D is for Dom

Back in October while I was playing Gears of War 3, I wrote a post about getting to "that part." It's now April and I'm going to talk about "that part" and the character behind it. There will be major Gears  spoilers ahead.

For those who don't know the Gears of War series, Dominic Santiago is the second player's character.  But, he is more than just a typical re-branding of the first player's character, Marcus. Dom's story through out the games has captivated me in a way Marcus' doesn't.

Before I get to "that part," here's brief history of Dom, one of my favorite video game characters:

On Emergence day,  (the day of the full scale Locust Horde attack on Sera's surface) Dom lost both of his children and his wife.

Years later while still fighting against the Locusts, Dom learns that his wife might be a prisoner of the Horde. He spends most of Gears of War 2 trying to find her. And he does.

But, Maria isn't herself anymore. From the stress and torture inflicted on her, she is in a comatose state. Dom decides to euthanize her. It's clear that this is the most painful decision of his life.  And this is one of the most heartbreaking  things I have ever seen in a video game.

It doesn't end there. Here's "that part".....

In Gears 3, the war isn't going well. In order to find fuel, Dom and the squad go to Mercy, Maria's hometown.  After arriving, he visits her family tomb and leaves his COG tags there. This is when I knew he was going to die. Later in Mercy, the squad is completely surrounded. Dom jumps into the driver's seat of a fuel truck and crashes it, giving Marcus and the others time to escape.


I have played through this scene at least 3 times now. Every time, it gets me. The first time I saw this, my son and I were playing together. As the scene unfolds with Dom getting into that truck and the aftermath, we both cried. I don't think I ever had to stop playing something and walk away before. In fact, I don't think we played Gears 3 for the rest of the day. Of course we did finish the game, and although the ending is bittersweet, it is also hopeful. I just wish Dom was there to see it as well.


more about Dom on the Gears wiki

C is for Consoles

I've always been a console gamer. I'm always been a Nintendo fangirl, even back when it was just Nintendo and Sega. Of course, that doesn't mean that I hate my PS3 and Xbox 360. I play them more than my Wii. But, I also play the hell out of my 3DS. Out of all of the consoles available now, I'm only missing the Vita.

Now that we are nearing the end of the 7th generation of consoles, speculations and rumors about the next PlayStation and Xbox  are increasing.  So here's a handy little list of what I think about all this:

I think we will able to play used games on the new consoles. If Microsoft and Sony ban used games, it would kill business. Yes, I know game publishers don't get more money from sales of used games, but for a gaming family like mine (with two 360s and two PS3s) this would be terrible. I'm not buying two copies of the same game.

Besides the Wii U, which is releasing later this year, I don't think we'll see a new Xbox or PlayStation until late 2013 or even 2014.

I don't think Sony or Microsoft will say anything about new consoles at E3.

I think the new Xbox and PlayStation will have disc drives. (But Microsoft, please get rid of the tray)

I like backwards capability, so does every other gamer on the planet.


These are just a few of  the concerns and rumors that are floating around out there. As we get closer to the next generation, I'm sure they will get even wilder.
 

More on  next gen consoles.

B is for BioShock Infinite

So last year, I used B for BioShock. But, that post was really just a gushy ode to my second favorite gaming series after the Legend of Zelda.  This year, BioShock Infinite will come out on October 16. I have already told my husband to keep a continuous  supply of bottled water and pizza handy for me. What's so special about Inifinite? Well, I'm glad you asked....

It's number three in the BioShock series, but it takes place in 1912, a good 50 or so years before the first one.

It takes place in Colombia, which is the exact opposite of my beloved, almost scary obsession with the underwater city of Rapture. Seriously, I would live in Rapture if I could. The best/worst thing about Columbia floating in the clouds is you can totally just jump off and fall to your death, so sayth Ken Levine.

I do have some reservations about the bright, sunny new city. But the more I see, especially of the "Heavy Hitters" enemies, the more creepy and awesome it gets. Check out G4's coverage of the new enemies. My favorite one is the robotic statue of George Washington who has mini-guns.  Or the Sirens or maybe the Boys of Silence....

Besides the time and place, there will be a new mode for Infinite called 1999 mode. It sounds like a love letter to us BioShock veterans who have beaten the first two on every difficulty offered. Hooray!

So yes, while I do love my Rapture, I'm super excited for Columbia. I trust Irrational to make an experience like no other. What I want is a warm, fuzzy mix of what makes BioShock great, but with new surprises and twists. I don't think I'll be disappointed.  (but it would be cool if there was an old fashioned Circus of Values in an alley, just something to consider... lol)

A is for Art and Video Games

Whether or not video games are Art is a subject that's been debated to death. But, this year the "Games are Art" camp  (which I am a member of) won a "victory" with the opening of the the Art of Video Games exhibit at the Smithsonian. It runs from March to the end of September. Even though I live in Florida, I am going to try my damnest to make it there.

Why do I believe games are Art? It's simple really, and a part of me doesn't understand why there's a debate at all. Art makes you think and feel. It's more than just the technical aspect of how well someone draws or paints. (or how good the graphics are for games.)

So yes, even the 8-bit games of the NES make me feel something, whether it be excitement, frustration, or joy. These days the graphics are way better, but I still get those same feelings when a game moves me. The stories are deeper now, as well. Granted, there's always room for storytelling improvement (mostly in the plot-holes category), but there are many times while playing that I have felt a connection with a character or situation. (More on this in the coming days)

This exhibit isn't without controversy, of course, with most of it surrounding the fact that gamers picked which games would be included.  Hopefully, I'll make it to DC so I can bask in all the gaming goodness for myself and see what all the fuss is about.

  

Yikes! the A to Z Challenge Starts in Two Days

I've been spending way more time playing video games than actually writing about them lately. (last time I blamed Skyrim, now I'm blaming Mass Effect) Not that's it's a bad thing. But all through March, I've been thinking about the A to Z challenge and how unprepared I feel.

But I know I'll finish it. I did last year. I think my biggest hurdle is going to be not repeating words from last year. Let's face it, the letter X screams "Xbox" and I will surely use every letter I can to babble happily about the Legend of Zelda.  But, I also have some cool ideas. Luckily, the world of gaming is rapidly changing and many awesome (and not so awesome) things have happened in the last year.

I look forward to reading many posts during the month. It's going to be fun!