So I was out walking my dog, and I was thinking about how I really wanted to get a copy of Outrun 2019 for the Genesis and relaxedly play through it. I've recently found myself increasingly wanting to play relaxing games. I have a whole list of games I play just because I find them "cozy". The Harvest Moon games for example.
I thought about how the creator of Outrun specified in an interview the series isn't a racing game, it's a driving game. It's meant to make you feel like you're driving an expensive sports car through beautiful scenery. I got to thinking about how much I enjoyed Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, and largely disagree with the Pre_Rec review of The Last Guardian being boring and light on plot and interaction and I found myself saying "It's the fucking experience" we're exploring a very beautiful and mysterious world the creator has wonderfully made people who like the series interested and exploring. Rich said "It's the same issues you'd have walking a real dog." and I just thought "Yeah, I *like* walking my dog."
But as I was making these criticisms I went back to some walking simulator Jack was slobbering all over some months back and how boring that looked to me. So I thought to myself, I can say those games aren't *fun* to me, but is it fair for me to say it isn't a game because I personally have no interest in playing it?
So I went back and examined the obvious "that's not a game" candidate we always default back to, Depression Quest. To me, that's still not a game. It's definitely not a *video* game. I thought for a moment of defining it as a "visual novel" but it's very light on the visuals as well, so I'm kind of left as defining it as a very boring Choose Your Own Adventure story where the choices are weighted against you, and there's a bit of music when you turn the pages.
How much interactivity is required for it to be a game? It just got me thinking, if a walking simulator isn't a game, why is a driving simulator? I think for me it just boils down to the graphics and the stories being told being really boring and off-putting, but there are a lot of games I'd describe that way that I still wouldn't say aren't games. And there are games with limited interactivity that I was still interested in playing because of interesting interface, world or setting, like Lifeline or Echo Night Beyond.
Yes Colin Powell, I do.