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CHRIS BREAULT

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FEATURED POST

Why Monster Hunter Tri Defies Categorization

Monster Hunter Tri isn't like other hardcore games, and that's what makes it great.

Friday, May 14, 2010 | Comments (20)

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Failure To Communicate

Roger Ebert's views on games don't matter, for one simple reason: he never learned how to talk about them.

Thursday, April 22, 2010 | Comments (0)

COMMENTS BY THIS AUTHOR (3)

On Chris Breault's Why Monster Hunter Tri Defies Categorization

"@Rich: Sorry that the article didn't address the casual vs. hardcore distinction in any deep way; my goal was to describe what makes MH3 original and fun, and I used those concepts as shorthand. I think the game mixes strategies that have traditionally been used to appeal to very different kinds of gamers, like putting Sims-ish home decoration (the fact that you even have a home seems unusual for an action-RPG) or garden maintenance into a game that focuses on drawn-out, hard boss fights. I never meant to say that MH3 was casual, but instead that it didn't fit in well with either hardcore or casual games.

I guess our main disagreement is that a certain sensibility or tone can be associated with casual or hardcore games. A lot of recent difficult games (which I think of as "hardcore") do seem to set themselves apart as "tough games for manly men," and they certainly limit their audience by going for a grimdark or over-the-top action movie feel. Of the few modern games that are as hard as MH3, I can't think of any others that are as light. You're right about Dragon Quest as a precedent for a cartoonish and friendly grind, but I don't think most DQ games are anywhere near as difficult as MH3, so they didn't come to mind as "hardcore." I disagree with you, though, that the MH3 look is close to the standard JRPG look -- I think the animations really set it apart, as well as various creatures and the cats.

(But yeah, you got me on the ad campaign...I really don't know why they thought a shouting hairy dude told consumers what this game was all about.)"

Friday, May 14, 2010

On Dennis Scimeca's Does an insulated video game media serve gamers?

"Nice article. I would disagree with Scott Jones that there are no functional outlets for highbrow game criticism -- wouldn't Edge qualify, or at least RPS? Also, I don't really understand why you'd claim that television has gotten worse over time, unless you mean the dip in quality over the last couple of years -- for me shows like Deadwood, The Wire, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Battlestar Galactica, Mad Men, etc. were as good as TV has ever been."

Saturday, April 24, 2010

On Kevin John Frank's Games as Ebert: Was Roger Trolling?

"nnis Scimeca: Shadow of the Colossus? I'm a huge fan of cinema and literature, and I was an english lit major, but I have to say that "weeping for the beauty" of my favorite art in those media would itself be hyperbole. But being moved, being inspired, yes. One thing that games can do in a more interesting way than most other media is create a unique atmosphere and tone, because every part of them is constructed from the ground up by designers, and they always work to immerse the player in that atmosphere. I could write a whole list of games that do this well, but SotC is the probably the pick that most people have played and can agr"

Saturday, April 24, 2010