Hollywood is losing it. After seeing this past summer's mainstream--ahem--blockbusters, I have no problem saying that video games will one day surpass movies as a storytelling medium. Oh, so you think that just because you need a gamepad, you can't be entertained like an adult? Well, consider this: two of the best diversions this summer weren't found at the local multiplex; they were on my PC and PlayStation 2.
How long will it be before you cuddle up in front of your PlayStation 2 with a bowl of popcorn for the night?
Coming soon to a console near you
I'm no Hollywood insider, but here's how most movies look to me: Take actor A, add actress B, divide by director C, multiply by X number of dollars in special effects, then market the hell out of the results. And that's great for the big screen, but how is a video game supposed to hold your attention for 20-plus hours of your life? Chris Kramer, director of marketing at game publisher Konami, says that titles need to evoke emotions beyond cheap thrills. "It's easy to create a gory scene, but it's a lot harder to feel compassion or empathy toward a character [as you might when watching a movie]. [Game publishers] need to get away from being emotional roller coasters between action sequences and turn into thoughtful media."
Some titles today are making strides toward those ends. I could point to classic examples--such as the Final Fantasy series or Half-Life, which have sold millions of copies worldwide--but let's look at some that are new on the store shelves: Max Payne for the PC (and soon the Xbox and PlayStation 2) and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, which will be available for the PS2 in November
Max Payne didn't have a single big-name, million-dollar star or director behind it, but by melding mediums within this title--action sequences with a John Woo flair, cinematics, and graphic-novel-style artistry--Max Payne aspires to reach Dirty Harry status. Sure, it has some lame good-cop-pushed-too-far fare and monotone voice acting, but the real thrill is running and gunning through the levels. It looks realistic enough to fool you into believing that you're in the centre of an action-movie sequence. Perhaps you've started to notice that the action scenes in movies are starting to look like games. Coincidence? I think not.
OK, so Max Payne may not be perfect, but at least it's a start. Look at it this way: the plot and dialogue, like those of any movie, improve with work. However, games add a level of interest by letting you interact with the environment.
In the case of Max Payne, you can do a lot in the game world: walk up to a TV, turn it on, and catch a news broadcast (to add more back story); or take a phone call and listen to conversations between thugs. Combine that with the inventive use of Bullettime (think of the slow-motion bullet-dodging in The Matrix), and you're really in control. What's missing? Well, some facial expressions and more realistic animation that can convey human traits would be nice. Remember that God-awful movie, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, from this past summer? There, they could pop a chip into an automaton and give it human emotions. Hey, if you can do it for Haley Joel Osment, why not a game? The PlayStation 2 was built by touting its Emotion Engine for more realistic AI from characters, but we're still lacking what it takes to really sell the drama.
Nothing more than feelings
That is where a game such as Konami's upcoming Metal Gear Solid 2 is bound to break some ground. The animation I've seen thus far is great, with very convincing, realistic movement--facial expressions even shift in a couple close-ups. This is done to present a much more cinematic feel. For example, when you see an enemy's shadow lurking around the corner, the music cues up and the camera focuses on the shadow--talk about foreboding.
Don't be fooled by the excessive eye candy and the occasional Matrix-like camera effect, though; there's also a sly story lurking in the background, which, like that of its predecessor, is well thought out. Kramer explains, "In [the first Metal Gear Solid] there was a very strong antiviolence and proenvironment message...something that is rare in games." As the spokesperson for the title, he may be a little biased, but after playing a demo, you can't help but get sucked right into the shoes of Solid Snake, the game's hero. (Editor's note: If you can't wait until the holidays to start playing Metal Gear Solid 2, a demo is available when you buy Zone of the Enders.)
That said, I'm still not shedding any tears when I die in either game--at least I'll deny that in public--but I am starting to feel something for the poor lugs. You see, games are maturing and becoming deeper story-telling experiences. Now that their publishers have a pretty good handle on the technology, game artists and writers can start to unleash their talent. In the past, they were limited by the constraints of what a computer could or couldn't do. We're now starting to turn that corner to where the only limit will be one's imagination.
Look, how sophisticated were movies a hundred years ago? The first few batches were just minute-long technology demos in kinescopes. "See a guy ride ye olde bicycle for 30 seconds through a hand-cranked device!" Wow! But the same can be said for some software on store shelves. Today, though, films are a way to express emotion, to tell stories, and, in some cases, to view as art. Are games there yet? No, but they are steadily evolving and growing, while most movies--big Hollywood releases, anyway--aren't.
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