Video Game Monotony as Blessing

Unfocused this weekend, so I tried to take my breaks with videogames. Discovered my general impatience worked against me.

Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked: I should say that I picked this up based on positive reviews in several places. Auzumel wanted to pick up the new Harvest Moon game for the Gamecube, so she’d have something to play while she was waiting for processes to run on her work machine. I haven’t seen the anime-- though I like samurai genre, the show’s creator also did Cowboy Beebop, which I loathe. Anyhow, I wanted something where I could hit things.

So I learn my combos, and then we get a lengthy cut scene, then I kill ten ninjas, then I run around town and each store is narrative and no fighting, then I head out of town and there’s a cut-scene, and then another cut-scene, and then another…at which point I hit the power button on the PS2.

Oyama: The samurai pinball game for the Gamecube. With armies. And a giant steel ball. And voice commands for your forces. I’ve found myself avoiding this game because you have to shout at your units. I mean, Auzumel, can’t hear me upstairs and the neighbors certainly can’t, but still…I’m a little embarrassed. And, as it turns out, unskilled. I play the first level repeatedly to no avail—plus there’s a linear track for the maps/pinball set ups, so I can’t do anything else until I finish mission one. OK, I’m done.

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow: For the Nintendo DS. I’ve had this for a while, but it is Auzumel’s DS and she’d been unable to put down Animal Crossing DS for so long that I’d forgotten I bought it…and the guide. So I go ahead—memories of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night on the PS. I think I played one of the Gameboy as well. Cool—I fight, I level up, I get new stuff and then…

Then in order to beat the boss I have to draw a triangle on the screen when it asks for it. Up til this point I’ve been using the buttons, so suddenly I need to switch and get the stylus out to run across the touch screen. I did it, but now I’m paranoid. I don’t want to move on to the next boss…and I’m irritated with this requirement.

So I look over my stack of rpgs I have to finish. A number of them eliminate themselves from consideration because I haven’t played them in a while and I’d have to relearn mechanics, figure out where in the plot I was, or dig out stacks of notes. That takes out Kingdom Hearts, Stella Deus and Star Ocean. Two other games are out simply because I’ve discovered they require reflexes and I just don’t have them—Radiata Stories and Magna Carta. I might get to those someday, but I doubt it. On the other hand, trading them in would be to truly admit failure. I could do Digital Devil Saga 2, but I’m really unenthused about that. I loved the first game, played it through twice, and Nocturne, its spiritual ancestor, but this doesn’t grab me. Same thing with Wild Arms: Reloaded. I love WA3, but this one is just…feh. I’m probably halfway through Shadow Hearts: Covenant. I like the characters, but playing that game takes more attention than I can muster. Fighting requires hitting the buttons with timing. I have to do that game in parts.

It is at this moment that I realize I have no idea what I like in games. It could be the general apathy and bad attitude I have from quitting smoking, but I’m not sure. I like fighting games, but eventually they hurt my hand and plus they’re not all that fun by yourself when you’re as bad as me at them. I like racing games, but only when I can fire or shoot at your opponent. Wipeout is cool for that, but the thing I hate is that you have to be absolutely perfect or you are quite simply screwed. Mario Kart ought to be great, but it isn’t. Action games—maybe, but no shooters or anything that requires aiming. So Halo and its ilk are out.

What does that leave? Repetitive, non-challenging leveling up in rpgs. I pull out Suikoden V and get my party together. And fight over and over again. Slow and steady progress, the occasional level benefit and a fine catering to my minor league autism. I’m hoping I can break out of this cycle and figure out something better to play or be willing to go back to those other games. OOH it is nice out…a little....

I should be reading.