This review contains spoilers
When I was a kid first getting into video games, I was enamored with strategy guides just as much as the games themselves. Which is to say, I spoiled the living heck out of games for myself. This continued in my teen years, when I first found myself on the internet. Through let's plays and reviews I was discovering all sorts of games, both contemporary and from before my time. And more often than not, I'd just let myself be spoiled rather than going and playing the games myself.
I think it was around 2015 when I watched a video essay about Spec Ops: The Line. I remember learning that it was one of those weird games that messes with your head, and had something sophisticated to say. The game's reputation preceded itself. I thought to myself, "Oooo that sounds like an interesting time. And oh look a Steam sale. I think I'll get this game."
It sat unplayed in my Steam library for nearly ten years.
Not for any particular reason though. You know how it goes. You buy a bunch of games on sale, promise yourself you'll get to them SoonTM and it just doesn't happen. But with the news that the game would be delisted from Steam I decided to finally give it a go.
All I could think about the entire time was how I knew that eventually it would get weird. I knew there would be some hard hitting emotional moments. I knew the game would talk to me about my choices. I couldn't tell you which video on the game I watched all those years ago, but I still remember it talking about the part where you have to choose between shooting the hanged men or the enemies. When I reached that spot in the game I wasn't thinking about what to choose. I was thinking, "Oh hey! It's that part I know."
Not to say there weren't still some surprises for me. I hadn't been totally spoiled. And I liked what the game was going for. But how would I have reacted if I hadn't known anything going in? Would I have been more impressed? Or less? Or just felt the same? Or anywhere in between? I can guess, but I can't ever know for sure. A first impression can only be had once, and I believe it can drastically affect how you feel about a work.
And I have to wonder, now that the game is gone from Steam for good, will anybody who plays it for the first time from now on not already know that the game has some tricks up it's sleeve? Even if it's just to a minimal degree? I would imagine that anybody now who would go out of their way to either emulate it or find an old physical copy would do so because of it's reputation. It might never be a surprise to anyone again.
I think it's great fun to play old games and think about not just why I personally enjoy it now, but also why people enjoyed it during it's original release, and the impact it had. But, despite how close we can get, we can never truly, 100% feel the impact a piece of art had unless we were its original audience.
Ya just had to be there.
I think it was around 2015 when I watched a video essay about Spec Ops: The Line. I remember learning that it was one of those weird games that messes with your head, and had something sophisticated to say. The game's reputation preceded itself. I thought to myself, "Oooo that sounds like an interesting time. And oh look a Steam sale. I think I'll get this game."
It sat unplayed in my Steam library for nearly ten years.
Not for any particular reason though. You know how it goes. You buy a bunch of games on sale, promise yourself you'll get to them SoonTM and it just doesn't happen. But with the news that the game would be delisted from Steam I decided to finally give it a go.
All I could think about the entire time was how I knew that eventually it would get weird. I knew there would be some hard hitting emotional moments. I knew the game would talk to me about my choices. I couldn't tell you which video on the game I watched all those years ago, but I still remember it talking about the part where you have to choose between shooting the hanged men or the enemies. When I reached that spot in the game I wasn't thinking about what to choose. I was thinking, "Oh hey! It's that part I know."
Not to say there weren't still some surprises for me. I hadn't been totally spoiled. And I liked what the game was going for. But how would I have reacted if I hadn't known anything going in? Would I have been more impressed? Or less? Or just felt the same? Or anywhere in between? I can guess, but I can't ever know for sure. A first impression can only be had once, and I believe it can drastically affect how you feel about a work.
And I have to wonder, now that the game is gone from Steam for good, will anybody who plays it for the first time from now on not already know that the game has some tricks up it's sleeve? Even if it's just to a minimal degree? I would imagine that anybody now who would go out of their way to either emulate it or find an old physical copy would do so because of it's reputation. It might never be a surprise to anyone again.
I think it's great fun to play old games and think about not just why I personally enjoy it now, but also why people enjoyed it during it's original release, and the impact it had. But, despite how close we can get, we can never truly, 100% feel the impact a piece of art had unless we were its original audience.
Ya just had to be there.