It's been quite a while since my last blog post. The post entitled "Disappointment" has truly come to fruition since then. Halo 3 has been the subject of an array of feelings: love, hatred, disgust, frustration, disappointment. For quite some time now, I've noticed that something has been missing. I beat the campaign in a matter of days, a fitting end to a trilogy with a decent plot (I'm being generous). Since then, I've played countless games online. Hundreds upon hundreds of ranked and social matches with friends and strangers alike. Still, I am not satisfied.
What is it that is driving me crazy? I'm restless, annoyed, and truly frustrated with the game. Is it because of the constant beat downs I endure though I know I hit the B button before my opponent did. No, I can live with that. The reason for my anxiety is that I'm no longer connected to the game. There's no story behind my actions. There's no character development (though I'm not sure there was to begin with). So, what have I done to battle these feelings? I still play multiplayer games and enjoy them to an extent, but I've been picking up books. Yes, that's right. I'm READING.
For some, that will be hard to believe. What is someone in the 21st century doing reading? For others, that won't seem odd at all. I read because I want to feel involved. I want to be pulled in by what I do, not thrown into mindless effort, numb to any emotion except frustration and hatred. Books allow me to do this. Have you ever read Dune? If you have, you can understand what I mean by being pulled into a story. You can understand my appreciation of character development.
Still, I am not lost when it comes to the video games I have loved for so long. Mass Effect will be my savior. BioWare's undoubtedly epic RPG will have a story worth listening to, a story worth involving myself in, a story worth playing. Unlike Halo 3, ME will be immersive. It won't pull me in through cheap tactics like competitive gameplay latent with subtle miscues and mistakes that only make themselves apparent after the initial enjoyment resides. Video games should be very similar to books, only better. We as gamers should be immersed in the enviornment, pulled in by plot and character development and other literary elements that make profound novels so great. Mass Effect will be a novel that we can experience, a story that includes our participation. It will be a story worth hearing.