To the Moon - ScheiGuy

I feel it necessary to add several prefaces to this post. First, it contains major spoilers for the game To the Moon. If you ever want to play that game, then don't read this article until you play it first. Second, this article is going to be more about personal experience than a typical post. If you prefer articles that are mostly game-centric, then this may not be for you. Third, and finally, I understand my circumstances aren't uncommon and aren't the toughest out there. By no means do I ever wish in this article to belittle anyone's personal struggle nor to act like I have it worse. I'm simply writing through the lens of my own experience - it's the only one I have.

Gaming In The Context of Our Own Humanity - ScheiGuy

Each day I game, I strive to be appreciative. I'm grateful that I have circumstances and time that allow me to game, and I'm grateful for the moments, memories, and relationships gaming has given me. Gaming is a special medium that allows us to share experiences, form/strengthen friendships, and learn a lot about ourselves. We're actively engaged. We're drawn in. We're emotionally invested. To a large extent, we create our experiences, which makes sharing them and discussing them special. We all put on masks and fronts at times, but eventually who you truly are is expressed in how you play games, and I think that's the key. We aren't just sharing interaction with manifested computer code on a screen. When we game, we share a part of ourselves. We share who we really are - not entirely, but enough to make the relationships formed meaningful. The beauty is we don't have to consciously express ourselves. The expression comes naturally while playing, making the anxieties that come with many social interactions disappear. Barriers crumble. Friendships flourish. 

When I reflect on any relationship/friendship affected by gaming, I'm flooded with positivity. Honestly, I can't think of a single instance where gaming had a negative effect. My father died nine years ago, and I reflect often on the positive effects gaming had on our relationship and the legacy it provides for me to pass on to my own wife and children. My dad lived a hard life, and he wasn't the most expressive guy you'd ever meet. However, we shared a lot of fun, laughs, and memories centered on games that really drew us close to each other. Solving problems together, hand-drawing maps together, competing against each other, and being awed at next-gen games together had us both so involved that we were effortlessly sharing real parts of our inner-selves with one another. I understand similar moments can be had outside of gaming, and I have several fond non-gaming memories of my dad. However, gaming created unique opportunities for us to create cherished memories that I wouldn't trade for anything. Now, I'm able to create these moments with my own children - something I hope I'm never foolish enough to take for granted. I jokingly say that Mario Kart is a way of life in our household, but there's truth behind my quip. My wife and I spent considerable time through our dating and marriage bonding over Mario Kart, and we love involving our children as we make new Kart (as well as other gaming) memories. Beyond my own family, gaming (and especially Nintendo-based gaming) was a catalyst to nearly all of my closest friendships through the years. I won't sit here and give you the play-by-play of it all, but I earnestly believe these beloved relationships and memories couldn't be equaled by bonding through another means.

I believe this interpersonal phenomenon generalizes intrapersonally for single-player games. We all have relationships with ourselves. We fight our inner-demons. We reflect and work hard on the kind of person we want to be. When we're immersed in gaming, we are open with ourselves and learn about ourselves. When we're tilted, we learn how we handle negative emotion. When we persevere, we speak volumes to how we can respond to life's hardships. When we cry, when our jaw drops, when we smile, when we laugh, when we stop and soak in a moment, when we're mesmerized by a song, when we jump up from the couch in triumph, when we squeeze the controller so hard it may snap in two, when we smile, when we try again - this time using the gamer lean (it just works... it's beyond science) - all of those moments are you. They are a part of you. They are manifestations of you. They play a role in molding who you will be today and the next. They unequivocally let you be you with no fear - fully vulnerable and uniquely you, manifested the same on the outside exactly as you are on the inside. Such moments are rare for a lot of us in real life. However, in gaming these moments are organic. They are spontaneous. They are real. They come from the full-immersion, wonderment, and joy that gaming provides, doing so with no true equal.

Gaming doesn't exist in a vacuum. Games are created and experienced through the medium of our own humanity, and that's the best part. In a world that's often cold and cruel, gaming provides revelatory and genuine moments for us to learn about ourselves and to connect meaningfully with others.

Donut County Review - ScheiGuy

This is an indie game where you're a raccoon who uses an app to remotely control sinkholes that grow in diameter as they consume objects. The writing utilizes cheeky humor that is as silly as the premise. The characters are an eclectic bunch of oddballs. The gameplay is unexpectedly relaxing. However, the levels are short and present virtually no challenge. The game is also very short. I didn’t do any research before playing. I reached a level I thought would be a bridge to the game really opening up; however, it was the final level. The game feels like a “Chapter 1” of an episodic series. The sinkhole mechanics have so much potential for clever level design and challenging puzzles that was left unrealized. The art style and music are both memorable, but neither is stellar. I’d recommend this game if you find it on sale. At full price, the content is too thin for me to wholly recommend. ScheiGuy Score: 6/10 (mostly due to brevity and lack of challenge) ScheiGuy Score if the Game was $8-9 Instead of $13: 7.5/10 Time to Complete: Two hours

Undertale Review - ScheiGuy

Undertale is a rightfully beloved indie RPG.  The game drops you in the middle of a world that seems light-hearted, silly, dark, enigmatic, and melancholy all at the same time.  The characters are charming, and the dialogue is clever with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor.  As the game unfolds, you're introduced to a very complex and emotional lore.  The decisions you make alter the story and world around you, sometimes permanently.  It's the only game I've played where you can win fights without taking any aggressive action.  As the story gripped me, I found myself projecting my own morality into my character's choices without wanting to play any other way.  The game beings slowly, but by the end I found myself engrossed and 100% emotionally invested.  My jaw dropped more than once as I learned new details about the story.  I can't speak for all possible play throughs, but the way I chose to play the game resulted in an overall positive message that I believe strongly in my own personal life.

The battle system is unique and the gameplay is fun, but this game is truly driven by the characters and story.  The soundtrack is very effective and inspires heavy-hitting emotion at just the right times.  The graphics are "retro" but genuinely add to the charm of the game.

My main complaint is that there's virtually no way to play casually through the game without making undesirable lasting consequences.  I had to spend some time on forums reading... which you can cautiously do without spoiling what's next... because I didn't have the time to play through the game several times to learn through trial and error (like many die-hard fans do). 

Overall, I recommend this game.  It's a unique experience that highlights the joy of gaming being a vastly diverse entertainment medium.  

Schei Score: 9/10
Time to Beat: Nine hours
Time to Truly Complete and Learn without Reading Forums: 50ish hours (best guess)

Rocket League Review - ScheiGuy

Indoor soccer with rocket-powered cars.  It's a game that's easy to pick up, but it has an immensely high skill ceiling.  The game really shines when played with friends either locally or online.  However, it's plenty of fun online with random players, too.  There are a lot of game modes to keep things fresh, and the game has nearly infinite replay value.  The soundtrack is tight.  There's an optional loot box system, but all items are cosmetic only.  Online server issues, matchmaking problems, and rage quitters sometimes lower the fun.  Overall, the fun-to-price ratio is nearly unbeatable.  The chance to always get better keeps me coming back for more.  

Schei Score: 9/10
Time to Get Comfortable with the Mechanics: 20 hours
Time to Play with Confidence and Be Competing in Top Third of Ranks: 200 hours