Got Gaming Skills? Neither Do I.
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April 13, 2010 • Caitlin Carter
Filed under A & E
We are living in an age where the state of being a nerd (hereafter called “nerdiness”) is no longer a point of shame. Instead of representing a group of people whose daily routine involves getting shoved against lockers (a la Napoleon Dynamite), a nerd is a person whose interests lay outside of the established norm. A typical interest of nerds is regular video game use.
However, this is not true of all self-identified nerds. Those of us with incredibly low hand-eye coordination do not exactly derive enjoyment from losing at combat sequences. May I present, then, examples of video games that provide ample opportunity to break a mental sweat instead of throwing the controller against a wall in frustration.
First up is the Ace Attorney game series. So far there are five games, playable on Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS. The style of the series is based entirely on observation and logic. The games alternate between crime scene investigation, interviews with witnesses and people related to the crimes, and courtroom scenes in which you attempt to clear the defendant of false charges and find the real culprit. The obligatory warning that comes with playing this game is that it is incredibly cheesy. The villains are usually obvious moustache-twirling symbols of all that is evil, and the names of the characters often point to easy puns (An example is a character of the first game called “Sal Manella” in order to imitate the sound of “salmonella.”) It is entertaining but certainly not of literary merit. It is most enjoyable when seen simply as a fun time-waster.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney; Trials and Tribulations; Justice for All
The first three game in the series establishes a simple format with the titular character situated as the morally upright, justice-committed hero. The games have five total cases each with a general upward trend of difficulty with each successive episode. While Phoenix’s internal monologue narration style mixes internal conflict with cynical commentary to great effect, the true star of the game is Wright’s chief rival, prosecutor and former childhood friend Miles Edgeworth. Edgeworth, brilliant in court but insecure about his belief in justice due to a melodramatic childhood trauma, has enough angst to arise the sympathy of even the broodiest emo kid. The twisted friendship/mutual hate dynamic between Phoenix and Edgeworth is the highlight of the first trilogy.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney
This game is the weakest of the series thus far. This game takes place seven years after the first trilogy; in this new plot, Phoenix has been disbarred for several years, and the protagonist is the eponymous Apollo. Although the individual mysteries are as compelling as ever, the game fails overall for several reasons. Firstly, the logic and reasoning stressed by the first series is subverted and even reduced by this game’s emphasis on intuition as a skill for weeding out criminals. In addition, almost all of the familiar characters return with personality transplants that, for the most part, go unexplained. The characters that receive any lengthy period of development are the new ones. As a result, this game is best suited to casual players; those committed to the characters in the previous trilogy need not apply themselves.
Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth
Having premiered in the United States less than two months ago, this is the most recent game of the Ace Attorney series. However, the Attorney label is a kind of misnomer, as Edgeworth is not playable as a prosecutor. Instead, his analytical skills are applied to investigating crimes and capturing the culprit immediately after they are committed. The best part of this game is that Edgeworth’s characterization is not sacrificed. Apollo Justice featured a painfully earnest and self-deprecating protagonist that essentially acted as a watered-down version of Phoenix. In contrast, Edgeworth remains his cynical, isolated self. The game has two main weaknesses. Firstly, there is the matter of pacing. Without the schedule of a trial in court to shape the case, the investigations tend to drag. Secondly, a formulaic aspect of the writers’ creation is painfully obvious here. In the first trilogy, Phoenix’s sidekick is young spirit medium-in-training Maya Fey. Apollo’s right hand is Trucy, a younger aspiring magician. Edgeworth’s newest underling is Kay, an amateur thief. You get the idea. Ultimately, however, these flaws are forgivable, and Edgeworth is a worthy investment.
Planescape: Torment
This is a “role-playing” game in which you play through the identity of a character ironically called, “The Nameless One.” The central protagonist wakes up on a mortuary slab with no recollection of how he got there or who he is. In actuality, he is an immortal being who loses his memory with each death. The basic premise of the game is to discover your old self’s journal in order to find out who you are and what you have done.
The game is set into an alternate, pre-technology world; however, it is set apart from other role-playing games like World of Warcraft by its overall lack of mythological creatures. While magic is usable, the characters are ultimately human.
Uncoordinated players can enjoy this game for two primary reasons. The first is that its format is based around words. The bulk of the game is dialogue with other characters; most problems and quests are resolved through interaction. In fact, most combat can ultimately be avoided through savvy or fleeing. In addition, the necessary fighting sequences are not based on reaction time. One can simply pause the game and direct each member of the Nameless One’s party to attack the assailants. In addition, the premise of the game essentially makes death a moot point. If you are incapable of avoiding it, you simply reawaken in the Mortuary.
The aspect of this game that will decide its likability among video game enthusiasts is its emphasis on actual story. Everywhere you go, characters are arguing over the validity of order and law or the ability of chaos and goodness to coexist. The creation of a character that lacks the foundation of a backstory yet must suffer its consequences is a reflection on the relationship between identity and action. Are his actions still significant if he will not remember them? Is he truly immortal if he loses his own identity every time? Ultimately, it is the player’s choice.
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I got gaming skills.
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