Casual PS3 Gamer: Episode #1

This is my first installment of what I hope will be many video game related blog posts. This time around, I decided to just write what came to mind about gaming in general.

I recently signed up for a Blockbuster 30-day Game pass, which allowed me to have any 1 game out at a time over 30 days, swapping as I feel like it. This gave me the opportunity to try out a bunch of games I was interested in for one relatively low price. I wound up renting 3 games in that time: Far Cry 2, Killzone 2 and Dragon Age: Origins.

Here is how it broke down over the 30 days: I played Far Cry 2 for around 19 days, Killzone2 for about 4 days, and I finished up the final week with DA:O (which I was so into, I did not want to return). What this small experiment taught me is this: I love Role Playing Games. They are my favorite genre of game by far.

Now, full disclosure: I am 40+ years of age, and it likely won’t be a surprise to learn that I tend to suck at online mulitplayer First-Person Shooter games. My rare forays into a COD: MW multiplayer map more often than not results in almost immediate death from some hyphy 12-year old jacked up on Red Bull sniping from high-ground campsite. So, needless to say, those games have limited appeal. But I have been gaming for most of my life, and do like a FPS in single player mode if it has an intriguing story and exciting gameplay, but usually I get bored very quickly. And I do enjoy racing games (Burnout series is a fave), some sports games (though my brother has pwned me at Madden for over a decade now) and resource management games (my favorites of this ilk always have a strong RPG component…Civilization for example). But no other game type can engross me like the RPG.

I have a history of playing RPGs on desktops. Fallout 1, 2 & Tactics; Diablo I, II & Lord Of Destruction Expansion; Baldur’s Gate; all have sucked countless hours of my free time so many skeletal mages armed with the Life Tap curse. Nothing satisfies like leveling up and allocating some points to my Strength skill so I can finally wield that badass sword I’ve been lugging around in my inventory for 4 chapters.

So this got me thinking about what it is about RPGs that appeal to me over other types of games. And what does it say about me? Here are some observations:

• CHARACTER BUILDING – I love games with character development based on player’s choices, both in and out of the game. In-game decisions change outcomes and opportunities while allocating skill points each level-up lets you tailor your character to your needs. All these choices affect game play and tactics as game evolves. Fun!

• LOOTING/TREASURE HUNTING – Oh, the joy of finding that perfect weapon or rare armor set! This aspect of RPGs feeds my gambling instinct, making every kill a pull of a slot machine, and is why my favorite aspect of a game like Metal Gear Solid was my ability to customize/upgrade weapons. This loot-lust also explains why I love Borderlands, a melding of FPS and RPG.

• OPEN WORLD/SANDBOX – An open world makes the game feel more real, with no rails dictating your every move. You get to choose which quests/missions you want to do, when.

• IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT/STORY – But just making the world open isn’t enough. A well-designed world and an engaging story with many side-quests and Non-Player characters flesh out an experience that sells the story and makes you care about what happens.

Oblivion, GTA, and some other RGPs I have played contain these aspects, but all come out a bit lacking, especially in the final component. With those, the world feels a bit empty and sterile, just a bunch of bots waiting for you to initialize the next mission. GTA is further hampered by annoying gameplay segments (damn HELICOPTER!).

But, by far, the one that got it right is Fallout 3. I can safely say that it is my favorite RPG of all time (perhaps my favorite game of all time). It has it all. Fallout 3’s world, however, seems more alive and persistent, with explosions in the distance and random encounters that add to the whole experience and mood. And most importantly, interesting and deep NP characters to interact with. All this comes together seamlessly, and every aspect complements all the others. Aside from some technical glitches, especially in the expansion packs, this is a near-perfect game in my opinion.