Liebster Award Nomination!

 

 

 

I Got a What Now?

Up until a couple of days ago, I had never heard of the Liebster Award, which is not too surprising. I’ve had my blog for nearly five years, but have only recently (in the last few months) been able to redouble my efforts to post more frequently and consistently. Along with that I’ve actually begun to seek out and follow other blogs, written by people with similar interests. The biggest change has been that I’ve made a concerted effort to comment and participate in discussions with other bloggers, which has been extremely rewarding! And now one of those bloggers has nominated me and my blog for the Liebster Award. Before going any further I’d like to offer my heartfelt thanks to Rebekah Lang for the nomination, and an earnest recommendation to all to go check out her excellent blog at rebekahlang.com.

So What Is It?

The first thing I needed to do was actually find out what a Liebster Award is, and it turns out that it’s pretty great. In my own words it is a gesture of recognition and appreciation shared by bloggers with the blogs they enjoy following and interacting with. It also includes an element of networking, as nominees are encouraged to share more about themselves as well as nominate other bloggers. In the end, we all learn a bit more about who the person is behind the posts and even find new blogs to check out.

Liebster is German for what seems to be a variety of meanings including “loveliest”, “welcome”, “dearest”, and “valued” among others. In poking around the internet to learn more about the award I’ve found varied but similar rules for acceptance which mostly agree on a handful of key items: thanking the person who nominated you, answering the 11 questions they posed in the nomination, revealing 11 fun or random facts about yourself, and further nominating additional bloggers, with an emphasis on blogs having a subscriber count on the lower range of the spectrum (I’ve seen less than 3000, 2000 or 200, you get the idea though).

Let’s Get Started!

Rebekah asked the following questions for me to answer, so here we go:

1. You are stuck on a desert island with only five games for the rest of time (or until you are rescued). Which do you choose?

This was a tough one given the vast number of un-played games on my shelf. Who knows how long I would be stuck on the island, I might as well make it count and make it last. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion would have to be number one. I’ve been trying to play through that game off and on for… holy crap, like 8 years! If I was stuck on a desert island with only 4 other titles I would definitely finish it! Next I would select Red Dead Redemption, one of the most acclaimed open-world games of the last generation. After that, Dark Souls. I absolutely loved Demon’s Souls and would hate the idea of possibly missing out on the rest of From Software’s masterpieces. The fourth game would be my copy of Puyo Puyo Tetris because sometimes you’re just not in the mood to slog through an epic quest, and a good, quirky puzzle game can provide respite. Last but not least I would take Dead Space, which is an unusual choice for me. I’m generally not a fan of horror games and I don’t care for jump scares at all. Dead Space seemed like a good third-person shooter made for people who are not me. I was so uninterested in Dead Space that I didn’t purchase it. However, a good friend of mine liked it so much that he actually bought it for me, despite my lack of interest. I figure that has got to be the strongest possible way a person can recommend a game. I couldn’t live with myself if I never got around to trying out the gift given by a good friend, and desert island or no, I will get around to it.

2. What is your worst gaming pet peeve?

I’m not a fan of games that don’t have a subtitle option, but I’ve got to believe that is behind us at this point. I’m going to have to say bad cameras. When you’re in the middle of a tense action sequence, the camera spazzing out on environmental geometry is the worst. There has to be a better way.

3. How do you choose your topics?

Most of my game-related topics are probably inspired by the other game-related content I consume. By that I don’t mean just playing games. From podcasts and magazines, to blogs and tweets, I tend to follow the video game industry in much the same way as a big sports fan follows their favorite team. Sometimes listening to a podcast discussion I am not participating in will drive me to write about my opinion on the same topic, it’s more effective than trying to talk to my iPod. A preview article about an upcoming game might inspire me to write about why the game is exciting for me or why I think it’s a bad idea altogether. Someone else’s blog post might reveal to me that I have a strong opinion about the same topic, but in a different light and I’ll want to share that.

It occurs to me that most of the things I like to write about revolve around discussion. They are inspired by someone else’s discussion that I was unable to participate in, a discussion I was able to participate in but wanted to continue it down another path, or a subject that is ripe for opposing views. I like discussion, the back and forth. Though I feel gaming has never been more popular or accepted than it is now, I rarely find myself in the physical company of others who share that interest. Writing about it here, and reading/commenting about it on other blogs provides an avenue for those fun discussions to take place.

Coming up with topics has been something that I struggle with. I do feel like I can write fairly well once I know where I want to go with something, but the hardest part is the starting point. From the advice of a new friend, I’ve taken to pulling out my phone and adding ideas to a list when they come to me. I think this will help immensely.

4. Do you try to hit a certain word count in your blogs? Or do you just wing it?

My posts always start from a specific thought I want to share, and usually include a few certain wrinkles that in my head sound like they would come across well or in an entertaining way. I stop when they feel finished and that’s pretty much it. In fact, they often take off in a completely different direction once I get started, occasionally the final product barely resembles the one I started writing. I quite enjoy writing and can tend to be a bit “wordy”. I’m usually concerned that my posts end up being too long (hello, are you still here?).

Then there’s The King’s Backlog. It feels right to type a little something to accommodate my video posts. I certainly don’t want to just throw the episode up there by itself, there has to be something, right? Well, I soon discovered that it was really hard to think of anything substantial to write about each successive hour of the same video game and an idea took form in my head out of nowhere. Haikus! I had never even tried to write one so I have no clue where that idea came from, but I tried it anyway. My current process of posting The King’s Backlog consists of me introducing the game, expectations I may have about playing it, and any other thoughts about it I want to put into words, all posted along with the first episode. Subsequent episodes are now accompanied by a haiku to summarize or hint at highlights of the episode… or simply make me chuckle.

Long description made short, no word count… but sometimes a syllable count.

5. What one weird talent do you have that no one would expect?

I have worked in the construction industry for nearly all of my adult life, for the last 10 years with a geotechnical construction company that specializes in Cement Deep Soil Mixing. This means that I am always traveling for work as our projects are scattered throughout the US and occasionally beyond. Most people I meet and interact with are in the context of construction work, and that often comes with a certain… I don’t know, stereotype? I will frequently show up looking like this (bottom left), especially in the summer. Depending on the where the project is located, I may show up on this (right). The people I’m close to know better how varied my interests are, the rest are usually completely surprised to learn I can play the cello. I’m quite rusty since my career makes it hard to find the time to practice on the “axe”.

6. You are going to Disneyland: what do you do first?

I’ve actually been to Disneyland once (in 1995) and have very fond memories of the Matterhorn and Star Tours. I imagine some things have changed there in the last 20 years so the first thing I would do is probably make a quick recon to see if there’s anything new I need to check out… then spend the rest of the day on the Matterhorn and Star Tours. Oh, and see if I can find a really big corndog. There’s something about amusement parks makes me hungry for a really big corndog.

I love roller coasters and someday want to make it to Magic Mountain.

7. You have to be immersed in one game world for a day; which do you choose and why?

Wow, this one’s hard! I’m going to go with Tamriel from Oblivion. Part of the reason why I’m nowhere near finishing the game after countless hours is because I’ve been doing so much exploring. I love the look of the world and the different visual style for each region and town. I’m fascinated by the Ayleid ruins and old forts scattered throughout the map and spend way too much time poking around in them. It would be great to drop a bit of gold at a magic shop and be able to shoot fire and lightning from my fingertips. And who wouldn’t jump at the chance to sit down in a tavern to converse with a Khajiit and an Argonian?

8. What is your favorite place you have visited? Why?

I’ve done a lot of traveling with my job and had some great times in some great places. This would have been a much more difficult question for me to answer three weeks ago. Now I can say without hesitation that my favorite place I have visited is Japan, hands down. As a kid who used to love watching old Godzilla movies and later grew up with the excellent 8 and 16-bit consoles the Japanese brought us, there was no more desired a place to go than Japan. As an adult who’s worked for a Japanese company for the last 10 years and become quite fond of my co-workers who call Japan home, my desire to go there became much more than just a geek fantasy. And I was not disappointed, it was AMAZING! I’ll be trying to get a blog post put together about my recent trip very soon, so I’m hesitant to go into the “why” in too much detail right now.

9. If you could be the lead singer for a known band at a huge concert for one day, which would it be? Why?

I have pretty varied tastes when it comes music, with favorite songs across many genres and eras that I love to sing along with. For some unknown reason I’ve been singing “Midnight Confession” from The Grass Roots in my head most of the day, and I wasn’t even born before that song was popular.

Because I genuinely like each and every song in their catalogue and I don’t think I can say that about any other band, I’m going to have to go with Breaking Benjamin. Learning more about the lead singer (Benjamin Burnley) and the phobias he suffers from casts a new light on his work that really draws me in. I was also surprised to learn that he co-wrote my favorite Red song “Shadows”.

10. Carpet or hardwood?

I like them both. Hardwood can be beautiful, but a good carpet is more comfortable on bare feet and to stretch out on. Also, carpeted rooms feel…quieter (I’m not sure that’s the right word, hopefully you know what I mean). That’s how I prefer to feel when I think about a home. So if I have to choose one, it’s carpet. Besides, I can’t imagine wrestling or playing tug-of-war with this little guy on hardwood (Hi Reggie!). I’ve already got quite a weight advantage, he needs the additional traction!

If allowed to choose both, dark hardwood on the ground floor and thick carpet in the basement.

11. Someone has to do a formal painting of you; what do you wear and how do you pose? Inside or outside?

It’s really goofy but I wear a Hawaiian shirt, jeans, my Nintendo controller belt buckle, and my motorcycle boots. It doesn’t make for the classy portrait at all, but it is just so me. I’m sitting in a chair gazing thoughtfully into the distant horizon, because the best pictures of people are the ones in which the subjects don’t appear to be aware of the picture. I suppose “candid” would be the term? Outside, somewhere with natural beauty. Wooded mountainside perhaps?

About Me

And now for 11 facts about me:

1. To partially explain the answer to question 11 above, I wear a Hawaiian shirt every Friday. Rain or shine, in the office or on the jobsite, I wear one from my collection. In the last 8 years I have probably only forgotten to put on my Friday shirt twice. I can’t even remember why I started doing it, but I’m sure I always will. It seems to bring a little levity to work each week. It also makes me easy to shop for.

I love it when my co-workers occasionally join in!

2. I’m allergic to cats, which is great (sarcasm) because I love cats and cats love me. My wife’s cat and I were the best of friends when she still lived with us, but I always struggled to breathe whenever I was home and she wouldn’t leave my side.

3. Growing up in Utah meant that I had only one local professional sports team to cheer for, the Utah Jazz.
My favorite NFL team is the Philadelphia Eagles… I have never been to Philadelphia…
My favorite MLB team is the Chicago Cubs… I have never been to Chicago…

4. It will likely be the death of me but I love my Mountain Dew. I drink a lot of it. When I am eating out, my choice of restaurant is heavily influenced by their soft drink offerings. Unfortunately Coca-Cola is what most dining establishments have available. I don’t care for Coca-Cola, it actually hurts my stomach, but stir in a little chocolate syrup and you have something magical. And the look on a waitress’s/waiter’s face after you’ve just asked them to add chocolate to a Coke and stir until it looks like muddy water is priceless. One waitress even called her friends over to watch me from the kitchen doorway because they didn’t actually think I was going to drink it. Give it a try!

5. As unhealthy as my diet is, or may appear to be, I actually have a favorite fruit! Every year I am very excited when the pomegranate is in season again. I know it’s a lot of work, but please stop trying to tell me about easier ways to eat them, that’s part of the experience. I can enjoy a pomegranate for nearly an entire movie’s length!

6. If I could travel back in time only once, I would choose a crowded theater in 1980 that was about to find out who Darth Vader really is. What a cool reaction that must have been!

7. I hate sleeping in. On weekends when I am not working my alarm is usually set for 6:00 am. My free time is precious and I’d much rather spend the early morning hours playing video games or meeting up with some friends at a disc golf course.

8. I really like musicals. I’ve seen both “

Les Misérables

” and “Phantom of the Opera” live in San Francisco. I love the movies “Paint Your Wagon”, “My Fair Lady”, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”, and “Moulin Rouge!” among many others. I especially enjoy seeing local community theatre productions.

9. I still have all of my wisdom teeth.

10. I am the oldest of 6, and the only one with my mother’s hazel eyes. All of my siblings have my father’s blue eyes, defying probability as blue eyes are a recessive gene (thank you biology class).

11. For some reason I can never listen to a song containing in the lyrics the words “memory” or “memories” without my brain automatically replacing it with “mammary” or “mammaries” (which isn’t actually a word). This has made listening to music incredibly strange at times. If after reading this you are also afflicted with this curse, you are welcome.

Who’s Next?

I’d like to nominate Junambo over at Quarter Circle Gaming, one of the sites I’ve recently started following and enjoy quite a bit. Go check it out, there’s some great writing and well thought out reviews over there. Junambo, here are your 11 questions:

1. What 3 games do you think have had the biggest impact on the industry, and what was the impact?
2. Jack Bauer or James Bond?

3. Do you have a favorite classic game that you can always return to, and if so what is it?
4. What accomplishment are you most proud of?
5. Single-player, co-op, or multiplayer?
6. If you could only choose one food to eat for the next six months, what would it be?
7. What do you want to be when you grow up? (I think this question can be relevant at any age)
8. Which mundane, everyday profession do you think would make a good basis for the next great simulation game?
9. You can interview any one person, living or dead. Who do you choose?
10. Which place in the world do you wish to travel to more than any other?
11. What is it about you that people are the most surprised to learn?

Thanks again for the Liebster nomination, Rebekah, it means a lot. And thanks for reading!

Play nice, everyone!

I Can’t See You!

As I write this, it is currently the middle of the night here in Tokyo. I was fortunate enough to take this trip and see some amazing things unlike anything I’ve seen before. Because my job is one that often requires me to always be available it’s also been a bit tiring. I had to join a conference call to answer some questions and address some concerns about a project that is starting up back in the states, which meant waking up in the middle of the night. While I was up I decided to catch up on some of the other gaming blogs I follow, engage in some discussion, and felt the desire to write a little for myself.

I will be posting all about my time here in Japan shortly after I get back home. Check back later for that!

First Person vs Third Person

Do you have a preference? I know I do. I will give any game a chance if it seems like the setting, story, and gameplay will be interesting and fun to me, regardless of play style. I do however prefer third person over first.

This also means that first person shooters are not my favored genre, and I end up passing on a lot of potentially great experiences as a result. I do play some, but it’s always something else about the game that draws me in.

I appreciated the visual style and sense of humor of Borderlands, but what really got me into it was the prospect of enjoying those things cooperatively with a couple of friends. This also explains why I haven’t made much progress in Borderlands 2 at the time of this writing, our group hasn’t been able to consistently meet up to tackle the sequel. As a result, while Borderlands 2 is touted as an improvement over what made the first game so great, I don’t like it as much. What it is on it’s own is not as good as what it is, plus friends (Borderlands 2 + Friends > Borderlands 2). I’m also suspecting that the whole “golden key” system is dragging the experience down for me, but that’s a topic for another day.

I got into Mirror’s Edge for what it brought to the table that was unique to most first person games, and that was the parkour world navigation. For me, that style was made more fun by the novelty of free running through Faith’s perspective. My experience with shooters is usually not enhanced in this way just by putting the camera directly behind the gun.

I Want to See

I feel like I have much better awareness of my surroundings in third person, but mostly I just want to see my character. I like to notice how changing equipment also changes the look. I like to see how the character moves, makes use of cover, and negotiates obstacles. Most of all I like to remember who my character is. I know the goal of the first person viewpoint is to better immerse the player in the shoes of the protagonist, but it’s easy for me to forget who the protagonist is when I can’t see them, especially if that character also has no in-game voice. I’m not trying to play the game as me, I’m trying to play as the character.

My wife once commented on how often she notices that I will create a female character in games. Initially I didn’t have a response to that, but after thinking about it for a while it made sense that it’s because for so many years of gaming there wasn’t an option. The default character was usually male. As a result I will, more often than not, create a female character when given the option. Now I’m not going to sit here and say that every game should have a female version of the protagonist to select. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with creating a story-centric game with one specifically designed character. These games serve their story better. I would like to see more of these games that feature a much wider variety of main character design (gender, ethnicity, etc.), and I think that’s the future we’re headed for. Anyway, that’s another topic for another post.

In a previous post I used my current Oblivion character as an example and she’ll serve here as well. Because I’m looking through her eyes and because she has no in-game voice I forget the character I’m playing. It can be jarring when I talk to a shopkeeper, quest-giver, or other NPC and that character includes “miss” or “ma'am” in their dialogue (I’m not actually sure if any character in Oblivion says “ma’am”, but you get the idea). I’ve forgotten the gender of my character because I can’t see her.

I’ve said it before, the thing I like the most about my games is story. And central to a good story are well-defined characters. There are some of us who enjoy bringing themselves into the game. I prefer to bring myself into the character, and that’s easier and more fun for me when I can see them.

Cover Me!

The second biggest reason I prefer third person games to first person is the way they typically handle cover. In most first person games I’ve played you take advantage of cover by standing behind a wall or ducking while in front of a low object, which just gives you a close up view of the object you are hiding behind (I hope your textures are good!). This is certainly more realistic in that your view would definitely be obstructed if you were hiding behind something in real life, but that’s not for me. I only want so much realism in my escapism.

In movies or TV shows where action scenes depict the characters behind cover, we see them with their backs against the object offering protection. And they usually turn in a cool, hero-type way to peek out or over the cover and squeeze off a few shots in defense. It looks better for us, the viewers, because we see them from a different viewpoint. I find that the same holds true for me with games.

Simply put, I prefer third person games because I can see my character and how they interact with the world around them. That is, as long as the camera system is well designed…

How you do like to view your game worlds? Like me, do you also have a clear preference?

 

Play nice, everyone!

Side-Questing Into Ambiguity

Who Am I, Really?

This is a topic that I’ve been kicking around in my head for a while now as a direct result of two main catalysts.

The first is from an Afterwords interview of Far Cry 4’s creative director, Alex Hutchinson, by Game Informer’s Matt Bertz in the February 2015 issue. One of the questions Matt asks Alex is about what he feels is the “schizophrenic nature” of the main character because of the stark moral contrast in the missions undertaken throughout the game. Alex’s response to this was what turned on the light bulb for me as he answers that, “… he wasn’t doing any of those things – you were.” He then goes on to point out that much of that content was optional.

The second was a post I recently read from a blog I started following (written by Rebekah Lang), and am enjoying quite a bit. Specifically, it was this post. In it she discusses her enjoyment of side quests and the satisfaction felt by completing them all. I really wanted to comment on the post itself, but couldn’t do so without a lot of words. Having no good way to convey my point without taking up way too much space in her comment section, I decided to just write this post and offer inspirational credit and a recommendation to her excellent blog. 

These two sources provide a good frame for the conflicting feelings I’m having about side quests in video games lately, which we’ll get to in short order. First,  please allow me to set the stage for an example of this bittersweet relationship.

Open-World Games

Nothing extends a video game backlog like open-world games, and I have many on my shelf. The worst offender, and perhaps my most embarrassing, is The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Despite the many hours I’ve spent with the game I’ve never finished it. I’ve never even made much headway in the main quest. On top of that, I’m currently playing through the third copy I’ve owned! My wife purchased the initial release on PS3 for me as a gift, which I later traded in for the Game of the Year Edition (an act she is still not too pleased about), which was in turn given to a friend when I purchased the 5th Anniversary Edition.

My failure to finish the game is due mainly to distraction and my inability to play it correctly. I don’t like talking about games being played “correctly” because I’m a firm believer that if you are enjoying your time with a game you are doing it right, regardless of your progress. It is a game after all and games are supposed to be fun (I think that’s a quote from something…?). When a game gives me the opportunity to do what I want, I tend to try to do it all. Rather than creating a specialized character, I would tend to try a bit of everything. It’s a real “jack of all trades, master of none” scenario. In Oblivion the game world levels alongside you, so I would repeatedly reach a point where I was technically at a high enough level but wasn’t proficient enough in any skills to survive. I would always hit a wall when the trolls began to appear. I hate trolls… (now that I remember from Willow).

When dealing with a meaty RPG like Oblivion I really have to stick with it at the near exclusion of all others until I’m done so I don’t forget what’s going on in the story or at least what the controls are. Second only to the pity that is the number of games on my shelf I haven’t played, is the number of games I have started but haven’t returned to because of other gaming distractions. But I haven’t given up on Oblivion just yet, I’ve created one last character with whom I am bound and determined to see as much of the game as possible before finally putting it behind me.

Meet Sylvir Blackhart!
 
She is amazing! As a master of archery and stealth, she can operate undetected in most situations and strike from the dark like no other. At level 29, her Speed and Agility (the attributes most vital for her deadly skills) are completely maxed out. Unlike my previous characters she is focused on a specific toolset, and as a result is enjoying quite a bit of success. However, while I do love playing the sneaky, ranged, lock-picking assassin, I don’t much like her.

Sylvir doesn’t stand for anything, has no discernable alignment or motive. The only thing anybody can ever really know about who she is, is that she seems to be addicted to favors. She has an insatiable need to do things for people, which is how she got to level 29 without even really beginning the main “save the world” quest. No task is too noble, despicable, simple, or complex. She doesn’t at all care who is helped or hurt by her reckless, mercenary ways.

Of course, just as Mr. Hutchinson told Matt about Far Cry 4, she didn’t do any of those things, I did. In the course of trying to see as much of the game as I could I’ve created a character that behaves like a crazy person. In chasing the satisfaction that comes from crossing items off of a quest log, I’ve created a less satisfying story.

What Does It Mean to You?

I love a good story, and I will forgive a lot of bland gameplay, questionable design choices, and even a host of glitches for a great one. For me, central to a great story are strong, well-defined characters. By fulfilling any and all requests she come across, Sylvir is anything but well-defined.

Now, I’m not here to pass judgment on people for how they like to play their games. However you find your fun with a game is exactly how you should be playing it (aside from those that derive enjoyment from harassing, excluding, or threatening other people through games). If you genuinely like spending countless hours running down each and every side quest in a game, more power to you. I’ve done it myself and had fun while doing it.

I won’t deny how great it is to open the map in an Assassin’s Creed game and see all those little icons cleaned off. The difference with Assassin’s Creed games is that none of the optional side activities break who the characters is. The point is to play through that character’s story, re-live their experiences. You can be punished or at least warned for doing something like accidentally killing an innocent bystander because it is out of character for the protagonist (…sometimes I get sloppy with the targeting…), but the included missions are all in line with who you are playing as.

Side quests can be a great way for developers to extend the experience for gamers who want more value for their dollar, and an enjoyable game can be fun for a much longer period of time by including a well thought out suite of optional content. At this point many of us have been conditioned to try to get the most “juice for the squeeze”, whether it’s in an attempt to get more bang for your buck or to collect all the trophies/achievements.

Open-world games that promote the idea of playing it however you want will undoubtedly be loaded with side quests and other non-critical activities, but perhaps with a  downside for gamers such as myself. Like with Matt Bertz’s experience in Far Cry 4, many large games offer some side quests that can be quite morally contradicting to others. In trying to see and do everything, maybe we’re not so much playing the way we want as we are simply playing all we can.

What I’m beginning to understand about myself is that I might enjoy these experiences more by asking myself what my character would do rather than just trying to do everything. We already have a powerful opportunity to shape our distinct path through many of the impressive digital creations at our fingertips, why not try to use it? What’s the point of having this incredible player choice, only to use it to just do all the things, all the time? Why not play as a character who will readily assist those in need for little to no gain, but finds a more nefarious request distasteful? Why not create a character who just wants to watch it all burn down? Why not immerse yourself in a persona that’s much less picky but will only perform tasks in return for an appropriate financial reward? And if you really want to see all a game has to offer, why not replay it as a different character with different standards?

I often think back to my time with Heavy Rain. To date, I’ve only played it through once and enjoyed it immensely. Perhaps the best part was talking about it with a new friend who had played it at around the same time that I did. Our stories were completely different! I still find it fascinating how unique our experiences could be while still playing the same game. Heavy Rain is obviously not an open-world game and isn’t loaded with side quests but it serves to remind me how vital a good story can be to my enjoyment of a game. When the credits rolled I had a clear-cut, well-defined path through that was uniquely mine.

How Could It Be Better?

The games in the Infamous series receive a lot of criticism for promising player choice, but really only delivering two main options. I’ve only played the first one at this point, but I understand the following titles are pretty similar in this regard. At critical junctions throughout the game you have to make a choice which affects not only the story, but the protagonist’s morality. Most of the criticism leveled at the game pertains to the fact that the choices are all pretty clearly “good” or “bad”, as well as the fact that you have to commit to one or the other to obtain and maximize the top-tier abilities. To walk a morally “gray” line, you have to make a combination of “white” and “black” choices and will likely never reach your full potential as a super-powered dude.

While I understand where the complaints come from, I don’t really share them. I had a great time playing Infamous and felt it was a very solid product. Because I wanted to see both sides (and get that Platinum!) I played it through twice, becoming the bad Cole first, followed by the good.

One thing I appreciated was how it handled side quests. They weren’t nearly as pervasive as in most large open world titles, but what they did with them mattered, at least to me. Many of the side quests were basically two sides of the same coin. When you chose to tackle an optional mission that was aligned with one moral side, the other one was taken off the table. There was no way to do all of the “good” side missions and all of the “bad”, which made sense to me. I would like to see a similar system put in place in future open-world games on a much larger scale.

Imagine an Elder Scrolls-sized epic adventure just loaded with side quests, but when you agree to take on one task, many of the others that could be seen as morally contradicting became no longer available. Sure, you couldn’t do each and every little non-critical activity in one playthrough, but your story would be personalized by your choices. Your character would be better defined, not only by what he/she did, but also by what he/she declined to do.

I know, it’s kind of a silly thing to hope for, especially since I can already do this myself by being a bit more discerning as I play. I’d still love to see someone try, if it hasn’t already been done before in a game I just haven’t played yet (the backlog is deep!). That way, the gamer in me who wants an individualized story doesn’t have do battle with the one who wants to do everything (he’s already too good at getting his way!). Perhaps, with a system such as that I would like Sylvir a lot more. I would at least know who she is.

Thanks for reading!

Play nice, everyone!