171: From the Barrel of a Gun

[copycatalyst]

I don't think that games are -or, for the most part, should be- worried too much with preserving a the symbolism of the gun as a deadly extension of a man's character. Some characters are still written with this myth in mind (Revolver Ocelot and his beloved Single Action Army, anyone?), and that's fine, but I don't think it's anything more games should aspire to.

First, I'm not sure gun mythos is as powerful as, say, sword mythos, probably owing to the fact that the gun is a relatively recent invention. Stories can be crafted around a "legendary sword" (Crouching Tiger's Green Destiny, for example) but I'm not sure such a story could resonate as well if it were a "legendary gun."

More importantly, though, are the gameplay considerations. A game that is as concerned with gun mythos as the auther would find itself in a very narrow genre. I'm not saying it would necessarily be bad, just that most shooters couldn't take that premise and still be widely received.

 

[Kojiro ftt]

I'm waiting for a game that has people die like they do in real life: horribly. Right now, you shoot someone and they drop, suddenly becoming an inanimate rag doll. I want to see a game that has your victim grasp at their wound, fall to their knees, let out a terrible cry, take some raspy breathes, etc. Maybe once in a while we have a Mr. Orange scene. "I'm fuckin' dyin' here!"

Then we will have some impact, and remember that we are shooting human beings. But then again, that wouldn't be so fun (for most people).