Life Ain't A Game

Videogames exist in a strange universe. No matter how different two games may seem, you’ll always find common rules that link the two – like Forza 4 and Prince of Persia sharing a rewind function, for example. Now imagine if our world was governed by those rules. Would it be better? Or worse? In this feature I take a look at real life through a skewed lens, and ponder what it would be like to live in a world governed by the rules of the videogame.  

FROM ARENA TO SKYRIM... The Evolution of The Elder Scrolls

These days you can’t scan the PR blurb of three games in a row without seeing the acronym “RPG” somewhere. Whether it’s Borderlands using role playing elements to flesh out its FPS mechanics or an appalling mess like Rise of the Argonauts trying to make itself sound more interesting, games of all genres have begun to incorporate bits and pieces of the role-playing template from looting to levelling in order to add layers to their core idea – even modern console shooters use experience progression systems to unlock new weapons and equipment in the style of an RPG. 

Arrested Development

Freedom of Expression is a term that’s bandied around a lot in these days of “gore-porn”, 3-hour blockbusters, hip-hop, thrash metal, reality TV on all 400-plus channels and every other celebrity “accidentally” leaking a home-made sex-tape, and certainly it’s a term that’s really hard to quantify in terms of taste and decency. Very little seems to be off-limits in this world of mixed media entertainment – until, of course, videogames are brought to the fore.

I Don't Suck at Games - I'm a Dad, Actually

Anyone who’s had their arse handed to them by a 13-year-old FPS enthusiast will know and understand the shame and pain I felt on Wednesday night. After being “fragged” for the 11th time in a row by a prepubescent gamer who, judging by the accent and put-downs, may have originated from Arkansas or, possibly, the eighth circle of Hell, I was seconds away from rage-quitting when an epiphany hit my like a flashing blue sticky bomb in the face.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution Preview

The Deus Ex franchise is one synonymous with innovation. The first game, released in 2000, lifted the idea of free-form gaming to new heights. Whilst RPGs as a genre were nothing new by the turn of the millenium, we’d never really seen a game that offered so much choice. Set in 2052, it followed the exploits of nano-augmented UNATCO agent JC Denton as he uncovered a conspiracy involving lethal viruses, advanced AIs and shady organisations like the Illuminati and Majestic 12. Three years later, Invisible War was released, this time allowing the option of creating a female version of new protagonist Alex D. Set after a cataclysmic event known as The Collapse, Invisible War brought a heap of new choices to the table and helped to define the term “Action RPG”.