Ludeus Maximus

First update of many for the summer. I bought a Japanese PS2 from a fellow student for 80$. It came with multitap, four controllers, and 32 games (although I think they’re pirated) and thus a modchip that lets it play both pirated and Western games. I’ve got a bunch of good ones, including Okami, Resident Evil 4, Katamari Damacy, Soul Caliber III, Ace Combat 5, etc. This is kind of a seminal moment in my gaming history as A. I’ve never owned a console before and B. Probably the most money I’ve ever spent on anything game related. Despite deep loyalty to the PC as a gaming platform I recognize the gaming public has largely moved on. I also know that getting a playtesting job without console experience is a little bit difficult (for good reason). That and I’m increasingly jealous of console gamers’ exclusives and delighted by the library of games on the PS2 which I actually want to play.

The first couple sections of Resident Evil 4  have really impressed me. The game throws you into the fray with a couple control tutorials and lets zombies chew your face off. The game is so fun that the level of difficulty (only two modes and I’m on “Normal”) actually makes me want to play more. In many ways frustration is a tool that game designers are reluctant to use, but many games utilize effectively. Especially something like N, the ninja platforming nightmare. If the players feel they are treated fairly (the game isn’t cheating them) and they have a chance to win (something those who give up on N may give up on) many will labor under ridiculous conditions in order to achieve final success. And frustration makes the feeling of triumph greater. That said my lack of experience with aiming with the PS2 controller is most of the reason I suck at the game. Headshots are mostly required with the pistol to kill and I can’t get them most of the time. The games inventory, gun upgrade/purchase, move acquisition, etc. features are really impressive and create, from the first encounter with them, knowledge that the game is gonna get big. And losing all my progress by dying just means I can buy a different gun to try out against the zombies in the next section. Also, surprisingly well written dialog. The main character comes across as sarcastic and intelligent but not an asshole, even if his anime boyman face isn’t so hot. The codex calls stolen from Metal Gear Solid don’t work as well and the plot leaves a lot to be desired (President’s daughter kidnapped by zombies, out of control ex-cop has to save her in rural wooded area) but the dialog is fun. And the setting, rural Spain, if in practice not so amazing, is a unique choice (the language is especially nice).

I’ve also started Bully, which is Rockstar’s version of GTA set at a boarding school. The game has a great tutorial which I find to be essential for any open-world (or sufficiently complex game). The cutscenes are well-acted and set up a pretty good plot, although Rockstar’s juvenile mindset shows through a bit too much in certain places. Gameplay-wise I don’t like it as much as RE4, but I haven’t really explored the depth of the game. I feel it should encourage exploration more and offer a bit of a looser schedule for classes.

Overall I’m psyched for this summer and finally playing some “classic” PS2 games.