Monthly Archive for August, 2007

Protagonist or Pawn: Canon in Video Game Tie-Ins

Published
on August 5, 2007
in Analysis
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Gamers regularly make choices when playing a game. But what if those decisions were truly important? What if they changed the future of the plot?

An article in the most recent issue of The Escapist looks at how games in multi-media franchises treat “canon” — the official position on plot and characters which is necessary to ensure continuity in series like Star Wars that span films, shows, books, graphic novels and games. That is, you delivered 100 pizzas in the Spider-Man game, but is that the Sam Raimi-approved number of pizzas delivered by Spider-Man?

This may seem like the realm of nerds and Star Trek enthusiasts, but the changing relationship between canon and video game tie-ins raises an interesting question: What if the player’s actions and choices tangible repercussions in movies, games, and books to follow? What if the player could influence a franchise in a way that readers and film and television audiences cannot?

Chris Dahlen’s Escapist article, titled “The Open Source Canon,” looks specifically at The Matrix Online, a tie-in to the Matrix films with an interesting catch. Troy Hewitt, a writer and community event manager for the game, said in 2005, “Our intention is that players who play a really big role, or make a key decision, become part of the Matrix canon, and they become part of the story.”

In other words, The Matrix Online’s player-driven events and their conclusions are part of the official canon. This includes everything from small quests to major plot events given to the community to play out. In 2005, one of these events resulted in the official death of Morpheus, demonstrating the magnitude of the story decisions players are allowed to make.

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REVIEW: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Pt 2)

Published
on August 4, 2007
in Review
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The story of Twilight Princess follows after the events of Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, led by either a heroic heir of Link or the OG himself. All grown up — this time without the assistance of magical swords — he sallies force to save the world from evil, one dungeon at a time. (Are you a bad enough dude to save Princess Zelda?)

While Twilight Princess’s plot is as old as the franchise, some noteworthy additions add a lot to the gameplay.

Slight tweaks and additions include: new sword techniques Link learns over the course of the game that keep standard combat fresh; a rotating item menu that makes finding the right tool much quicker, although it can get a little crowded; and the run speed, both on foot and on Epona, seems to be increased. I still roll everywhere anyway.

Of course, new items are to be expected, but Twilight Princess goes above and beyond the previous 3D installments, adding a dearth of unique weapons and gadgets to the core kit established by Ocarina of Time. Much of the items in the first half are straight out of the previous games. The bow, the slingshot, the hookshot (now clawshot) and the boomerang all find their way back in Link’s hands. Once the second act starts, though, new and unique items appear regularly, although their uses are often limited to their dungeon of origin. My personal favorite: A giant ball on a chain, which you use to smash the shit out of everything.

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