you should put do it again but through the E-VIL filter. Obviously!

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