Adventure games - logical skills builders or illogical crap for pussies?

Adventure games, to be honest, used to be one of my favorite genres. I still can't get over the fact it's merely 'used to be'. Deep inside I'm still convinced one can benefit lots from them and often experience an unforgettable actual adventure, which will stay in their mind forever making them sigh heavily in pleasure just remembering how cool it was.

First of all - they improved my logical thinking skill a great deal. I know that some of the actions they required me to undertake seemed to be completely senseless and, ironically, illogical, like combine cheese with a remote control to make the bear go away (well not really, but close enough) but it wasn't about the result. I mean, even if I'd just end up raping all the clickable objects with my mouse, my brain had been actually stimulated to think. And that was the whole point.

Another thing is the way of storytelling. Each genre has its own kind of interaction with the player and in adventure games story is the thing you can thoroughly focus on as its point and click controls are as simple as they could possibly be. No action, no decisions, no distraction. Just concentrating on the journey, which the developers created for us, trying to drag us in and let us explore it step by step - often in stunning environments (Syberia 1, Syberia 2), constant fear and curiosity (Still Life) or humorous scenes and characters (Goblins 3). 

Syberia 1

Still Life

Goblins 3

I dare to say adventure games are suitable for those sort of players who in games seek something more than pure action, flashy images causing epilepsy attacks or proving their incredible shooting accuracy. They're more like interactive films, in which you make the character move from scene to scene solving various riddles.

The question is - why have I stopped playing them, if I reckon they're so awesome? The answer is easy enough - I've lost all of my patience and become too lazy. Why would I spend hours figuring out how to make a goddamn train work if I can look it up on Google? Yeah it's fine as long as you do not overuse this technique. Unfortunately, I would always carry on with the walk-through until the end, which makes the game unbelievably  boring, as it kills the great feeling of victory once you get things done by yourself. I know it's stupid but I basically cannot resist. I'll get anxious, my hands will start shaking and I'll go SCREW THIS SHIT! MUST SEE SOLUTIONS! sigh

Back in the times I actually enjoyed adventure games the walk-throughs weren't as accessible or maybe I wasn't aware of them. And this was absolutely awesome. Internet! Stop making our lives so easy and effortless!

Anyway, as I've mentioned before, I regret putting them off and sometimes I get the itch to take part in one of those amazing journeys once again. Probably when I win the vicious battle with my laziness.

Do you guys agree with me on adventure games? Or do you think only pussies get round to play them? I will be grateful if you leave your opinions in the comments! 

Cheers!

A gamer's short biography - how it all started...

I bet there are many, many ways in which you all started your great endless adventure with games. You might have received a console from your rich busy parents who had no time to look after you? Or maybe something bad and destructive happened in your life and gaming worked as a drug? Or you were simply dragged in by your friends since you didn't want to be rejected? Each of them must have been good enough if you're here as a proud member of our humble community!

Nevertheless, I'd like to mention a little bit about my own abundant gaming experience and its begining. So... I was a kid with busy parents. But not generous enough  enough to buy me a console, not to mention a PC. I spent most of my childhood at my grandma's house with my, still young back then, two uncles. Yup, they had a console. An old-school fake Nintendo bought at the local bazaar. But it was awesome!

They would play Mario, Contra or Pacman all day long. And I watched them. And I got totally inspired...
Later on they got their first computer and I kept watching with passion. I even had my own names for the games they played: 'The one with scorpions and guns' (Fallout), 'The colourful one with horses' (Heroes III), 'The blue tunic guy with a ball' (Little Big Adventure). Excuse me, I was a kid, alright?

Mario Bros

Little Big Adventure 

Heroes III

A bit later on, when I'd already got my own PC, I saw one of them playing a totally old-fashioned MMORPG now, called Helbreath. I immediately had to get it, it had scorpions, come on! And I did. And I got addicted.

I match that moment as the glorious starting point of my true 'career'. It was the time of getting into the on-line world and nothing or nobody managed to grab me out of there, yet. Not even my parents, despite their persistant efforts. Me all day long staring into the computer screen or getting up at 3 a.m. in order to farm dungeons for crafting materials made them hella worried. But I did not care. I had my new life, new friends and new aims. Nothing else mattered much.

Helbreath

However, the day had come. The Helbreath server died all the way. The era of cool 3D had come. For me, it was the era of purchasing a brand new gaming device meeting the ridiculous requirements of those brilliant pieces of art.

As you probably know, it's a truly hard task to find a good, I mean good MMORPG. When it has great graphics, the gameplay sucks. When the gameplay is fine, the players are arseholes. Such miserable existance gamers have, don't they...? I was not an exception. I got totally disappointed. I had nowhere to go, nowhere to belong! Anyhow, as it usually happens, I came across a new game thoroughly by accident on a website with some, erm, video conversion software (?). And I was born all over again! Resurrected by some good faires of fortune on a faraway lands of foreign peoples, habits and culture of Rappelz. I adapted quite quickly, though. I made new friends, joined a guild and lived a not-so-perfect-but-happy life. For about six years. It took this long for me to get out of there just a few months ago.

Rappelz

Unfortunately, I won't be able to tell the whole story, since it's simply too long! Anyway, most of my gaming experience, conclusions and idiosyncratic thoughts are based on it, so I'll surely mention it time and time again, no worries. Let me finish, though!

As I was done with Rappelz, I tried a few MMORPGs but it never was the same. I wouldn't stay there longer than a few weeks. Yeah, it's time to let out a sigh and moan about the hardships of ruthless human life...

The long way has brought me to the point I'm at now. I decided to take up games professionally. So here I am, about to start my Computer and Video Games university course! Wee! Unless I fail my final exams - wish. me. luck.

I have thought about it a lot and I can't imagine myself working in any other field, I just cannot. I don't care what I'll do, I'll never give up on games. I'm still addicted. And I'll always be. And yup, let's never grow up together!

What about you, though? Do you have your own interesting gaming biography? Let me know, please!

Cheers.

Dear fellow gamers!

Firstly, what is it all gonna be about?! Oh well, it is a hard question, indeed... I've decided to make this blog as I'm a true games lover! Which you've probably guessed so far.  However, I do not consider them as one of plenty kinds of entertainment (aka brutal boredom killer) only. I'd like to focus on how they influence one's life, way of thinking and acting. As they have changed my ordinary existance lots. I mean, really...!

Hope you enjoy your stay!