Within The Walls of the Black Citadel
I remember the first time I had a visceral reaction to a video game. It was playing Castlevania II: Simon's Quest on the NES. That may have been the first video game I ever beat, and it sure was a feat at the time.
If you aren't familiar with the gothic horror franchise, I'll spare you the long tale. You have to go to five mansions and gather the pieces of Dracula's remains to destroy them and lift the curse. Lots of recycled enemies, color-swaps, etc. But the arrival at the final stage, the final castle (ostensibly Castlevania), was heralded with new graphics and new music. More unsettling, no enemies. Still just hearing the music, titled 'Within These Castle Walls', will send a chill down my spine.
The last time I can remember that happening was at the finale of Dragon Quest VIII. The adventuring party invades the Black Citadel to face Rapthorne, the Malevobad guy. As you descend through many layers with frustratingly hard monsters, you hit this point where you find a simulation of a town, like some faux town out of Disney World. There are no enemies. No random encounters. The music doesn't change from other dungeons, but as most Dragon Quest music is recycled from previous games, it's heavily ingrained and familiar. Anyway, as you travel through the town, it's just small enough to realize that you're moving in a spiral. Worse, with each completion of the spiral, the town is deteriorating.
First, there are boards on the windows and the plants are withered. Then glass is broken and doors have been kicked in. It gets worse, until there's poison on the streets and statues of once-revered gods have been defaced.
These two experiences were removed by probably twenty/twenty-five years and yet they underscore how much games can do, and how much I enjoy gaming. I look forward to the next time games engender an emotional response (aside from anger because the random draw system gave me yet another 1-star item, Transformers Forged to Fight, or romantic thoughts, Final Fantasy 7...8...12...don't judge me).
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Also, because LiveJournal's users are mostly Russian, I'm sharing this picture because fuck Putin.
If you aren't familiar with the gothic horror franchise, I'll spare you the long tale. You have to go to five mansions and gather the pieces of Dracula's remains to destroy them and lift the curse. Lots of recycled enemies, color-swaps, etc. But the arrival at the final stage, the final castle (ostensibly Castlevania), was heralded with new graphics and new music. More unsettling, no enemies. Still just hearing the music, titled 'Within These Castle Walls', will send a chill down my spine.
The last time I can remember that happening was at the finale of Dragon Quest VIII. The adventuring party invades the Black Citadel to face Rapthorne, the Malevobad guy. As you descend through many layers with frustratingly hard monsters, you hit this point where you find a simulation of a town, like some faux town out of Disney World. There are no enemies. No random encounters. The music doesn't change from other dungeons, but as most Dragon Quest music is recycled from previous games, it's heavily ingrained and familiar. Anyway, as you travel through the town, it's just small enough to realize that you're moving in a spiral. Worse, with each completion of the spiral, the town is deteriorating.
First, there are boards on the windows and the plants are withered. Then glass is broken and doors have been kicked in. It gets worse, until there's poison on the streets and statues of once-revered gods have been defaced.
These two experiences were removed by probably twenty/twenty-five years and yet they underscore how much games can do, and how much I enjoy gaming. I look forward to the next time games engender an emotional response (aside from anger because the random draw system gave me yet another 1-star item, Transformers Forged to Fight, or romantic thoughts, Final Fantasy 7...8...12...don't judge me).
***
Also, because LiveJournal's users are mostly Russian, I'm sharing this picture because fuck Putin.