More Games We Cannot Play
Nearly six years ago, I wrote a post about games that I wanted to play but couldn’t due to my inherent lack of skill and coordination. Since then I have also written about several games that I would like to enjoy but can’t, because they’re multiplayer and I do not know anyone else that plays them. I have also pointed out in subsequent posts that my personal experience of some games is nothing like that shown in the promotional videos. This is often due to the two aforementioned reasons. C’est la vie. Such is the nature of video games. Some you can play, others you can’t. Fortunately the latter doesn’t happen that often and by and large, I get by just fine. However, recently the phenomenon of “games we cannot play” has raised its ugly head once again. So I thought I’d share my latest thoughts on the matter.
The First Person Shooter genre is no easy ride. The most popular titles are the embodiment of twitch gaming, where the nimble fingered and quick witted rule and those adjusting their Pince-nez and squinting at their monitors are destroyed. But they can be very entertaining and often the developers will build mitigations into the various game systems to help those on a “death streak”. Also if you can’t out gun other players you can sometimes out think them, so even the slower gamer can still enjoy such franchises as Call of Duty, Battlefield and Fortnite. However, if you want a really hardcore FPS which focuses on realism and with minimal perks, then there is Hell Let Loose. This World War II themed game features 50 vs. 50 battles between two teams of either Germans, Americans and Soviets forces.
The Tactical Brit plays Hell Let Loose
Hell Let Loose is a tough FPS with no regenerating health, weapons with iron sights and squad based dynamics. It requires coordination, situational awareness and skill. The maps feel authentic and combat is compelling and intense. No matter how good a player you are, you will die. Frequently. Sadly, I find the game so punishing as a whole, I cannot enjoy it personally. If you wish to succeed in Hell Let Loose, then you have to commit to the game and dedicate yourself to learning the maps, honing your skills and cultivating a group of like minded friends. For me that is too steep a learning curve and I don’t think the “journey” would be fun. So for the present I have relegated Hell Let Loose from a game I play to a game I watch other play on Twitch or YouTube.
Another title that I recently tried is Dark and Darker. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if you took an extraction shooter such as Escape From Tarkov and crossed it with Morrowind, then you end up with Dark and Darker. You create your character from a selection of classic fantasy classes, then form a group either with friends or “random players” and then enter the dungeon. You undertake missions, cross swords with other players and then you exit. This is another game where the reality of playing is different from what you think it may be. The first person perspective is difficult when it comes to swordplay and using a bow. The maps are hard to learn and at present in the game’s development (early access), the segregation of new and seasoned players is not always effective. This can lead to unbalanced encounters with other players. Dark and Darker is also a game where if you play with a group of friends you will enjoy a far superior experience to simply playing solo or with random players.
Character creation in Dark and Darker
Finally, I wish to return to the matter of my Nintendo Switch. There are a wealth of good games available for this handheld device but I have now concluded after two years that buying this was a mistake. It’s not just a question of not enjoying games via a handheld device, I think it is entirely down to being institutionalised by my existing gaming habits. I equate gaming with playing via my PC. I also spend a great deal of my time sitting at my desk reading, writing and perusing the internet. The PC is the hub of these activities. I even connected my Nintendo Switch to one of my monitors so I could play while at my desk but to no avail. It remains this adjunct to my existing status quo and despite trying, I can’t change my perspective. But ultimately, that’s okay. You can’t accommodate and embrace everything, be it in gaming or in real life. There are games we cannot play and indeed consoles we can’t either.
