Gameplay Journal Entry #4, muddled messages and Epileptic seizures

In a world full of modernist and post-modernist artist who are so full of themselves that a pineapple left at an exhibit can be mistaken for art, the public is constantly bombarded with trash and told that it has a deeper meaning. In the world of video games, this is no exception. While normal game mods exist to create additional content for beloved games by fans who simply desire more content, so called “artists” come in to create horrific messes of white noise and seizure inducing light and call it “art.” There is a troubling trend in the world of art that art has to mean something, and even worst, this art that has to mean something is generally designed to be an assault on the eyes. This is done to make a statement, to grab attention, and to convey the artists message to the world, well here is my statement.

Screw off.

If artist want to critique mainstream video games in any meaningful way, in a way that that causes change. Then they should create their own video game that seeks to subvert cultural norms through telling a compelling narrative. Hijacking another’s code and art assets to portray a message will only accomplish two things: the first thing that it accomplished will be gaining the appraisal of all the other bloated artists in the world, all the artist who think like you do, and who do not need the message told to them. The second will be pissing off the fans of the original work, who upon being angered, will be less receptive to the message and even worst go on to reject a potentially important message in the future due to their prior experiences. There is no use screaming in an echo chamber, and when someone outside the chamber finally listens, all they will hear is a cacophonous chorus of noise, one that will push them away.

That is why after sifting through piece after piece of so called “mods” that exist only to scream into the echo chamber and accomplish nothing else, I was elated when I was able to find one that actually has the potential to tell its message without subjecting those with epilepsy to a seizure. Talim VS, is a simple mod that instead of adding something new to the game, takes almost everything away to convey a message about the use of different cultures in video games, and how these cultures should be given their fair respect and due diligence. Now this mod is not perfect by any means, as it subscribes to the idea that by disrupting “the emotional spell of the narrative,” the operator will “reconcentrate and refocus, their attention” by force (Galloway pg-109). The problem with this idea is that people generally do not like to be forced to do anything. Those who have never played Soul Caliber II who see the mod will most likely be individuals who will already be likely to be receptive to the message the mod is portraying, while those who have played the game will no doubt be confused and require some context as to why the only playable character is Talim. By providing context then the mods intention of saying that message is loss, as the message will have to be told directly.

While the mod is successful in subverting the original game, as the original game is almost entirely removed and replaced by a single character. Instead of the character violently clashing against her opponents, she is gracefully moving with the wind and controlling it to remove the force of “colonialism.” No longer is it a fighting game, it is instead a digital medium of conveying a message, the original game is subverted. This message is a critique of how video games often but not always use other cultures as a means to an end, and often portray these cultures incorrectly or use them as enemies for the player to overcome. However, the lack of any assets other then Talim makes this message difficult to read at first, and without the artists explicitly saying what the mod is about I would have never have understanded what is happening. In essence I consider this mod mostly unsuccessful in conveying its message, and some sort of custom asset like the giant hand of a game developer or evil colonizers for Talim to fight would have allowed this message to travel much further.

Here is a link to the mod in action

Galloway, A. R. (2010). Countergaming. In Gaming: Essays on algorithmic culture (p. 109). Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.