Command and Conquer
Author’s Note: Why I play video games
My family got the original Nintendo when I was around 5, but I never really got into gaming. It lacked something I craved. Video games got better, but my interest stayed mostly the same. They were nice to play for a moment, but I was not going to devote the time my brother or father did to the games. I didn’t get got serious about gaming till I played Command and Conquer on the PC and that’s because the game had one thing I really wanted: a story.
I was the general of the GDI force and they needed my help. I would play GDI cause I wanted to be the good guy. Every mission I beat meant another cutscene, a real production using real actors and 90’s special effects, and another piece of the story. It was a movie where I was the hero. I kept playing to find out what happened to the characters and to see if I could stop the evil NOD forces. When I finally beat the game, I turned around and played as the NOD so I could hear their story.
Gaming brought to life stories greater than movies could. I would see a hero in one of the cutscenes and next thing I knew I was controlling them on the battlefield. Those character’s lives were in my hands and I wanted to protect them. I would create hundreds of nameless soldiers and throw them at the enemy; but if I was sending the heroes in, it meant I had already won and I was just sending them in to rub it in the enemies face. I played the game to hear my story, a hero’s story; because let’s be honest, they couldn’t do it without me.
These days if I play games it has to have a good story. I don’t care if I am a racer making my way from a nobody to the champ or Mario trying to get the princess back again. My favorite games are Kingdom Hearts, Uncharted, Resistance, Portal, etc. for their stories. These games have stories so strong it will affect the way I play the game. In Kingdom Hearts, When Kairi gave me her lucky charm and it turned into the Oathkeeper keyblade, I used that keyblade even after I found a stronger keyblade. When I was told I needed to destroy the Companion Cube in Portal, I spent twenty minutes trying to see if there was a way to complete the level without destroying it. Those games created an attachment to their characters. It is so strong that when I think about those games, I think about the characters and their stories and want to play them again because I miss them like I would miss an old friend.
As important as a video game’s story is for me to play it, there is one other quality I require games have for me to really care about them. Good video games need to be challenging. If I am going to be the hero, it needs to be a challenge. If I believe any person can walk off the street and take my place, I won’t feel connected. The second that challenge is removed, I stop caring. This is why you won’t see me using cheat codes or guide books. I would sooner cheat on a test than cheat playing a game. When I overcome those obstacles, I beat the final boss or solve that last puzzle I feel like I did something amazing. My strength and determination won the day. If I am mashing buttons and still win, I don’t care.
On the other hand, I don’t want the game to be unreasonably difficult. Once I replay the same area too many times, it no longer feels fresh. I’ve played games where I beat the boss just by luck. I got my attacks off just in time after trying the same thing 10 times before. I want to win because I am skilled enough to beat it, not because I got lucky once. If I can out-think the enemy, figure out a way to attack him in a way he wasn’t expecting or hit him in a weak spot, I will feel a lot better about my victory than if I just pressed buttons quickly.
Story and Challenge are really why I play games. I love playing with friends, seeing amazing graphics, and having a bit of fun but when I am looking for the next game I want to play I’m not looking for a set of minigames or even an MMO. I’m looking for something that going to keep me coming back to find out what happens next and where my next victory will be.