Takeshi's Challenge, Spec Ops and what Video Games give.

For those who don't know the first game in the title, its an old NES game created by Taito with the help of comedian-turned actor Takeshi Kitano, who actually actively took part in the game's development. Something like this was rare back in the day as even though there were games that bear the names of Japanese celebrities, most didn't take part in the game's development beyond lending the name. And such a decision was....Well, let's just say that here's a fun fact: He apparently HATED video games. And whist discussing ideas for the game, he was drunk.

The game's plot is about a salaryman who seeks treasure on an island. Possible events in the game include fighting(Or running away from) the yakuza, divorcing /your/ wife and dying from punching the guard on the password screen. There were also some tasks needed to be completed unconventionally such as leaving the controller untouched for an hour.

The game itself was very difficult to complete due to the very specific and unorthodox feats demanded. And in the end what was the reward given?

A black end game screen. It would also have the word 'Congratulations' written on it. 

Some might not see the big deal if one looks online at the kinds of things needed to be done to complete it and the effort, it would probably make one go mad with rage.

And just to add salt to the wound, if the player chooses to leave the screen alone for 5 minutes(Either out of choice or sheer bewilderment), another message appears and says:

It's a fan translation, but it's not fair from the actual message.

You work so hard and tank through all that just to get....An ending like this.

But then what if that's the point? What if that's what Kitano was trying to convey on his thoughts of video games? That they were nothing but time wasters in which the reward was nothing tangible or meaningful. Thinking about it, would he be wrong to say that?

Playing a game, you do the various tasks it requires you with the mechanics given. Sure, you'll gain skill in playing the game and be better at it, but what else? At most it would give you a virtual reward such as a congratulatory message for saving the 'world' or some such. Nothing much you can really carry or apply into the real world. 

Then again, the game itself is pretty dated, so could the rather bitter message by Kitano be as well?

For the most part, it still stands. But then there are some games of recent memory that seem to use the same method as Kitano did(I.E using the game to send a message) in order to make it something more.

Spec Ops: The Line was a third-person shooter where by the player takes control of a Captain by the name of Martin Walker. As much as it may seem like a run-of-the-mill military shooter, it later unveils itself as a journey into the unsightly side of military life as we follow Walker's decent into madness.

Sadly, I only have second-hand experience with the game. But from what I could infer, it managed to criticize modern military shooter games and how the glorification of what soldiers actually face is actually that isn't really right.

Such games provide a perspective and let us think. The game attempts to makes us contemplate on a subject matter. In my perception, such a game like this is a useful tool for a parent in the military who wants to educate their teenage or young adult sons on the actual risks and how it might not be as 'heroic' as it seems at times. How many games have managed that?

Another example would be Telltale's episodic The Walking Dead series. Taking place in a zombie apocalypse, the game puts the player in the shoes of whoever is the protagonist of the season as they meet up with and gather survivors. 

As much as the characters and settings are fictional, the moral dilemmas within makes a person invested and tests their moral compass. Discussions of decisions made in the game could possibly show a person's way of thinking and their rationalization for making that choice.  

As rare as it might be, I would love to see more games provide something for people to think and bring into the 'outside' world. As a medium of interactivity, video games are powerful since they pass decision making to the player and show them the results of their choice.