"Banish the word 'struggle' from your attitude and your vocabulary. All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we have been waiting for." — Hopi elders
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April 22, 2009
Maybe we could take a moment to share one favorite "conscious game" and why.
Up there for me is "Chrono Trigger." There's such a purely mythic and simple approach to the storytelling. There is heroic self-sacrifice, sympathetic antagonists, super-cosmic time travel, etc. I feel the game responds, as many RPGs do, to the archetypal longing for every individual to come together and accomplish great feats by their own unique, expressive gifts. Or, in a way, to do what we were born to do. Yum!
Actually, when I first played through the game, I was young and using an emulator, and I inputted the code for basically "to win every battle," so I could breeze through and just experience the story. So, for those of you who have played the game, there is one particular battle with Lavos that you are supposed to lose... and of course, because I had the code, I won, and was transported immediately to one of the secret developer's endings... and I actually thought that was it (and was very disappointed).
How amazed I was when I learned there was... actually... more to the game. Like I said, I was young... but then, the experience became even more riveting for me, because every new moment I soaked up as if it had never been there before... which it hadn't, of course, to my perspective. And then, I was finally allowed to get Magus!
"All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu. This is the truth! This is my belief! At least for now..."
Comments
secret of mana and final fantasy 7
— Apr 27, 2009
I would have to agree that Chrono Trigger is one of the most conscious video games out there. the story line is based on time travel and includes a location that is 'beyond time'. the way it is done is masterful and really helps get people thinking about time in a much more quantum way. i also especially enjoyed the concept of "lavos", the creature that fell from the sky when lizards fought men for planet dominance and then incubated deep in the Earth's crust until it wakes up and surfaces and destroys the planet... so the goal of the game is to destroy an evil creature that burrowed its way into our planet that is feeding on and will eventually consume the planet.... sounds familiar to life for sure.
for me, i would have to say final fantasy 7 is probably the most conscious video game to date. the concept of large industrial cities consuming "mako" energy is so similar to how we use fossil fuels it is hard to not feel the heart in pain for our world while playing the game. the sacrifice of Aerith made a huge impact on video gamers all over the world.. that her soul could crystallize into the most holy 'materia' and then rescue the entire world as the meteor heads towards earth by combining all the spirits on the planet... i mean, WOW! Cloud's quest of self-realization by trying to separate his own memories from zach's is complicated and well done and is a beautiful reminder of how our minds and memories play tricks on us.
I have to say that Secret of Mana for the super nintendo is probably my favorite conscious video game. the story is based on a hero being exiled from his village for pulling out a sacred sword from a stone, which calls a monster to the village, which you defeat. however, your removing of the sword also initiated the hero's quest to release all of the elemental orbs of the world from darkness so that the Mana Tree can take in their powers once again. the tree had such a huge impact on me that i have it tattooed on my arm, lol. it is a straightforward, fairy tale style story that includes a male hero, a female hero and an androgynous sprite which is enjoyable because it seems rather PC for the early 90s. :)
oh, and don't forget how in Star Ocean the characters eventually realize that they are IN a video game being played by REAL people and they get to cross into the REAL world FROM the game... what a great concept!
haha and the whole //.HACK universe of video games, movies, manga and episodes is brilliant in its questioning of the meaning of reality v. virtual reality. i mean, the story is based on various online gamers and takes place in that gaming world, though some information is revealed between characters in passing about who they are in the "real" world. it is fun controlling characters that are themselves characters. some characters in the game are stuck in the game, and as that saga unfolds, the line between the online world portrayed and the real world the character's players live in evaporates. interesting.
what a fun topic.
~*Ibss*~
Shadow of the Collosus
— Jun 01, 2009
For starters, if you haven't played this short 10-15 hour story, you must. You can probably get it for $10 now, and you will NOT regret it.
The story goes that a young man is in love with a young dying lady. He will do anything to bring her back to life, and so he does. Being chased by supposed guards of the land, he carries her dying body to a sacred temple in the middle of nowhere.
The gameplay is based solely on fighting COLOSSAL creatures for their life-force. These Colossi are guardians of a sacred power source that must not be tampered with.
Anyhow, the player's/character's blind love for this young lady eventually conquers these creatures to restore her to life. But, was it worth it? How blinding is love? What does "sacred" really mean? Acting within such a mindset, is it correct to disobey a sacred order for the sake of 1 human's life? How sacred is human life compared to the timeless treasures of the world?
A game that can pose such existential questions is an astronomical feat. Considering the gameplay kicks MAJOR ass, and a mindful player is struck with such questions upon completeion-- it stands as a pedestal of affluent, conscious gaming. Seriously, play this game. You will scat your pants.
Not much time, but:
— Mar 27, 2010
Secret of Mana & Legend of Mana, Metal Gear Solid (all episodes,) some Final Fantasies.
I'm interested--what was it
— Nov 05, 2010
I'm interested--what was it about the Secret of Mana series? I loved one... I think it was "Seiken Densetsu III" or something like that. Had it on an ROM hack and remember being able to start from about six different storylines...
"You have tasted death now,"Â said the Old Man. "Is it good?"
"It is good," Mossy replied. "It is better than life."
"No... only more life."
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