So I failed. Um, I'm not going to be completing FFXIII. I could say maybe I might come back to it eventually, but I'd feel amiss without also saying that this would be not-fucking-likely. I do however like the idea of blogging through my experiences as I play a game, and even like the idea of trying to complete games that I'm not necessarily predisposed to, or have failed to do so in the past, because I'm trying to broaden my horizons. Let's say.
I'm not saying that I plan to only blog about my little list of troubled games, but rather it might be the projects I undertake while not playing the new games I'm excited about. Given my bank account and how infrequently games I'm genuinely pumped for are released, I'll have plenty of time to play these other games.
Which brings me to BioShock. Wee.
Background: I'm not a big FPS player (I'm bad at them) so I was never all that interested in BioShock when it was released. But!, everyone raves about it, especially in terms of how the narrative is integrated into the gameplay, so I eventually picked it up a few years ago for a good price. Since then, probably once a year, I've tried to play it. I usually get past the first little bit, right after you see, but not fight, the first BIG DADDY, and the game path branches a little. About at this point I end up not returning to the game for two reasons.
First, the game creeeeps me out. The splicers are pretty scary, but what really freaks me out is the combination of the lack of a radar and the sound. I don't play FPSs often and when I do, I'm used to radars. So, when I'm fighting bad guys, I know, in some sense, where the bad guys are, and more importantly when there are bad guys. But BioShock, justifiably, does not have a radar, so you're constantly unaware of when splicers are about, and worse, where they are specifically when you can hear them. And that sound. Their sound. And their creeping about. Knowing they're there but not able to find them and knowing they're going to get me when I least suspect it. Christ. I'd be terrible at survival horror.
Secondly, I get a little lost. I tend to get anxious when I'm not sure which way is the right way to progress in the game. It's not that I don't like exploring, it's just that I like to know which is the progress direction, and which are the fuck around and collect ammo, upgrades, and such directions, so I can do those first. BioShock sort of lets you know the progress direction, but coupled with my preexisting creep out, and my tendency to die all the freakin time while I fumble around and explore the non-progress areas, I tend to get a little discouraged. When I think about sitting down to play again, I find myself lacking the needed motivation/desire.
But, I think I can beat this one this time. I mean, its not a grind-fest like FFXIII, and this game has a difficulty level, which, I'm not afraid to admit, I put down to "Easy" this time. I think this will help me stay motivated, and help me to not just drift away. As it is, I've already made it past the part at which I've previously failed to progress, and I'm kicking ass. The game is really really easy on easy and so I think I'll be able to move through and experience what everyone says is so good about the game without the constraint of my terrible FPS abilities to exacerbate the issues that normally prevent me from making it further into the game.
Also the blog project should help. It kept me going at FFXIII longer than I certainly would have last time. Which, laughably, wasn't even out of the tutorial. (As a side not, I tend to agree with Yahtzee about tutorial lengths in this instance.)
And yes, easy. I've beaten Ninja Gaiden 1 and 2 on extra hard difficulties so I'm not insecure in myself that I can't play a game on easy.
Man, if I could play as Ryu from Ninja Gaiden those splicers would scare me one bit. Dual katanas are good comfort against any foe. Except for "Master Ninja".
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