Setting the Stage
My interest in the first-person shooter began with the release of id Software’s Castle Wolfenstein in the early 90s. Interest became admiration with id’s subsequent release, DOOM, and admiration fermented to fanaticism with my discovery of the myriad of level-editing programs available (a hobby I devoted the mid-to-late 90s to, during which time I produced several levels, contributed to a myriad of high-profile projects, and indirectly contributed to many, many more through meticulous play-testing). For over a decade, I’ve prided myself on my ability to play–and some would say play well–the various offerings of the genre: Heretic and Hexen, Counter-Strike, Quake and its bastard off-spring, the Half-Life saga, et cetera et cetera ad nauseum. It was not until recent years that my gaming efforts moved from the realm of the personal computer–you will note the absence of, say, Halo from the list previous–and into the realm of the console.
And the console, kind attendee, is the indirect inspiration for this post.
You see, dear reader, I’ve of late begun–as is true to my shooter and horror roots–playing EA’s latest offering, Dead Space. I figured, what with the recent resurrection of this bloody, soul-sucking blog, that the surefire way to ensure my continual updating is to have something to update about. Thus, in the coming days and weeks (and, help us all if it takes me that long to finish, months), I’ll be posting commentary, questions, and critique on the aforementioned game, drawing upon my skills as a gamer, my understanding of game design, and my preferences in game-play to inform my posting.
More soon.