Virtual Reality: A Step Forward? Blog Assignment #1

Alright so one of the things I looked into/tried out at PAX Prime was the virtual reality headset they had up for demo. I was pretty excited going in as it was my first time trying something like this. That initial excitement died fairly quickly as I realized that first off, the game was pretty "meh" and the headset was rather clunky, among other things.

The headset itself was connected to something else through a fairly thick set of cords that were anchored to the back of the headset. What this meant was the person running this booth was constantly trying to adjust this cable so that I wouldn't wrap myself up in it or trip over it. It proved to be a constant annoyance as I was trying to move freely in the game.

I used to see VR as a step forward for gaming but my experiences at PAX felt a tad bit gimmick-y and extremely disorienting (I had to sit down for a bit afterwards to avoid puking). This entire thing seemed a tad premature and I found myself wishing that they had chosen a different game to demo this tech on along with a host who knew what he was doing.

The gentleman hosting this booth was knowledgeable enough about the headset itself but not about the game I was using it for so I spent most of my time wandering around aimlessly which involved a lot of spinning around (which actually required me to physically spin around, thus the disorientation). Needless to say...things could have been better.

Basically what this headset did was disable the right stick (was playing on a 360) so that all camera movement was directed by where I was trying to physically look. This part was pretty cool but it's also quite a bit more difficult than just using the controller which just begs the question, is VR even worth it?

I could see myself using this type of tech for games like Skyrim or other aesthetically pleasing games that I really want to experience on a deeper level. However, the demo I tried at PAX was for a shooter which proved to be a little too hectic at times for me to deal with while trying to aim precisely with the headset. The whole experience was a bit of a turn off but it also may have just been the specific circumstances that led to that feeling.

So! I'd like to know if anyone else has thoughts on VR tech and especially if you've given it a test yourself. But feel free to comment even if you haven't!

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Morally Correct in a Morally Incorrect World: A Look at the Character of Wei Shen

This past week has been a big one for me since Darksiders II, Sleeping Dogs, and The Last Story all came out together. I decided to start with Sleeping Dogs since Gamestop managed to not have my pre-ordered The Last Story. In addition to the game review itself I wanted to stop and take a look at a character that has now taken a spot on my "Favorite Character" list, Wei Shen.

Sleeping Dogs puts you in the shoes of a fiery undercover cop named Wei Shen as he attempts to dismantle the Sun On Yee (A play on the actual Triad Sun Yee On?) from the inside. The plot felt fairly typical at first and I honestly expected to be playing Sleeping Dogs not for it's gripping characters of plot but rather for a fun, face paced action game. However, as the story progressed, my opinions began to shift as I not only got involved in the story but the character of Wei Shen.

After completing the game the base theme I got out of Sleeping Dogs was the heavy concept of being a morally correct character in an extremely incorrect world. To me, Wei was just that. Throughout the story Wei is forced to play out the age old struggle of the undercover cop, the dynamic shift between criminal and officer that he is forced to go through. Obviously there is a great deal of attachment to his new "family" as he sees how far they would go for him, and he reciprocates.

This closeness to his cover causes great distress for Raymond, his handler for the police department, as he is the only one Wei talks to outside of the occasional case from officer Teng and the caustic interactions with Superintendent Pendrew. As Wei continues down the path of a criminal he is continually presented with morally challenging obstacles that force him to push the boundaries of what he feels is acceptable. The first instance of this is when Wei is essentially forced to take a life as a kind of test to prove he isn't a cop, which he does.

As you progress further into the story there are some very real, very painful situations that lead Wei up the food chain in the Triad. These are all things that Wei needed to complete his job but pain him greatly as he sees his friends suffer. Wei is often displayed in direct opposition to how the police attempt to treat him as well as the people he is working with, even criticizing the Officer Teng for belittling the lives of members of the Triad in a murder investigation. Wei is shown to have an incredibly deep connection to his new family for no reason other than a kind of reciprocal relationship of actually wanting to help them as they do things for him.

Eventually Wei's initial obligation to climb the ladder within the triad fades and he is propelled by his own attachments to his friends. Even though much of what is being done around him could be considered wrong or morally incorrect Wei is often forced into the protector or guardian role as he attempts to stave off attempts to harm his friends. Oddly enough, a vast portion of the crime and, specifically, murder occurs within the Triad itself, leaving the risk of harming innocents almost nonexistent. This seems to be Wei's justification for much of what he does as most of his police work is related to taking out drug suppliers and shutting down prostitution rings, things that are extremely detrimental to the innocents of the city.

However, Wei is continually haunted by many of his choices and the events he is forced into, often hearing replays of conversations in his dreams. Wei also bears a bit of his soul when talking to his Master, Sifu Kwok, as you collect his stolen statues and learn new combat techniques. Their relationship definitely is one of Mentor -> Pupil as Sifu constantly challenges Wei's morality and his choices. Sifu definitely takes the role of Wei's conscience and moral adviser as he is presented with increasingly difficult situations.

Close to the end of the game you are working to put a well-known producer/human trafficker Sonny Wo, behind bars. This set of missions involves getting moderately close to his right hand man, Ricky, and his girlfriend, Vivienne. Sonny is depicted as a raunchy scumbag and is constantly saying things like "Hey, F*** her if you want to! Just don't damage the goods! Hahaha!" Real quality guy.

At one point Sonny forces Vivienne to attempt to sleep with Wei and essentially drag him into Sonny's favor. Wei refuses her advances and sends her home, comforting the clearly surprised Vivienne as she leaves, thanking Wei for not forcing her to go through with it. This scene really demonstrated Wei's dedication to his friends and his desire to never hurt those close to him, even though he didn't know Ricky that well.

For me, Sleeping Dogs became less about the fun, flowing combat, and more about watching how this great character developed. You can't help but like Wei Shen and admire the character's firm dedication to his friends and how and where he draws the line between right and wrong. He is an extremely vocal character who is both the voice of reason and of total opposition to the Triad and the Police.

Wei Shen has definitely become one of my favorite characters, and I'd like to thank everyone involved in crafting this wonderful game!

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GW2 Stress Test

When I saw the tweet from the GW2 team about the stress test the day before last I was SO excited. Mostly because I was under the assumption that I wasn't going to be able to play until the 25th but also because I got a taste of video making and editing this past beta weekend and was itching to make another, far better PvP video.

So, two hours of the stress test were devoted entirely to recording sPvP fights to put into a PvP montage, similar to my previous one but with a more offensive spec, and more time/editing put into it. After several hours of going through footage and finding clips I put together an opening for the video.

Let me know if you like what you see!

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