the tea room

Peer observations: Rabbitley & S. Rendall

Grace Christiansen’s blog has an undeniable historical feel to it. From the header image which appears as a hand drawn castle on a blue, aquamarine and turquoise water painting, to the font chosen for the blog’s title as well as the title for the blog posts and the way in which Grace writes and describes each topic throughout the posts written on the blog, maintain this feeling throughout. Grace’s writing, while scholarly and impressively academic and formal, remained easy to read and to understand and maintained an overall theme throughout her blog of being a digital historical artefact that I thought was a great way of presentation.

Throughout Grace’s posts and writings, the opinions were informative, and the personal reflections were clear. I found Grace’s blog to be incredibly engaging as there was very visible evidence of thought, consideration and personalization throughout the blog itself and appeared like a true personal blog to the point where I could almost forget that the blog was created specifically for a university class.

Grace’s essay Artifact: An Allegory of the Tudor Succession was an incredible read, especially as I’ve always meant to research and learn more about the history surrounding the Tudors. I felt that the information and the critical analysis that Grace had included in her essay to be deeply thought provoking, I especially liked the way that she analysed the way that Elizabeth used paintings as propaganda “Elizabeth has positioned this figure [the warrior] close to Mary I and Philip to imply that her sister’s reign was one of violence and religious intolerance.”.

Samuel’s blog provides a minimalist feel to it, while plain, the black and white of the blog’s appearance ensured that there were very little distractions in form of colour or images that may have taken away from the content of his posts. The blog itself was easy to navigate and to read as the content was all readily available and there was little need to siphon through clickable links or navigation bars to find what it was that I was looking for.

Samuel’s post content was deeply engaging as the majority of the content within this blog were all topics that I have been interested in the past or presently. I found reading Samuel’s own thoughts, opinions and feelings of these topics incredibly interesting so as to have another perspective and insight on things that I had already made my own opinions on several of the topics and subject material. I also found it interesting to read about others challenges when faced with things that they may never have engaged in before, such as FanFiction and found myself increasingly impressed with how Samuel was able to engage with something that he hadn’t before.

Samuel’s essay on Warframe was also an intriguing read. Despite considering myself a gamer I hadn’t heard of Warframe until looking at Samuel’s blog. The personalization, the fandom integration into the games continued growth and development and the opportunities to become immersed into the game itself as well as its creation was something that I had not seen before. I also felt that Samuel’s inclusion of some of the negative aspects of the game or the drawbacks such as in-game purchases and the need to spend real money after downloading the game itself so as to have an easier time going through the story or levels that the gamer’s character faces. I though the essay itself was worded well, was deeply informative and showed a clear personal opinion at the end and kept me engaged enough to consider trying out Warframe for myself once I am able to immerse myself into something new.

Overall, I found my peers blogs to not only be intriguing but deeply captivating as I found myself reading every word with intense interest.

References

An Essay in Video Interpretations

“Are you anything like that animal?” Kenzo Gabriel, like so many people who meet and interact with Amos Burton, falls into the trap of seeing the space brute as just another unemotional and psychopathic thug in the Belt but he, like the others, would be wrong. Amos Burton is one of the many intriguing yet complicated characters that viewers are introduced to in the Syfy television series The Expanse which focuses on a future in which mankind has colonised the stars. When the spaceship and the crew that Amos is working with become involved in a conspiracy to jump start a war between the planets Earth and Mars as well as the asteroid belt dwellers known as the Belters, Amos finds himself caught up in the churn as the rules of survival change.

Viewers and fans have a front row seat of seeing Amos for the man that he really is and have shared their views and interpretations of him in various online mediums. The use of computers, the internet and editing software has allowed some fans to broaden their reach in ways that are vastly more engaging than simple pen to paper or words on a screen hurled out into the void of the internet. By creating 1-3-minute videos uploaded to social media sharing sites such as Youtube, they can reach a wider range of viewers and content consumers by combining voice-overs and dialogue, music and entertaining visuals into visual evidence of their own interpretations of specific characters or media content.

One such content maker published an interpretation of Amos Burton (Shainira, 2017). The video opens with a voice over of Kenzo Gabriel, questioning the integrity of James Holden, the crew’s Captain, and comparing him to Amos in such a way that paints Amos as a clear antagonist and someone to fear and distrust. This introduction sets the tone for the rest of the video and provides the instantaneous hook that this ages generation needs in order to remain engaged with new content. Kenzo Gabriel’s inspection is further evidenced by the second use of a voice over and dialogue by another character, Paolo Cortázar, whom says:

You want to be that real boy again, to feel how you felt before the world broke you. But you cauterized that, in order to survive.

Paolo implies within this moment that Amos was self-made, that the way in which he behaves, his values and his views are directly connected to his instinct and need to survive in a harsh and cruel world and that there is no going back to the way he was before this trauma happened to him. Throughout the video these implications are repeated and drawn clear when even Alex Kamal, a member of Amos’ crew and a friend, questions what made Amos the way that he is “What happened to you?”, further implying that something in Amos’ past is what crafted him into the man that he has become now. When a second crew member and friend, Naomi Nagata, attempts to explain that for all of Amos’ intimidating qualities and behaviour, that he isn’t the animal or the villain that many mistakes him for “He’s not crazy and he’s not evil.”. This contrast between two perspectives impact the audience by creating two conflicting ideas of who and what Amos is, is he an unemotional brute or is he a man doing the best with what has happened to him?

The continuous use of direct quotes taken from the series allows for even first-time viewers and non-fans to come to a clear and visible understanding of Shainira’s interpretation of the character as being a frightening and intimidating force, “Whatever leash you had him on, you better get him back on it.”, whilst simultaneously hammering home that he is still more than that. As difficult as he appears to be to control he does have a certain perspective on the world that explains his clean cut and black-and-white viewpoint, “There’s only three kinds of people in this world. The bad ones, the ones you follow and the ones you need to protect.” The use of such dialogues allows for the viewer to clearly see how Amos is duo faceted and how he is one or the either to different people as well as creating a haunting and aggressive tempo and beat of the video that keeps the viewers engaged and on the edges of their seats.

Furthermore, the video combines these voiceovers with music. Evil Prevails is a stirring tune, beginning quietly, it fills the listener with a sense paranoia, a need to be alert and aware that conjures feelings of being watched or followed. As the music continues it slowly begins to grow louder and louder, the beat becoming faster and causing a rise of intensity and action whilst still maintaining a powerful atmosphere of lurking danger. The continuous high and low, rise and fall of the base beat causes the listener to feel as if this moment will never end, trapping them in a constant state of vigilance until the sudden peak and finality of the music itself. Cut off at its apex and leaving the listener’s heart racing long after the music itself has ended.

Shainira has combined the music itself with sound effects taken from the show that complement the music itself, the sound of Amos taking a breath in the introduction is sharp and sudden, the sound of his footsteps as he climbs the ladder into the control room is added to the shrill beat of the music’s instrumental, the hiss of the ship doors opening or closing, the sharp sound of a bullet cutting through Sematimba and the blood splatter as it splashes against Naomi Nagata’s face, all of these sounds adding to the force of the music itself and the feelings that it elicits for the viewers of the video.

In the same manner in which sound impacts the listener, Shainira combines the music, voiceovers and sound effects with scenes taken from the television series, splicing together each medium to create their video interpretation of Amos. From the very first scene we are introduced to Amos, waking and sucking in a sharp breath with Kenzo Gabriel accusing him of being an animal, when combined with the low intro of Evil Prevails, creates a daunting visual and adds to the concept that encompasses the weight of Amos’ presence.

Another key moment that combines the music, voiceover effect and scenes taken from the series is when Alex Kamal is voiced lecturing Amos on what they do and why they do it, “That’s what people do, we help.”, something that is clearly shown as a subject of conflict with Amos who goes between helping others and committing extreme acts of violence as shown on three separate occasions where Amos assaults Joe Miller, pinning him against the galley table and appears to be able to strangle him or snap his neck, or the moment when Amos beats Roma into bloody submission with a can of chicken and holds even Alex Kamal, one of Amos’ closest friends, over the railing of the ship’s control room. Each moment of confrontation separated by someone stopping him from going too far, either Naomi Nagata with Joe Miller or Prax Meng with Roma, until Amos is shown threatening Roma with a gun and asking, “Are you gonna help us?”. The use of these scenes in rapid succession of each other creating an uneasy feeling of apprehension whilst simultaneously showing us the way in which Amos has carefully begun to evolve into becoming more concerned with the lives of those around him but maintains an explosive violence.

This is further evidenced when incorporated with the way in which he stops attacking Alex of his own volition rather than needing Naomi or Prax to stop him as they did or attempted to do when he attacked both Joe Miller and Roma. This single instance is short but for those who have seen the series would appreciate that sign of Amos’ growth and ability to control his own violent and aggressive impulses when he needs to.

The music and the combination of the sound effects and voiceovers used in the television series creates a sense of unity between the video and the scenes chosen from the series that other fan made video’s lack, such as NatalyaCorvus’ Bucky Barnes tribute video. While the scenes chosen had a specific intent to the video’s overall presentation, the song chosen lacked the appropriate impact as the lyrical use of the music itself distracted the audience and took away from the video’s aim and created a disconnect between what audiences were watching and what they were hearing. Where many fan tributes are only snippets of their chosen series or film with music slapped over the top, Shainira manages to encompass all mediums into their video seamlessly, showing an escalation of events and actions that builds while the music does as well and provides a clear interpretation of the character Amos Burton.

References

Curative Lists and What I Learned

Calem Roberts curative list on First-Person Shooter Video Games that Influenced the Genre was concise, easily read and easy to understand. Calem provided a short excerpt of each game’s history of which I found interesting as a gamer to go back and revisit some of the games that held such a strong impact on gaming culture and development over the years. He also included how each game was received by audiences upon its release, providing a clear indication as to why these specific games are those that influenced the First-Person Shooter genre and how these games impacted others included in the list that were released recently.

The list was factual which made it clear that each game had been thoroughly researched before it had been placed within the curation and including a visual image to show the gameplay of each game and the graphics added to interest.

Seth Nicholls curative list of video game relationships and the players involvement in them was broad, providing an assortment of different genre’s and types of games from fantasy to sci-fi and action to adventure. The explanations of the different kinds of dynamics and how they were important to the player was clear as were the explanations of how these dynamics and relationships impacted the story and the progression of the game itself. The list provided different kinds of relationships, from a Ruler and their subjects to the player and a romantic love interest and even familial-like relationships that incorporated the found family trope amongst friend groups.

I think this list could have been improved had the list been involved in a more specific genre rather than branching out into all possible genres so as to narrow down the list itself and provide information for a more specific audience or reader but overall I think the list itself was incredibly insightful and interesting to read.

Samuel Rendall’s curative list of Non-traditional or out of the ordinary heroes in eBooks was one of the most engaging lists that I read. The specificity of the list provided a much more intriguing concept that had me very invested in what and who was included in the list and why. The list itself had clear descriptions of why the characters themselves fit into the mould as well as small descriptions of the story’s plot. It was simple and easy to read and out of the list I even found an eBook that I was interested in enough that I purchased it.

I do think that this list could have benefited with a few more examples of how the “heroes” fit this specific mould of non-traditional heroes by incorporating more evidence from the source material but the list itself was interesting enough that I remained invested until the very end.

I think that all these curative lists could have been made even more intriguing and impactful if they had included a personal response from each blogger, if only to provide a greater insight as to the bloggers opinion on each piece.

References

10 Most Heart-breaking Deaths in Video Games

Throughout this assignment I found myself struggling to come up with a specific curation, not because I had difficulty thinking of a subject and a genre but because there was so much to choose from. From music to movies, gaming to books, there was very few limitations to such a broad spectrum of media that picking just one was the first hurdle that I had to overcome.

The second was picking only ten deaths that had a profound impact on myself personally, there were so many games and characters that I could remember that picking only ten was difficult but after deciding to keep to only single deaths per game or franchise the list narrowed significantly towards those that had the greatest impact.

These ten heart-breaking deaths in video games is one of the key reasons that video games have become such a popular and renown form of entertainment. The relationships and dynamics established throughout the medium help the gamer become engrossed and invested in the story that the game is presenting to the viewers by combining captivating visuals, character development and character interaction that keeps you engaged and intrigued.

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Telltale: The Walking Dead

Some video game deaths stay with you no matter how much time has past since you played it, some deaths can have such a profound impact that even when knowing that it’s coming during a second or third or fourth gameplay, you’re still emotionally compromised after having convinced yourself that maybe it’ll be different this time. Ending our comparative list of most heart-breaking deaths in video games at number one:

Lee Everett, The Walking Dead Telltale

Lee Everett is an unconventional protagonist and hero as we’re introduced to Lee during his transport from one prison to the next. We learn that he was a history Professor, arrested and convicted for the murder of the man whom his then wife was having an affair with. Despite Telltale giving us the opportunity to choose our own dialogue and decisions throughout the game it is made clear that while Lee is entirely capable of making harsh decisions when push comes to shove and that he can certainly lose his temper when needed, Lee is well mannered, caring and extremely protective of Clementine.

Clementine is a young girl, aged six at the beginning of the game, whom Lee encounters shortly after the Dead begin to rise. Despite being a total stranger, Lee takes Clementine under his wing as the world around them falls and does everything he can to keep her safe and healthy. The relationship between Lee and Clementine gives the game a chance to raise the stakes, allows the gamer to feel as if they have an important purpose in life by being the role model and the saviour that Clementine needs not only to survive but to live.

Lee’s death becomes inevitable when he is bitten and infected while searching for Clementine who has been kidnapped by an unknown stranger. Knowing that sooner or later he will transform into one of the Walkers, it is a race against time to find and rescue Clementine from this mysterious foe. After a harrowing search and rescue, Lee and Clementine are finally reunited but the infection has spread, and Lee becomes incredibly weak and fears that he may turn and attack Clementine.

Locked in a room with a Walker, Lee’s final moments are spent instructing Clementine how to escape the room to safety and how to defend herself from the Walker. When she finally does get the keys and has her way out, Lee then asks her to shoot him in the head so that he doesn’t turn. The moment shared between the two characters who have become like father and daughter is extremely difficult to watch without tearing up, the emotion in Lee’s voice and Clementine’s fear and childlike naivety only adds to the haunting scene.

Lee Everett’s death takes the spot of number one as even now, after having played Telltale’s The Walking Dead numerous times, this final farewell still manages to get me choked up.

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for The Last of Us

With most Video Games the deaths come after a long and tedious journey and adventure in which the characters and the relationships that they have grow with you on screen and through action and achievements but sometimes all you need is a moment for a character to carve themselves a home in your heart. At number two of our list of most heart-breaking deaths in video games we have:

Sarah, The Last of Us

Anyone who has played The Last of Us knew that this was coming. The Last of Us is a unique post-apocalyptic adventure game in which the world as we know it has ended and the mass population has been killed or turned by a virus that slowly but surely infects it’s host until they become violent, mindless and cannibalistic monstrosities with no sentient consciousness beyond their need to eat. The game opens with a touching interaction between a father, Joel, and his daughter, Sarah, aged eleven, having stayed up late to gift her father with a brand-new wrist watch. From this short interaction we’re given a personal insight into their relationship and how their dynamic is shown as not only a team but as loving, trusting and humorous.

We’re given the opportunity to explore in a short tutorial when Sarah searches her rural home for her father after receiving a disturbing and urgent phone call from her Uncle Tommy. From Sarah’s point of view, we can investigate her home, the photographs and fridge door notes that provide us with subtext of their home life, such as Joel being a single father and Sarah being on the soccer team. All these small details providing us with all the information we need about this dynamic duo until suddenly the game shifts into survival mode with Joel and Sarah forced to flee their home with their Uncle Tommy following a violent encounter with an infected neighbour.

We are then able to play as Joel as he rushes his injured daughter through the chaotic streets of the city, searching for a way out and a way to avoid the maddened infected whom have taken to the streets hunting their prey in the panic. This introduction all comes to a head when Joel and Sarah make it out of town and are confronted by a heavily armed soldier, believing that they had found safety and protection from the infected we’re filled with instant dread when the soldier radios in their presence and clearly becomes conflicted.

Given orders to take them out, Joel attempt to flee and is quickly shot in the back, he falls and for a moment it looks like it’s all over until Uncle Tommy comes to the rescue. The triumph is short lived however when the camera pans to Sarah who is lying on her back and has been shot in the stomach.

Watching Joel scrabble to her small body, still dressed in her pyjamas as she whimpers from the pain, we’re filled with a sense of utter helplessness and despair as Joel tries to assure his dying daughter that she will be okay. Joel’s broken sobs and pleads as he cradles his daughter in his arms is utterly haunting and sets the tone for the rest of the game whilst leaving us all feeling hollow and numb.  

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Spider-Man

With great power, comes great responsibility. The same could be said to game developers all over the world who are responsible for bringing every story to life in ways that isn’t just entertaining but can provide a lasting effect that can leave you reeling weeks, months and even years after finishing them. Coming in at number three of most heart-breaking deaths in video games is:

May Parker, Spider-man

In 2018, Sony Entertainment released their Spider-Man adventure in which gamers once again can don the Spider-Man suit and mask as Peter Parker, fight bad guys and save the day from certain destruction. Like most of the games throughout this list however, Spider-Man (2018) comes out throwing punches with more heart-breaking moments than are capable of listing. More emotion, more impact, more memorable.

Even if you’re not a Marvel fan, have never read the comics, seen the movies or played the games, you’ll know who May Parker is. Aunt May had custody of Peter Parker after his parents’ mysterious disappearances alongside Uncle Ben but unlike Uncle Ben, Aunt May is right there beside us throughout all of Peter’s adventures, heartbreaks and triumphs. Loving, supportive and trusting to a fault, throughout the game we are shown how committed Aunt May is to her community, her friends and her loved ones. She’s wise, caring and never faulters even in times of trouble and even when an illness threatens the lives of everyone in the city of New York, Aunt May continues to work with and support those who come to her for aid.

It’s within the final stages of this epic saga that Aunt May falls ill with the same sickness that has befallen so many others and threatens her life and it becomes a race against time to get the cure from the villains to create a vaccine.

Our victory and triumph of finally getting our hands on the cure however is short lived, with there being only enough in the vial for either mass production or a single dosage for one patient, Peter is forced to decide between saving his Aunt and condemning an entire city to death or sacrificing his last living relative and caregiver to save a city.

Fortunately for us gamers, this decision is out of our hands and completely reliant upon Peter’s own moral standing and the support of his ever-devoted Aunt. In a heart-breaking last moment, Aunt May reveals that she not only has known that Peter was Spider-Man the entire time, but that she has always been proud of him and that despite his conflict and his pain, Peter knows what he has to do.

Aunt May’s last moments with her grandson and her final moments had a particularly powerful impact on me when I played the game as my own Grandmother had past away around the same time that I got my hands on the game itself. I found myself transported back into the Hospital where I stood with my immediate family members telling my nan that we were all there with her and that it was okay, that she could let go now.

Aunt May being able to have watched her grandson grow up to be a hero not only as Spider-Man but as Peter Parker as well and being able to let go knowing that he could survive the world and all it’s trials made her death rise to spot number three.

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Mass Effect 2 & 3

With multiple choice games and BioWare’s history with multiple endings it can be difficult to choose a specific death when all characters can die depending on the choices that the gamer makes. Continuing our list of most heart-breaking deaths in video games at number four is:

Mordin Solus, Mass Effect 3

Mordin Solus joins the crew of the Normandy in Mass Effect 2, a Salarian scientist with an eccentric past, recruited by the Illusive Man and the Mass Effect trilogy’s protagonist Commander Shepard to help defeat the game’s big bad villains, The Collectors. In order to fully understand Mordin’s impact and importance throughout the last two games of the Mass Effect trilogy a little history is required so bear with me.

The Krogan, a warrior alien race in the games, once rebelled against the alien Council and began a devastating war with the Turian’s, another Council race of alien. With no sign of either species surrendering, the Salarian’s crafted a bioweapon specifically designed to crush the Krogan race’s chances of reproducing at the same rate that they can naturally. This was called the Genophage. This sudden reduction in population forced the Krogan to surrender and over the decades have been slowly but surely dying out.

Some years before Mordin is recruited to join a suicide mission with Commander Shepard, he and another group of covert Salarian operatives are tasked with modifying the Genophage as the Krogan have begun to adapt to the previous bioweapon. Mordin and his team succeeded and the Krogan once again suffered greatly in the number of miscarriages and stillborn children birthed.

Throughout the game we’re given the chance to learn more about Mordin through dialogue discussions, some topics unlocked the longer Mordin is a member of your crew, some achieved through certain choices or gaming decisions and you’re even given the chance to pursue a Loyalty Mission in which Mordin believes a former member of his covert team responsible for the preserved Genophage, Maelan, has been captured and forced to work with a Krogan Clan for a cure. Throughout the mission we are given a front row seat to Mordin’s conflicting emotions of self-righteousness, guilt and devastating compassion as he bear’s witness to the brutal experiments his former colleague has committed in his search for a cure. Only when finally confronting his teammate does Mordin realize that Maelan has willingly been searching for a cure, riddled with guilt for committing a slow and painful genocide upon the Krogan people.

Mordin is forced to come face-to-face with the horrors that the Genophage has forced upon an entire species as well as the judgment of an esteemed colleague and this spearheads Mordin’s drive to cure the Genophage come the third instalment of the Mass Effect series.

During a harrowing mission to get the Cure airborne on the Krogan’s native planet of Tuchaka, the tower responsible for the Genophage is Mordin’s last chance to correct his mistake all those years ago. As Shepard we witness Mordin’s willing sacrifice, as the tower begins to collapse both Shepard and Mordin know that if he goes to the top of the tower, he won’t be coming back down.

Mordin’s sacrifice is haunting, an eccentric, interesting and noble being willing to put aside his own pride, his own governments orders and beliefs, to correct a wrong, guarantees him a place on this list. Mordin humming Gilbert and Sullivan as he administers the Cure to thousands of Krogan on the planet’s surface provides a unique and powerful impact on the gamer.

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Red Dead Redemption

Who doesn’t like a good redemption arc? Especially when it is well deserved. Continuing our list of most heart-breaking deaths in video games at number five is:

John Marston, Red Dead Redemption

Red Dead Redemption follows the story of our protagonist John Marston, a former outlaw who once ran with a gang of criminals that robbed banks and trains. Who held people ransom and killed the people that they didn’t like. But John Marston is also a husband and a father, and if he hopes to reunite with his family, must go up against his former brother in arms in an epic quest to redeem himself and ensure the survival of his family and his legacy.

For an educated killer whom admits and takes responsibility for all the terrible things that he has done in his past, Marston is surprisingly polite and likeable, especially when faced with civilians and other good people in his life and despite the violence that dogs his heels much of his own conflict is internal. Struggling between right and wrong, moral and corrupt, his choices are constantly being pulled in two opposite directions throughout the game and relies almost entirely on the gamer’s own choices and decisions on which side he falls on, good or evil.

Marston’s death comes after a long epic journey of self-discovery and forgiveness. Reunited with his wife, Abigail, and his son, Jack, just the long horse ride to his family ranch is enough to fill the gamer with anticipation and the reunion does not disappoint. Despite being somewhat rough and confrontational, there is no denying that there is love between the three and that to be together again after so long is a dream that neither of them dared to fully believe in but couldn’t help but hope for.

Their happy ending however is cut short when Marston’s ranch is attacked by U.S Army soldiers. John, Uncle and Jack manage to hold off four waves of soldiers, but John knows that there is no escaping his past. Putting his wife and son on a horse and telling them to ride and not to stop, we’re left with a feeling of dread and foreboding for the next few seconds as John steps out of the barn to face the firing squad. John sacrifices his life for his family, knowing that with his death, the government won’t need to hunt his wife and son down and that they can live in peace. He dies having finally achieved his redemption.

Having been on such a long and tedious journey with one of the greatest characters in video games, his death leaves us heart-broken, our only satisfaction coming from a revenge mission in which Jack, now older, slays the man responsible for his father’s death.

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Sleeping Dogs

With games like Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead Redemption and Yakuza bringing character development and cinematic storytelling to the criminal underground, it seems only fair that we continue our list of most heart-breaking deaths in video games with Sleeping dogs, at number six we have:

Jackie Ma, Sleeping Dogs

Wei Shen is an undercover Police Officer tasked with climbing the ranks of the Triad, one of the worlds most notorious gangs in history. Having been raised in a boy’s home before moving to the states, Wei has a unique way into the Triad through a childhood best friend, Jackie Ma, a low-level member of the Triad under a boss named Winston Chu. Despite Wei being a police officer, it’s clear that his relationship with Jackie Ma was real when they were kids, helping to pull Jackie out of several tight spots and situations as boys and now again as adults.

Jackie Ma does not make a good criminal. With low ambitions, limited skills and abilities and a track record of not being the sharpest tool in the shed, he’s quick to trust Wei even with his sudden return to Hong Kong. Jackie Ma has all the makings of a useless sidekick but as the game progresses we, the gamers, are given a unique position to see Jackie through the eyes of someone who values him as a person and as a friend. Loyal to a fault, Jackie is the first to defend Wei from anyone that threatens his position with the Triad and even when Wei begins to climb the ranks faster than Jackie could have ever done with his entire life, rather than become jealous or resentful appears fully supportive and even encouraging. He works hard to help Wei where and when he can and through Wei even begins to consider leaving the Triad to build a normal life for himself.

When Wei’s identity as an undercover cop is discovered, Jackie is targeted. As Wei’s best friend, corrupt members of the Triad become convinced that he must know the truth behind Wei’s identity and Jackie is abducted and tortured. Mercilessly, we are not forced to watch Jackie get tortured and murdered but we are forced to find his body. Wei’s utter devastation as he finds his best friends body hanging from chains, bloody and dead may not have been enough to make it to this list of most heart-breaking deaths in video games but when one of the games villains, and the man responsible for Jackie’s death, later taunts Wei in a final fight, it becomes clear why Jackie would make it to number six. It is revealed through this boss fight that despite being brutally tortured and nearing death, Jackie continued to claim Wei’s innocence and loyalty to the very end and makes his death all the more gut-wrenching to know that he died believing in Wei.

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Second Son

Sometimes brothers disagree, sometimes they see the world and all inside of it very differently and it’s impossible to find middle ground and sometimes brothers can put aside their differences for each other’s wellbeing. Continuing with our list of most heart-breaking deaths in video games at number seven is:

Reggie Rowe, Second Son

Second Son is a spin-off game to the inFamous franchise in which a handful of everyday civilians can trigger superhuman abilities and powers. The game follows our protagonist Delsin Rowe, a Native-American teenager whom triggers his powers after witnessing a freak car accident, beginning his journey as a Conduit. Delsin, as a rebellious teenager with a chip on his shoulder, is often calmed by his older and more rule abiding brother, Reggie Rowe, whom is a tribal deputy for the local sheriff’s department.

Together the brothers must leave their home and their tribe and enter the city of Seattle to find a way to save their injured family and tribal members. The brothers butt heads often throughout the game, especially if we, the gamers, decide to take a more violent and aggressive stance against law enforcement and other Conduits but it’s clear, regardless of the gamer’s choices and decisions, that Reggie cares greatly for his younger brother and that despite their differing opinions, beliefs and perspectives, they love each other dearly.

During a confrontation with the game’s villain, Reggie is trapped by stone shackles that are steadily growing and forming a body prison while hanging from the city bridge with nothing but Delsin’s grip keeping him from plunging into a watery grave. With the risk of the growing stone spreading to Delsin, Reggie decides to force Delsin to let him go. The interaction between brothers is an emotional one, with Reggie telling Delsin how proud he is of him and that he loves him. Delsin’s childlike pleads combined with his screamed denial when Reggie falls hits you right where it hurts.

Given Delsin’s age and Reggie’s last words gives Reggie a solid place on this list of heart-breaking deaths.

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Resident 6

Some deaths aren’t just about who the person was or what they done but also what they could have done. Continuing our list at number eight is:

Piers Nivans, Resident Evil 6

We’re first introduced to Piers when he confronts a drunk and hostile Chris Redfield whose memories have been tampered with, unable to remember what happened to his old team or the Neo-Umbrella Corporation. Despite the evident anger and resentment that Piers presents to the Captain, it becomes clear that his own hostility comes from a place of loyalty and care. Piers proves himself as being hot-headed but dedicated to his team, his Captain and the mission, his loyalty and deep-rooted care for the men he works with is evident time and time again. Throughout the game we are partnered with Piers, working together and pulling each other out of thick and thin. The brotherhood between Chris and Piers presented throughout Resident Evil 6 comes to a tipping point when they are the last survivors of their team and are forced to attempt a rescue into an underwater oil rig.

When attempting to escape the rapidly flooding facility and running from a gigantic monstrosity, Piers loses his arm, and purposefully infects himself with the C-Virus to save Chris and to stop the creature from making it to the surface to spread the infection to the rest of the world. Listening to Chris attempting to reassure Piers as they race to the last escape pod, telling him that they were going to make it out and that Piers could be cured was heart-breaking enough as it is but when Piers chooses to stay behind makes the goodbye between Chris and Piers that much worse.

With Piers pushing Chris into the escape pod and locking the doors behind him, we’re forced to watch Chris beg Piers to open the door, convinced that Piers could still make it out despite half of his body having already been taken over by the infection. We lose sight of Piers when the escape pod is launched, offering one last forlorn smile as Chris screams his name.

Piers sacrifice, not only for Chris but for the world and for the B.S.A.A isn’t the only thing that makes his death heart-breaking, but there is also the loss of his potential. On the rise to fill the boots of Captain Redfield, young and scrappy and a born leader and survivor who genuinely cared about the lives of those around him.

References

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for BioShock

Not every death is gut-wrenching horror. Some deaths can be bittersweet, and the tears caused can be both mournful and joyous. Continuing our list of 10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games, at number nine is:

Jack, BioShock

Jack is the protagonist of the first installment of 2K Games franchise, BioShock. Throughout the game we, the players as well as Jack himself, slowly become aware of his traumatic and tragic past. Sold by his mother, whom had been suffering financial difficulties, and later born and grown by scientists of Fontaine Futuristics, Jack was subject to numerous experimentations and mind controlling conditioning. With a fabricated past and imprinted fake memories, Jack is manipulated and controlled by the game’s villain until the very end.

Throughout the game you have the option to either Harvest the Little Sisters, young girls whom had also been heavily experimented upon and turned into monsters or Cure the little sisters. To cure the Little sisters Jack nullifies a worm that caused the Little Sisters to become monsters in the first place and the girls thank him for his help before fleeing into the vents. As the game continues and we explore more of the underwater city, we become more and more aware of the twisted corruption of the city and its citizens as well as the horrors committed by those in power. With Jack’s true past revealed and the past of the Little Sister’s discovered, Jack comes face to face with the man responsible for their suffering, Fontaine, and engages in one final terrible battle.

With the stakes high and we, the gamers, attached to our empathetic hero, we are reunited with the Little Sisters that we have previously cured and saved throughout the game when they rescue us from Fontaine. Pouncing on him and killing Fontaine while we were too injured and weakened to do so ourselves.

Together, Jack and at least five Little Sisters, escape the underwater city of nightmares for the surface where in a beautiful cinematic collaboration of clips and images, we see that Jack raises the girls as his own daughters. We see them grow up, fall in love and get married and as Jack’s life ends, he is surrounded by his daughters, now adult women who comfort him during his last minutes as an old man, holding his hands as he passes.

This bittersweet goodbye brings the game to a beautiful and heart-warming conclusion and provides a closure to not only our protagonists life, but also the lives of the Little Sisters. Allowing them to become a family on the surface, where their lives get better despite the horrors that they faced while living underwater as experiments and tools for those in power.

Jack’s death comes in at number nine as it was one of the only deaths on this list that had a sorrowful beauty to it and that brought closure to a game that had been both horrific and captivating.

References:

10 Most Heartbreaking Deaths in Video Games

·         Spoilers included for Uncharted 4

With gaming designers working towards creating compelling and interesting stories and plots for their games, comes with it the development of characters and meaningful relationships. Beginning our list of Most Heart-breaking Deaths in Video Games at number 10 is:

Victor Sullivan, Uncharted 4

Victor “Sully” Sullivan is a non-playable character from the NaughtyDog franchise, Uncharted. He is a treasure hunter, fortune seeker, and business man and is Uncharted protagonist Nathan Drake’s most loyal friend, one-time mentor and father figure. Throughout the Uncharted series, Sully appears as Nathan’s closest advisor and ally, often getting dragged into Nathan’s various, life-endangering adventures all in the name of exploration and discovery.

It is revealed in Uncharted 4, how it was that Nathan and Sully crossed paths. Helping Nathan escape violent and murderous henchmen whom were pursuing Nathan for having stolen a small relic ring, we are shown Sully’s moral standing and willingness to put his life at risk for Nathan’s before they had even known each other. Sully’s kindness and obvious care for Nathan whom he raised as if he were his own son, easily draws the gamers in. Sully’s lighthearted and sarcastic humor easily wins even the most stoic of gamers affection and approval. With Sully and Nathan often trading insults and mocking one another on a regular basis we, the gamers, are given a front row seat of watching the warm, caring and humorous dynamic between these men and is one of the many reasons why Sully’s death makes this list.

Nathan having drunk from a fountain of water in an ancient, lost temple in Yemen, looks up just as Sully is shot in the back and killed by the game’s villains, Talbot and Marlowe. Nathan catches Sully before he falls and despite Nathan’s disbelieving pleads, he dies out on the temple floor. Sully’s death was so shocking and the loss so sudden that the blind rage that Nathan feels as he chases after Talbot and Marlowe to avenge Sully’s death is felt like a physical blow.

A man who has been with us for four complete ten-hour games, who has been with Nathan for almost his entire life and who has put his own life on the line for Nathan and by extension, us, time and time again, is killed. With over forty hours spent with the charismatic, friendly, loyal and lighthearted father figure of our hearts, adding Sully to this list was a no brainer.

The only reason why Sully’s death ranks so low on our list is that not long after Nathan’s vengeful rampage it is revealed that Sully’s death had been nothing more than a hallucination brought on by the drugged water of the temples fountain that Nathan had consumed moments before Sully’s “death”.

However, the sheer numbing shock of Sully’s death, guaranteed him a place on this list.

References:

10 Most Heart-breaking Video Game Deaths

Video games have come a long way from Galaxy Game (1971), an early era arcade where the aim is to destroy the other ship before it destroys you, and Sonic the Hedgehog (1991) where you must run through multiple levels and avoid multiple hazards in your way. Video games have experienced a rebirth in which most games now center upon a compelling story with interesting characters, both protagonists and villains, antagonists and side-kicks, supporting characters and non-playable characters that offer an extension to world building and the gamers experience.

Video games have gone from simple first person shoot first and ask questions later, to games about survival, humanity and even a few primarily focused around finding your romantic soulmate. Video games are broad with genre’s as diverse and culturally thick with detail and plot as real life where your actions and your decisions can make or break a story.

With the evolution of storytelling in gaming comes the compelling characters that we help bring to life with every mission assigned and achievement unlocked, forcing gaming designers to work tirelessly towards making games thick with plot and character. Relationships started or ended, lives built up or ruined, an engrossed gamer can find themselves experiencing what their character experiences, feeling what they feel and thinking what they think.

If you’re like me, then you enjoy games that are character heavy, not just in the quantity of characters but the quality. Crew recruitment, dialogue discussions, multi-choice and extreme conflict and dangers around every corner to help make a fictional world and fictional character feel as real to you as sunlight on your face. For brief two, I will be aiming to explore the emotional impacts that various games have had on us through character development, relationships and deaths in this collection of top 10 most heart-breaking deaths in gaming.

I will be sticking to a single character per gaming franchise, discussing in depth who the character is, how they died and why their death would have such a profound impact on anyone playing the game.

Please be aware of spoilers for the following games:

My third reflection piece is on Chloe Pope’s DC fanfiction that focuses on the four vigilante brothers, Damien Wayne, Tim Drake, Jason Todd and Richard Grayson, the sons of Bruce Wayne and everyone’s favourite masked hero, Batman.

The short story focuses primarily on the dynamics between the four brothers, how their personalities and tactics seem to constantly butt heads and clash at any given moment. I found the interactions disturbingly familiar to my own interactions with my siblings, elder brother and younger sister, arguments started over something minuscule while neither one willing to give ground or admit having been in the wrong made the story itself uncomfortably relatable.

The choice to have the entire interaction observed by Alfred Pennyworth and described through the Butler’s eyes was a great decision. Allowing the reader to be a spectator to the entire situation and to feel the amusement and the exasperation that Alfred himself also felt. The use of the kitchen space as both being physically large but atmospherically contained due to the tensions between the brothers helped bring the scene to life in a way that would have been lacking without it.

The introduction of Bruce at precisely the right moment to keep the arguments from escalating into a fully-fledged war in the Wayne Manor kitchen hammered home the familial dynamics between the boys and Bruce Wayne and carried a sense of being dysfunctional but operational and with a lot of heart.

References

My second reflection piece is on Kristin Erasmus’ Leverage fanfiction, The Purgatory Job. A short Eliot Spencer centric which focuses on his struggle to remember where he is from and who he must return to.

The crossover was something unexpected and for the first part of the short story I wasn’t sure how the crossover was relevant to Eliot’s story and the homage that the fanfiction was playing to the show but as I read further the purpose became clearer in a more spiritual sense in which it was used to explore Eliot’s connection to the team and how important they were to him. Eliot’s acceptance and search for the family that he could not remember, the subtle nuances of his mind recalling certain things without understanding what or who they were created a sense of desperation on my end to find out how, when and if he was going to find his way back home.

I enjoyed the focus that the writer placed on Eliot’s past and how even without a complete memory of his life before, there were horrors that still haunted him and that combined with the small instinctual memories of his life with the team portrayed a sense of longing. The contrast between the memories of his service days and the days he spent with the team created a greater impact when Eliot was called out of Purgatory by a familiar voice.

The final line however was what drew a smile to my lips and took me back to the Eliot Spencer that I most remember from one of my favourite television series, the rebellious defiance and stubborn determination had me wishing that the story hadn’t ended.

References