ALZ

Created by Dyl

Music by Broove

2 mins 

This is ALZ, a brief but moving encounter with a world of ever increasing confusion and gentle but horrible suffering. Warning: spoilers ahead so if you want the full experience play ALZ now before reading on.

I thought it would be better to write a little more - I'm actually feeling slightly choked up as I write this, and I have no experience of people with Alzheimers (did you get the clue in the name?) The poor guy! It's amazing how I got from "lah dee dah, what's going to happen" to a dejected "...oh..." in under 2 mins.  

This is not a game. This is not interactive art. There's nothing to do here but join in with the sad story of someone losing his mind. It's important to say that much of the pathos created is because of a fantastic soundtrack by Broove, who I will shortly be asking to join my music library :)

In the words of the author - "have a forgotten, but hopefully not forgetful, experience". - JP

ImmorTall 

Created by Evan Miller 

About 5 - 20 mins

I realise that if I'm not careful, I'm going to end up with a blog that is full of thinky games that sort of leave people confused and a little depressed. Actually that thought makes me pretty cheerful. 

"How do you WIN?!?" scream the forums around this particular game. Well you er, don't and that it seems, is the point here.

ImmorTall has been around for a while and unlike the tortured genius and complex existential mechaniss of Infinite Ocean, or vastly researched playability of Oiligarchy. Creator Evan Miller has stumbled upon something profound with a game that only requires the use of your computer's left and right keys.   

You are a wormy alien crashed on earth and discovered by a little girl. Her and her brother feed you and you grow much bigger, you then are taken in by her family. All would be calm and peaceful in the forest if it weren't for the rest of humanity, who aren't friendly at all, callously shooting through the family to get at you. But you are big, strong and tall. Big enough to shield others from mortars and bullets, or big enough to try and outrun attacks without protecting the family which nurtured you, or big enough to turn tail and leave the earth behind completely. 

There's a quiet and grave dignity about ImmorTall that sets it aside from most games, in fact many will question whether it is a game at all. From the atonal soundtrack and sfx to the slick yet emotive silhouetted graphical style, Immortal is a 3 minute experience that will leave you wondering who the real monsters are. Also it will test your character (as an alien) in terms of how far you are willing to go to protect those you care for. Love - an altogether human concept - is portrayed by an alien with a subtle variety of consequences and endings.  

There is a surprising amount of thought in the simple AI personalities ascribed to each of the family, when someone dies certain members will grieve, oblivious in their tears to the danger around them (which is stressful since you may be trying desperately to keep them alive). Other members seem bullheaded and cowardly at the same time, willing to put others in danger but at the first sign of trouble retreating behind other family members.  

Many people have come away from this games feeling a little downtrodden and wistful about the human condition. If this is the case with you then welcome to the club; ImmorTall is an experience where it can be said that rather than you playing the game, the game plays you. Sucker :)

Oiligarchy

Created by Paolo Perdecini

About 20 - 60 mins 

You know, this blog is EASY. I just write whatever comes into my head and it like, is counted as information by way of it being somewhere online. Sorry, my head is still reeling from the existential wonderland of Infinite Ocean (last post). Anyway as I do these little posts I find I am checking out the creators of the games and looking at their takes, then looking at other bloggers who like these games and seeing their appreciation and critiques. I feel like I have stumbled onto a somewhat undiscovered, intellectual and wonderful part of the gaming community. However I will endeavour not to become too chinstrokey and therefore... buttocks, poo and willies. 

Oiligarchy is little, yellow and different. For a game made in 2008 it's very close to what we now are seeing as the uncaring reality in 2014. Tar sands, arctic drilling, fracking (it's gas I know), are all part of our reality now, and we don't seem to care as a people, let alone attempt to stop it. Apathy is rife.

However it's the little acts that count, and many kids who have mistakenly clicked on Oiligarchy thinking vacantly "Oo! I get to be an rich oil baron!" will have quickly and expertly been guided to the wisdom that oil is war, oil is subjugation and oil is ultimately inhuman. Whilst being very entertained. 

I've played through about 3 times now and each time I'm astounded about how much detail is in there, stats, peak oil forecasts, secret government plots to invade oil rich nations. There is deeper meaning in seeing how politicians are just passive partners that need a little money thrown at them in order to aid the oily agenda, it doesn't matter who wins when they are both being funded by the same interest. But we knew that already didn't we? 

Paolo Perdecini has managed a marvellous act of making the player the perpetrator of atrocity in order to 'win', pitting our morality against our ego in trying to beat the game. I also like how money becomes almost inconsequential next to the robot-like feeling of power you get in expanding and progressing at the cost of EVERYTHING. I've killed off indigenous tribes, massacred marine life, invaded the middle east, but I have yet to create human oil/fuel resources; I haven't yet got that far (I got the "Farewell West Ending"). Ironically the morally best ending for the world is the one where you 'lose' i.e. you lose your grip on politics, oil dependency decreases and there is the beginning of the transition to a more carbon neutral future. 

Here's a detailed postmortem by Paolo that will knock your socks off, play the game first though. I hope you enjoy it - JP