Video Games
Ruthe Dera
EXTRA LIVES: WHY VIDEO GAMES MATTER comes from an author passionate about video games, who has spent hours enjoying his passion He argues that while this is a 'golden age' for gaming - they could be even better. His critique discusses how video games dazzle and frustrate - and how they could be further revamped. This memoir offers a fine, lively discussion for any video game fan. this book is about a writer who plays lots of console video games. He's not here to talk about how crisp games look in 1080p or provide a laundry list of games we should buy.
Instead, he tackles questions which most reviewers tend to overlook, such as how a game makes us feel while playing it, and how those feelings mesh or clash with the gameplay themes.
From the get-go, Tom dives right into his first extra life - playing Fallout 3. He and I shared the same fascination with minute details that typically get overlooked in most video game reviews, and sometimes by video gamers themselves.
He was amazed at the way the high-noon sunlight streaked across his sledgehammer's wood-grained handle at Dupont Circle, whereas I found myself slack-jawed at an extreme closeup on my character's uzi and being able to read the lettering on the safety switch, clear as day.
One thing gamers can do exceptionally well is describe an initial experience of a video game with flawless accuracy, and Tom is no exception. He uses his next extra life on one of my favorite games of all time - Resident Evil. I had to chuckle at his initial encounter with the hallway zombie as he recalled the fear of the unknown, the reflex action of mashing every button to stop the zombie from chewing on his collarbone, and the satisfaction of escaping its grasp. When I think of Resident Evil, I always remember my initial reaction to the cerberus dogs jumping through the window...pure and utter panic! "OMGOMGOMGwhatdoIdo!!?!?!"
Tom takes the time to explain that while certain video games have lackluster stories, they
EXTRA LIVES: WHY VIDEO GAMES MATTER comes from an author passionate about video games, who has spent hours enjoying his passion He argues that while this is a 'golden age' for gaming - they could be even better. His critique discusses how video games dazzle and frustrate - and how they could be further revamped. This memoir offers a fine, lively discussion for any video game fan. this book is about a writer who plays lots of console video games. He's not here to talk about how crisp games look in 1080p or provide a laundry list of games we should buy.
Instead, he tackles questions which most reviewers tend to overlook, such as how a game makes us feel while playing it, and how those feelings mesh or clash with the gameplay themes.
From the get-go, Tom dives right into his first extra life - playing Fallout 3. He and I shared the same fascination with minute details that typically get overlooked in most video game reviews, and sometimes by video gamers themselves.
He was amazed at the way the high-noon sunlight streaked across his sledgehammer's wood-grained handle at Dupont Circle, whereas I found myself slack-jawed at an extreme closeup on my character's uzi and being able to read the lettering on the safety switch, clear as day.
One thing gamers can do exceptionally well is describe an initial experience of a video game with flawless accuracy, and Tom is no exception. He uses his next extra life on one of my favorite games of all time - Resident Evil. I had to chuckle at his initial encounter with the hallway zombie as he recalled the fear of the unknown, the reflex action of mashing every button to stop the zombie from chewing on his collarbone, and the satisfaction of escaping its grasp. When I think of Resident Evil, I always remember my initial reaction to the cerberus dogs jumping through the window...pure and utter panic! "OMGOMGOMGwhatdoIdo!!?!?!"
Tom takes the time to explain that while certain video games have lackluster stories, they