|
This last week, there's been quite a bit of discussion about music, its effect in games, how it can move a scene, how it can destroy a scene, and the whole spectrum in between. A lot of discussion in our forums went on over how easily a scene could be ruined. And it really inspired me to step back a moment and, well, give thanks to all the hard work that goes into those scenes that just came out right.
It's hard work being a game designer. Fulfilling, I think all who do it would agree, but hard work nonetheless. For most disciplines, there's some narrow and deep set of skills and talents that go along with being good at it. Not so for those who design games. The best at it have a huge range of skills and talents. They are actors, architects, story-tellers, dreamers, artists, puzzle-makers, riddlers, musicians and authors. Some few are all of these, veritable Renaissance men in an age of computer entertainment. All of these skills come together to envision a scene. And while this doesn't always happen, when it does, it truly is a beautiful thing.
Games aren't random chance. They are made by imperfect beings with imperfect dreams and emotions. Bags of flesh and bones, one might say. But for a brief moment, they act as gods, constructing an experience, every inch and every second measured precisely, every word considered, every note planned, so that when you experience it, you experience it precisely as they intended, despite the harsh realities of production. The composition of scene work that conveys the experience, built up from imagination, creativity, and insight. Reflect for a moment on how important and beautiful these few scenes that really achieve this really are. How many, long ago, stood jaw-dropped at the Aerith's death? In Terranigma, where you are struck dead and buried in the sands of time to undergo a rebirth as the legendary hero. Dragon's Quarter, as the cinematic opening, the dramatic declaration: "Destiny challenged us and so we chose to end the world. There was nothing to regret. Nothing." was brought back into context as you watched through Ryu's eyes the brief glimpse of the real sun shining through the opening in the ceiling. The opera scene in Parasite Eve as the delicate veneer of civilization was torn asunder. The opera scene in Final Fantasy 6 as reality was tossed out the window for a moment to place us in the seats watching a play. Take a moment, folks, to reflect upon something that struck you with the mastery of its construction and the art created by the hands of folks who wanted you to experience something.
|
RSS feed
iTunes