Emotive Pixels - All Podcasts

This week on the Emotive Pixels podcast, we take a glimpse into the NCIS videogame, released in late 2011 to the universal acclaim of platinum trophy hunters everywhere (and probably not very many others). This is a concerted effort by an internal Ubisoft studio, which apparently makes it a step up from similar CSI games developed by Ubisoft which are handled by a satellite studio in China. We completely avoid discussing this in the podcast, and instead focus on whether or not this is an enjoyable experience for fans of the show, and how badly you'll have to suffer for what many consider to be last generation's easiest 100% completion achievement.

Specific points touched upon include voice actors that make the jump between CBS and Ubisoft (there are two of them, by our count), integration and dependence on dastardly quicktime events, pattern matching minigames, and vaguely uninstructed nuclear bomb disarmaments atop skyscrapers. In a lengthy discussion about the worst games we've experienced, we awkwardly and inadvertently compare Hatred and Noby Noby Boy and discover some strange passion, before moving on to discuss the raw historical offensiveness that is Custer's Revenge for the Atari.

As a special featurette, we delve into some quick 2005 reminiscence with tales of launch date Xbox 360 fails courtesy of the illustrious Nate.

Topics covered this week are broad, but focus particularly upon our elusive belief that this game is an example of mechanics-driven game design. To that end, we imagine where WB might apply the Nemesis engine next, whether in a Tolkien-centric direct sequel or liberally peppered throughout all kinds of whimsical IP in need of a fix. There's some discussion about voice acting focusing upon some North-Baker interplay, and there is a mild amount of required background research for a brief discussion about PlaidSocial and WB's review policy which is thoroughly draconian, to quote our esteemed guest. Check out the Jimquisition episode on the matter here for more information.

There's no surprise in our ratings all being quite consistently 'great', and that isn't a spoiler. This is a great game and is, some of us daresay, something truly next-gen. Finally.

In the opening minutes, each of the group - Will, Alberto, Brian, Esteban, Nate, and Megan - shares their experiences with leaving home in their own lives, which will set the stage for some of the discussions and particular motivations that arise during the discussions following. Then Esteban takes us away with a brief but well-meaning attempt at summarizing Gone Home's plot, which quickly segues into some thoughts on the nature of expectations when approaching Gone Home - perhaps an integral piece of the reason for Gone Home's rampant success and fame. We discover that one of our friends isn't particularly invested in this style of gameplay, and discuss the nature of what makes a game, with varying degrees of believed complexity. We discuss the nature of communication and whether or not this story could (/should) be boiled down to a single paragraph on a 3x5 post-it note. At that point, we also begin wondering why Sam ran away at all, which quite frankly quickly becomes altogether too much for us and we splinter off into other talks about hair and scalps - most of which was cut.

We discuss lockers, codes, and religious heroin, which are all exciting concepts of game design, and this segues the discussion brilliantly (not) into the reality of morality of lightswitches. Then inevitably, we bring up three-ring binders. Alberto shows his class by describing Gone Home's binders as 'high-class' and, I quote, 'expensive'. And hey wait, why is there an inventory? And then we delve into the application of the 'walking simulator' label, which is of course my personal favorite thing (editor's note). Allegations against thatgamecompany's Flower are leveled, which nearly ends the podcast (a fistfight broke out, no joke). We discuss whether or not haters on this game hate the game or the idea of the game - is plot relevant to these folks? Brian is our scapegoat in this arena.

We discuss the (extremely interesting) concept of forgetting the purpose and nature of joining the military, which everyone should listen carefully to and imagine what things were like once the events of September 2001 reached a fervor pitch. We discuss how following your emotions can sometimes jeopardize your career. Level and set design is discussed, particularly in the case of the horse-blinder-likened attic, which is very exciting for all involved (especially the horses which are strangely omitted in this game). We think anticipation will either ruin you or immerse you, but it will not prepare you for the use of 'orgy' in any way to describe the attic. Brian gets fussy about the lack of backstory, and then Megan goes for a full Mortal Kombat evisceration with a rebuttal: how much can you actually learn about a set of humans from walking into their house? Brian debates some of the finer points of un-realism, to varying degrees of attentive listening. Then, completely un-dramatically, we progress to the discussion of Polygon's brief mentions of familial abuse and other themes that the game touches on. We then talk about the sex ed class papers written by each of the sisters and how these very effectively illustrate characterization; not to mention, how Kaitlyn is our protagonist but not our main character! Then we delve into the trophies in the foyer and how that demonstrates who our main character is - with an OkCupid analogy in case you weren't really getting what we were going for. Then we get into some personal interpretations of why exactly the story is presented in the way that it is - why didn't Sam just write out her new identity on a postcard, for example? Alberto's ancient Spanish is observed to be poor - and then we segue into talking about Sam's Captain Allegra narrative and what it says about D. From there, we speak about the creepy uncle and how Polygon mentions abuse: you'll find out what these two things have in common, in case you didn't know it from looking at photos in the foyer! Then, we move right onto Nate's random mention of S.EXE on RPS.

After that, it's naught ahead but ratings, final thoughts, and some sass. We wrap things up and take you away to whereever your life is going next!

MENTIONED LINKS:
Polygon's 2013 GoTY announcement
Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Cara Ellison's S.EXE on Gone Home

IMPORTANT OTHER LINKS:
PBS' Game/Show via Polygon

Introductions begin this week with our favorite weather. It's the smallest of small talk to open the episode that honors what might be Movie Fan Alberto's favorite game ever, the David Cage pixels-are-emotions-fueled narrative experience that is 2009's Heavy Rain. Our cast is large and unwieldy, featuring Will, Alberto, Nate, Brian, Tien-ju, Megan, and Alberto tagalong Angelica.

JASON! JASON!!! Heavy Rain is a mystery novel game unsubtly aimed at aping the cinema style by French studio Quantic Dream, who also did Fahrenheit (or Indigo Prophecy, depending on how much nudity you saw) in the PS2 era. It centers around a mystery serial killer dubbed the "Origami Killer", the pronunciation of which you had probably better hear on your own. There are four main protagonists, whose roles you switch between as the game goes on and you attempt to figure out who is kidnapping children, culminating in the abduction of Protagonist Ethan's young son Sean, suspiciously during one of Sean's blackouts. Is Sean the killer? We discuss.

We're really quite curious when each of us figured out who the killer actually was (we're going to spoil the heck out of that), where the origami in Ethan's hand came from (spoiler: we don't know either), and whether the game is amazing or terrible. If you've listened to us for very long, it's very predictable who holds what opinion. Various endings are discussed, and we hear Alberto brag about having the platinum and are collectively sad about the effort it takes to get. And, most importantly, we question whether this would be better as a racing game. Turns out nothing can help it.

RATINGS (/10)

• Alberto: 9.5