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Videogames offer and portray many things, but for me some of the best and most memorable ingame moments are those of solitude.
Take GRAND THEFT AUTO III for example. During a wild and wreckless police chase there is something strangely tranquil about caning it on foot as a 5 star criminal to a hidden place of safety where the cops can't get at you. The craziness of Liberty City is going off all around you, but you have found an unlikely haven of solace, and for now you can just wait in silence thinking about what your next move will be. For a few brief moments, all is perfectly still. You are totally alone within the calm before and after the violent storm.
Many games have space for this ALONENESS. In the Tomb Raider games you could take Lara preferrably to a high location and just look down on the mysterious surroundings. She was alone. You were alone. It created a tangible feeling of immersion in the game's virtual realm.
I think it is this ingame solitude that makes using SNIPER MODE so kickass enjoyable. You are hidden from the enemy, but within your sights you can see them. You zoom in on their oblivious minds and slowly squeeze the trigger. POP.
It's the same with driving games. I'm sure most of you take advantage of the Time Trial to just go for a power cruise on an empty track in your favourite vehicle. You are alone with the open road stretching out before you. Perfect ingame solitude in motion.
I think what I'm trying to get at is that this feeling of aloneness in a game's virtual environment is tantamount to a feeling of FREEDOM. It's like we can stop and just observe and take in the game's surroundings as if we were in fact that character in or on the screen.
Ingame solitude can also be found in the unlikeliest of places. For instance in the driving seat of a Formula One car during a long and arduous Grand Prix. I know it's not real, but you can become completely lost in the virtual participation and find yourself concentrating like IT IS an actual race and that the outcome seriously matters.
For me, this ALONENESS or INGAME SOLITUDE (or whatever you want to call it) is a very important feature in the visual/gameplay experience. It creates a feeling of immersion, and that's what gaming is all about.
Take GRAND THEFT AUTO III for example. During a wild and wreckless police chase there is something strangely tranquil about caning it on foot as a 5 star criminal to a hidden place of safety where the cops can't get at you. The craziness of Liberty City is going off all around you, but you have found an unlikely haven of solace, and for now you can just wait in silence thinking about what your next move will be. For a few brief moments, all is perfectly still. You are totally alone within the calm before and after the violent storm.
Many games have space for this ALONENESS. In the Tomb Raider games you could take Lara preferrably to a high location and just look down on the mysterious surroundings. She was alone. You were alone. It created a tangible feeling of immersion in the game's virtual realm.
I think it is this ingame solitude that makes using SNIPER MODE so kickass enjoyable. You are hidden from the enemy, but within your sights you can see them. You zoom in on their oblivious minds and slowly squeeze the trigger. POP.
It's the same with driving games. I'm sure most of you take advantage of the Time Trial to just go for a power cruise on an empty track in your favourite vehicle. You are alone with the open road stretching out before you. Perfect ingame solitude in motion.
I think what I'm trying to get at is that this feeling of aloneness in a game's virtual environment is tantamount to a feeling of FREEDOM. It's like we can stop and just observe and take in the game's surroundings as if we were in fact that character in or on the screen.
Ingame solitude can also be found in the unlikeliest of places. For instance in the driving seat of a Formula One car during a long and arduous Grand Prix. I know it's not real, but you can become completely lost in the virtual participation and find yourself concentrating like IT IS an actual race and that the outcome seriously matters.
For me, this ALONENESS or INGAME SOLITUDE (or whatever you want to call it) is a very important feature in the visual/gameplay experience. It creates a feeling of immersion, and that's what gaming is all about.
wwwDot wrote:
> Shenmue was a game of solitude. You could just stand around and watch the sun
> set over the sea, or just observe the people going about their business in the
> busy market areas.
I must have lost hours on that game just looking about and
> watching the world go by.
Yes Shenmue was like that very much. Many games don't have space for this kind of thing. Even though as the ingame character you are in a place bustling with life, you still feel alone. It's a nice feeling I think. Allows you to gently lost yourself in the game's environment.
> Shenmue was a game of solitude. You could just stand around and watch the sun
> set over the sea, or just observe the people going about their business in the
> busy market areas.
I must have lost hours on that game just looking about and
> watching the world go by.
Yes Shenmue was like that very much. Many games don't have space for this kind of thing. Even though as the ingame character you are in a place bustling with life, you still feel alone. It's a nice feeling I think. Allows you to gently lost yourself in the game's environment.
Videogames offer and portray many things, but for me some of the best and most memorable ingame moments are those of solitude.
Take GRAND THEFT AUTO III for example. During a wild and wreckless police chase there is something strangely tranquil about caning it on foot as a 5 star criminal to a hidden place of safety where the cops can't get at you. The craziness of Liberty City is going off all around you, but you have found an unlikely haven of solace, and for now you can just wait in silence thinking about what your next move will be. For a few brief moments, all is perfectly still. You are totally alone within the calm before and after the violent storm.
Many games have space for this ALONENESS. In the Tomb Raider games you could take Lara preferrably to a high location and just look down on the mysterious surroundings. She was alone. You were alone. It created a tangible feeling of immersion in the game's virtual realm.
I think it is this ingame solitude that makes using SNIPER MODE so kickass enjoyable. You are hidden from the enemy, but within your sights you can see them. You zoom in on their oblivious minds and slowly squeeze the trigger. POP.
It's the same with driving games. I'm sure most of you take advantage of the Time Trial to just go for a power cruise on an empty track in your favourite vehicle. You are alone with the open road stretching out before you. Perfect ingame solitude in motion.
I think what I'm trying to get at is that this feeling of aloneness in a game's virtual environment is tantamount to a feeling of FREEDOM. It's like we can stop and just observe and take in the game's surroundings as if we were in fact that character in or on the screen.
Ingame solitude can also be found in the unlikeliest of places. For instance in the driving seat of a Formula One car during a long and arduous Grand Prix. I know it's not real, but you can become completely lost in the virtual participation and find yourself concentrating like IT IS an actual race and that the outcome seriously matters.
For me, this ALONENESS or INGAME SOLITUDE (or whatever you want to call it) is a very important feature in the visual/gameplay experience. It creates a feeling of immersion, and that's what gaming is all about.
Take GRAND THEFT AUTO III for example. During a wild and wreckless police chase there is something strangely tranquil about caning it on foot as a 5 star criminal to a hidden place of safety where the cops can't get at you. The craziness of Liberty City is going off all around you, but you have found an unlikely haven of solace, and for now you can just wait in silence thinking about what your next move will be. For a few brief moments, all is perfectly still. You are totally alone within the calm before and after the violent storm.
Many games have space for this ALONENESS. In the Tomb Raider games you could take Lara preferrably to a high location and just look down on the mysterious surroundings. She was alone. You were alone. It created a tangible feeling of immersion in the game's virtual realm.
I think it is this ingame solitude that makes using SNIPER MODE so kickass enjoyable. You are hidden from the enemy, but within your sights you can see them. You zoom in on their oblivious minds and slowly squeeze the trigger. POP.
It's the same with driving games. I'm sure most of you take advantage of the Time Trial to just go for a power cruise on an empty track in your favourite vehicle. You are alone with the open road stretching out before you. Perfect ingame solitude in motion.
I think what I'm trying to get at is that this feeling of aloneness in a game's virtual environment is tantamount to a feeling of FREEDOM. It's like we can stop and just observe and take in the game's surroundings as if we were in fact that character in or on the screen.
Ingame solitude can also be found in the unlikeliest of places. For instance in the driving seat of a Formula One car during a long and arduous Grand Prix. I know it's not real, but you can become completely lost in the virtual participation and find yourself concentrating like IT IS an actual race and that the outcome seriously matters.
For me, this ALONENESS or INGAME SOLITUDE (or whatever you want to call it) is a very important feature in the visual/gameplay experience. It creates a feeling of immersion, and that's what gaming is all about.