Can you hear the lambs Clarice?

Another game has been struck down from my Hall of Shame. Clean out your desk Nights Into Dreams - you're outta here!

Original image located here. Accessed 27th September 2017

And thus ends a journey that has been twenty-one years in the making. I still remember seeing the trailer for this game in a store and being really excited about it, what with me being a Sega fanboy sympathizer. But it is only now, when Sega's heyday as a hardware manufacturer is long gone that I'm able to play Nights Into Dreams - on the XBLA. Irony eh?
Of course, I'm not playing the Saturn version: I'm playing the HD enhanced version. I could play the original version by why would I want to do that?

Okay, sarcasm aside, this game would still have to rank as one of the most beautiful games I've ever played. And the HD Enhancement does just that: Enhances the graphics into one of the most brightest and most colorful games around. Indeed it certainly shows up a lot of modern games - and this was a game released in a the middle of a decade people tend to look back on as being full of grittiness and edginess.
I remember one of the first reviews I saw of this game the reviewer noted that the game looked like it been made by a graphics department who'd had too much red cordial - can't say I disagree.
The music is also a treat too.

Now that we have the aesthetics out of the way, how does the gameplay come across?
I like what this game was trying to do, with it's flight mechanic but the prospect of flying is hindered by the knowledge that what the player is ultimately doing is flying along a fixed path. Sure there are alternate paths but they don't seem that different. And there's no denying that the game is short - but the difficulty makes up for it. For therein lies the challenge of reaching the 'A' rating - a challenge that, naturally, seems difficult in getting. And I will admit that i was putting a lot of hard effort in only to get anything but an 'A' - to a point where I was starting to take it personally.

One interesting observation is that, given how there is a loud call for more female representation in gaming, I actually found Claris' dream easier than Elliot's dream. True: I breezed through Clari's levels and got some high scores but Elliot's dreams were more tricky and more demanding to get higher scores - so much so, I was baffled that i did really well only to get hit with  a lowly 'C' grade.
So what, playing the female character means an easier time? Clearly this game was thinking way ahead of it's time.

But at the end of the day, this game had a lot of charm and I liked it a lot. It has great ideas, great art direction and the HD enhancement really help the game. It may have been a diamond in the rough when it was first released but, when compared to a lot of it's Saturn stablemates, Nights Into Dreams is a game that truly comes across like it was made with heart and a passion to be the best game the makers could produce.
And HD enhancement gives Nights Into Dreams the greatness originally worthy of it.

Castlevania: Ten Years On

Lately I've been playing a lot of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. It's a classic game I played to death back in 2006 during the glory days of my PS2 era but now I'm enjoying it on the XBLA and in full HD.

So how does the game look from the distance of ten years since I first played it?

To begin with, let's establish what Castlevania: Symphony of the Night meant for me: As you may have guessed from the years listed, I came to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night nearly a full decade after it was released. My reasoning was simple: I finally got a PS2, it could play PS1 games so why shouldn't I indulge in games that passed me by the first time around?
But really what I can say about Symphony of the Night that hasn't been said already? It completely revamped the series, it took steals from Metroid, it was a definitely 2D platformer when everyone was heading into the realms of 3D, and it boasts, without question, one of the finest game soundtracks ever conceived.

But what I will say is that game has aged remarkably well - and that's a statement I do not give out lightly when discussing the fifth generation. Symphony of the Night's 2D nature has served it very well: Whereas many 3D models of the fifth generation look blocky and hideous nowadays, the 2D graphics of Symphony of the Night look simply beautiful. And that certainly was a HD revamp highlights: Why, thanks to the HD graphics, I'm now picking up I never noticed before: I'm noticing just how detailed the animation for the Swordmaster power (Iron shield+Shield rod) is. And to apply such detail in a 'blink and you'll miss it' animation is something to be commended.

Other than that, the game is still as fun as ever and the soundtrack is still fantastic. Not much else i can add expect to say I guess this would be a textbook example of how to make a game that lasts.

Rise of the Guardians

Another game has been struck from my Hall of Shame: Guardian Heroes!

It's difficult to call this one completed: I may have unlocked five of the seven endings but I've unlocked all the characters so that's close enough.

So what can I say about this game that I haven't before? Well it's interesting to see this game from the perspective of time. I didn't play this game during the Saturn era and I am only playing this game for the first time and from a modern perspective.
And the game is a lot of fun: I did enjoy brawlers back in the day and I enjoyed the art style, multiple planes, and story mode. Of particular note is how Guardian Heroes does a lot of things differently with the brawler genre that one can only wonder why it hadn't been thought of before - or how you, the player ever got by without such changes.
Okay so some of the boss fights were annoying with them laying the smackdown without giving me a chance to fight back - but it is an amusing thought to think that whilst I'm spamming attacks, the guy on the other side of the TV screen is doing the exact same thing.

Also of note is how this game's DNA has been utilized with games that have come since. I see the gorgeous anime-style artwork (which still holds up really well today mind you) and I think of the similar art style in Guilty Gear. I see the then innovative use of branching paths and RPG elements and I think of Castle Crashers (I wonder of the makers of Castle Crashers made their game based on the annoyance of not having Guardian Heroes readily available?).

All in all, Guardian heroes was a lot of fun and I sincerely hope Sega take notice to a point where they make more games from their catalog readily available.

Heroes of a new world

Recently I've been playing a lot of Guardian Heroes.

This is one of the many games that was ported to the XBLA from the Sega Saturn. It is my belief that buying such games will prompt more conversions of some of the other lost gems that were on the Saturn - a misguided belief to be sure but you never know...
What is particularly impressive that this is a conversion that actually enhances the original: Aside from the inevitable graphical update and the inclusion of achievements, the game keeps track of the branching paths that have already been visited, cutscenes are skippable, there's a better translation and the Versus multiplayer has been increased from six to twelve. Truly a shining example of how to make a game from the mid-nineties and making it better whilst staying true to the original (it makes one wonder how numerous other such games got it so wrong).

As for the game itself, this is one game I've come into completely blind - The only thing I knew was that was a Saturn game and one of the best games on the system (and considering the amount of trash that was on the system that's saying a lot). What I wasn't expecting was to seeing some superb anime-esque art - much of which still looks great eighteen years later. Nor was I expecting to a real entertaining brawler with RPG elements and branching paths - granted this is a common sight for brawlers today (Castle Crashers anyone?) but to see it being down in a game from 1996 was a revelation indeed. 

Not much else I can say except that has, so far, been something of a surprise package. I can't say that I'm one to go into a game completely in the dark but in this time I think it has paid off. How fitting it is then that finding a diamond in the rough should be a Saturn game.

Fez the Music

And yet another game has been struck down from the Hall of Shame - this time, it is Fez!

The problem with assessing Fez is that one can't really escape the controversy drummed up by the game's creator Phil Fish. Personally, I'm sitting on the fence for this one: I've Seen Indie Game: The Movie and I can't deny the blood, sweat and tears Phil put into his game - but on the other hand, I can't deny that his use of Twitter has...not turned out too well.
Still I think now would be a good time to look at Fez and see if this game can stand up on it's own two feet. And much like Duke Nukem Forever, we should at least appreciate  that this game has seen the light of day after years spent in development hell.

Unlike Duke Nukem Forever, Fez is actually a good game.
I find there is a lot going for this game. I like the mechanic based around rotating the scenery. I like the environments and the moody music.I also enjoyed the retro styling and didn't find it intrusive at all - even to the point I actually found the graphics and sounds had more personality and variety than a lot of Triple-A games. I also really enjoyed the exploration element finding this the type of game one can divert from their original course and go in another direction - exactly the sign one is playing a compelling game.

I thought the ending was a bit weird though. That's the thing with these 'arty' games: They seem to have this need to lay on multiple depths and hidden meanings - as if in the hope that doing so would score big with the critics. But there is a fine line between the player being intrigued and the player being confused & subsequently frustrated.

Nevertheless, Fez is awesome and I hope it manages to have plenty of staying power in the years to come (although the difficulty in finding the anti-cubes may do just that).

Jaded? Me? Never!

Another game has been cast down from my Hall of Shame. Goodbye…..Jade Empire!

It’s no secret that I love me some Bioware RPGs. Yes they all tend to be formulaic but they are compelling enough to see all the way through. And yet Jade Empire frequently comes across as being the lesser known middle child when compared to the likes of Baldur’s Gate, Star Wars KOTOR, Mass Effect and Dragon Age.
When playing this game I did get that impression but not in the way that one would expect. No, I found it the most difficult of Bioware RPGs. Remember how I mentioned previously that the advancements in the fighting styles are fixed and can’t be changed? Meaning that if you pick the wrong one, you’re stuck? Well that, in that sense, makes Jade Empire an unforgiving game: If you can’t progress then you have no choice but to start all over again – As I did.  That being said, I found the only way to success is to a) decide beforehand what styles you’ll use throughout the game, b) invest solely in those styles and c) most crucially of all, not spending all the style advancement points all at once. It prove successful but there were times when one particular style, the Jade Golem, maxed out turned to be a game-breaking one. Indeed, I found a maxed-out jade Golem, along with the focus sight, made the final battle so easy and so short it wasn’t funny.
I’ve never had this kind of problem with Bioware games since. Why even Jade Empire’s predecessor, Star Wars KOTOR, was more lenient. In fact, one common complaint I’ve heard against Jade Empire is that it is a short RPG – but considering the unforgivable nature of the game, perhaps it being short is merciful.

Still, I really enjoyed this game. It is indeed refreshing to pay an RPG set in somewhere that doesn’t resemble medieval Britain and to have the battles based around martial arts. I love the art direction, with the design of the game and a story with a plot twist I honestly didn’t see coming.

So yeah, Jade Empire is a winner in my book. Mind you, considering EA's love for brand recognition, it's kinda odd that a follow-up to Jade Empire has yet to be seen - but then again, perhaps it is best left that way

Gateway to the Ravage Frontier

I've been playing Jade Empire a lot lately. Largely because I hit a brick wall that prompted me to abandon my game and start all over from scratch. It's not the first time such a thing has happened when playing a Bioware game but in this case I abandoned nearly 20 hours of game time.

But all in the name of defeating the Ravager? Totally worth it

All for the Empire

I've recently made a return to playing Jade Empire.
I'm doing pretty well so far in that I have made it to Chapter Three in the narrative and I've collected a fair number of the NPCs. I've also maxed out the Dire Flame style and have my eye set on maxing out the Stone Immortal style (I could max out Tempest and Ice Shard as well but I have yet to receive them. Also there is wisdom in maxing out Martial and Weapon styles).

Funny thing is I'm finding that with a maxed out Dire Flame some fights are coming across as mind-boggling easy. One such situation is the Black Leopard school quest chain. Using the Dire Flame, I had little trouble in defeating the students that challenged me - so much so, I began to wonder how they managed to last for so long and whether there was wisdom in allowing Smiling Hawk to take over. Or is that kind of the point?

Still, Jade Empire is lots of fun and it's great to have an RPG based on kung-fu and having a setting ripped from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It's also pleasing to have an RPG that actually works with an Xbox controller. Needless to say it will be interesting to see what happens next in this game...

Shot Through

When I was a kid I really enjoyed arcade shooters – for some reason there was something appealing about controlling a jet/helicopter and gunning down a seemingly endless parade of military hardware. Indeed, I recall seeing these type of games in arcade parlors, watching the demo/attract mode and feel I could do better. Of particular note, I recall being more excited about Raiden 2 than Mortal Kombat 2 or Super Street Fighter.

I can’t stress this enough: I haven’t a clue as to why arcade shooters had such a sway over me. Was it the first kind of arcade game I saw and became familiar with? Was it seeing something that was capable of producing something beyond the limitations of my trusty Commodore 64? Or was it the offer of blowing shit up? I don’t know and somehow, such questioning doesn’t warrant further pondering.

However, when I entered my teens and adult years I grew off arcade shooters. Again why this is so is unclear to me:  Most likely it was me becoming aware of other gaming genres. Or maybe I realized just what a coin thief arcade games truly are. Nevertheless, I’ve gone off shooters and the interest has never been rekindled – true I’ve the Raiden Project for the PlayStation but, as always, the power of nostalgia can have a sway that is difficult to resist.

Still, what is of particular interest is that through being away from the genre, many innovations have occurred to it. Innovations that to me, come as a complete surprise. Two particular titles have stood out in particular: Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun. Both games from those wunderkinds known as Treasure and have such a reputation in amongst the arcade shooter crowd.

A reputation that warrants investigation – I already have Ikaruga and have had a go at it. So let’s see if Radiant Silvergun has something to offer….

Fezes are cool...apparently

On the weekend I did something I've been putting off for a while: Obtain Fez from XBLA!

Boy has this game got a reputation. One where critical acclaim and behind the scenes trauma walked hand in hand. I've seen a lot of positive response and then I saw the difficulties involved in getting this game made (courtesy of ace doco Indie Game the Movie). A reputation of the intimidating kind? You could say that.

At time of writing, I've played about two hours and the game is so far proving to be charming. I like the graphics, the puzzles are challenging and so far a sense of depth is slowly creeping up behind me.

Not much else I can say at the moment but if Phil Fish has really quite making games then at leats now he has ten bucks to help him out on his way

Talk about the Bastion

Recently another game was cast down from my Hall of Shame: Bastion!

After playing Adventure games for the past few weeks it was welcome change to return to the RPG – wandering around a world that gradually (and in this case literally) opens up before me, bashing some heads and looting gold to build even greater weapons. Funny thing is, I never saw this game as an RPG – I was far more invested in building up this thing called the Bastion and exploring this world before me to notice stuff like stat increases and the like.
And what a world it is. I was really impressed with the art direction and the hand-drawn graphics. I thought hand-drawn graphic would be a craft on the way out but that does not seem to be the case here. Each environment is beautifully rendered and it was impressive to see the Bastion being built up with the progression of the game.
Also impressive is the music, with its use of slide guitars and Middle Eastern vibes. I read it was intended to provoke a ‘frontier’ sense and to that it end it was successful – although for me, it reminds me of a Tea Party-lite.
Indeed such is the technological achievement of Bastion that I’m finding it difficult to grasp that was made by a team of seven people. But I suppose anything is possible….

As for the narrative, Bastion stands as a giant. I enjoy stories where there is an unreliable narrator but I don’t think there’s been a game that employs such a technique (Final Fantasy Tactics could disagree but I haven’t played it). Sure there have been games that pull the rug out from under the player but never has there been a game where the narrator seems to see things differently from what the player is witnessing. Also pleasing is how the story is conveyed through a very small cast of characters – I always enjoyed small casts of characters as it provides time to get to know them and see how they develop. And to that end Bastion succeeds with flying colors. 

So yeah, Bastion provide to be true treat and definitely something I will return to in future – And the presence of a New Game Plus feature will make sure of that.

Braid Damage

Earlier this week I had the satisfaction of striking another game from the Hall of Shame – this time it was Braid. But what made this victory particularly satisfying was for two reasons: a) it was the endpoint after numerous frustrations and b) the achievement for completion of the game was enough to reach the ten thousand mark in my XBLA achievement total. Whilst Specs Ops the Line may have contributed heavily to this goal, beating Braid was enough to cross the finish line (that and saying both games in the same sentence makes me laugh).

So about Braid: To be honest approaching this game has always carried a weight of intimidation: It is one of those games that has lauded with praise so much that one would think there may not be a lot left to say about it and saying something different may come across as treason. So did I think of Braid?

Well I enjoyed it: There is indeed a lot going for this game that certainly deserves the praise.  The game mechanics are clever and inventive, the music is great, the puzzles creative and the art direction mind-blowing. All of which sound like great but, as there always seems to be, a problem raises its head. You see, many people regard Braid as the go-to game for the ‘Games as Art’ proposal but I’m not getting it. Where Braid works for me is a deconstruction of the whole ‘rescue the princess’ gaming trope and it there it works best: Thus adding all this stuff about the atomic bomb seems …well…unnecessary. To me it comes across as tacked on, convoluted and dropping an actual good idea. In fact the title of ‘Art Game’ continuously bestowed upon Braid seem more a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card so its problems won’t have to be explained – but I’m not so easily fooled.

Still I did enjoy Braid and am glad to have played it.
As a side note though, I am now imagining Tim being drinking buddies with Wander from Shadow of the Colossus.

Bastion your head in

As some of you may have noticed, there is a XBLA tenth anniversary currently going on (at time of writing). I myself used this to pick up, at half price, something that I've been wanting to play for a while: Bastion!

Beyond that though, there's not much I can say about Bastion that hasn't already been said before. I like the setting, the art direction, the narration and the idea of rebuilding a world. I guess I'm getting the same feeling I got when I played through Braid: Much has been said about this game that's not much room for something completely new. I'm going through the same experience that many people before me have already been through so what more can be said/experienced?
Still I haven't made a lot of progress in Bastion so it would be interesting to see how this turns out....

Braid Tumour

Not much to say for today: I was hoping to have beaten Braid by today so I would have something to talk about but it wasn't to be. I got to the last level but was unable to complete it as I got to an impassable part where I have to jump over some of those Goomba lookalikes - those who've played Braid would know exactly what I'm talking about.
I hate it when games do that: Luck need not play a major part in beating a game.

Still I do like the 'pin' feature that came with the latest update of XBLA. I hope the person who suggested it in the Microsoft think-tank got upgraded to a new office.

Dreams of Reason

Well Nights Into Dreams has finally made it's way to the XBLA. For me it's the end of a journey that began sixteen years ago: For, from being enamored at first sight of the intro as teenager, to brief instances of actually playing the game since, to debating as to whether or not I purchase the Wii incarnation, I finally have an edition of Nights Into Dreams to call my own :D

I mentioned earlier this year that I managed to play the original Nights Into Dreams on the Sega Saturn where I found the controls hard to get into grips with and the graphics looking dated to the point of horrible. However with the HD revamp, neither seems to be case at all: The graphics are glorious to behold and they great for a sixteen year old game. None of the pixelation that has plagued fifth generation games at all!
Also, the music sounds lively and fun - in fact I'm not sure its the same from the Saturn but who cares? It sounds marvelous just the same.
And the controls are better than my previous experience! As crazy as it may seem, for the first time ever I had a clear idea what to do and where I was going and I was making excellent progress.

Now gaming technology is one where people are constantly in the race to produce the most technological advanced product imaginable - hardly the type of thing that improves with age. But here, it's justified - who would've thunk it?!

Sonic KaBoom

Following on from the problems I've had with Sonic CD on the XBLA, I did some research and it turns out that both the Japanese and US releases of the original game had different music. And the subsequent XBLA re-release has the original music restored. Thus, whereas I was expecting to hear something I was familiar with (the US music) what I'm hearing is the original (Japanese music).
But the promised switch between the two soundtracks has yet to be found.
Needless to say, the change from familiarity - even if it's completely wrong - is indeed jarring. Still there is the possibility that the Japanese soundtrack may grow on me...

Other than that, I'm really astonished how Sonic CD looks on the XBLA. I've said before that many games from previous generations look dumb now when we're all using very powerful TVs but here Sonic CD looks incredible - and indeed hard to imagine it being a Megadrive game (albeit one with great music). I've heard that this revamp for the XBLA was done by one guy and I'm astonished by the quality of the finished product - somehow one thinks this was Sonic CD, often regarded as the strongest of Sonic's offerings, with the red-carpet treatment it thoroughly deserved. .

XBLAndering forward

 Some more recent acquisitions for my Xbox (courtesy of XBLA):

Tetris Splash
What can I say? It's Tetris - however with a nuatical theme - and it's still as timeless and addictive as it ever was. My previous version of Tetris can't run on my computer (curse the 64x transition!) so this is a welcome addition in my book.

Daytona USA
The presence of this game seems a bit redundant as I'm not a Xbox Live user but it's still a great game to play - the HD revamp looks great too. And let us not forget that unrelenting refrain of : "Daytooooooonnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!"

Sonic CD
Again, this is nice to have in HD but there's something about this that rubs me the wrong way: Where is the original music?! The original soundtrack to Sonic CD was wonderful enough - which coming from a Mega CD game was hardly surprising - so to hear something completely different is indeed a surprise and an unwelcome one at that. Apparently there is the option to switch between soundtracks but I have yet to find it.

Game of the Year

Around this time of the year most gamers are looking back over the past twelve months and selecting their pick for Game of the Year. Not me though: As this blog is discovering games in my own time, the question is more: What games from this year did I actually play?

Well I liked Skyrim.
And Iron Brigade was pretty cool too.

Well that was easy.

Going Backwards

These past few console generations have had success with reverse compatibility. And it makes sense: No one would buy a new console only to have nothing to use it so to use the same software from the last console on the new console is a smart move. Thus, through reverse compatibility, the PS2 was able to steam ahead of the Dreamcast (among other reasons) and Gamecube games still get some mileage on the Wii.

But here's what I want to know: Is any of the business people in the gaming industry, soulless bastards that they are, taking any notice? Sure it may ensure that people automatically upgrade to the new console without question (a smart business move to be sure) but it does place the rather awkward position that no one will be interested in the new stuff because they're attention is focused on the old stuff. Thus, both Sony's insistence on the PS3 being non-backwards compatible and Nintendo's dwindling interest for the Virtual Console makes sense. Now I've said time and time again that the Virtual Console really was a good idea but people like me who bought a Wii just for the Virtual Console may not sit well with Nintendo who, in the end, are trying to run a company.

There is indeed wisdom in the notion that a great game shall forever remain a great game: One only needs to see the 3D revamp of Ocarina of Time and the various HD reworkings that found their way onto the PS3. Thus it becomes clear that people will still gladly play the same thing again or, in my case, come across it for the very first time. So are the right people paying attention?

But the point I'm trying laboriously to get to is this matter of what will happen to the backwards compatibility. The ruthlessness in how the PS3 shuns it seems to a sign of things to come in that video game companies aren't really the type to dwell on the past.
However I do like the idea of games from obsolete consoles being available for download with the PSN, XBLA and the Virtual Console - this serves as a great method for both preservation and making them readily available. And this does seem to have lasting power - why even the Virtual Console has been announced to be workable with the Wii-2 and have Gamecube games on the way.
Of course, whilst a downloadable service is a good idea it does not mean every game will be considered. By way of example, I've enjoyed Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic but it does not seem available yet on XBLA - and whilst it may work on the 360, there is always the nagging thought that it may not for Microsoft's next console.

Ultimately, I like having these 'old' games being within easy reach but, if history has taught us anything, the technology is always moving at such an absurd pace that it is all-too easy for ideas to get discarded and forgotten.
So it would be interesting to see if the XBLA/PSN/VC, let alone it's contents, will have the power to last well into the future.

Can anyone imagine Halo, a decade-old game, being downloaded off the XBLA and enjoyed ten years from now?

Mother's Day

I recently had a bash at Ms Pacman on XBLA. Still a great game that has emerged unscathed from the ravages of time. Plus you have give credit to the game's protagonist for pioneering female leads.
As mentioned in my list of 10 best gaming heroines there is a lot going for Ms Pacman, being a loving wife and a devoted mother. And now that I think of it, it does raise a question: Have there been any decent mother figures in gaming?

I honestly think a mother being a player character is an idea that has potential. This is not somebody who's saving the world or blowing shit up just for the sake of it: This is someone who's acting out of fear of their children and would do anything to keep any threat away. With games now having large scripts and attention to characterization, I can imagine a forty something who's not afraid to pick up a shotgun to save her teenaged daughter/son. Those familiar with anime would note the title Witchblade, wherein the main protagonist is super-heroine but, at the same time, a mother who wants to look after her daughter and make sure she doesn't grow up to have a miserable life. A scenario like that can work if handled right so why not apply it to games?
Indeed, I can imagine many game developers are people who grew up playing games and no doubt have children of their own. So why not?

Sadly, it seems nearly essential for a lot of female protagonists must have a) looks to draw in a male audience and b) fiery independent spirit to draw a female audience. Which such prerequisites, having a mother character is suicide. I mean can anyone imagine Lara Croft having kids? Of course not.
Indeed, I can only think of one other mother character and that would be Sophitia from the Soul Calibur games. Alas, I think Namco must've been frightened that making her embrace motherhood would turn a lot of players away so the poor gal has been sexed up with each passing game in the series. A move which, I feel, detracts from the more noble aspects of Sophitia's character.
Similarly, I've heard Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7 being the embodiment of a 'motherly' role but there is a part of me (the cynical one) that the only way SqueeEnix could've gotten away with it is to make her a) young and beautiful b) hopeless the minute Cloud leaves the room and c) in possession of a rack big enough to land stealth bombers on.
What is this meant to prove? You can only be a mother in gaming if you're hot? I know some women who are mothers and I can tell you it's near impossible to maintain an attractive appearance despite living with the various pressures motherhood brings.



Another such example of such mishandling is Wynne from Dragon Age Origins. She certainly passes for a motherly role with her wisdom, dispensing advice and making sure the [Grey Warden] stays on track (her healing prowess is also welcome). But whilst there are noble qualities, there is a part of me that makes me think that only a woman of an elderly disposition could do it. Granted an aged/experienced character is a familiar archetype but there's no reason to work against the grain: Personally, I wold like to see wisdom and experience put to work for a 'big sister' type character.
But it seems that wisdom and good looks don't walk hand in hand - but at the same time it places the likes of Wynne in the awkward position of both being wise and a nag - a real catch 22 (of course we could go with MY idea but still.....)

In fact I think the only parental player character that is both taken seriously and actually works would be John Marston from Red Dead Redemption. Whilst the player can do what they like with John, there is still no escaping the main plot of the game where John's actions are based on wanting to bury his past as an outlaw and ensure his son Jack lives in a better world.
A noble deed that could only be done by a father. Can a mother character do the same?

But you know maybe there is no need for a mother protagonist. Why? Because both Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor did the job and they did it so well.