Over the past week, I have had the pleasure of playing through Ubisoft’s new game, Child of Light. Using the UbiArt framework (the same framework used for the new Rayman series), the Montreal studio has crafted a joyous platformer that is full of wonder, exploration, and a sense of depth that conveys that the world is larger than anything the player can hope to explore. While playing Child of Light, there were a few things that struck me. One, less is more, not every line has to rhyme… especially when it drags down the dialogue of a game and makes it less engaging to the player. Two, it is possible to make a JRPG (Japanese style Role-Playing Game) combat system still fun and involved. Three, some games really do drip charm. And four, and this was the surprising one, that sense of wonder, exploration, and sense of depth… reminded me a lot of Limbo, just you know – not entirely terrifying.
LOOK AT THAT MOUSE! He is an archer accountant with spectacles… and his name is Robert. I dare someone not to be charmed.
I am not going to write how Child of Light and Limbo are the same game. They are not. In a sense, they are similar as both games center on exploration of a foreign world and feature puzzle mechanics. The puzzle mechanics are a gentle distraction in Child of Light whereas they take front-and-center in Limbo. Also, while the two games share the exploration, the difference in tone is as black and white as Limbo‘s visuals. Actually… maybe it isn’t.
The harsh world of Limbo is a cruel and unforgiving place.
Child of Light begins with the death of the protagonist. I’m really not spoiling anything, that happens within the first cut-scene. That little redheaded girl that the player controls is dead. How she died and why she has awaken in this world of night is unclear. One thing that she learns immediately is that the world is dangerous and full of bizarre hostile creatures. Sounding familiar? True, Child of Light‘s color use is beautiful and vivid, with scenery that is more likely to illicit awe than terror. That said, at the beginning of the game, I encountered that same feeling of helplessness that I remembered so much in Limbo. The player character, Aurora, is walking along when she comes to a small pond. Across that pond is a type of wolf (unlike any found in the real world) that wolf howls and growls but cannot cross the pond. It is threatening but not deadly. I remember this part: I was filled with dread.
In Limbo, the beginning unfolds in a similar manner. The unknown player character awakens in a strange land. This time, the player has no idea what story has proceeded the gameplay. This helps add to Limbo‘s sense of helplessness as the player has no choice but to wonder on and try to survive.
Both games drop the protagonist into larger than life forests, where the player must survive against the creatures who live there.
In Child of Light, the sense of complete helplessness is lost much more quickly. Aurora finds a sword and gains her first companion (a firefly with incredible healing abilities). Tone-wise, nope – there isn’t much linking the two when that happens. Aurora has someone to talk to and an immediate way to defend herself. The unnamed protagonist in Limbo never has either luxury. Nevertheless, a moment does come when the sense of helplessness is lost. The spider. Anyone who played the game, you just shuddered. To anyone unfamiliar, have a look:
As someone with an intense fear of spiders… ugh. Anyway, that thing menaces the player throughout the start of the game. The helplessness of Limbo ends the moment that the player kills that spider. From then on, Limbo is no longer as terrifying as it was before. The focus shifts into more pure puzzle-solving. The player feels enabled, not with a sword mind you, but with their mind. Killing a giant spider will do that.
While both games handle their challenges differently (it is much easier to die in Limbo), it does not change the base similarity. These are quality games with a strong focus on exploration and stories that push relentlessly onward. The depth of their side-scrolling presentation is incredible and I think both games owe something to King Kong (1933).
“Wait, what?” You ask.
Look at this:
The artists who designed Skull Island in the original King Kong were geniuses and managed to create this layered look that brought the fantastical world to life. Child of Light and Limbo share this aesthetic and use the same visual style. If you’re planning to make a video game with a sense of wonder at a world that is both fantastical and threatening, there really is no better source of inspiration.
Over the past couple weeks, I have had friends come up to me and go, “So that new Godzilla movie is looking pretty cool, are there any I should watch beforehand?” To which I always reply: “Watch the 1954 original.” That is my go-to answer and I am sticking to it. If anyone out there ever wants to understand why Godzilla became famous, why there are soon-to-be thirty movies starring the King of the Monsters, why this creation matters in culture: the original is the way to go. Problem is, most of my friends have now seen the original and are asking: “What others are worth watching?”
Thirty films is a tough list to narrow down. Really, the original is the best, and if you can only watch one Godzilla film before the release of Gareth Edwards‘ Godzilla, that should be it. That said, if you feel yourself craving a little bit more of the big G (yeah, that’s a fan nickname… just so cool right now), the following are my top five recommendations.
Godzilla vs. Destroyahis the last in the second series of Godzilla movies (known as the Heisei series 1984-1995). For the record, this is my least favorite series of Godzilla films. It is more serious in tone than the first (the Showa series 1954-1975) while loosing nearly everything that (in my opinion) made the series fun. None of the “serious” Heisei films come anywhere close to being as effective as the 1954 original, but they do try… kinda. Right, now that I have bashed the Heisei enough, let me say why Godzilla vs. Destroyah is a Godzilla film worth watching:
Godzilla can barely contain all of his power in this movie.
This is the movie (outside of the original) where Godzilla dies (spoiler alert). This was a huge deal back in 1995 and is still worth noting today. I remember hearing about this in the news – here in the United States. When else, outside of a Hollywood remake, has Godzilla made the American TV news? Remember, the internet wasn’t a thing back then so this is even bigger. It took me a couple years to track down a bootleg VHS copy, but it was worth the effort.
Destroyah is actually created as a result of the oxygen destroyer. This ties into the first film and reinforces the theme that devastating weapons create devastating monsters.
Godzilla vs. Destroyah features the excellent monster effects that highlight the Heisei series. Destroyah looks sinister, like Godzilla is fighting the giant monster version of the devil. The plot is also more interesting than most as the humans have to try and figure out how to survive Godzilla’s meltdown (he is dying from an overload of radioactive energy). There is one sequence in particular that sticks out in my mind: the humans fight a bunch of primitive-form Destroyahs in an industrial complex. They go in guns blazing but just get annihilated. If this sequence is sounding like something out of Aliens, that is because it is.
Many of the Godzilla movies feature elements that are… let’s say similar to other culturally significant films. The better Godzilla movies incorporate those elements and make them fun. Godzilla vs. Destroyah accomplishes this well and is definitely worth the watch.
Also known as GMK, this film has a very unique feel to it. Of all the Godzilla films to approach the allegory of the original, this one comes the closest. It is the third in the third series of Godzilla films (the Millennium Series 1999-2004). Take a look at the Godzilla costume for this movie:
The all white pupils make it one of his most striking incarnations. As stated previously, this is a film about allegory… however it is not just nuclear allegory this time. Godzilla represents the angry souls of all of those lost in World War II (this is stated in the movie rather than implied). He has returned to wreak havoc on Japan and make sure that the people are reminded of the suffering that took place. Japan’s only hope, outside of the military, is three guardian monsters. Baragon, Mothra, and King Ghidorah must battle Godzilla and attempt to calm his fury before Japan is destroyed. Interesting note: this is the only time King Ghidorah is every portrayed as a good guy.
Godzilla’s atomic breath leaves striking imagery in this film.
If this movie is sounding weird, it is. It is also very well-filmed. The miniature and costume work are excellent, and there are several sequences that are very effectively directed. Godzilla is made terrifying again, and this is the only time since his creation that it works.
Holy crap this movie! Made to celebrate Godzilla’s fiftieth anniversary, this film is a spiritual remake of Destroy All Monsters (1968). This film features fourteen monsters (14!) and has Godzilla just wade through a stream of enemies as he fights aliens that are attacking the Earth. This might be the most zany Godzilla movie ever made. The plot is this: Godzilla was locked in ice years ago and humanity has moved on, building advanced weapons to fight the other monsters on the planet. The greatest of these weapons is the Gotengo, a flying submarine with a drill on it… yep. Also, mutants have appeared, they’re just like people but more Matrix-y.
This isn’t even every monster in the movie.
Anyway, aliens show up and put most of the Earth’s monsters and mutants under their control. Humanity’s last option: wake up Godzilla to fight EVERYTHING. What enfolds next is essentially a never-ending series of action sequences until the credits roll. Oh, Godzilla’s son is in this one too, he exists outside of the plot. I say plot but, don’t watch this movie expecting one. It’s not the point. If you let go of your sense of reason, this is one of the funnest movies out there. Godzilla even fights the first American Godzilla in this movie:
Don’t let the title fool you, this is definitely a Godzilla movie. The fourth Showa movie is one of the best in terms of overall film quality. Director Ishiro Honda (the man who created Godzilla) crafts a very in-depth tale of Japan rebuilding in the wake of disaster. Capitalism is featured… and not overall favorably, as greed drives employers to value money over safety.
The movie opens with a violent storm destroying a large portion of coastline. As the people sift through the wreckage, an enormous egg is discovered. An opportunistic businessman immediately seizes control and starts thinking up ways to use the egg to make money. Only one problem: it’s Mothra’s egg (giant moths lay eggs apparently). Oh, Godzilla also washed up as well. He isn’t discovered right away as he was buried by other debris but, he makes himself known fairly quickly.
This Godzilla suit is regarded as one of the best in the series.
There is just something about this movie that really makes it work. The costume design is one of the best, the characters are interesting, the fights are cool… oh, and the plot, for the most part, makes sense. This is a rare combo in Godzilla movies. Interesting note: this is the last of the Showa series to feature Godzilla as an antagonist. Going forward, he would be transformed into the hero of Earth, fighting any threat to mankind… and speaking of threats to mankind –
I may be biased here: this is the first Godzilla film that I ever saw. This was the fourteenth film in the Showa series and celebrated Godzilla’s twentieth birthday… by making him fight a giant, mechanized version of himself.
One of Mechagodzilla’s many abilities.
Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla is a movie featuring spies, ape-like aliens, explosions, gore, monsters, and an overly-long musical number. Godzilla is the good guy, joining forces with Anguirus (Aang-gear-us) and King Caesar to fight the evil Mechagodzilla. The ape-like aliens, they control Mechagodzilla. The spies, members of the human race trying to thwart the aliens. The explosions, Mechagodzilla shoots more projectiles than any other two monsters in the Godzilla series. The gore, Mechagodzilla makes Godzilla bleed. The monsters: I already mentioned them. The overly-long musical number exists to wake up King Caesar, here it is:
This movie is campy in the best way. I absolutely love it.
Amazing poster art, check.
So there you have it, five Godzilla movies that are worth checking out. If any out there manage to brave these selections and desire more, my runners up are as follows: Invasion of Astro Monster, Son of Godzilla, Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and Godzilla vs. Biollante. If you feel like watching any more beyond those then do yourself a favor: take a month and watch a Godzilla movie a day. At least you’ll be able to cross that off the Bucket List once you’re done.
What do Star Wars Episode VIIand the NFL Professional Football Draft have in common? For starters, let me clarify immediately that, for the purposes of this article, Star Wars Episode VII does not refer to the movie itself, but rather to all the fan speculation surrounding it. Hopefully the movie, Star Wars Episode VII, will be nothing like the NFL Draft. Hopefully.
Two weekends ago was Star Wars Day, an unofficial holiday celebrating the creation of George Lucas’ beloved (and despised) Star Wars series. Of course, things have been slightly different recently. This marks the second Star Wars Day since Disney acquired Lucasfilm, a business move that also announced the impending release of Star Wars Episode VII. That happened in October of 2012, so there was not much information by the following May. Now, all that has changed (kinda). We have a director, we have a cast, we have theories! Interesting to note that Star Wars fans were not the only ones geeking out this month.
The NFL draft began on May 8th of this year, several weeks later than usual. Why: ratings. There is some bullsh*t “other” reason out there but really, the NFL Commissioner wanted more viewers. For those out there who do not know, the Draft is when the professional NFL teams select the promising players emerging from the college systems. In the weeks (or months) leading up to the Draft, experts sit around discussing possibilities. Which team will take which player? Which players will work out? Which players will bust? It is essentially pure speculation, backed by only the most basic logic (this logic is not an essential piece). Sound familiar?
Looks like the Star Wars geeks and the NFL jocks have something in common. They both like to speculate. These are not the only two subjects on there were speculation drives the fanbase. Any product where the information flow is not constant requires dedicated fans to fuel its interest and generate hype. Look at E3, where video game developers show trailers and fans instantly proclaim “console victory.” Remember Lost, the show that started the online craze of tracking fan theories and open speculation? Just how did Sherlock survive the fall?
If anything, the NFL Draft has a value lesson to teach these other arenas. There is money, a lot of it, to be made in speculation. Heck, pretty much all of Professional Sports commentary is just that: people sitting around discussing the odds that something might happen. Not like for just fifteen minutes either, these people make 9-5 jobs out of it.
For those out there who felt that three hours was excessive… please watch the NFL Network sometime.
With Professional Sports, there is one difference that I feel I should mention: the answer is not out there. Sure, the future will reveal everything, from who will win the next World Series to who will win the Bruins-Habs series that is happening in the NHL right now. Time is the only certainty that will remove the need for analysis and discussion. With Star Wars Episode VII: it is purely a marketing scheme. The script it out there, it exists. If J.J. Abrams felt like it, he could upload that cast reading that happened a couple of weeks ago and everyone would immediately know what would happen. But where is the fun in that?
I didn’t bother to source that last one… he just better not be.
Son of a bitch.
I could do the same thing for the NFL Draft but it would be redundant. People enjoy talking about shared interests. People enjoy the excitement of what could be. People enjoy making money. This is how hype has become a business. The future will end the hype for both the 2014 NFL Draft selections and Star Wars Episode VII. Good thing we will have the 2015 Draft and Star Wars Episode VIII when that happens.
Colin McMahon 
