Are Telltale Games Still Special?

Telltale has gained a reputation as a premiere story teller in video games. While mainly using other licensed properties, such as The Walking Dead, Fables, and Game of Thrones, Telltale has told mature, complex, and engaging stories that always capture my attention. I feel invested and engaged in the characters that I play throughout each game, making each choice, from picking my friends or saving a life, extremely stressful and important. However, with Telltale making so many games recently, have they lost their special charm?

2012’s The Walking Dead was a major surprise. It managed to tell a heartfelt and extremely emotional story of a man trying to not only survive, but raise a child in the zombie apocalypse. Your actions not only affected yourself, but the life of Clementine. I cared more for her then Lee, the player’s protagonist, so when Lee finally died in the games final moments, I was more concerned that I had set Clementine up to survive in a world that wanted nothing more then to destroy her. It’s no wonder that The Walking Dead was a frontrunner, if not outright winner, of numerous Game of the Year awards.

It was a re-invigoration of the adventure-point-and-click genre, a genre that had remained stagnant for many years. It also brilliant worked on player agency and choice. While it certainly wasn’t completely new having branching stories based on player choice (see Mass Effect), the choices presented were different. Unlike Mass Effect and other choice-based series, the choices presented in The Walking Dead were never simply good or evil. Each decision walked in the shades of grey in-between. Do you rob a family in order to feed yourself? Do you let one of your group die because he constantly endangers to rest? It was never easy and it all felt important.

The relationship between Lee and Clementine was central to The Walking Dead

That’s not to say the game. Most notable of these were with the game’s engine. Frame rate and skipping were not only uncommon, they were expected. I never saw anyone play a Telltale Game without some obvious glitch occurring. It was just, unfortunately, part of the experience. Controls were also clunky. Even the story wasn’t immune. While there was never any bad writing per se, trying to fill out a 5 episode arc sometimes even felt too long. Certainly Walking Dead’s Season 1 Episode 2 was good, but was it really necessary to visit a cannibal family’s farm? What did it add beside building the protagonist’s relationship with Clementine. There is something to be said for narrative streamlining. Take the time for emotional moments but don’t drag things out too long. IT worked well in a bite sized chuck when the game originally came out, but going back to replay the series all at once, it feels like a major sidetrack in the story.

Was the side trip to St. John's Dairy Farm really necessary?

This brings me around to my original purpose. Since the release of Walking Dead Season 1, Telltale has shown no signs of slowing down. They have released The Walking Dead Season 1, The Walking Dead Season 2, Fable’s Wolf Among Us, Tales from the Borderlands, a Game of Thrones game, and currently has plans for a Marvel game, another season of The Walking Dead, as well as, oddly enough, a Minecraft game. This isn’t even mentioning Telltales announcement of their first original IP. Telltale keeps going with no signs of slowing down. This isn’t to say that the games aren’t good. In fact, many are excellent. I love the writing of Borderlands and Game of Thrones. I adored, absolutely adored The Wolf Among Us. I instantly get excited with each new Telltale announcement.

Yet while each game is good, are they still special? There was something unique about the original season of The Walking Dead. There was a reason that it won game of the year and yet none of it’s predecessors (actual or spiritual) have received such acclaim. It’s because they haven’t given us anything new. Each game plays exactly like the last. While the story and settings may change, I know exactly what to expect as a gamer.

Tales of the Borderlands is extremely well-written, but does it add anything new?

 Let’s lot at other series. What makes each game in a big series great is that each one feels special. Halo 1 is drastically different from Halo 2. Halo 2 is even more different from Halo 3. Same goes for Uncharted 1, 2 and 3. I get excited for each new Halo release because I know there will be something new. It will still be my lovely Halo, but the sense of discovery and exploration is imperative to my enjoyment. Even the annual Call of Duty and Assassin’s Creed try to add something new each year. If they don’t gamers are quick to shout back their displeasure (see Modern Warfare 2 and 3 as well as Assassin’s Creed Black Flag to Unity). So why do we allow accept it with Telltale?

Certainly, their writing has gotten worse. If anything, each story is more engaging then the last. But I’m never surprised. And I love being pleasantly surprised. Give me a new gameplay feature. Tell the story in a different way (which, to be fair, Telltale’s use of multiple protagonists in their most recent Borderlands and Game of Thrones games has at least added a spice of innovation) or give me different content.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll be the first in line to buy a new Telltale Game each and every time. But I want that same sense of joy and wonder I got the first time I encountered a zombie with Lee back in 2012. I know that Telltale is talented enough to give me that.

The Top 5 Comics of DC's New 52

I am an unashamed DC Comics nerd. I have seen every single DC Comics animated film ever made, own pretty much every DC video game for the past two console generations (including, embarrassingly, the terrible Young Justice and Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe games),  I regularly watch every episode of their live-action series shows (Arrow, The Flash, Constantine, and even [shudder] Gotham) and spend an unnecessary amount of money each week on just DC comics.

I absolutely adore the universe and, more specifically, the great characters that inhabit it. Oh, I’m not talking about Superman, Green Lantern, the Flash, or any of the other big names that everyone knows. I’m talking about the myriad side characters that make up the DC universe that are truly unique and fleshed out. Something that, at least to me, the Marvel Universe lacks. Sure, Marvel’s main characters are much more present and varied then DC’s. But I have always felt that Marvel’s side characters have lacked a little something.

At any rate, the DCU is one of my favorite fictional universes. With the recent news that the DC’s relaunch line of the The New 52  is coming to an official end after the two month long Convergence event series, I thought it was time to take a short look back at what I feel are my favorite series of DC’s New 52.

HM: Injustice: Gods Among Us

I wanted to start this list off quickly with one cheat. Technically, Injustice: Gods Among Us is not a part of the New 52 world. Instead, it stands on it’s own in it's own universe. But, despite being a video game tie-in, this book has consistently BLOWN my mind. If you haven’t read this series, pick it up now. It’s a wonderful exploration of all the DC characters and what they are truly capable of when the absolute worst happens. The answers may surprise you. But what makes this series work is the true despair, grief, and sadness that comes from the characters that both feels incredibly strong and yet insanely believable, given all that we know about these characters after decades and decades of development. Many long-time characters die in this series and every single one breaks your heart in new ways because, due to this series stand-alone nature, we know that it’s actually permanent in this world. So it hurts. Read this series. Do it now. Why are you still here?

#5: Batman/Superman

While I have never been a huge fan of Superman as a standalone character, I have always found him to be at his most effective as a foil to other DC characters. And there is probably no greater opposite to Superman then Batman. What makes this title so great (besides Jae Lee’s always ridiculously gorgeous artwork) is how it juxtaposes Batman and Superman so clearly; from their methods, their beliefs, even their personalities. Outside of one truly atrocious storyline (the terrible Game Over storyline that also dropped Jae Lee’s art) this series compares and contrasts Bruce and Clark in constantly interesting ways while still exploring the true and powerful friendship that these two characters have for each other. A must read for any fan of this nerd-tastic bromance.

One quick sidenote: It’s this comic that has me optimistic for the upcoming Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie. While Man of Steel was FAR from a perfect movie, I find Synder’s decision to have (SPOILER) Superman murder Zod to be extremely interesting. I really hope they explore this gap between the two superheroes. On the one hand you have Batman, a dark and brooding hero who also vows to never kill anyone. On the other, you have Superman, a hero usually seen as a bright and shinning beacon of pure, unwavering goodness who has also committed the act of murder. If used correctly, these two characters can become BRILLIANT foils for each other as total contradictory characters in every way who still find a way to work together. Anyways, thanks for allowing this digression.

#4: Swamp Thing

There is so much to say about this series. From the excellent exploration of existential ideas to the brilliant storylines and artwork, Swamp Thing has never failed to amaze. While the series started with a great storyline, Rotworld, by the masterful Scott Synder (who, spoiler, will be appearing again on this list) that explored how Alec Holland dealt with the responsibility of becoming the Swamp Thing, the series really took off when the reins were handed to Charles Soule.

While I was originally extremely worried and skeptical with Synder’s departure, Soule took the series to new heights. Freed from the almost 2 year long Rotworld storyline, Soule began to explore smaller, yet no less impactful, stories that explored Holland’s drive, belief systems, and despair while attending to the duties of the Swamp Thing. It’s an absolute shame that this series will not be surviving the relaunch post-Convergence as it truly was a shining gem of the DC Universe. Though knowing comics, the Swamp Thing won’t stay down long.

#3: Harley Quinn

One of the big disappointments of the New 52 has been it’s treatment of many of it’s female characters (look no further then Starfire). However, one female character (along with Wonder Woman and Batwoman) who finally got a chance to really grow was Harley Quinn. While Harley Quinn has always been one of my favorites. It wasn’t really until recently that she really struck out on her own. Usually playing second fiddle to the ever popular Joker, Harley finally broke away from that abusive relationship and grew on her own. After finding independence in the pages of Suicide Squad, Harley finally got her own series, which has quickly become one of DC’s top sellers. As one would expect, Harley’s comic is zany and insane, yet completely adorable and endearing. Harley has quickly become the DCU’s version of Deadpool, breaking the fourth wall with ease and going on wacky adventures just for the hell of it. But what makes this series work is how believable Harley somehow remains, despite the zaniness of her adventures. Harley feels genuine sadness and happiness that constantly rings true. Harley’s bisexuality is also constantly explored in a believable way, with a non-committed but loving relationship with Poison Ivy. It fills me with joy that after Convergence, Harley Quinn will not only continue but also be getting a spinoff team-up comic with Power Girl. I am so down.

#2: Animal Man

Another New 52 series that ended too soon, Animal Man is an absolutely brilliant series.  Like Swamp Thing, the bulk of this series initial run dealt with the Rotworld storyline. It was a great storyline that wonderfully crossed over with Swamp Thing (and, for a short while, the F.R.A.N.K.E.N.S.T.I.E.N. series) that allowed writer Jeff Lemire to explore Buddy Baker’s motivations. Yet what made this series so unique as compared to the rest of the DCU was it’s incredible focus on family. With a wife and two children, Buddy has more to think about when he dons his costume then most heroes. Buddy’s sometimes opposing senses of duty and family are woven deeply into the series. Also like Swamp Thing, this series really took hold after the end of Rotworld.

Fair warning however. This series will break your heart. There are several moments that nearly destroyed me and the final issue of this series was the first comic that ever made me truly weep. The final images of this run are impactful and poignant, giving this book the wonderful finale it deserved, even if it came too soon.

#1: Batman

Did you really think it could be anyone else? As much as I wanted to give the top spot to a lesser known series, I couldn’t justify it. From day one, the amazing team of writer Scott Synder and artist Greg Capullo have knocked every single issue out of the park. From the truly creepy and mind-blowing Court of Owls storyline to the brilliant retelling of Batman’s growing pains in Zero Year to the great exploration of the Joker/Batman relationship (as well as the relationship between Bruce and the entire Bat-family) in Death of the Family and Endgame, this series has never let go. A sad tendency of many writers when it comes to Batman is to forget to make Batman human. Batman can be really easy to make larger-then-life. Everyone forgets that the whole point of Batman is that he is just human. Unlike Superman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, and many other DC superheroes, Bruce Wayne is vulnerable. He can make mistakes, which is something that many writers and comic fans alike forget that Batman can even do. Yet Scott Synder gives us a Batman who is fallible and still can have the strong presence that the character of Batman embodies.

This series run is all about the relationships that Bruce has. From Batman’s relationship with his rouge’s gallery to Alfred to Gordon and to the Bat-Family, Batman is given more of a heart in Synder’s run then ever before. The series is also helped by Capullo’s ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AND BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK. Also, let’s not forget the amazing coloring this series employs, especially during the Zero Year arc. Never before have a I seen such a harmonious fusion of art and content in a DC or Marvel mainstream comic. Despite everything, Batman is still number one.

Cause HE’S BATMAN!!!!!

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments. I always love to hear feedback, good or bad. Thanks for reading.

Retro Rewind: Sonic Adventure 2

By James Earl

Since 1991, one of gaming’s most prolific icons, Sonic the Hedgehog, has been dashing across our screens as one of the earliest examples of modern video games. People were drawn to the sense of speed and simple platforming mixed with complex level designs in Sonic’s early games that made you want to play the same level over and over. When Sonic made the crossover to three dimensions in the short-lived days of the Sega Dreamcast, the games translated surprisingly well with the added dimension. Sadly, the Sonic games of this current generation have been somewhat lacking (cough cough Sonic Unleashed), mostly due to the fact that Sega tried to change up the formula and forgot what made a Sonic game fun; however, recent attempts like the great Sonic Colors, Sonic the Hedgehog 4, and Sonic Generations games have started bringing Sonic back to the glory he once held and deserves. With the recent rerelease of older Sonic games on Xbox Live and PSN as well as the current rumblings that the next Sonic game may be Sonic Adventure 3 (a prospect which highly excites this writer), its time to take a look back at probably the best Sonic game of the modern era, Sonic Adventure 2.

And lets just forget this ever happened

After the success of Sonic Adventure on the Dreamcast (one of the very few success for the doomed console), Sonic Adventure 2 was quickly green-lit and was released in June 2001. Sadly, while receiving both commercial and critical success, Sonic Adventure 2 was not enough to change the fate of the Dreamcast, which was quickly losing its market to the Gamecube, PlayStation 2, and original Xbox. Very soon after, Sega announced that it was giving up on hardware development and abandoned support of the Dreamcast. Luckily, however, Sonic Adventure 2 was given a second chance at life with a released version of the Gamecube title Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. The new version featured multiplayer elements as well as improvements to graphics and small changes to gameplay. While slightly less well-received critically then on the Dreamcast, Battle would go on to be the tenth best selling Gamecube game of all time, and deservedly so.

Sonic Adventure 2’s main gameplay splits into two storylines: the Dark and the Light. Both tell the same story, one from the point of view of Sonic, Tails and Knuckles and the other from series villain Eggman (or Dr. Robotnick for purists) and series newcomers Shadow the Hedgehog and Rouge the Bat. For each story, there were three different types of levels, one for each character. Sonic and Shadow levels were traditional Sonic gameplay: fast movement and platforming trying to get to the end of the level as fast as possible. Tails and Eggman’s missions were slower mech-based missions that relied on cunning targeting of enemies. Finally, Knuckles and Rouge’s missions were fun hide and seek-type missions as the characters searched for three pieces of the Master Emerald per level. Mixed in between some levels were interesting boss fights; while some of the boss fights were repeated over the two campaigns, they were usually done from the perspective of the other character in the fight, adding some variety. If you beat the two campaigns, there was a final ending campaign where all six characters were playable in one gigantic level and two fun boss fights that wrapped up the game’s story.

Unlike some future Sonic games, the new gameplay types outside the Sonic/Shadow levels were actually fun. They didn’t feel clunky or out of place and didn’t really slow down the sense of speed. While Tails and Eggman levels were slower, they still had a sense of speed and forward momentum that were lacking from games like Sonic Unleashed. These levels asked players to try and rack up points by targeting as many enemies as possible with the mech while still trying to get through the level quickly. Knuckles and Rouge levels asked players to walk around until they heard the telltale beeping of a nearby piece of the emerald. While this could have quickly gotten tedious, the developers made them engaging by adding clue monitors that gave tricky hints to where the pieces might be found and forced players to think about where to look. Meanwhile, the Sonic and Shadow levels were some of the best in Sonic history. They were extremely fast and yet very fun, and benefited from some of the best level design in the series.

Each level felt unique and different; there were Halloween, Egyptian, City, and even Outer Space levels that each added different elements and enemies that made them feel unique and special. They even had cool elements and art design, like Sonic snowboarding through the streets of a city, Shadow messing with gravity in outer space or Knuckles having to explore a creepy mountain. Even better, each level had multiple possible paths and secret places to find. This made each level infinitely replayable with each time giving you something new. The game rewarded you with grades from E to A at the end of the level, so you could see that you were slowly but surely getting better with each playthrough. Even years after playing it originally, you can still get a thrill from almost any level in the game. There are very few duds in the bunch, which is saying a lot considering the game boasts two different campaigns. Some levels also had very catchy background music such as “Escape from the City”, “Live and Learn”, and even “A Ghost’s Pumpkin Soup” (a song which is admittedly a guilty pleasure). Even the boss fights were fun and interesting, especially the second to last boss in the secret campaign unlocked by beating both of the first two (no spoilers!).

Just try and not have this get caught in your head

Speaking of replayability, the game had a TON to do, especially with the additions from Sonic Adventure 2 Battle. The game asked you to obtain 180 emblems; some of these were given easily, like simply beating a level or a boss, while others were very difficult to get. Each level had five different missions, ranging from beating a hard mode to finding a hidden Chao (blue Pokemon-like creatures) to beating the level in a specific time, each with their own grading rank system like the normal levels. While these missions were very difficult if you were trying to go for the A rank, they were all relatively easy to just beat, adding a great difficulty curve for those that wanted the extra challenge. The game also boasted a mediocre kart racing game as well as a Pokemon-type area where power-ups found in the main game could be given to your own Chaos that you raised to compete in Karate or Racing mini-games. While nothing to write home about, these elements of Battle provided a fun distraction that was a different type of multiplayer from the usual run and shoot layouts of other games. Personally, despite having bought the game years ago and playing it all the time, I still have yet to unlock every emblem and still have fun trying to earn each one.

One thing of note that was very surprising was Sonic Adventure 2’s story. While Sonic games have certainly never been revered for their stories, Sonic Adventure 2’s was actually somewhat deep, especially with the character of Shadow the Hedgehog, a series newcomer who provided to be so popular he earned his own spinoff title “Shadow the Hedgehog” which still holds up as a cult classic. Shadow seems to start off as a simple evil version of Sonic himself. However, as you continue to play the game, you learn of Shadow’s past and the anger and hatred he has for himself and humanity due to the death of his human love Maria at the hands of the military. As the game progresses, Shadow slowly learns that Maria never wanted him to hurt anybody and, in the ending of the secret campaign, Shadow sacrifices himself in order to save the Earth. It’s a touching finale to a game that no one expected to have a deep story. While the rest of the game’s story is the usual “Dr. Eggman wants to destroy the Earth” scenario, Shadow’s character as well as the story of Eggman’s grandfather (who felt the pain of Maria’s death and vowed revenge even after he had died) told in the secret campaign remains probably the most touching and complicated a Sonic game’s story will ever get.

Shadow ends up being more then just an evil mirror of Sonic

 While everything from the story to the gameplay was excellent, the game wasn’t 100 percent perfect. The final boss fight with Super Sonic and Super Shadow was sometimes unnecessarily frustrating and difficult. Also, several of Sonic/Shadow’s abilities were mapped to a single button and, while working most of the time, sometimes would cause the character to do the wrong move at the wrong time, screwing up your timing, which can be extremely annoying in a game which is based on fast movement and precision. Also, even with the new Live and PSN rereleases, the game still has a few bugs here and there which, again, can ruin an almost perfect run-through of a level. None of these issues are major, however, and can easily be forgiven in such an otherwise perfect platformer.

While the numerous badly-done 3D Sonic games have somewhat destroyed the blue blur’s legacy, with games like Sonic Adventure 2 it’s hard not to see why the Hedgehog was once constantly giving Mario a “run” for his money. It’s a shame that today it’s sometimes so easy to forget Sonic’s place in the gaming ethos. Yet with such near-perfect games like Sonic Adventure 2 and the recent Sonic game successes, the future looks bright for the “Fastest Thing Alive”. Let’s hope he keeps on running for a long time to come.

Wheel of Time: The Complexities of Time in Video Games

By James Earl
Spoilers for the games Limbo, Journey, and Braid ahead. You have been warned!

While not all video games have a narrative, or even decide to focus on the narrative, storytelling has become more and more important as the industry has matured. For the most part, video game narratives have been pretty straight-forward.  Go to the castle and save the princess. Stop the evil scientist and rescue animals. Kill the aliens trying to destroy Earth. Stop the city from breaking down into anarchy. While all of these stories have been interesting and are complex, they aren’t really experimenting with what it means to be a storyteller.

As games have continued to progress, however, there has been an even deeper focus on the psychology of the characters; either you or the character you are playing. Games like Halo 4, God of War III, Bioshock, and Far Cry 3 are all games that take a deep look in the minds of the people we choose to have as video game protagonists. Games like The Walking Dead: The Game and Heavy Rain take this one step further and ask yourself to look at your own psychology. However, even in these games, the storytelling telling methods still follow a straightforward narrative path that can be equated with similar Hollywood-movie style narratives.

However, in recent years, a new set of narrative games have cropped up with a new idea of storytelling; the circular, never-ending story. Indie games like Braid, Journey, and Limbo and even a few mainstream games like Shadow of the Colossus (though calling SotC mainstream might be stretching a bit) have started to explore the idea of a circular narrative, where time and “cause-and-effect” are not as linear as we thought. It’s an interesting new territory that is ripe for video games to explore.

Games like Limbo explore new narrative styles for video games

What are circular-narratives? Religions like Buddhism and even music like the famous Carmina Burana speak of time and fate as if it were a wheel. That life and time are not just one long line that constantly move forward with a clearly defined past, present, and future. Instead, time folds back in on itself and certain events repeat themselves over and over again, but each time maybe a little different; maybe a little better or maybe a little worse. In Buddhism, the hope is each time one improves oneself to achieve Nirvana. Yet it is in the realizing that we are in a circle of time/fate that helps us reach this Nirvana, that we are constantly moving through this circle as one organism and that we are all connected together. While this is an oversimplification of the idea, and it certainly isn’t limited or confined to Buddhism, it is important to acknowledge time as cyclical. As the excellent TV series Battlestar Galactica puts it, “All this has happened before, all this will happen again.” Even western philosophies acknowledge this idea to a minor extent with phrases like "history repeats itself."

So a circular narrative is something that looks at and explores the idea of time being fluid and circular. For an excellent example of the idea of a circular narrative in literature, listen to this wonderful short story by Neil Gaiman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-K5p3VrrjQ). The games Limbo and Journey do this most obviously. Both Limbo and Journey put you on a simple quest to achieve a simple goal. In Limbo, you are journeying through Limbo to find your sister while in Journey you are trying to reach the top of a mountain. Both goals set you on a straight path that forces you to constantly walk towards a goal. While Journey may be filled with different ideas, both games end similarly. Once you achieve your goal, both games put you back at the exact same spot you started. From there, you can continue to do the exact same quest again, just constantly stuck in a loop. However, both games put a different spin on the idea. Limbo has a much sadder tone that has this young boy constantly stuck in a cycle looking for his sister, while Journey has a more positive tone in the themes of perseverance and apotheosis. Both games experiment with the idea of a fluid time and space.

The simple goal of Journey helps to underscore its constant cycle

Games like Braid experiment with this idea in a slightly different way. In Braid, your protagonist is able to manipulate time. As you continue, you learn that your character, Tim, is searching for his love that was attacked by an evil monster. One of the books that tells this narrative stays that “He [Tim] felt on his trip that every place stirs up an emotion, and every emotion invokes a memory: a time and a location. So couldn’t he find the Princess now, tonight, just by wandering from place to place and noticing how he feels? A trail of feelings, of awe and inspiration, should lead him to that castle: in the future: her arms enclosing him, her scent fills him with excitement, creates a moment so strong he can remember it in the past.” In the end, the game forces you to rewind time and discover that it was your protagonist who was the monster taking away the Princess from Tim. Here, the manipulation of time is more complicated. Time is malleable and reverberates through all moments. Each moment doesn’t stand in isolation but is touched and influenced by the next. Yet, in the end, it is this very malleability that forces us to never have the thing we want, and we are forced to repeat a cycle which we never knew was happening.

"Time keeps on slippin'...slippin'...slippin'"

The manipulation of time is not a novel concept to games. One need only look at games like Prince of Persia to know that. However, through games like Journey, Braid, and Limbo, video games have started to go deeper then just straightforward narratives and instead begin to explore a much more complicated, more fluid movement through time. The point of these games, in terms of the theme of time, isn’t to have a grand message or overarching theme. Instead, its about realizing that the way we view the world, especially in western philosophies, is open to interpretation and that even the basic notion of time may not be as simple as we think. And it is through video games that we are able to explore these ideas in new and more engaging ways.

The Walking Excellence: How The Walking Dead Manages to Stay on Top.

By James Earl

This past weekend, the AMC TV series The Walking Dead returned to for its second half of Season 3, once again breaking all kinds of cable viewership records. All this despite having to compete with the Grammy awards also on that night. With the show continually growing more popular, it’s surprising (or perhaps not so surprising), that the television has still managed to push boundaries and retain a stellar and consistent quality. The Walking Dead series has been translated into numerous mediums and yet in each medium it has still maintained an excellent standard of quality. What is it about The Walking Dead series that has allowed it to earn both critical acclaim and commercial success in not just one, but five different artistic forms?

AMC's The Walking Dead keeps breaking cable viewership records

For those that don’t know, The Walking Dead series originally started as a comic book series written by Robert Kirkman and drawn by Tony Moore way back in 2003. While the comic is still on-going, the series has grown into a full blown franchise, with the TV series starting in 2010, a series of webisodes in 2010, a series of books based on the comic starting in 2011, a multiple award-winning video game based on the comics in 2012 (which is also a favorite of the Pixel Splatter writers), not to mention an upcoming video game based on the TV series continuity and a sequel to the original comic-based game. For the especially nerdy, there are even well-reviewed Walking Dead board games. However, within each of these different mediums, from comic book to TV to internet to video games to literature, The Walking Dead never seem to dip in quality, and, even more surprising, has become leading examples in each medium.

So what is it about The Walking Dead formula that allows it to have (such) unqualified success and quality? Perhaps it goes back to its original mission statement. In the first issue of The Walking Dead comic book, writer Robert Kirkmen wrote “How these characters get there is much more important than them getting there. I hope to show you reflections of your friends, your neighbors, your families and yourselves, and what their reactions are to the extreme situations on this book.” Perhaps this is what gives the Walking Dead its power. The Walking Dead is supposed to a reflection of ourselves. While zombies certainly create the impetus and stress for the characters, it’s not the zombies that are important. Like all good zombie or horror fiction, the horrific force is just the impetus for an exploration of character. One only has to look at the recent slew of bad horror movies to realize that when one focuses on the concept too hard instead of characters, the whole thing falls apart.

The popular comic series focused on the characters, not the zombies

This focus on character has certainly helped out the franchise in all its forms. The TV show’s characters have always felt engaging. The ideological battle between the optimistic Rick and the survivalist Shane led to one of the most engaging character studies on television in recent years. In the video game, the relationship between protagonist Lee and the young girl Clementine, and Lee’s (and the player’s) willingness to do anything to protect her echoes every parent or family members love and caring for their loved ones. The Walking Dead only provides an impetus (zombies) for these characters to be put to extremes and show who they really are when society crumbles. It allows us to see what ourselves and our neighbors are really like.

However, it might also be the flexibility of the premise that has helped the Walking Dead. The original comic series certainly left a great blueprint to look at, but it’s how the other mediums were able to make the ideas their own that really helped make them unique. Instead of being a paint-by-the-numbers interpretation of the comic book, the TV series forged its own way. While still following the basic plot and characters of the comics, the TV series took great diversions from the source material. The diversion to the CDC, Shane’s survival past Atlanta, Andrea meeting the Governor, and even the creation of fan favorite character Daryl were all ideas created specifically by the TV show’s writing team, and are nowhere to be found in the comic series. This allowed the TV series to not be bound by preexisting continuity, and allows them to surprise comic readers and new fans alike. This flexibility can also be found in the video game which, despite being set in the same fictional universe of the comics, follows a completely different group of survivors. Despite all the differences between the mediums, it’s the themes that ties them together and still makes them The Walking Dead.

The video game may follow a different group of survivors, but its themes echo those in the other mediums

However, perhaps it is Robert Kirkmen’s other statement in his original issues that really shows the power of the Walking Dead. “I want The Walking Dead to be a chronicle of years of Rick’s life. We will NEVER wonder what happens to Rick next, we will see it. The Walking Dead will be the zombie movie that never ends.” From the very start, Kirkmen wanted The Walking Dead to be something different. Instead of a movie that starts and ends in two hours, The Walking Dead will, hopefully, never have a true finish. Instead, it will keep going on like real life. The story of the survivors of the zombie apocalypse should not be condensed or shorted for, like real life, the dangers and struggles that they encounter are faced on a daily basis. From the very start, The Walking Dead has dreamed to be something that never really ends. If the quality and the sheer beauty of the storytelling keeps improving and pushing new methods of storytelling, here’s to hoping that it never does end.

List-Less: My Most Anticipated Games of 2013

By James Earl

Well here we are, at the start of new year. As I prepare to start going to the gym to follow through with my New Years Resolution of losing some weight, I think its time to start looking at the games that I'm looking forward to playing this year as soon as I give up on the gym and realize my place is in front of the couch with a controller in hand. So here are the games that I'm most looking forward to in 2013.
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Injustice: Gods Among Us (Xbox 360, PS3, Wii U)

This game has been a long time coming. While we got a taste for a superhero fighter in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, that taste was a bit sour. However, with the same creative team behind Injustice that created the amazing Mortal Kombat reboot two years ago (which was the first fighting game outside of Super Smash Bros. that I really got into), call me excited. With a promise of an interesting story, unique characters, and interactive environments, this game seems to have everything going for it. I have no idea how Green Arrow will be able to beat up Superman, but I don’t think I’ll care.

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South Park: The Stick of Truth (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Basically, this game looks like an interactive episode of South Park, which in and of itself is exciting. While I’ve enjoyed games like Scott Tenorman’s Revenge, they were nothing particularly special or South Park-ish. This game however, which has direct involvement from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, seems to something more. The fact that it seems to be based on one of my favorite South Park episodes, “The Return of the Fellowship of the Ring to the Two Towers,” certainly doesn’t hurt. If it all works out, The Stick of Truth will contain some of South Parks trademark satire and inappropriate humor, all while being fun. Hopefully, the game will survive publisher THQ’s recent bankruptcy.
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The Last of Us (PS3)

The Last of Us looks to be an interesting take on the post-apocalyptic shooter game. Like The Walking Dead: The Game before it, The Last of Us seems like it really wants to make you question what it means to survive in a world where society has broken down. What does it mean to have to kill other human beings in order to survive. And this interesting story is going to be contained in a third person shooter created by the makers of the wonderful Uncharted series? Count me in. Its also nice to see a big-name developer taking a risk on a new IP, especially as this current console cycle starts to come to an end.
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Beyond: Two Souls (PS3)

This is easily my most anticipated game of 2013, if not ever. The spiritual successor to Heavy Rain, which can probably be accurately called my favorite video game ever, Beyond: Two Souls looks to be on track to be another video game masterpiece. For those of you who read my “Are Video Games Art?” article, you know Heavy Rain is one of the few games I consider to be true video game art. Hopefully, David Cage’s newest work can live up to that legacy. However, having heard that this story was written on a very personal level by Cage, I think that Beyond will be a masterpiece in its own right. Also, it stars Ellen Page. Nuff said.
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Bioshock: Infinite (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Bioshock was one of the first video games that truly could be called art. It was smart, meticulously developed, and wonderfully craft. Bioshock 2 however, while not a bad game in its own right, seemed to be trying too hard to live up to the brilliance of its predecessor. So it seems like a set in the right direction to take the franchise out of water so it can fly to new heights, literally. The setting, the story, the gameplay, and with Ken Levine behind it all seem to point towards this game becoming another video game classic.

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Aliens: Colonial Marines (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U)

I’m a huge fan of the first two Alien movies, and even enjoyed Aliens: Resurrection, the AvP series, and Prometheus (lets just forget about Aliens 3). So with the same developer as the Borderlands series, Gearbox, behind this game, I’m really looking forward to it. This game may have had a long and troubled development history, but from what we’ve seen of this game, it looks to be a tension filled experience, with great story. Hopefully it won’t end up like Gearbox’s other long in-development game, Duke Nukem Forever.
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Star Trek (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

At first, I was wary of this new Star Trek game. I’m a huge Trekkie and love the J.J. Abrams reboot, but I’ve been burned before by tie-in games, especially from the Star Trek franchise. I still remember the awful Tactical Assault and Legacy video games of the Bethesda era. However, Star Trek video game history hasn’t been all bad with great games like Elite Force II, Armada, and Shattered Universe. However, what has me most excited about this game is that it seems to be doing its own thing. While obviously tied in terms of release date to the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness, this game has been in the works before that film had even started. With an original story, great voice actors from the movies, and an interesting focus on coop (which is a feature sorely missed in many games today), this game had my interest, but now it has my attention. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 Honorable Mentions

                                                                                 

List-Less: 5 Things I'm Glad Happened Before the End of the World

Well, as many of you may or may not know, this upcoming Friday is December 21, 2012, the end of the Mayan calendar and, as it happens, the end of all human civilization whatsoever. It seems sad that human civilization has to end in 2012, as we had so much more ahead of us, so much to look forward to. But alas, that is not to be. However, as we sit at the end of human existence, I have decide to look back at what I am thankful for having happened before the end of the world. Here is my short list.

 1) The Hobbit came out... in one movie!

One movie to rule them all

When I heard that Peter Jackson was again going to be in charge of Middle-Earth once more, I was excited! Jackson had done a wonderful job putting 3 classic fantasy works and making them into exactly 3 classic movies. So when he was put in charge of The Hobbit, I was certain I was in for a great movie, told in exactly 3 hours time. And what a 3 hours it turned out to be. Trolls, Giants, Dragons, Elves, a war... all in exactly one movie. I was surprised that he could fit it all in. At least it was better then unnecessarily stretching it out over two movies. I could understand that, but two would have to be a minimum. I mean, why would you have three movies for one book when you already did three movies for three books? That would be ridiculous!

2) George Lucas given a restraining order from the Star Wars franchise

Lucas signs the restraining order with Skywalker family lawyer, Mr. Bob Iger

Nerds around the world were given an early Christmas present. It was reported in late October that George Lucas had finally lost in court and was forced to sign a restraining order that states he must stay at least 200 ft from Star Wars at all times. The statement from the court read “the defendant, Mr. Lucas, is prohibited from assaulting, threatening, intimidating, coercing or otherwise defiling the childhood memories of the plaintiffs and the entire Skywalker family.” After leaving the court, Mr. Lucas was heard to say “Well, at least I still have Indy.”

3) Song of Ice and Fire finished quickly

Did winter finally come? No... probably not.

After taking 7 years between A Feast for Crows and A Dance with Dragons (two books that were supposed to be one book in the first place), no one really dared hope that George RR Martin would finish the Song of Ice and Fire series anytime soon. So it came as a huge surprise when George RR Martin announced that The Winds of Winter and A Song of Spring would both be released on the same day and end the series, almost a year after Dragons. “I realized that my fans have been more then patient with me as I write my 1,000 page descriptions of each character’s dinner,” Martin told the press. “I really hope they enjoy the series’ end.” Reviewers loved the series, with one even stating “This is certainly Martin’s magnum opus. One of the best parts comes as Martin takes 300 pages to describe how Tyrion waddles around the Throne Room talking about sex and wine. It really is an epic. Fantasy at its best!”

4) Alison Brie, Emma Watson and Felicia Day telling me I was the most awesome person ever

Sorry, I think this was actually I dream I had. Lets just move on.

5) Half-Life 3 came out... and was awesome!

Why Valve? WHY!?

HA! Even I know this is never going to happen. Ever. Just accept it. Half-Life 3 is a dream. Just pick up your old copies of Half-Life one and enjoy beating aliens in with a crowbar. Cause you're never gonna have Gordan Freeman with a Portal Gun. I'm sorry.

Don't forget to set your watches

I hope everyone has a wonderful end of the world!

Are Video Games Art?

Note: Sorry for the length of this first article. I just had a lot to say on this subject. Future articles should not be as long as this one. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Also, there are some link in the article text that will send you to a page that has some more info about that particular topic.

So for my first post, I figured I may as well tackle an issue that I hold near and dear to me and find particularly important. Since I am at the age of 20, I have, along with many others my age, grown up with video games being a very important part of my culture and entertainment choice. In my lifetime I have owned the original Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube, Nintendo Wii, the original Gameboy, Gameboy Color, Gameboy Advanced, Gameboy Advanced SP, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Xbox, Xbox 360, Sega Dreamcast, Sega GameGear, Playstation 2, Playstation 3, Sony PSP, and a Playstation Vita, so I am very much a gamer. (Actually, looking at all those systems listed out seems quite large and sad to me, but let us not linger on that). I have played video games from Pong to Halo 4. I’ve spent many high school and even college conversations discussion my favorite games and characters. I often hang out with friends just to play new video games. So video games have played an important role in my life.

Yet what is video game’s place in the larger world? This has been a large question every since arcades became large in the world. Are video games just a toy made just for kids to have fun with or is it a form of art, worthy of respect given to that of cinema, photography, and other forms of recent art that has been made possible by the growth of human technology in the last century or so. Obviously, this topic has been the center of much debate, with much of the argument centered on video games being violent and being marketed to minors. Many even blamed video games for massacres such as the Columbine shootings in 1999, as the two shooters were apparently avid fans of one of the original first-person shooter Doom. Some parents were worried that their kids were being exposed to violent subject matter in video games that might affect them in the long run. This even led to the United States Congress stepping in in 1994 and held hearings on the subject of video games, which led to the creation of the ESRB, the video game ratings system similar to the ratings system used for movies in the United States. This issue still exists today, though to a lesser extent. Just last year in 2011, the Supreme Court struck down a law by former-California State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger that led to the ban of video games that portray the “killing, maiming, dismembering, or sexually assaulting an image of a human beings” from being sold to minors. So the controversy still stands today.

 Doom Became the Center of a Controversy After Columbine

So the question that I propose is this; should video games be considered an art form and be given the respect that comes with that, or should it just be considered a toy or, at the very most, a medium that can have creative parts to it but can’t be considered art as a whole. Some people, like famed cinema critic Roger Ebert, don't think video games can ever be considered art at all.

In order to answer this question, we must first ask “What is art?” or, more specifically, “Why do we consider certain things to be art and others not?” Why do we consider architecture to be an art form? The answer isn’t simply because it looks pretty or is beautiful. Instead, I believe that what differentiates different artistic mediums is that they can demonstrate creativity in a way that only that specific medium can. For example, paintings and photography are similar but are considered different mediums, for photography tries to find the art in everyday life, in reality, whereas painting can become more subjective and less reality based. This isn’t to say that different forms of art of separate from each other; quite the contrary. It is obvious to see that photography plays a large role in the cinematic art form. However, cinema can do things that photography can’t and photography can do things that cinema can’t.

So what does this have to do with video games? Well, it can help us find a clear way to define how video games can be art. Many people who argue in favor of video games being art point to games like Okami and Limbo as clear, cut and dry arguments that video games can be art. However, are these games actually video game art? Certainly, there can be no doubt that these games are artistic, but do they do things that only video games can do? Okami is certainly a beautiful, but is it really video game art or really just a painting that happens to be so large that you can move through it? Others point to games like Call of Duty or Halo 4 and point to their blockbuster cinematic qualities and say that these games have learned from cinema and are therefore art. However, the same issue arises here. While I love these types of games, what is there in a Call of Duty game that you can’t get out of a big blockbuster action movie like The Expendables? These seemingly cut and dry arguments for video games as art certainly have artistic qualities (Okami-painting, Call of Duty-cinema), they in and of themselves are not specifically video game art.

 Beautiful...but is it Video Game Art? (Okami)

So the question becomes, What do video games do as an art form that no other art form  can do? The answer is quite simple; Interactivity. The difference between video games and any other art form, from music to cinema, is that it is interactive. You, as a person, have a role in what goes on in a video game. The game designer may control what happens and what you can do, but you as a player are given choice, which is important. As a result of interactivity, I believe there are two main qualities of video game art; it allows you to have agency within the art itself AND it mentally places you into a world other then your own in a way other art cannot. There may be other qualities that I have missed or overlooked, but for now lets focus on these.

The first quality I wish to focus on is video game art being able to place you into a world other then your own. One of the largest problems with video games is their gaming. Many times, video games make it all too obvious that the world was made for YOU. Invisibly walls push you down a certain, predetermined path. Characters walk around the world aimlessly with no other purpose then to talk directly to you. The world just seems to unreal at times, too artificial. It is when video games make you forget that the world you are inhabiting was made for you and instead make you feel that they have existed before you, would have continued existing without your interference, and will continue on after you that a video game can be more then just a game.

Probably the most effective and well-known examples of this is the video game Bioshock. Bioshock places you in the underground world of Rapture, an underwater metropolis that seems to have sprung straight from the mind of Ayn Rand. You find yourself entering this world, and as you walk around, you feel as if this was once a vibrant city before it fell. You see neon signs advertising shops, places where people once went to go out to eat for dinner, even people’s apartments. It all seems real, you feel as if Rapture might be a real place and that you are just happening through it. However, what makes Bioshock even more of a success is that it uses this environment in order to make a direct refutation of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. Giant statues of city’s creator Andrew Ryan (whose name is a nod to the aforementioned author) with phrases like “No Gods or Kings, Only Man” adorn the walls. The crafters of Bioshock not only made a real, vibrant city, but also made have purpose, have a intelligent point to make. Another quick example of place becoming real is the recent game Skyrim. While is may not be as effective as Bioshock in making you forget that you are playing a video game, Skyrim does create a living world on such a scale it boggles the mind. Each NPC (non-player character) has a life, they run shops, go to bed a certain time, and talk to other people. It all seems real. Both Bioshock and Skyrim are testaments to video game’s ability to create seemingly real places and put you inside of it.

 Bioshock Creates a World that Feels Real and Lived In

The second quality that makes video games art is the ability for the art viewer to have agency within it. However, what does this mean? Okami allows the player agency and the ability to move around. Even games as old as Pong were influenced by the player. So why shouldn’t those be considered art? The answer can be found by looking at what agency means. According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, agency is “the capacity, condition, or state of acting or of exerting power.” To have agency, you must be able to enact your own will. Are you able to do so in Mario, Okami, or Pong? You certainly are able to win or lose the game, but thats not real agency. You don’t really have much of a choice in that because, if you did, you wouldn’t choose to lose. No, real agency comes when you, as the player, are able to make choices about what you want to do.

There are a few games that have made great strides in allowing agency for the player in video games; namely the Mass Effect series, Heavy Rain, and the recent The Walking Dead: The Game (which also recently won Game of the Year at the VGA awards). Mainly, I wish to focus on Mass Effect and The Walking Dead for the moment, as Heavy Rain is a different beast of its own. In both the Mass Effect series and The Walking Dead, players are given choices. Do you save these citizens but let the villain get away? Do you kill you’re best friends son after he has been bitten by a zombie, do you just leave him there, or do you make your friend shoot his son? These games put choices into your hand, and the story changes based on what you decide. And, from personal experience, I can tell you that these games don’t make just offer you these choices, they make you feel it. You become connected to many of these characters and how your decisions can affect them. Some of the most rewarding moments come in Mass Effect 3 when you just go and talk to these characters that you have grown to care about (such as shooting bottles on the Citadel with Garrus or watching Tali get drunk). In Mass Effect 2, many of your choices can lead to either the survival of all the characters or the death of everyone you care about, including your own character, which will then have lasting ramifications in Mass Effect 3. The Walking Dead is much the same, as it is also episodic, with five episodes each affecting the others. Choices you make in episode 1, like who you decide to save, come back to haunt you in later episodes. These games give you agency and then make you feel and experience the consequences of these actions. That is true video game art.

Games like The Walking Dead make you Care Because of Your Choices

I won’t talk about Heavy Rain too much as much of what I would say about it has already been said in the above sections. However, Heavy Rain may have been ahead of its time. I won’t go into to much detail because the argument I would make has already been wonderfully stated at the website Gamedev by Paul Suddaby here.

So, I do believe that video games can become art. However, not every video game is art  in and of itself just because it is in the medium. Video games have the ability to be the best and newest creative outlet of the 21st Century. However, they still have some problems to overcome. While I will not go into incredible detail, I will outline a few issues.

One major issue comes from the idea of the Illusion of Choice. This illusion of choice argument plays a big role for the Mass Effect and Walking Dead games. The argument goes that while the games may offer the players choice and do change some key moments, the ending always comes out the same anyways. [SPOILERS] For Mass Effect, you always find yourself on the citadel with the choice to control, destroy, or synthesize with the Reapers. For Walking Dead, Lee always dies and Clementine gets away. [END SPOILERS]. To this, I agree with assessment but don’t think it ruins video games as art for 2 reasons. One, I believe that this argument sells the importance of the journey short. Sure, it will all end the same, but how we get there will be completely different. Certain characters may die in Walking Dead or Mass Effect for me that don’t do for someone else. I may choose to explore one area more then someone else. The journey is just as important as the destination in art. If that wasn’t the case, why the hell would I ever see a movie reboot like the recent Star Trek movie (which I loved)? Because I love the journey and I don’t care that I already know that Kirk will eventually become Captain of the Enterprise. My second argument would be that video games are still evolving and are dependent on technology. While I would love to have vastly different endings for each choice, you have to be realistic. To do something like that would require TONS of work, time, money, and technology we don’t even have yet. For know, we have to live with what we have with hopes that technology may one day allow us to do more, which most likely it will (see Star Trek’s holodeck).

 Choose your Color... I mean Ending

The next issue comes from when video games grew up. Video games started to mature along with the growth of the internet. As such, video games and the internet have created a relationship that other mediums don’t have with the information superhighway.  While this has been beneficial, it has also caused a lowering of the discourse on video games. Instead of intelligent conversation, many people end up arguing on forums or different websites about which game system is the best or why other games suck compared to the new Call of Duty. Its an issue that, if video games are going to be taken seriously, needs to be addressed more fully.

 "Intelligent" Discourse

Another argument would be the pushing out of the player. This one is similar to the Illusion of Choice argument, in that it states that the very fact that the player is taking the role of a CHARACTER in the story instead of just playing themselves automatically pushes them out of the art and the world. Again, I can agree that this can happen, but I can make the same arguments for the Illusion of Choice problem here. Firstly, hoping into another character is what makes it interesting. Why do I want to be myself in the Mass Effect universe when Commander Shepard is far more interesting then I ever will be? Also, again technology comes into play. We simply don’t have the ability to place ourselves directly into the world yet. Again, this will be fixed as soon as we have the holodeck. If you want to learn more about this issue, video game creator Shawn McGrath has a great interview about it here.

In the end, video games have a lot of work to do before they can be considered true art. The examples I have stated here of video game art (Bioshock, Mass Effect, Heavy Rain, Walking Dead) are just some examples of many, but are still to few and far between. Even these examples themselves are not complete works of art just yet. It might be like comparing cave paintings to the work of Van Gogh. However, I think the time is over to argue that video games cannot be art is over. Instead, I think the issue now should be trying to find a direction for video games. The question should not be “Are video games art?” but should now be “How can we make video games better art?”