This isn't a list of what I think are the best video games released in 2010. Instead it's a list of the games I enjoyed playing the most last year.
My feelings about the current state and future of games is a little conflicted. I can't convey how excited I am for the potential of this emerging art form. The possibilities for artists to express themselves and impact on their audience are just too awesome to imagine. The potential of the medium to create massively emersive experiences, drawing from the already awesome art forms of film, music and comic books means that games could grow into something fantastic. Sadly this isn't the case. Instead the world endless churns out carbon copies of the same games people were making a decade ago. Shoot the terrorist, drive the fast car, kick the ball into the net. Each year's titles brag about being the "next level" or "unprecedented" but in reality it's basically the same thing with a facelift.
Luckily the gaming world isn't made up entirely of companies putting out generic shooters, racers and movie merchandise. There's hope for games placing more emphasis on narrative, art direction and innovative gameplay. All the titles on this little list succeed majorly in this regard on at least one level. So without geeking out any further, here are the 10 titles I most enjoyed playing this year:
Brutal Legend Heavy Rain Mass Effect 2 Heroes of Might and Magic: Clash of Heroes Deathspank Bioshock 2 Scott Pilgrim vs The World Final Fantasy XIII Limbo Fallout New Vegas
Next Friday I'll be flying to New York. The whole trip is something that's just fallen into place very suddenly. I only knew I'd be going for sure on Monday. Of course I couldn't be happier about visiting the birthplace of rock and roll, comic books and Bill Murray, but the downside is, this means I have a bunch to do, and very little time to do it in. The most hectic thing is getting 3 weeks ahead at work while still dealing with my normal workload over the next week. This means I need to come into the office and work all day Saturday and Sunday, which is a bummer, but so totally worth it when I imagine seeing Bill Murray eating a bagel on some New York sidewalk.
So considering I'll be working so much, and then be gone for 3 weeks, Anja and I are trying to squeeze in as much hang out time as we can before I go. On Friday I go to her place from work. Cue drinking sundowners in the garden with Cam, Lindi, Jar and Rox. We have an awesome time hanging out, then head through to the Boh to watch Night Sky Empire. This is totally the best of the three shows I've seen them play. Anja and I get really into it, start freaking out. We're joined by Gordon, an old friend that's been way too scarce for way too long. While the rest of the Bohemian stands around we get down on a little 3 person dancefloor. Occasionally Thato steps off the stage, plays guitar and dances with us bring the number up to four.
This makes me think of the earliest Kidofdoom shows. In the outside world nobody knows this is even happening. Little dancefloors with a handful of people moving around to the sounds of this exciting new band.
Anja and I had planned to head home and rock some Heavy Rain after the gig, but we're having to much fun hanging out, drinking Zamaleks and catching up with Gordon.
As explained, I'm stuck at work on Saturday. Still, I take a break to head through to North Gate for geek-o-mania. RAGE, the countries biggest gaming expo is happening.
An event like this, in a county like this, is a little pointless. Nobody in the gaming industry really cares about South Africa. Nothing major is unveiled or announced or shown off. I must see about 50 screens showing Halo Reach, which, besides some richer graphics doesn't really seem any different from Halo 3 which was showcased here 3 years back. X-Box also have a few TV's showing off their new Kinect system, but other than having Lady Gaga as the soundtrack and making people use their arms as well as legs, it's not much different to a Dance Dance Revolution machine in a mall ten years ago. There are a bunch of games with people driving cars, kicking balls or wrestling, but how any of these are different from last year's drive-around, kick-balls, cuddle-men-in-speedos games I have no idea.
Beyond BT and Look and Listen nobody even seems to be selling games. Some colleges are trying to convince kids to study with them. People sell computer hardware. There are a couple anime stores. A place called "radical fashions" is selling shirts with skulls and wolves on them. The most amusing/ horrifying thing at the expo is the EA Sports area. They've got people wrestling in those giant sumo-suits. Between each fight some dude is promising the crowd free copies of the latest soccer game and getting people to chant "EA SPORTS! EA SPORTS!" like the nerdiest group of jocks on the planet. He also tells them things like "Who's your favourite games publisher, EA Sports." While checking out Vanquish I hear a husband and wife team about to face off.
"What's you're name Red Sumo?"
"Red fire!"
"And what's your name Blue Sumo"
"The Wife!"
*MC-man laughs*
"I guess we know who's gonna win this one!"
A few minutes later I'm walking past the EA stand while a group of men stand around a motionless sumo wrestler.
"Don't worry everybody, she's all right. She's just lying still so we can make sure everything is okay".
Cue awkward silence. And all i can think is "EA SPORTS! EA SPORTS!"
Besides running into Jarred Tennyson (who seems to have become my new partner in all geekfest related crime) the only other really exciting thing that happens is I buy myself a Nintendo DS. Which given the amount of traveling I'll be doing to, in and from the States, makes all kinds of sense to me right now.
In the evening Anja comes to hang out at my place. We spend most of the night playing Heavy Rain. Taking a brief break to rock some Chineese food and two episodes of Undeclared.
Sunday is work and work and sea and cake. Patrick and I hit Cafe Mexico for dinner. Ri, Coleen, Cale and Jason come by later in the evening. We watch Burning, the new Mogwai film.
Someday I'll finish writing about the second half of our last day at "T in the Park". Then you'll be able to read about how incredible it was for me to see Mogwai, in Scotland, closing their country's biggest music festival. For now let me just say that, watching Burning, I'm even more in awe of this band than i was when I saw them live. No doubt it has a lot to do with the beautiful shot, and fantastically edited footage. Mostly I guess it's hearing only the band, not the hundreds of people watching them. After burning we take a wee brake. Then rock the 2005 DVD "RGB" focused on the Japanese post rock superheroes Toe.
Toe are quite possibly my favourite instrumental band this side of Godspeed, and this DVD is something I've been wanting to see for ages. I've listened to RGB's sountrack countless times and finally getting to see it is just great. While the production value doesn't hold a candle to Mogwai's perfect "Burning", the rock and roll is just as (if not even more) awesome. Honestly, I feel like I have to see this band live, preferably in Japan.
Right now you may be wondering why you're reading a blog about some guy's not very exciting weekend where he just watched a live band, played video games, went to a gaming expo and then watched post rock DVDs. The answer is; maybe, you're a geek like me!
Usually an animal calls good weekend starts on a Thursday. Since last week Friday was a public holiday, I think it's only right that this episode of Good Weekend starts on a Wednesday:
After work I drive through to Jason's place. We hang out for a bit and then head through to Tanz for this.
I went to the old Tanz cafe once, years ago. The venue was pretty underwhelming and seemed a lot more like a little restaurant than a live venue. Even after hearing it moved to a new venue I've never again driven to the otherside of the city to go to Tanz. Until now.
As we're climbing the huge staircase into the venue I realise I've been seriously missing out.
The "new" Tanz is massive. Huge stage, awesome sound and best of all a big plasma dead centre at the top of the stage. I patch straight into it and we have a great set (which you can watch a section of here).
Us Kids Know's set it more than great. After a good break Colin's Jazzmaster makes it's triumphant return alongside the return of a awesome selection of the old songs.
Between us and them I see Murkwood for the first time. It seems yet another exciting young band are emerging out of our city. Murkwood's combination of sounds is far to strange for me to even try make comparisons, and that alone should tell you they're doing something right.
Thursday, being the Friday of this week, is highlighted by an awesome party. "I'm not a DJ, I'm in a band" goes down at Tings and as I walk through the door it feels like it's been way too long since I was last here. PJ from The Havoc Vultures is finishing off what sounds like the end of great set. Liam takes over and proceeds to lay down what most definitely is a great set. Chemical Brothers, Ian Brown and Fela Kuti- how can this not kick ass?
Before Liam finishes Joe comes over to me. "Ben! You gotta rock this! You're gonna play the hits right?!" "Yeah, yeah yeah" I reasure him, but honestly I'm not sure what "the hits" even are anymore.
As I walk through the dancefloor to take over from Liam, Henry grabs me:
"Play teen girl fantasy!"
"Huh!"
"Teen girl fantasy!"
"I have no idea what you're talking about..."
"Come on Ben! What new stuff have you been listening to?!"
"Les Savy Fav, Tokyo Police Club, Thermals..."
"That's not dance music!"
"Yeah... You see my problem here?"
I put on my headphones, not feeling very confident after my chats with Joe and Henry. But the nexy hour is total affirmation that, (even if I am an old, out of touch rocker) I can still work a dancefloor.
The hilarious horror of Isochronous's "DJ Virus" are next. Followed by Makkie and Wim from Pity the Fool who are mixing incredibly well for two band dudes that have just got into DJing.
Friday should be a chilled public holiday. Instead I spend it editing, driving, stressing-out, laughing and planning for Pregnant Seabass. We're literally working on it right up till we leave for Tasty Tasty Heritage, but once we get to perform our "improvised noise set" it's so totally worth it. We have tons of fun (which you can read about here).
Make Overs are up next and they're just awesome. So so solid for a band that have just started up. To be fair though, Andreas and Martinique have been playing music together for 6 or 7 years, so it's not all that surprising their new band is fantastic right from the get go.
Us Kids Know make my life yet again. Gotta say, with the return of the jazz master and Cam's incorperation into the band I am so totally in love with the current incarnation of this constantly changing band.
Atom Band are next. Been looking forward to seeing them again ever since The Slumber Party. Their first song is great and they kick right into the second really solid. I think how impressive it is that they're so together for a band playing their second show, but then things start going wrong. I won't dwell on particulars, but the rest of their set is just problematic, and I'm left feeling like I still haven't seen the band properly since that first Pretoria show.
I sleep till crazy late on Saturday. Wake up to an SMS from Anja offering to come over with Sushi so we can play some Heavy Rain.
Execute said plan. It's awesome. I get a little bummed not being allowed to play Heavy Rain without Anja, but being forced to play it in these little episodes is a great way to experience the game.
Patrick drops by. Then Cam, Richard, Lindi, Chad, Maria, ADK, Chris and Derek. Killer braai times ensue.
At 8ish we dash through to Dance Dance Dance. Lindi's about to start when Ri discovers the display on one of the CDJ isn't working. This means you can't read the pitch, remaining time on a song or even the track number. In other words you're screwed if you wanna try play on this CDJ.
I say we might be able to rent one of Suttner's. He doesn't answer his phone when I call to hear if they're in, so I just drive home. When I get there I discover the CDJs are out, so I came through for nothing.
I figure, while I'm home I'll grab some records; play on the working CDJ and rock one of Ash's turntables on the other side.
I drive back to Kitchener's. Ri tells me he's made a plan. Chad drives to fetch said plan. Lindi starts her set with 1 CDJ with no screen. I start turning the old Canned Applause lightbox into a sign that says "Slow Jam". Crafting in the Kitchen isn't the best way to experience Lindi's set, but at least I hear the whole, radical thing. Warren takes over and more goodness ensues.
Finish off the light box. Ri installs it at the back of the DJ booth, allowing the DJ to now alert the dancefloor of good times to slowdance.
Kodiak takes over. Being outside of Africa for a few weeks has definitely not caused him to loose his edge.
And then it's Sasstime. I have the best set. Sure Ash isn't here so I can't play any of the vinyl I packed. Yes, the replacement CDJ is sticking like a stuck record. I choose to go back to the CDJ with the broken screen so, although my songs are playing properly, I feel like luke trying to blow up The Deathstar with his eyes closed, but playing to a dancefloor like this it's impossible not to love every minute. The place is just full of kids wearing huge smiles, shaking their hips like crazy and screaming when they hear songs by TV on the Radio, Us Kids Know and Johnny Foreigner. If only this would happen even half the time when I play.
Ri's next. I head outside to get some air. Before I make it out the venue I run into Patrick, his camera and a small hoarde of friends. Figure that even if I didn't get to drop the crate of records I'm holding, we should at least give them some play.
Full post on these shenanigans here!
After my crazy run of 4 totally different gigs over 4 nights, not playing on Sunday feels awesome. Anja and I hang out with my dad and mom. We eat fantastich German food to celebrate my mom's birthday. Later I stress about things I don't need to stress about. But it's not all bad, at least I've got Mass Effect 2!
By Thursday evening I hardly feel like leaving the house. I've had two crazy late nights in a row. Designing the poster for Generation Next and then making the mixtape for the Us Kids Know launch, I've been up till after 2 for the past two nights and honestly all I wanna do is stay home, play Heavy Rain and get to bed early. But that isn't really an option. I've got time for dinner, then export my Problems mix, burn it to disc and head through to Wolves.
Obviously as soon as I get there I'm totally cool with the fact that I needed to come out. Maybe it's seeing friends or meeting their dads, but honestly it's probably eating hummingbird cake that does it.
Hang around for a while and have some lovely conversations with some lovely kids. Most of them seem to be really excited about Generation Next, which makes me happy. Then a I get a whole bunch more happy because Night Sky Empire start playing.
Turns out, despite tonight being a Howl, the band aren't doing an acoustic set. Cale has sorta brushy drumsticks, but otherwise the band seem to be playing with the same set up as when I saw them playing their first show a few weeks back. They're holding back for sure though, respecting that Wolves is after all a coffee shop, but it's still a bunch louder than the usual Howl entertainment. Restraint doesn't really suit the band and you can see they'd love to be making a bunch more noise. Still they put on a good show and get a really nice response from the crowd. There's a new song with singing(!) in it, which is really nice. I totally enjoy their set, but all to often I keep thinking about how excited I am to see them at full volume in the Bridge Diner next Saturday.
After their set I hook the boys up with posters and hit the road. I still have an hour and a half of Heavy Rain time before I need to get to bed! But things don't work out that way - when I get home Anja's watching something on the TV. As she announces she's going to bed Chad arrives to collect my mixtape for tomorrow night's launch. We hang out, drink tea, listen to half the mix and talk about how excited we are for what'll be going down the next night...
I'm watching the hours ticking by on Friday afternoon. I really just wish this day would end so I could drive through to the Us Kids Know launch - I don't know when last I was so looking forward to a gig.
Once work finally does end I drive straight through to the venue. The party only officially starts at 6, but I figure I'll be able to lend a hand getting everything ready. Which I do, carrying toys and drums into the venue, sticking up decor, trying to blow up balloons, failing and then drawing faces on them instead.
A little before everyone starts arriving Ampersand does a "soundcheck" on the jungle-gym he'll be playing on later. It turns out to be one of the highlights of my night as 5 toddlers crowd around him, clapping along, stamping their feet on the jungle-gym and swinging around like little monkeys.
People gradually start streaming in, lucky packets in hand. I realise that, having arrived so early, I skipped out on paying to get in. I head back to the door, pay cover and receive a lucky packet (the horrifying contents of which are so crazy that they'll be featured in their own post soon!).
Anja and i get some dinner. My Skiprope Team starts his set, which is just great. He plays on the grass alongside a jungle gym we're sit strewn across, looking down on him. He plays a super nice set, the highlight of which is a cover of Porcelain by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Chad disappears and returns with a tambourine. I start banging on the pile of cutlery and plates left after our dinner. It's awesome.
We play pass the parcel, win prizes, laugh a bunch. Head back to the jungle gym to watch "Ampersand the Clown". His set is just too cool.
We return to playing some more games. I'm pretty badass at hot potato, but really really suck at Musical Chairs. The soundtrack for the night has been really fantastic. Between the live acts a little tape player has been blaring out the mixtapes various people have complied for the night. Hearing bits of my mix playing of actual tape gives me quite a kick. There's also another kind of tape going down - VHS! An old tube TV is screening old tapes of kids shows. Later the band unveils a music video for a section of "Solutions". Afterwards they start their set and 40 odd minutes of total joy ensue. The band has really settled into the new direction they've takeN. Cam's fully integrated in all the songs he plays on, rotating between 7 instruments (if you consider a kid's toy telephone to be an instrument). At one stage he even takes over on drums while Chad freaks out on some guitar pedals.
The crowd is totally enchanted by what the band are doing. I've definitely seen gigs where more people show up, but I've never seen one where virtually everyone in the audience is so captivated by what's happening. There's no-one talking in the background, no kids hanging out by the bar - literally everyone there is totally immersed in what Us Kids Know are doing. During one of the songs Chad initiates a little handclap. Everyone joins in, and long after the band have fallen silent the crowd is still rocking this clap - I've never seen anything like it.
All to quickly the set is over, the balloons and pinwheels and fairy lights come down and everyone heads home. We land up in Cam's lounge, hanging out until crazy late and watching educational videos about George Washington.
On Saturday morning, after some lovely breakfast with Anja, Matt's little cousin Dana comes over. Dana is a 9 year old kid who's into drawing monsters, dressing up like an anime character and watching Miyazaki movies. Basically she's the coolest person I know who's age is only in single digits. As a total animation fanatic, she came by on Saturday morning so I could show her the basics of how animation works. Together we make 4 shorts clips, a simple walk cycle of dog-man-thing, a boy turning to a scary fish creature, a stop-motion fight sequence between a transformer and a raptor and "Ghost Bear", the heart-warming tale of a bear ghost going shopping. Needless to say I have a lot of fun helping Dana bring her bizarre concepts to life.
Later Ri drops by, we rock an episode of Undeclared and then do a bit of thrifting...
...and head through to Pretoria.
It's too cool being back at Hotbox, there really is nothing else like it. I stick up some posters for "Generation Next" and then hang out in the lounge for a bit.
At around 9:30 the Us Kids Know boys head out to start their set. Maximum rock and roll ensues. Besides a little crazy feedback, the sound is great which really adds to what a good show the guys are putting on. Add some smoke and lights and it's a very different (but still very cool) affair to what went down last night.
Next it's Short Straw. Although they've been together for a couple of years now, I've somehow always missed seeing these guys. I'm expecting a two piece acoustic folky thing, but instead they turn out to be a four piece playing more indie rocky stuff (that still has acoustic guitar in it). They put on a really good, spirited show and it's really nice seeing a band like them is around in Joburg. While watching them I can't help but think how nicely their style would compliment Cape Town's "The Plastics" if the two bands played a show together.
Next up there IS a Cape band, New Holland. The dudes have progressed quite a bit since I last played shows with them on this side last year. Their show's become really polished and they're playing a lot of new material. One of the new songs even reminds me of the Tutus and really gets the crowd going. Unfortunately, not very far into their set I realise the CDJs are still standing in the middle of the lounge. Nobody's hooked this stuff up and Ri and I are supposed to start DJing in a half hour! When Joe see's what's happening he just laughs and pats us on the shoulders. "Good luck dudes!".
We run around for a bit trying to find Henk to help us get set up. Eventurally we give up and take matters into our own hands. Maybe I've been spoiled mostly playing Griet shows these days but I'm used to this stuff been sorted out. I've grown accustomed to being able to just start DJing when I'm supposed to start - I've come to expect the equipment will be ready and waiting and all I need to do is get people dancing. Now however I'm rushing around, trying to find out what cables we have, make sure the sound guy understand we need to start as soon as the band finishes, find us a table to play on, hook up power points. We rin into Henk who hooks us up a table. As we're setting it up Joe seems to tire of laughing at how this stuff hasn't been organised and lends a hand. "Okay fine, I can be a trained civilian."
Everything's set up on a table. We squeeze the table into one of the far ends of the stage. I plug everything in, then see the sound guy on stage. Head over and let him know we're good to go when he can plug us into the system. He says okay and carries on packing up mics. The Beastie Boys are playing in the backround and people are rapidly dispersing. As they wander away from the stage Ri and I patiently wait to get plugged in. I'm expecting there's another sound guy attending to this, that any minute now he'll show up, plug in the mixer and the party will start. But it never happens. Eventually I head over to the dude packing up the mics. Considering he might be someone who's only ever done rock shows, I explain that people are now leaving and we need to start DJing as soon as possible to keep the party going. The dude gives me a blank stare and doesn't say a word as he turns and carries on packing up.
I head back to explain to Ri the dude is clearly a rock only man.
We wait.
Eventually the dude decides he'll help us. Plugs the mixer into a DI leaving us with a buzzy connection to the PA. Ri opens with some CMYK. Stage lights shining in our faces mean we can't see the dancefloor at all - it's just a black hole. After I play a track I suggest we try move the table to center stage so we can rock out with the crowd. This proves to be a terrible idea which ends with me accidentally unplugging a CDJ and completely killing the music. Ri and I fall back into our dark corner. 1 on 1 for a bit, but can't get into a groove. Personally I can't get over the panic of needing to set everything up and then deal with the rudest soundguy I've met outside of Durban.
Ri and I deiced to play the rest of the night on our own. Ri takes the first shift and plays a really nice set that features such memorable juxtapositions as Sleigh Bells followed by Weezer. I dance like crazy. "The Get Up Kids" covering The Cure seems to be the perfect opportunity for me to tag in. Having just spoken to Chad about Belle and Sebastian I play some of that. Then the Unicorns which turns into a sing along between me and black hole of the dancefloor. I follow into a little spree of local stuff, Tutus, Greenisforturbo and Kidofdoom. During little excursions to the front of the stage I can see that what's left of the party seems to be really enjoying this stuff, but soon the volume starts dropping on the soundesk, seems the party is over.
We hang out in the lounge for a while, theN Anja, Ri and I hit the road back to Joburg.
On Sunday I don't have to do anything and for the first time since getting it from Matthew almost a week ago, I can now finally play Heavy Rain properly.
Pretty much anyone that has spoken to me about games will know just how passionate I am about the idea of the medium becoming a really powerful platform for new narrative and artistic masterpieces. Unfortunately, as anyone that's spoken to me about the subject will also know, I'm massively frustrated with how slowly I'm seeing this dream becoming a reality. It's just tragic how almost all games still seem to be about either shooting people in the head, driving fast cars or both. Still, there have been a few games to break out of the mediocrity the rest of the game industry seems stuck in. I'm very happy to now include Heavy Rain in that list.
It's a MASSIVE victory for games becoming a new form of interactive narrative. It's so awesome in fact that, when Anja heads home, she forbids me from playing any further because she doesn't want to miss any of the story. In 3 years of dating, this has never happened before. High five Quantic! Thanks to you lovely, lovely French people I can experience a game where I get to play on a see saw instead of shooting people. Fuck yeah!
This isn't a list of what I think are the best video games released in 2010. Instead it's a list of the games I enjoyed playing the most last year.
