Shallow Depths

My latest review is for Star Ocean: The Last Hope - International (no, I don't really know how I should punctuate multiple levels of subtitles, damn them). I guess it was about time for something I don't like. And as much as I love roleplaying I've yet to find a JRPG I can really appreciate.

Also, I know I probably shouldn't call these "reviews" exactly, but it's more convenient than trying to explain what they actually are. This particular example is more typically review-like than usual for me, but still doesn't cover all the usual checkpoints.

What makes character design sexualised?

I've been thinking about this question a lot recently. I've encountered a few game characters lately who show a lot of skin, but don't imply (to me) that sex was objective of their design. I find this quite encouraging, but of course not everyone sees these particular examples in the same way.

It's possible that being a straight female makes it easier for me to see female nudity (or semi-nudity) as something other than sexual, but I suspect that's being unfair. It's also quite possible I'm just horribly naïve, but even if my examples turn out to be poor the idea remains interesting.

Some people do continue to complain about nudity in painting and sculpture, but there's mainstream acceptance of the artistic merits. I don't see any reason games shouldn't also be capable of meaningful exploration of the human form.

I am not the target audience for DeathSpank. My partner enjoyed it though, and since I was curled up sick on the couch for a couple of days I gave it a try.

DeathSpank is a stupid but well-meaning hero, searching the land for a mysterious artifact and aiding the downtrodden. It's the standard action-rpg formula given a cartoon make-over and infused with constant attempts at humour.

I have to wonder now, who exactly is the target audience for DeathSpank? Even on hard difficulty it often feels like skipping through the landscape casually squashing enemies. I can't imagine that's very satisfying for fans of games like Diablo and Torchlight, where I am assured there is more chance of being swarmed and overwhelmed.

This week I review something far less serious -- rhythm platform game Maestro! Jump in Music.

I wrote about silliness, which is like another world to me right now. I'm in a serious mood. It's my birthday on Saturday, and that usually makes me withdrawn. Getting older is inevitable and not particularly sad, but I associate my birthday with a lot of memories, and often spend it indulging in melancholy.

Heavy Rain is like a painting best viewed from a distance. I could run with the emotions of the moment, as though it all made perfect sense. Once you analyse the details it's clearly full of holes and falls apart.

I will certainly stand up for Heavy Rain's potential and vision. But there is something more than just that. I'm an easy target emotionally, but it wasn't just sensitive people like me who were affected. I watched friends trying desperately to overcome a stressful situation. They were caught up in the moment just as strongly as I was. There's a power to that, however easy it may be to pick on the game's flaws.

There are many flaws I can't defend, and wouldn't try. But something I believe helped my Heavy Rain experience immensely was not interpreting everything literally. It's (mostly) a real world setting, yes, but I find it's more concerned with painting an emotional picture than a logical one.