Reality

Games have always been an escape from the labours of every day life. A respite from the scalding reprimands of your parents and their irascible need for you to go outside and socialize. The emergence of open world games only further enthused these diverting proclivities. For a game to facilitate such seemingly boundless opportunities for exploration, was such a liberating novelty. No longer impeded by the shackles of linear game design, the world was free to roam at your own incorrigible leisure. The ability to run without exhaustion, with no need for sustenance or rest is a freedom seldom permitted by our own restricted reality. Many of my sophomore gaming experiences were conducted within the realms of the open world. Whether it was the top down shenanigans of GTA or the iridescent vibrancy of a Tales adventure, these feasts of traversal are so rooted in our desire for exploration.

My family home was nothing special in regards to space. It was a very pleasant, though simple residential home. A 3 bedroom semi-detached with an adequate garden from which to embark on my own modest quests. What was remarkable to me was our house being perched on top of a rather large hill. From my window I was blessed with a tremendous vantage point from which to survey almost the entirety of the town centre, as well as the adjacent sport’s ground and the encompassing park. There was always a humbling sense of satisfaction being able to visualise a distinct spot that appeared so far away in the distance, that within less than an hour I could walk to, scan the horizon and observe the window I had previously devised my excursion. For me the satisfaction comes from the perception that I have travelled a great distance on my own little adventure. Sure, I’m not vanquishing trolls or bandits, but in my imagination I was most certainly on a pilgrimage. And I think it’s that sense of expedition that is replicated in open world games that makes them so compelling.

Now I may not be the biggest Assassin’s Creed fan, a statement that may alienate me somewhat amongst my peers. But you can’t deny the series zest for grandeur, lends itself well to player autonomy. Though more recent ventures have expanded the acreage of its world beyond its capacity to furnish these lands with any meaningful ventures for players to engage. They still provide fertile resources for players to observe. Structures far off in the distance that in time can be reached by whatever means suits your sensibilities. Visual markers to entice exploration. Not because you need to, but because you can. For me a good open world game emulates these real life compulsions. Because regardless of the abject story or the boring characters, at least there is still the potential to sate those inquisitive appetites for exploration. And if anything encourages us to explore our own neighbouring environment more readily.

"I din't mean to cut it so short, honestly! It will grow back I swear!"

“I didn’t mean to cut it so short, honestly! It will grow back I swear!”

It’s 6:00 am, your customised ringtone with its cacophony of intense, auditory vulgarity, coupled with its strident vibrations that severs the euphoric connection of expressive unconsciousness, rouses you apathetically. You avert your eyes from the vibrant cascade infiltrating through your bedroom window, causing your eyes to briskly revert back behind the embracing obscurity of your lids, and temporarily spasm with sporadic aversion to the rapidity of your slumber. Despite your inebriated compulsion to resume comfortable dormancy in reclining ignorance, you summon the vitality to sit up. Brushing aside the dusty residue of slumber from your retinas and feebly rise vertically that culminates in an elongated stretch of your appendages which does little but irritate. One lingering yawn later that expels the last remaining fragments of repose lethargy from your lungs, you assemble a suitable attire for work, dress and make that tremulous descent to the kitchen. Suitably nourished, thirst thoroughly quenched as well as the natural expulsion of nocturnally accumulated fluids, you gleefully set off for work. Peering incredulously at the accelerated formation of cloud coverage, threatening to dampen your optimism by greedily coveting the glistening vibrancy of the mirrored ocean above you, you bask in the sumptuous serenity of the morning with a refreshed sense of purpose, striding confidently at a pace befitting of such an advantageous disposition….until a hidden assassin endeavours to take advantage of your beguiled distraction with the rapidity of his rifle.

With assured precision you pivot deftly to the secluded sanctuary of a vehicle, fully aware of the events transpiring. Tentatively you peer periodically to ascertain the precise area from which the bullet originated from. *Ping* Another shell deflects off the bonnet, mere inches from its intended directive. Confident with the precise locality of the perpetrator you relinquish your side arm from your concealed holster, firing a few suppressive, though variably precise rounds to distract the unidentified assailant. You leap impetuously across the bonnet, continuing the tame but distracting assault, sprinting with erratic mobility, avoiding the gunfire being distributed with swift viscosity, spluttering his seemingly inexhaustible artillery with discernibly narrowed accuracy. You exhaustively begin to ascend the stairs to the adjacent building that the volatile antagonist resides, avoiding the rapturous projectiles emanating furiously from his receded side-arm and come face to face with the combatant. Your now spent gun is quickly discarded, before dutifully burying your concealed knife into his now punctured cavity, with the crimson pigments gleaming vividly on the retracted implement.

“Let’s have simulated children too young and live off the generous welfare system! Yippee!”

Now at which point did this cease becoming an over-indulgent, pedantic anecdote or fictionalised interpretation of an average day, and become a legitimately fun gaming concept? Actually forget that hypothetical, it’s an irrelevant query . Nobody wants to finish an arduous day at their respective place of business, to come home and simulate the same experience. Yes I understand that there are some individuals that play comparable titles such as “The Sims”, but these people are evidently conceited masochist’s, if such a term exists. If not, then that’s how your be defined henceforth! Games should never emulate reality, the simplest of actions become meticulous complexities. Imagine playing GTA Vice City and taken prudent time from your murderous endeavours to seek accommodation. But rather than simply gunning down a drug lord and relinquishing him of his lavish residence, instead I would potentially have to contact a mortgage advisor to obtain the appropriate loan with proof of sustainable income, affordable rates and constitute a verbal conduit with the local housing association to procure a commodious accommodation that suites your psychopathic needs. Obviously the successful procurement of the desired property is all dependant on the survey conducted on the property is satisfactory. I don’t want buy a virtual home, marry an illusory, exclusive bride and conceive simulated offspring’s. The only thing that could be more detrimental to the industry is some form of restrictive applications applied to DRM……..Too soon?

Do you enjoy games that simulate life? Or do you actually enjoy fun? Let me know your thoughts. Cheers.