By Ian Kenny / New Jersey
There are many things that piss me off about video games.
For example, Bioware’s widely acclaimed title ‘Mass Effect’ (one of my all time favorite games) was showered with praise for successfully incorporating RPG elements with cinematic visuals and a compelling story in what could have otherwise been a very mediocre cover shooter. This being said the vehicle sections had me pulling out most of my hair as my MAKO decided to explore a very interesting looking cliff face all on its own whilst being bombarded by multiple Geth turrets.
‘Dead Rising 2’ was ruined for me by the fact that the whole game was on a timer. The game sucks you in with promises of dismembering zombies with a canoe paddle with dual chainsaw attachments but no time to enjoy any of your improvised weapons because if you don’t get to your checkpoint in 3 minutes YOU LOSE!
- Jump jets won’t save you this time!
Similar discussions and complaints can be found on every major video game site and forum out there where countless gamers critique new releases based on gameplay, graphics, story and replay value. The most recent debate that has been gaining momentum in the mainstream media, however, has been over the content of the controversial trailer for the upcoming survival horror title ‘Dead Island’. The striking cinematic depicts a father’s futile attempt to rescue his family from the zombie outbreak that has suddenly impacted their cozy tropical island resort. The most disturbing aspect of the trailer is that as it begins the viewer finds themselves staring into the lifeless eyes of a dead child surrounded by zombies which hammers home the cruel finality of the scenario.
Most cinematic trailers feature vibrant displays of overpowered heroes vanquishing scores of enemies whereas the survival horror genre tends to present seemingly futile or hopeless situations where the protagonist faces overwhelming odds. The purpose of this is not to depress the target audience but to present a challenge, almost as if the designer is daring you to do better. But where avid gamers like myself see the potential for an engrossing new gaming experience others have begun to question whether it is appropriate to depict the death of a child in such an interactive medium. In my opinion, this is one example of what separates hardcore gamers from casual gamers.
- Some children need rescuing, others just want to eat your soul.
Children have long been a staple of some of the best horror movies such as ‘Children of the Corn’, ‘The Omen’ and ‘The Exorcist’ and are portrayed as either victims of the supernatural or, in many cases, the antagonists. The ‘Dead Island’ trailer itself owes much to the 2004 remake of George A. Romero’s classic ‘Dawn of the Dead’, which includes a very similar scene in which a zombie child attacks the fiancée of the protagonist turning him into a zombie as well. While there are many out-of-touch parent watchdog groups that decry every single mature rated game released since ‘Custer’s Revenge’ on the Atari 2600, some of the most surprising critics of the trailer are in fact gamers themselves.
A recent blog article by Omar L. Gallaga was featured on CNN discussing the disturbing nature of the trailer and questioning whether the recent trend of violence towards children in games reflects a greater desensitization towards the subject matter in our. Many of the examples cited by the author are survival horror games such as ‘Bioshock’, ‘Heavy Rain’ and ‘Dead Space 2’ but, while his points are well thought out and interesting, reading the article gave me the impression that Mr. Gallaga does not possess a clear understanding of the growing appeal of horror games. I don’t exactly hold this against him because horror, in any medium, is not everyone’s cup of tea.
- I was careful not to harvest them when my wife was in the room.
To make the claim that violence and gore are the primary attractions of survival horror games is a gross over-simplification. Namco’s release of the ‘Splatterhouse’ reboot last Novermber was extremely bloody but was universally panned by critics for its low production value, mediocre storyline and frustrating gameplay. ‘Dead Space’ and ‘Bioshock’, on the other hand, were hailed as ground-breaking because the designers of both games went out of their way to make you feel as isolated and alone as the protagonists. Isaac Clarke, the main character of ‘Dead Space’, never takes off his helmet during the game, never speaks and his only interaction with friendly NPCs is over a viewscreen or through some sort of physical barrier. The nameless hero of ‘Bioshock’ is very similar in this respect because you never see his face and he only communicates with his mysterious guide via a radio.
This immersion is critical but it must be done carefully to ensure that the player feels like they are the face of their character thereby thrusting them headlong into the fantasy world of the game. In the original ‘Dead Space’ Isaac Clarke only encountered adult necromorphs since the mining and command crew of the USG Ishimura only consisted of adults. The second game takes place on The Sprawl, a giant space city orbiting Titan with thousands of families, and this presents a new challenge in the form of necromorph children. The claim that our society has become desensitized to violence towards children seems counter intuitive to me because it is clear that the intention of the designers in adding these elements is to disturb the player.
- They want to play with you…
The first reason for the inclusion of children is realism, because creating borders and limitations in RPGs, sandbox and horror games can quickly take the player right out of the story and remind them that they really are just playing a game. The second is that seeing children in peril, or as a source of peril, awakens a deep seated disgust and revulsion in most well adjusted human beings and, as I mentioned earlier, the horror genre in general is famous for exploiting this emotional response. People who get a thrill out of killing children are clearly not the target audience as the experience is intended to present the player with a moral conundrum that will stay with them long after they have beaten the game.
- If this doesn’t pull on the heartstrings at least a little then you are not the target audience.
Ultimately, the success of ‘Dead Island’ is going to hinge on many of the factors I have already talked about but more importantly, if you felt offended by the trailer chances are you should not buy this game because you will probably not enjoy it. Just remember that there are many mentally sound (and this includes socially awkward) adults who do enjoy the genre and giving validity to those who would ban such games by illustrating one’s argument with sweeping generalizations is irresponsible. The beautiful thing about the ever expanding world of video games is that there is something for everyone and, as the ‘Dead Island’ trailer demonstrates, it is quickly becoming a respected art form that can stand toe to toe with the horror movies it pays homage to.
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