Games We Play One
By Chash
Role
playing games are relatively simple.
The main character, the main character's two love interests (generally
two these days, more interesting), or, lacking a second love interest, a wide
variety of characters who could be portrayed as love interests in fan
fiction. Then there are the wacky
characters who make you laugh, the serious ones who are so serious you can't do
anything but laugh at them, and those quiet, withdrawn characters (generally
one of whom is the hero and the other some supporting cast) who walk around
with grunts or dot dot dots over their heads for most of the game. The caring healer, generally female, and a
hyper active female, often a playboy; some assortment of these basic types.
So I bet
you're wondering why I even play role playing games anymore. It's the plot, not the characters that makes
the game. The system as well. Magic, how well does it work, the fighting,
the graphics… all sorts of reasons to play.
In general, there's a romantic plot, or something that could lead to
romance, something with the heritage and family of the main character, so very
basic.
None the
less, I continue to buy them, play them, review them, and love every minute of
them. Really, it's what they do with
the formula they're given.
I beat
Final Fantasy IX yesterday, a quality game.
The hero was not a withdrawn person with dot dot dots over his head the
whole game, strong supporting cast, but I don't feel like playing it again. So I stare down at my newest Playstation CD,
four disks labeled "Wing" in shiny writing.
The first disk has a boy, glaring out at me; the second a boy or a girl,
I can't tell which, grinning, winking, and giving a thumbs up; the third a cold
stare, one eye and a fall of hair over a boy's face; and the fourth a boy with
a tight pony tail, a harsh expression and a Chinese look to him.
I've been
on the internet, read about this one.
The first boy is Heero Yuy, a mobile suit pilot. The three other boys (I know the second one
is a boy from my reading, even if his looks could be either) are three other
pilots. The main character is not
pictured, he is the fifth suit pilot, default name Yo. He's actually the fourth pilot, but they
decided he got enough screen time without being pictured.
I don't
know much about the plot, I avoid that kind of spoiler. With a shrug, I put in the game.
Heero Yuy
scanned the horizon, wind sweeping across his eyes, and sparkles of snow
dancing in front of his face. An
explosion boomed to the side of him, his eyes flickered to it but then returned
to the front, staring out. Something
ran up, slinging an arm across his shoulders.
Sparkling violet eyes laughed, telling Heero something. Nothing more than a nod in response. The violet eyed boy looked ahead with Heero,
and both nodded. From behind them, a
base can be seen, and two huge suits are fighting, destroying row after row of
enemies. Another brilliant explosion
and nothing can be seen. The title
flashed up, "Wing: Mobile Suit Gundam".
"Not bad."
"Not
bad? What are you talking about? That was great! You must be crazy…" A screen appears to enter a name for my main
character. Heero will do.
Heero: Hn.
"You're
just mad because you didn't get sent on the mission! I swear it, or else my name isn't…"
Duo will do
as well. They aren't the main
characters, and aren't my type anyway.
Duo: Don't listen to Mr. Negative over there…
Honestly,
tons of names to enter. Trowa, I like
Trowa. Wufei is fine as well, whatever.
Wufei: Silence, Maxwell.
Ah, assigned
last names… good call.
Duo: Whatever, Wufei.
We have to find the fourth pilot.
Doc said he'd be somewhere around here… Anyone having any luck?
Trowa: …
Duo: Oh, you're helpful.
"No
kidding," I mutter. "Two dot dot dot
boys, why do they always do that?"
Trowa: I think I see him.
Duo: Really? Where?
Duo leaps
agilely over a few boxes and looks out the window past Trowa. A blond haired boy is jumping out of a
mobile suit.
Trowa: …
Trowa: He'll freeze out there, he's not wearing enough
clothing for the snow. It's gotten
worse now.
Duo: Wow! It speaks!
Heero roots
around in a box and finds a jacket. He
tosses it to Trowa.
Heero: You want to go get him?
Trowa: …
Trowa runs
out the door, and everything is obscured by the snow. I can barely see the fourth boy Trowa's running towards, just a
shine of blond hair every once in a while.
He looks like me, a good deal like me.
Trowa: Nice weather, isn't it?
???: Lovely, just like back home. You must be one of the pilots.
Trowa: Aa. Here, I
brought a jacket for you.
???: Thanks. I'd
expected slightly better weather, truth be told.
Trowa: …
???: Not a big talker?
Trowa: Not really.
Let's go back to base. It's this
way.
???: I don't know how you can see anything with this storm.
Trowa: I can't. I
remember.
Inside, the
boy is revealed through a sequence. Sea
blue eyes, golden blonde hair, khakis, pink shirt, gray purple vest. Looks just like me, except for the outfit. I'll take my Dr. Seuss Hat, alien head shirt
and jeans any day over that look.
Duo: Hey! I'm Duo
Maxwell! I may run and hide, but I
never tell a lie! That's Heero Yuy,
Wufei Chang and you already met Trowa.
???: Thank you. My
name is…
I'll name
him after me. Only fitting, he looks so
much like me. And acts like me, how I
would act, if I ever met anyone. I
never moved, so I've known everyone forever.
It gets boring after a while.
???: Quatre Raberba Winner.
It's a pleasure to meet you all.
Well. Quatre Raberba Winner certainly sounds
better than Yo Raberba Winner. And
better that Quatre Thomas, too. Never
liked my last name much.
Duo: Well welcome aboard, Quatre. Do you use magic?
Quatre: White mage.
You?
Duo: Black mage, all the way. Heero's pure fighter, Wufei summons and Trowa uses illusions.
Quatre: Good.
Duo: You're familiar with standard procedure for using magic
with your suit, right?
Yes
No
Long
tutorial, I'll grin and bear it. How
bad can it be?
"Okay,
simple enough, put the spells in the slots.
Basic system, like materia.
Great!" I grin. "White mage is
definitely good, I like being the healer.
And they get points for not making the white mage a girl."
I suppose I
should explain. I review games. A note pad sits next to me, and I get paid
to say the good and bad about all the games I play.
Good…
Main character male white mage
Simple magic system
Impressive sequences (Final Fantasy VIII quality, Chrono
Cross anime style)
In game graphics Chrono Cross quality
Bad…
Too many dot dot dot boys
Heero is
bent over his laptop.
Heero: We got a mission.
Everyone
else crowds around as well, looking to see what it is.
Wufei: Rescue a woman?
Duo: Damsel in distress mission? No thanks…
Heero: Yeah, I know, but a mission is a mission, right? Assigned are… Sandrock, Deathscythe and
Wing.
Duo: Ugh.
Trowa: I'll take it if you don't want to go.
Duo: Really? Heero,
is that okay?
Heero: According to this, the third is inconsequential. If Trowa wants it, he can take it.
Trowa: Mine, then.
When do we leave?
Heero: First thing tomorrow. You guys have the evening free.
"Translation,"
I mutter, "wander around, pick up stuff and talk to my fellow men."
Quatre
jerks forward at my touch to the control.
A quick check of the room confirms that there were no treasure chests or
other kinds of interesting loot. Maybe
someone will tell me where I'm going if I ask.
Quatre: Excited about the mission tomorrow?
Heero: Excitement isn't an advantage in a soldier. It's a mission, nothing more.
Duo: Come on, Heero, live a little!
The braided boy drapes a
casual arm around the soldier. Wufei
shakes his head.
Wufei: Yuy has a point, Maxwell, we are soldiers.
Duo: Don't get me started on you, Changipoo.
Wufei: Injustice!
"That's
pretty detailed interaction…" I'm surprised.
Generally a single comment like mine, optional, really, doesn't involve
so much speech and movement. It's
impressive, to say the least. Extra
points for that. "All right, dot dot
boy, what have you got to say?"
Quatre: Trowa, what did you volunteer for tomorrow?
A shrug.
Trowa: Duo didn't want to go. I don't mind.
"Man of few
words. Fine, be that way. There's the door, I'm leaving!"
Duo: Oi, where are you going?
Sleep
Explore
Don't know
Quatre: I wanted to see the rest of the area.
Duo: Don't go that way, then. That's the door to the outside, and it's damn cold!
Quatre: Oh…
Trowa: I'll take you around, if you want.
Duo: Heheh, someone's got a-
Heero's
elbow impacted with Duo's ribs.
Heero: Baka.
Quatre: Baka?
Duo: Heero here's Japanese… that's just his pet name for me.
Wufei: It means stupid.
Duo: Stop grinning!
Trowa: Come on, before they really get started.
The hallway
is a non descript off white color with two doors on each wall and another at
the end.
Trowa: That door at the end of the hall leads outside. The door on the left is Heero and Duo's
room.
Quatre: Are they together?
Trowa shrugs.
Trowa: On and off.
"Wow…" this
game is just full of surprises. "Gay
stuff is pretty risky… lots of people don't approve…" I don't happen to be one
of them. I'm gay myself, actually.
Trowa: The room on the right's ours. Next to Heero and Duo's is Wufei's
room. They don't call him the solitary
dragon for nothing, he's not a people person.
"So I stay
with Trowa… I wonder how I can apologize for taking his space…" I laugh. "Snap out of it, Quat, he's a video game."
Quatre: So I'm taking your room.
Trowa: Aa.
Quatre: Sorry about that.
Well, it's
said now.
Trowa: Don't worry about it. Next to our room is the kitchen.
Where we came from is the closest thing to living quarters. All the rooms have connected bathrooms. Pretty basic.
Quatre: Thanks.
"When do I
get back control?" I try moving the joystick, but it doesn't work. Trowa lingers a moment.
Trowa: I guess I'll get back. We'll be in here if you need us.
Quatre: Thanks, Trowa.
Duo and
Heero's room has some stuff in it, random items. Potions, mobile suit parts.
I smile at my persona as he murmurs "Duo has strange comics…" A circle
with a pair of angel wings in it, which reminds me in some basic way of the old
save points in Final Fantasy II, allows me to mark my progress. My own room looks a good deal like Heero and
Duo's, strange objects, presumably Trowa's, littering the floor as comic books
and mechanical oddities did the other boys.
Some knives, pictures of lions, just little details that made a good game.
"Quatre?" I
can hear the door open and my mother's voice.
"Hey, mom!"
"Are you
wasting away in front of that Playstation again?"
"Just for a
little while. Henry said he was gonna
call me to do something as soon as his flute lesson ends!" I call.
"Oh, I
suppose it's all right then. That nice
girl from your Spanish class called, Katie, is that her name?"
"Yeah. She was sick today."
"I think
she wanted the homework. You should ask
her out some time."
"I told you
mom, I'm gay."
"Well then
find some nice boy! They just don't
call as much. How about Henry?"
God,
mothers just don't give up. With a
sigh, I turn back to the Playstation.
Trowa has come into the room, but I need to call Katie. I cross our room to the winged manhole cover
and save again, then switch the power off.
