After the death of the late Roger Ebert back in April, I was
asked why video game journalism was yet to get its own version of the world’s
most notorious thumb waving film critic. After last month’s controversial Grand Theft Auto V became the
fastest-selling entertainment product of all time, it’s difficult to argue that
it’s a “niche hobby” or “solely for kids”. So why haven’t video game
journalists secured their own show on BBC Radio 5 Live or been allocated a
double page spread in the centre pages of the nation’s biggest tabloids and
broadsheets?
This month sees the release of Beyond: Two Souls on
PlayStation 3, a psychological thriller starring Juno’s Ellen Page and
Platoon’s Willem Dafoe. Exploring what
happens to us after death, the game follows Jodie (portrayed physical and
vocally by Page), who goes from gifted youngster to CIA operative with the help
of a disembodied spirit that grants her supernatural abilities. It’s perhaps
the most prolific use of star power employed to promote a video game in memory,
with both actors’ names proudly sported across the cover of the game in the
same fashion as a movie poster.
Developed by French Studio Quantic Dream, the game was
created using performance capture technology, pioneered by James Cameron’s 2009
sci-fi epic Avatar. From the slightest facial gesture to high octane stunts, Page
and Defoe’s every movement was recorded with precise accuracy in order to craft
this “interactive drama.”
Of course, it’s not the first time that screen actors have
downloaded into the digital realm of interactive drama. One such game to push
the boundaries of this genre was the point-and-click adaptation of cult TV
phenomenon The X Files. Featuring over six hours of new filmed footage starring
David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, players had to aid Mulder and Scully in a standalone
paranormal investigation.
Even in voice only, the big name actor is becoming a
recurring feature in video games. Perhaps one of the most prolific examples of
a screen actor lending their voice to a game would be Samuel L Jackson’s vocal
portrayal of the vindictive Officer Tenpenny in 2004’s GTA: San Andreas. It was
an award winning role that would ironically end the series’ love affair with
the cult of personality. The blockbuster success of first-person-shooter Call
of Duty has brought the likes of Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman to the franchise,
whilst who could forget “Sarah Marshall” herself Kristen Bell unexpectedly
lending her voice and likeness to the Assassin’s Creed games.
Thanks to games such as 2005’s Fahrenheit and 2010’s Heavy
Rain, Quantic Dream have already separated themselves from the over-crowded
games marketplace with founder David Cage’s campaign to spearhead the idea of
the interactive film. Subtle in-game decisions crafted by player’s reactions
and decisions in situations ranging from the mundane to the morally ambiguous
create a unique user experience that certainly gives the acting talent a method
of exploring all areas of their emotional palettes
Even as the support from the cinematic community grows,
gaming is still on the back foot against its silver screen cousin. Quite famously,
Roger Ebert once debated that video games can never be art. However at a time
when Hollywood seems largely fresh out of ideas, churning out comic book
adaptations, watered down remakes of foreign exports and sequels that no one
asked for, it seems to be a redundant argument. As much as I've always respected
the late Roger’s opinion on film, when it comes to games, I’ll have my two
thumbs pressed firmly down on the D-Pad.
Originally featured in The Big List NI Issue #240
No comments:
Post a Comment