It's not about the ending, it's about the journey!

A story can be told in many different forms. It may be presented in only words, sometimes words and pictures, sometimes just pictures. Those pictures may also sometimes be animated, or performed in a live action stage. The story might even be animated with computers, and as is the cause with some stories, you can even interact with the story. Of course, these 'interactive stories' I am talking about are video games.

There has been some debate about whether or not video games are an art form. Some of them, which allow you to build and create the world around you, can be considered such. Others, which tell a linear story making you go from point A to B, occasionally being forced into some kind of combat, are not. But even the more complex tales of those games could be considered art.

It's all a matter of perspective, really.

Having said that, my absolute favorite type of video game to play is one with a compelling and meaningful story. If you have been following my actions these past few days, than you are aware that I had obtained a copy of Bioshock Infinite and last night I completed the game. All I have to say is. . . 

WOW! 

It was incredible. I don't want to go into detail of the content of the game and I will try not to spoil any of it, but lemme tell you, that was the best game I have played in a long time! I had been a huge fan of the Bioshock series since I first saw its existence in high school. I even have a 'Big Daddy' figure at the bottom of my fish tank (it's funny because the first two Bioshock games take place in the underwater city of Rapture). The first of the series was magnificent for its time, pulling a fantastic twist ending and keeping the player guessing throughout each level. It also has some what of a moral choice system, but its still pretty black and white. The second game has a lot of the same characteristics as the first but played out in a very different way. A lot of ideas from the second game made similar appearances in Infinite, but were played out a lot better. I had high expectations for Infinite, and they broke every expectation I had and went far beyond what I ever imagined. So, while I am still on this post-game high, lets dive into a few other series that have done this to me.

Last semester I piddled around the Mass Effect series. I had bought the trilogy box set for my editor for Christmas, and I decided to play it before he got to it. This was the one of the better decisions of my life. This series is very story and character heavy. Everyone has a detailed backstory and even the 'Mary-sue' characters are compelling and interesting. From the first game, where you are the commander of a ship and have to save the galaxy, you become extremely attached to your crew. You have six squad mates and are only allowed to have two with you at a time. The story is slightly different depending on who you have with you at the time. There is a certain mission where you have the option of 'sacrificing' one of your team on a suicide mission, and at the same time one of your other members might also die depending on your action (though, I don't have the heart to kill him). Your actions throughout this game have a huge impact on the second game, where you are the commander of a ship and have to save the galaxy (again). This time, things are very different. You have a lot more opportunities to bond with your crew, and depending on whether or not you gain their loyalty, they may not survive the suicide mission that is at the end of the game. These missions are crucial and really make you care about the characters. Now, assuming you survive the suicide mission, you (and all of your crew who survived) get to progress on to the next and final game. This time, you are the commander of a ship and have to save the galaxy (AGAIN). It is your duty to form alliances across the galaxy and recruit them to fight along side you and other groups. During your adventures, you have the options of saving entire species, or Eliminating them in favor of another. The best example of this is when (spoiler) wants to return to their (spoiler) but the (spoiler) have occupied that (spoiler) for a long time and they were even the (spoiler) from the first game. If you are not careful, you can cause those two to either kill each other off completely, allow the (spoiler) to (spoiler) which meant the other species would be killed off, or the reverse of that and not allow the (spoiler) to (spoiler) and have the (spoiler) kill them off. The best option, which requires you to have the maximum experience (I leaned this the hard way), and have the two put aside their differences and form an alliance. I am pretty sure this game's writers were having competitions to create the saddest and most emotional scenes, especially death scenes for your crew (or former crew). Seriously, I haven't had a story make me cry so much since Gurren Lagann, (manly tears!). 

Ok, I need to take a quick break to cry for a while.

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Alright. I think I can keep going. . . *sniffle*

So, the ending of Mass Effect 3 is. . . well. . . not what we expected. Most fans are outraged for its ending. All the hard work, all the effort, all the time that was put into this moment, and in the end, all of it was for nothing (mostly, the choices do matter). But the problem I had (and a lot of other people) is that it left you with this huge empty feeling. I am pretty sure that there is a post-ending Mass Effect depression support group. It still is one of my favorite games off all time. . . 

But then there is Portal . . . 

And boy, do I love Portal.

Even though it has this closed yet open, empty, lonely, and beautiful atmosphere, it still is one of the best places to 'play.' Portal is a puzzle solving game and it progresses in a linear fashion, from point A to B. there are not a lot of choices in the game, but the story itself holds up on its own. The game also ties into the universe of Half Life, (though don't get me started on that game, it's a 'biggin), which adds to the games backstory. The reason I love Portal so much (specifically Portal 2), is its soundtrack. It's mostly electronic, and a lot of the songs carry the same melody, I love every bit of it! Going back to that 'madness' feel I described in my anime post, this soundtrack is full of it. I have also been inspired by a lot of the songs and you can see it's influence in my art. 

Jumping back to how the stories in games carry a lot of influence, let's talk about Fallout, shall we? Ok, so Fallout 3 to be exact. The game begins where you are literally being born, and its where you choose your sex, name, appearances, etc. You then live through little bits of your childhood up until your 19th (I think) birthday. Then your grand adventure starts across a post-nuclear wasteland. It's not like Mass Effect where every single character is significant, but each play through can be different, depending on your attributes. It is an RPG, after all. You, the Lone Wanderer (as you are known as), can shape the world as you see fit, and even the last choice at the end of the game has a huge impact on the world you live in. After that point, the game ends, and you have the same kind of emptiness that Mass Effect left. However, the company who made Fallout made a DLC where you can keep playing after the end of the game. Good thing too, because I still had things I wanted to do. 

I could talk for hours about video games and the kind of emotional effect they have on their players. However, I think I will save the rest of this topic for later, after all, I need to get back to work. 

All of these games mentioned above, I highly recommend, even if you are not a 'gamer.' Be sure to at least look up a synopsis of their plots at some point if you are interested. 

Now if you excuse me, I need to get back to crying. . .