Fun or Skill?
I have written in the past about the video games we cannot play. The ones that require a keen understanding of a game’s mechanics, along with a strong degree of manual dexterity and situational awareness. Being 58 years old, I tend to have neither the co-ordination necessary to succeed or the patience to master such complex skill requirements. With this in mind, I recently watched a YouTube video for Chivalry 2 and thought, that looks like fun. The fact that it showed someone picking up a chicken and throwing it at an opponent is neither here nor there. However, after watching a few more videos I realised that combat in the game was complex and that, as usual, the reality of playing such a game would be different from my expectations. Hence, I came very close to not buying Chivalry 2. However, I eventually decided that I would, so I bought it for just under £10 from an online vendor.
Social Gaming Alone
This post started out as something completely different. I was simply going to write about a popular new game, how it came to my attention and my impressions and thoughts once I had purchased it. But while reflecting on one aspect of the game; the social element that stems from playing with friends, I realised I had more to say about this rather than just writing a review. But such is the nature of writing. In my experience my train of thought is seldom linear. So this post has now morphed into some musings about social gaming and how it is an integral aspect of modern game design. Because playing games with friends is often regarded as a superior experience to playing alone. At least by game developers. I think that the reality is more nuanced and dependent on the game in question. However, I do think that some games are better played with people you know and that playing on your own or in a PUG is less fun. Because that has been my experience of late.
Call of Duty Modern Warfare
I originally climbed aboard the Call of Duty bandwagon in 2009 when Modern Warfare 2 came out. I enjoyed the campaign and the multiplayer so much I promptly bought the first instalment. I then stuck with the franchise up until 2013. I didn’t especially like Ghosts, although I enjoyed the option to play as a dog which was different. Overall I was somewhat tired of the FPS genre from then on and so didn’t keep up with any further releases. For me the best iteration of the game was Black Ops in 2010. The campaign had a densely plotted story and the multiplayer was extremely polished. The multiplayer maps were well conceived allowing for fluid and engaging gameplay. Six years on and I recently got an itch to play Call of Duty again. The soft reboot of the franchise with Modern warfare in November 2019 promised a return to basics. The recent inclusion of a battle royale mode with the release of Warzone finally clinched the deal. So I bought a discounted version of the standard game recently and dived back in.