Pedestal Games Rant

In history, there have been many types of games. There have been the games that flopped, games that have been critically acclaimed then went straight to the bargain bin and then there are games that are hailed as the savior of all things electrical. These games define what genre they are affiliated with be it role playing game, platformer or first person shooter these games have defined what we play in the here and now. Nothing bad can be said about these games. If these games where mobsters they would be made. They have been put on a pedestal, lording high and proud above the rest of games that have been, that are and is ever going to be. But, what if there not so great. After all, if so many people value something so highly, everyone else forgets the bad parts. This is true for many things in life and the subject could go quite deep but this is about games, if you want to discus philosophy then this isn’t the article for you.

Lets go right back to the beginning. Well, near the beginning. Pong was the first game to go main stream. When people saw it for the first time they literally shit their pants. “Things are moving on the television and I’m controlling them. This must be some sort of alien technology”, then they would run from the room screaming. Pong was the first main stream game so obviously it’s the first game to be put on that pedestal. Have you ever played Pong? It’s shit. There’s nothing else that can be said about it. The graphics are crap, there’s no story whatsoever (unless you make one up, I’m hoping to sell the script I’ve written soon) and most importantly of all it’s about as fun as watching paint dry on a come down. I know what you’re thinking. How can you say that about a game that was out 28 years ago? Well that’s my point. By todays standards, this game is shit. Even people around when Pong first came out don’t want to play it for sentimental reasons. It’s just shit. But because it was the first game ever that made it into the main stream market it’s hailed as this god amongst cartridges. You’re starting to see my point hopefully, well onto the heavy hitters.

Final Fantasy 7. The game put Playstation on the map. It had the most amazing cut scenes ever seen in a video game. It had characters that you actually cared about and even shed a tear for one of them. It had one of the most engrossing stories ever seen in any form of entertainment. The list goes on and on for positive things that can be said about Final Fantasy 7. Every entry in the series is judged and measured by this game. And you know what? There right. Without a doubt if it hadn’t been for FF7 and the brave development team at Square Soft, things would be a lot different these days. It’s cut scenes alone inspired so many developers to start writing thought provoking scripts that resulted in the high quality of story telling we have today. They are right. To a certain extent that is. Final Fantasy 7 was an amazing game at the time but look at what we have in this modern day. There are games that eclipse FF7 in terms of gameplay, cut scenes and characters. Let me just irritate, because I know how touchy FF7 fans can get. I’m not saying it’s a bad game. I’m just saying it shouldn’t be put onto that pedestal. It was an amazing game but get over it. It’s not the greatest game ever made. Yet, in some peoples eyes it is. Some people are still willing to say that out of everything we have today, out of all the advancements in technology and game engines, out of every single game since 1997 Final Fantasy 7 is the greatest game of all time. And why? Because it was the first. That’s the thing about pedestal games. They’re usually the first of there type. Pong was the first main stream game and Final Fantasy 7 was the first big budget RPG and The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time was the first 3D action adventure game that worked.

When writing the next paragraph, which was going to cover Ocarina of Time, a thought came into my head. I’ve never played Ocarina of Time. This puts me in a predicament. This is a game that has definitely been put on a pedestal, the amount of best game ever competitions it has won and the fact, it’s still to this day, the highest scoring on gamestats.com prove that but what if it’s deserved. There are games that are on a pedestal and whole-heartedly deserve it. Half Life 2 for example is still hailed as the king of all FPS, just try to argue that Modern Warfare sheep. Not only did Half Life 2 improve on it’s predecessor in terms of story and character development, two traits that where unheard of in a FPS, but it also invented the first ever physics engine in a game. Half Life 2 is right up on that pedestal and deserves it. There hasn’t been a FPS since that is as character and story driven, the game that came close was Bioshock but it just wasn’t strong enough to go that extra mile. Keeping on the FPS theme, it’s time for a reality check.

How would you feel if there was a game that has choppy graphics, low polygon count, very bad controls, stupid AI, numerous glitches and bad level design? Now, imagine this game is hailed as revalorizing multiplayer gaming while showing just what a console first person shooter is capable of. It’s considered to be one of the all time greats. If you haven’t guessed it, this game is Goldeneye on the N64. Remember putting hours upon hours into trying to get all the level cheats and multiplayer characters? This was one of the main games of many people’s childhoods; I counted it as one of the best games ever and argued when people said horrible things about it. You can imagine my enjoyment then, after 8 years of being without an N64 after my mum had throw it out with all my games, cheers Mum, I had the privilege to be in a room that had an N64 and Goldeneye. It booted up and tears where close to my eyes. It is absolutely awful. This is a hard thing for me to say as Goldeneye was an integral part of my childhood but it’s simply awful these days. The controls are so shoddy. How did we survived without an extra analogue stick? It just doesn’t feel right anymore not being able to move the camera without having to dislocate your hand to do so. The aiming was all over the place and the textures in the game look awful. Worst of all though, was how dull it all looked. The game felt lifeless. It’s like going on the most terrifying rollercoaster in the world only to find out it goes as fast as a stair-lift. It felt boring, boring! This is Goldeneye for fuck sake and it felt boring. The final punch to the face was the end of the first level where you do the bungee jump off the dam. Remember being mesmerized by how awe inspiring this was. I do. I remember my jaw hitting the floor. It is one of the ugliest cut scenes ever seen. The worse part is the character animation. It’s so blocky and robotic. This game has aged as well as well as Dot Cotton’s underwear. Yes it did lead the way for console first person shooters and it set the groundwork for multiplayer gaming but these days it’s a piece of shit. You mention this game to people though and you’re greeted with showers of nostalgic memories. Say one word bad about Goldeneye and you’re cast into Silent Hill for the rest of time. If you’re like me, you remember this game as being amazing but, take it from one that knows, it isn’t. Out of all games that are on that high and mighty pedestal, Goldeneye is the game that has the least right to be there. Don’t believe me? Buy an N64 and Goldeneye for about 30 quid and try playing it. Then you can console with me about all those shattered childhood memories.

There are so many other games to mention in this article but I don’t want to lose all credibility as a writer just yet. Hopefully, this article has made you see a different side to those godly games that are sitting on the pedestal of gaming greatness. Granted there are games that should be there and will remain there forever because they don’t age. They still have the same impact when you play them today as they did when you first booted them up and felt eye bleedage. Many of these games though, should be demoted. Be it because they haven’t stood the test of time or there is just better games of the same genre in this modern age of HDMI cables and wireless controllers. It’s hard to admit you where wrong but seriously think? Is there a game that you defend until your blue in the face? Every gamer has a few. Well, does it still have the same impact after all these years? The answer is going to yes. Because at the end of the day, if you are willing to defend a game with that much varsity, you’re not going to be changing your mind any time soon. But against the likes of the behemoths of gaming today, is the story as engaging as Metal Gear Solid 4, are the graphics as beautifully stunning as Uncharted 2 and how fluid are the controls when measured against Modern Warfare? There are those games that knock all of these games out the water and if that’s your game then well done. Go argue it’s point that much you could make a copyright infringement lawsuit against James Cameron for the Navi in Avatar but try playing it again and seeing how good it really is because, as Goldeneye proved, you could be wrong. You could be oh so very wrong.