Burnout: Revenge

Title: Burnout: Revenge
Platform/Game Type: Xbox - Arcade Racing
Date First Played: November 2005

Thoughts: Much like its predecessor (Burnout 3: Takedown), Burnout: Revenge packs a lot of punch by thoroughly expoiting the idea of vehicular mayhem/racing. I've noticed that there's a kind of exponential increase in available challenges/events for each increase in rank. What this leads to is a kind of branching experience, where choice seems to blossom out of each victory. I find myself thinking that this might even be similar (though more transparent) to the narrative structure of the GTA games, which start with one story mission but quickly branch into many possible missions.

I also have found more complexity in Revenge (as opposed to Takedown) which sometimes frustrates me. I've noticed more places where the developers have made choices that seem to counteract the idea that every aspect of the game be fun (for instance, stalling in single player crash mode seems pointless). And the load times still suck.

Why I stopped playing it: I don't foresee stopping anytime soon, except to play other games.

Burnout 3: Takedown

Title: Burnout 3: Takedown
Platform/Game Type: Xbox - Arcade Racer
Date First Played: November 2004

Thoughts: This game demonstrated an almost perfect cycle of challenges and rewards. With every event, it seemed a new car or track was unlocked. The game gave me a constant sense of acheivement. Combined with the fantastic learning curve, the string of rewards pulled me further and further into the game. It was easy to pick up, and very hard to put down. Fun permeated the experience. Even crashing (normally a bad thing) was fun due to the "Aftertouch" mechanic. This is a great example of using every moment/feature/mechanic of the game to enhance the player's fun.

Why I stopped playing it: Eventually, I had to play other games. However, I still put this one in every once in a while.

Kill Dr. Lucky

Title: Kill Dr. Lucky
Platform/Game Type: Board game
Date First Played: Spring 2003

Thoughts: The fascinating thing about Kill Dr. Lucky is that the titular character isn't controlled by a single player or by the rules. Dr. Lucky is in fact controlled by any and all of the players. He is an abstract game mechanic, but at the same time, this game hints at alternate narrative possibilities in games, going beyond simple one player for one character mappings.

Why I stopped playing it: I'm sure I'll play Kill Dr. Lucky again some time.

Blackjack (in Vegas)

Title: Blackjack (in Vegas)
Platform/Game Type: Casino card game
Date First Played: January 2003

Thoughts: The major eye opener for me was the extent to which the external experience is designed to affect the game play. The architecture and interior design of casinos is an artform in and of itself, but game designers would do well to study it, even just a bit. The less concrete stuff is important too. For instance, I was up about $50 (a lot when you're starting with about the same amount), and I was planning to leave the table and move on. However, I had ordered one of those "free" drinks. I lost $60 before my drink came around. Brilliant.

Why I stopped playing it: While I can't say I'll never drop cash on the felt again, I do think I have better things to do with my money.

Killer 7

Title: Killer 7
Platform/Game Type: GameCube - Action
Date First Played: September 2005

Thoughts: With a fantastic, non-realistic visual style and a surreal story, Killer 7 sounded like the perfect counterpoint to all the cookie cutter blockbuster games out there. Unfortunately, the control scheme was extremely difficult to use, let alone master. My main takeaway from Killer 7 is the issue of accessibility. Great art is pointless if you can't engage with it.

Why I stopped playing it: I gave Killer 7 three tries. I never made it more than 20 minutes into the game because I couldn't get the hang of the controls. I'm disappointed, because it looked so cool.