Who are we Cheating?
Games have a rich history of cheat codes, back to goldeneye on the N64 giving people big heads, or even further back to Aladdin on the megadrive skipping levels entirely. It has got to a point where games like Saints row 2 actually have a section marked “cheats” in the menu, and that in my opinion.. is how it should be.
Games such as SR2 are as much about exploding stuff for fun as they are about anything else, so the addition of flying cars or armed civilians makes the experience even more hilarious and therefore better. The game’s selling point is less the challenge and more a combination of dark humour, crazy characters, customization and pure schadenfreude FUN (yes I like this game, you may have guessed)
If we take a challenging game like Demons Souls many people cheat..not with codes but with sneaky tactics. For many such as myself with limited skills the only way to get through certain parts is to bend the rules, yet this doesn’t reduce the experience so nothing is lost, cheating becomes an integral and enjoyable part of gaming. Not going to spoil it but there is a Boss later on where the Recommended tactic..is to cheat.
If we look at many of the newest games (especially those built around survival horror) there are often no cheats or limited ones; There is no GOD mode to breeze through the game, and this is also how it should be.. I think.. because in this circumstance it would lessen the impact of the game. Remember how it feels to be running away from a terrifying monster..becoming so focussed that it’s not until you escape that you realize your heart is pumping 200 times a second, your hands are shaking and your controller is covered in fear-sweat. If you take out the worry for survival out of survival horror then these best moments would be ruined. Kudos to game developers who also let you “cheat” by running through the game on your second go with all the equipment from the last game, replay value tripled by the satisfaction of turning monsters you feared into mincemeat.
Game developers (at least the best ones) tend to know what they are going for and add cheats accordingly. My hopes go out the creators of the new Mac Payne for instance. Now I loved the old Max Payne 2, it was one of my first real games that I could play when I got myself a shiny enough computer.. However where it fell down was its introduction of God Mode, once that was added to the game it turned from a delicious fizzy coke to a flat one, all the ingredients were there but it’s just not the same. Some games need the element of fearing death to make them entertaining. Giving more weapons now that’s good.. It evens up the score if you are struggling..but the addition of God Mode should be very carefully used.
Summarizing the rant above-Cheats used wisely goood, Cheats used too much baaad.
Tom S
Short URL: http://thegamershub.net/?p=2824
Posted by tomshand410
on Jan 26 2010. Filed under Philosophy and Gaming.
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