Sunday, November 16, 2014

Read Play Blog: Favorite Science Fiction Game

Read. Play. Blog. is a meme about video games and books, posted every 16th of the month. Bloggers are encouraged to answer a discussion question, and recommend a video game that is similar to a book they liked. Hosted by Happy Indulgence & Read Me Away.

What is your favorite sci-fi game?

I'm trying to dig back and remember all of the sci-fi games I've played. Alternative futures and fancy tech is something that gets explored a lot in video games, after all. There's no shortage to choose from.

I think the earliest sci-fi game I played that wasn't just a future alien shooter (I still love you, Contra) was Beneath A Steel Sky, though I played it nearly ten years after its initial 1994 release. It's a point-and-click adventure game set in a future dystopic Australia, ruined after humans went crazy with pollution and/or nuclear fallout. It was a lot of fun, though I never finished it (I got close but then couldn't solve some last puzzle). It won loads of awards and is almost always on "Top Whatever" lists, yet somehow I missed out on it entirely until 2003, when JV insisted I try it. I think because in 1994 I was all about the SNES and the only PC games I was into were of the edutainment variety. Also, I was 8, and I can't imagine my parents would have been down with the gritty violence in the opening story.

The creator (Charles Cecil) collaborated with Dave Gibbons on this project. Yeah, that Dave Gibbons. If you're curious, it's still available as freeware, available to play on the ScummVM environment. A sequel is now in the works, though no word on when it's going to be released.



My current favorite, though, is Fallout 3. I don't care much for Bethesda's other behemoth, the Elder Scrolls series, but I am totally in love with the post-apocalyptic universe they've created in Fallout. I'm also in love with the diversity of that world, with a variety of race and ethnicities and interesting characters of both sexes. And the VATS system, since I can't aim for shit.

I can count, though! Which is all you need with VATS.

 I haven't played the first two Fallout games (or Fallout 3: New Vegas); they're on my list of "games to catch up on." I just have so many other games to finish first....


Recommendation

Since right now I'm deeply entrenched in my rotating trilogy of Ni no Kuni, Fallout 3, and Diablo 3, I'll branch out a little bit into a game I've always wanted to play myself (but never have) that also fits nicely into this sci-fi theme: Douglas Adams' Starship Titanic. (Which happens to tie in nicely with the book theme as well! Douglas Adams is, well, Douglas Adams, but also Terry Jones later adapted Starship Titanic the game into Starship Titanic the novel. I have no idea if it's any good, though.) There are a few Let's Plays of it so I can live vicariously through other people on the Internet, but that's not quite the same, y'know?



7 comments:

  1. You've sold me on Fallout! I think I'll give it a go next week when I'm off work :)

    P.S. I don't like Elder Scrolls, either. Too much walking. Hahah.

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    1. Isn't there a quick travel option? There is in Fallout (so long as you're not near any enemies; you can't quick travel out of fights, hahaha).

      I don't know why I don't care much for Elder Scrolls. Maybe it's the lack of an aiming mechanic? I suck so much at shooting. :C

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    2. There probably is, and I just didn't play long enough to figure that out :P Also if I could quick travel out of fights that'd be so badass, hahah!

      and I know you don't really PC game but trust me when I say aiming is SO MUCH EASIER on PC!!!

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    3. I believe it! I just.....PC gaming. :( I am NEEDLESSLY PICKY, I suppose.

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  2. My boyfriend loves Fallout, so I'm happy to see it in your post. :D

    Thank you for participating in RPB!

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    1. I'm surprised Fallout didn't get more love for this round of questions! But then I guess I've been a bit out of touch...

      Glad to participate! The questions are a blast. :)

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  3. Oh my gosh, I just LOVE Fallout 3, I went 100% on the first game and spent many, many hours on it lol. I haven't picked up New Vegas yet either, I tried to start it once but decided it was going to be a big ordeal because I knew I would try to 100% it again.

    Ah, I absolutely LOVE old school point and adventure games, I can't remember whether I've played Beneath a Steel Sky though. So glad to see you showing some love for them though!

    Thanks for participating this month :D

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