Parallels and Reflections

So I was driving home and happened to be listening to "Still Alive" the theme from the Mirror's Edge game that game out late last year (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TERyxFfMqDk) and a bunch of parallels from games of '07-'08 started crossing in my head. Then I started reflecting on the year for games in 2008 itself. Here's a few things that passed through my brain I'd like to share:

"Still Alive" was the theme of Mirror's Edge and the last song unlocked after you beat the game. Mirror's Edge very much reminded me of Portal which came out in 2007 which also had a song in it called "Still Alive" played at the end of the game. Mirror's Edge is very much 08's Portal in that it's more of a 1st person puzzle game that's short in length and can be played for speed runs which have and will continue to give you "I would have never thought to do that" moments. The problem with it is mainly price. Mirror's Edge was a $60 release whereas Portal came as part of The Orange Box from Valve and was packaged in alongside the Half Life 2 episodes and Team Fortress 2. It was later released exclusively for the 360 with additional levels in 08 but for a fraction of the price Mirror's Edge is. Everyone loved Portal and some even voted it game of the year. If Mirror's Edge had come out for $20-$30 or was packaged in with another EA release it may very well have gotten the same love Portal received.

While on the subject of Valve games, in 07 the released Orange Box and those of us who game had to explain to people not in the know what Orange Box actually was. In 08 they flooded Seattle, San Francisco, and other cities with Left 4 Dead billboards and once again we were explaining to people not in the know that L4D isn't a movie, but a video game about the zombie apocalypse. It released in November of 08 and is probably the best co-op game ever created. Requiring more team effort that Team Fortress 2 to get through levels while you're fending off the brain eaters, the game has everyone reciting accounts of their multiple brushes with virtual death like ghost stories told around camp fires. "I was almost to the helicopter when I saw Frances get pulled in by a smoker" becomes water cooler talk at work and in e-mails the next day. And knowing that Valve will support the game with downloadable content in the future makes it an even better buy knowing you will be able to play something new as the game only shipped with 4 levels.

Speaking of downloadable content. Rockband has continued to churn out song after song taking them for the 54 the game launched with in 07 to well over 500 by the end of 08. Harmonix is committed to playing the long con with its DLC attempting to take you for everything you've got (here's an indie song pack for $2, here's every Pearl Jam song you ever thought you would want for $20), while Activision and Gutiar Hero are still trying to sell you necklaces outside the shop by the pier (hey kids, do you like Areosmith). The did step it up some in 08 with the release of World Tour but it's more of a me too effort than anything. We have drums and a mic now too, we have "Living On a Prayer" too, we released a full album too. Harmonix did follow up with a sequel and Rockband 2 is more of a refinement of the original that fixed a lot of things and made the game better. Neversoft didn't actually make Guitar Hero better, they just made it so more people could play it at the same time. At four installments you'd think they would be able to learn what the people want by now.

2008 was the year of 4's. There was Devil May Cry 4, Grand Theft Auto 4, Metal Gear Solid 4, Soul Calibur 4, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, and the arcade release of Street Fighter 4 to name a few or 6. Each game was a great improvement on the last. DMC4 finally fixed the difficulty issues plaguing the series. GTA4 was a complete reboot of the franchise and showed that Rockstar has matured, but in a good way like when your friend's older sister comes home from college with a degree and a really sexy tattoo you can't take your eyes off of. She's still up for some of the old shenanigans, but comes equipped with life experience now. MGS4 brought an end the the story of Solid Snake and an end to every control issue that had ever plagued the series. SC4 brought fans of the series back after the miss that SC3 was with its glitches and errors. It's was also the first viable on-line fighter after so many developers said it couldn't be done. The Persona series is a testament to how good a system the PS2 really is. The game looks great with its stylized art work that will make it hold up for years to come and the story elements are even more refined giving you more insight into the characters you're playing and their stories. The long awaited Street Fighter 4 is a return to the basics of what made the Street Fighter franchise so awesome in the first place and is receiving love and anticipation from the fans of old and those who never left. The console version drops in February of 09. I consider myself lucky to be able to drive an hour to play the arcade version.

Another gem of Street Fighter, 2008, and DLC was the release of (deep breath) Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. What many consider to be the best of the series has now been updated with HD graphics, redesigned backgrounds, and rebalanced offering a fresh look at the game that ruled the arcades when fighting games were in their prime. Speaking of fighting games I remember reading an EGM interview with Ed Boone of Midway where they asked him what he thought he'd be doing in 10 years to which he responded "working on Mortal Kombat 12." I, like many others have lost count, but the man may be dead on the money as Mortal Kombat Vs DC Universe breaths life into a franchise so obsessed with death. And then there was censorship. Firstly who would have thought there would be a "T" rated Mortal Kombat game? Who would have thought Superman could get burned to a crisp by Scorpion? And who would have ever thought that the Joker in a PG-13 rated movie would be pulling off way cooler fatalities (pencils anyone) than his video game counterpart in a Mortal Kombat game? If you're raising your hand, you are a liar.

As far as lies are concerned, some were quite fun to tell in Fallout 3. 2007 gave is Mass Effect and as good as that game was (my 2007 game of the year) it had us trekking from planet to planet exploring the same bunkers and repeating the same missions. I kept thinking it would be great if there were just one planet to explore. Fast forward a year and check out Bethesda's release and you get the best of both worlds. While the dialogue system isn't as good as Mass Effects, they managed to create that one planet full of different, fun, exciting, and interesting things to do that I longed for after seeing the same hallway fore the umpteenth time in Mass Effect. Bethesda also managed to pull off the "morally ambiguous" role better than many games this year as well. They understood that you can often times do the right thing and still be a dick.

Choices were also rampant throughout games this year whether it be Fable 2's good or evil, picking your path in Mirror's Edge, or building your level in Little Big Planet. Last year was all about what you want to do. Far Cry 2 lets you chose how to attack your enemies hideout and who gives you missions. It's GTA in the jungle. GTA4 reined some of that in letting you chose to kill the guy after you do what they want you to do first. Saint's Row 2 took open world to the extreme and let you do pretty much anything. Naked skydiving, check. Septic tank shooting, check. Breaking out of jail and hiring a plastic surgeon to change you age, sex, race, and voice multiple times... check. Not to be counted out Burnout Paradise showed everyone what an open world racer is supposed to be like and raised the bar for arcade racers in general. Making every stop light a race where you choose the best path between two points was simply brilliant. Then they stepped up support for the game by bleeding free downloadable add ons including a new island, bikes, and play modes.

And my final segue way pulls us into the realm of downloads. 2008 shows promise in the market as developers big and small released some great titles that were actually worth you $5, $10, $15, $20, or $30. Whether it be something old and something new like Megaman 9, something to chill out with like Pixeljunk Eden, bringing back an arcade motif like Geometry Wars 2 and its beat your friends system, or just there to tell a story like the controversial Braid, there was indeed something for everyone released that was actually worth spending money on. Even iPhone is finally hitting its stride with the release of Rolando showing that developers are finally getting a hang of how to make a good game for the platform.

2008 was a hell of a year for games. As someone who's been gaming for over 20 years now I'm surprised to see how far the industry has come and even more excited to see what it will bring in the future. There was I time where I was loosing interest in the industry but I'm happy to report my love for games is still alive.