Gaming for Thought: Branching Out

I've decided to try and come up with some different mainstays here on my blog to make things more organized and practical. There will of course be reviews and previews when possible but other posts will include hidden gems of gaming, retro reviews (basically anything on an older console), games to run from, and this new idea called Gaming for Thought. This will be an editorial post that will be my attempt at getting gamers and non gamers to look into less popular games, voice opinions about random gaming news, and try to give my insight into the amazing talent that is compiled in the video game industry.

This week's Gaming for Thought will be about branching out. Many gamers I know are very focused on one or two genres in the video game world. Some gamers are hooked on first person shooters and their addictive multiplayer, others love the competitive fighting games, and still others enjoy the 40+ hours a good role playing game can bring. What I have noticed is that there are specific reasons that gamers enjoy these types of games and find them to be superior to all others. I don't see anything wrong with finding your niche in gaming and enjoying one genre more than the rest, but what I am going to attempt to do is show how certain genres can be melded together. There are very close parallels between certain genres, or at least the factors that go into making people enjoy them so much. This post will hopefully help those who enjoy a certain genre but get bored with only playing one or two games for a long time; since it is not often that many games for one particular genre are being released in numerous amounts.

First person shooter fans are perhaps some of the most competitive, dedicated, and diverse fans in the video game industry. The fps fan base ranges from young and old, male and female, and spans the globe in terms of ethnicity. Many fans of fps style games enjoy the multiplayer aspect especially. The team work that is involved, the thrill of gunning down an actual human player, and the addictive quality of being rewarded for your hard work all come together to form an experience that has gamers playing games like Call of Duty and Halo 3 for years. However, if you step back and look at what makes these games so enthralling, without coating these aspects in a fps shell, you begin to see a different genre. Working with a team, leveling up and gathering new abilities/gear, and being able to kill human players...sounds like a role playing game to me. Many gamers who focus their time on first person shooters often shy away from role playing games because they are heavily saturated in high fantasy settings. People who enjoy modern war and science fiction sometimes do not feel compelled to spend time making an elf and going of to gather new swords and armor to defeat the evil emperor. But there are some role playing games out there that are trying to welcome first person shooter fans with open arms.

Fallout 3 and Borderlands are both examples of the new idea that shooters and rpgs can somehow coexist. These are both excellent starting points for an fps fan to branch out into a different genre of gaming. Both games allow players to feel in control of their trigger happy main character, reward the player with new abilities and gear as they continue playing, and in Borderlands' case allow for some player vs player action. Role playing games can become a great time sync for fans of shooters who are willing to step out of their comfort zone and look into a gaming genre that preforms the balancing act of story and gameplay to an

untouchable degree. While most rpgs will cause strict shooter fans to cringe with their long stories games like Mass Effect have managed to indulge both the rpg nerd and raging killer in all of us. I would suggest Mass Effect as the easiest game for any first person shooter fan to play if they wanted to jump into rpgs but did not know where to start. This Xbox 360 exclusive plays as an over the shoulder shooter with fantastic mechanics and heavy rpg elements. The deep story and great leveling system allow for multiple play throughs and endless hours of shooting dudes in the face.

Sports games, perhaps some of the most loved and hated games in video gaming history. Those who play them often play them religiously, and those who don't play them can't understand the draw in them. There will always be the die hard Madden fans who play at least ten online games a week and consider it a personal injustice when the referee calls a flag on their play. Sports games bring to life the competitive nature and micromanagement aspects that come with a real sports team. Whether it is hockey, football, baseball, soccer, basketball, tennis, or golf there is usually a sport game out each year for the majority of the world's popular sports. So what is it about these games that cause people to scream at their televisions when their opponent takes the lead? It is a combination of realism, micromanagement, and competition. Making sure that every part of your team or player is just right so that you can dominate your opponent, real or computer controlled, in a way that feels true to the sport you are emulating is an experience that few genres match. The only genre that comes to mind in perhaps matching those aspects is the genre of real time strategy. Real time strategy games involve the process of building up your army in order to completely annihilate the competition. Building your army often requires the same micromanagement that keeping a sports team up and running does. Games like Company of Heroes and World in Conflict manage to greatly recreate the truth and realism of war on your computer. For those who are unable to run computer games but still want to try out real time strategy games Halo Wars for the Xbox 360 would be a great place to try as it

is both streamlined for beginners and familiar to Halo fans. The competitive nature of sports games can perhaps only be bested by the intense scenarios that only occur on the battlefield of a strategy game. Imagine, you and your partner are trying to flank one of your opponents with the majority of your troops while your other opponent sneaks into your base and begins destroying key components. The thought process of what to do and how to do it effectively can take some time to get down but once you are playing comfortably you will be running into incredible situations that will give you a sense of great accomplishment when you run through them.

The final connection is perhaps the most bizarre and the biggest stretch. Fans of the racing genre are often very dedicated to their games and, from the many racing game fans I know, do not often venture out of that comfort zone. There are indeed many games that come out each year in the racing genre and all of them have their own quirks and qualities to create unique experiences within that genre. However, if there are any racing fans who wish to branch out and see what else is out there I would suggest fighting games. Both genres include fast paced action in short bursts, online competitive multiplayer, and gameplay that is easy to pickup and nearly impossible to master. Games like Blaz Blue, Street Fighter 4, and Soul Calibur 4 can all lead to that adrenaline rush that racing game fans experience each

time they press the gas. Fighting games require players to master combinations of button presses in order to defeat their opponents effectively, a big departure for the often minuet amount of buttons required to play a racing game. That sense of speed and the looming feeling of being tense until you either win or lose are often reasons racing games are so popular. Those feelings can be easily replicated in fighting games as well, seeing your health deplete while trying to block an incoming attack and then reacting at the right time to take the victory can be one of the most satisfying experiences in gaming.

I realize that the majority of gamers play multiple genres of games and that most people don't mind branching out when they feel like it. But I also know a lot of people who feel like they are unable to find the experiences that make them happy in video games without staying in their favorite genres and waiting for new games to come out. Not to retract from the sure amount of greatness Modern Warfare 2 will achieve but it is not the only game that will provide the experience you clamor for. So go out there and give new genres a try, pick up a game you wouldn't normally play for more than five minutes, branch out.

(All pictures are from giantbomb.com, be sure to check out my next post tomorrow)