What's Wrong with Writing on Games
Case studies in misguided Mixtape criticism
I regularly toy with a “What’s Wrong with Writing on Games” post but without specific examples it’s too vague, and with specifics it’s too mean.
Jurnee
•
Jun 2
It feels almost radical to say but I enjoyed Mixtape. Apparently I'm "a certain type of guy" despite being a woman... and Black... who grew up in the 80s and 90s... on the opposite side of the country... was pretty poor... and raised almost exclusively on hip hop, soul, and R&B... I say all that to say that I had nothing in common with the characters in the game. However I realize that nostalgia for thee does not have to look like nostalgia for me in order for me to enjoy it. Sure it was a particular coming-of-age story of someone with a particular life, but aren't they all? Due to the wide variety of experiences people have in this world, it will always look different for everyone. That doesn't make someone else's story or song choices any less valuable. (Because I'm quite sure had MY personal song favorites from the 90s been put in a game, there would be similar uproar.) We can extrapolate meaning from other's life experiences, even if their life looks nothing like our own.
And the historical accuracy argument is laughable because, as you stated, magical realism exists. As a teen, did I leap and bound my way through the woods as though someone had dialed down Earth's gravitational pull? No. Or did I float through the town as the world faded to black and white? Also no. These were the character's memories and, I feel like people forget this but, memories aren't exactly accurate. They are mental recreations that are filtered and shaped and influenced by so many things. I've seen so many comments about how unrealistic the tongue mini game or shopping cart game was and it's like "well, yeah. That's how our memories can work." Some details get exaggerated, some minimized, and most is forgotten and we fill in the gaps.
Also last point because this is getting really long and I fully agree with you, but this is just my chance to say my piece lol... the "this is not the 90s" argument I often hear bothers me for the reasons you've mentioned. But also...yeah, this was the 90s. I grew up in the 90s: from elementary school to high school and despite so many people saying this was "nothing like the 90s," I was there. I remember cassettes and VCRs and making slushies and covering my walls in pictures from magazines. I wasn't involved in skater culture but I knew it existed. I often listened to old music because my mom did. I hung out in the woods and at convenience stores and in run down shacks. I rented VHS tapes and drinking was, indeed VERY important to parties. I was jealous of people who I thought stole my friend's attention from me. I even rolled down the street in shopping carts. You had to make your own fun in the 90s lol But I say all that to say, the 90s was a time when we had some shared experiences but also many that we didn't even know existed. Maybe other 90s kids lived differently but it doesn't invalidate that it happened. And I, personally, don't mind an amalgamation of years crammed together. Quite frankly in media this happens a LOT. However, since we didn't live through the era, we don't notice it. 1953 feels the same as 1957 to me. And how many would even notice all the subtle differences between 1432 and 1441?
I feel like I'm losing the plot here so I'll end with saying...I agree the discourse was misguided and mishandeld and became a "human centipede" of content. I was more understanding of the "it's not a game" criticism because it focused on particular mechanics. Although as someone who has been gaming since the 80s and has seen gaming evolve so much over the past 40 years I say to that... I don’t flipping care. "Game" vs "interactive story" vs whatever... just play or "experience" whatever you like.
TL:DR -- this was a great read with great insights. I hope others take away the message so that think pieces can truly lead us to thinking more deeply
degonyte
•
Jun 1
This was such an interesting read! And I do mean interesting in its actual sense, not the 'I want to be nice about not liking it' way that native speakers apparently use it.
Reading some of the criticism of this game felt alienating: too often it came from the angle of hating narrative games wholesale, or denying that they are even games to begin with (because semantic nitpicking will apparently prove that something is bad).
I've seen both professional and user reviews approach it with an air of 'of course, we all hated Life is Strange, so get a load of THIS game.'
But the thing is, I like Life is Strange. In a sense I am the elusive (((that type of guy))) brought up in every other review. I'm also a '90s kid and it is ridiculously easy to make me feel things with nostalgic media.
I was prepared to love this game, but in the end I didn't. Yet every think piece or review out there seemed to be either "I expected to love it and I loved it" or "I expected to hate it and I hated it."
I'd like to think I did a decent job explaining why it didn't work for me, but that's for others to judge. That specific viewpoint, though, is what I am often missing in writing on games: "I expected to like this, but I didn't. Here's why." To me those are the most interesting takes as, at the very least, they are a safeguard against the bad-faith cynicism that seems to dictate the tone of "The Discourse" surrounding every new piece of media these days.
Another thing I like about your article specifically is the reminder to explain things and give examples. It seems simple, but I still have to actively remind myself not to make grand statements without backing them up when I write any sort of argumentative piece. Fortunately, I can still hear the echo of my thesis supervisor yelling at me, and that is an experience I would wish upon every writer.
A long comment, but I've read your entire article so I feel like I'm owed some space to ramble!
