Some things are for everyone. Some things are for anymore. And then there are some things that are for no one in particular.
There’s a difference between these, and it’s important to distinguish between them, not least of all when applied to video games, the hobby that straddles the line between commerce and art.
Things that are for everyone are things that have a universal appeal. It can pander to the lowest-common denominator, or it can employ well-worn themes that make it instantly accessible. Things that are for everyone get that way from maximizing its appeal without any regard as to how it will turn out, or from discovering a formula so basic and true that it eloquently speaks a simple truth to all audiences.
An example would be the Call of Duty franchise and many sports franchises, with annual iteration with new features that may not warrant a new retail purchase.*
Things that are for anyone are not made with a universal appeal. Instead, they are things available for anyone to enjoy should they discover it. It’s not necessarily something difficult to appreciate or enjoy, but requires an enthusiast to make some sort of effort towards uncovering this “hidden treasure”. This foster the creation of niche markets/tastes, but dissention of opinion is going to happen with such highly individual and specialized pieces.
One can think of many “art” video games that may qualify for this title, but a good example may be Red Dead Redemption, a game that unexpectedly challenges its audience who may be more familiar with the mayhem available in its open-world siblings. You don’t have to like westerns, or Rockstar, or Grand Theft Auto to enjoy this game: you just have to enjoy a story at odds with the game’s narrative..**
And then there are things that are made for no one in particular. As it is, this thing may be perfect for you, but that wasn’t the expressed purpose. No, amid many good intentions and brilliant design decisions, a video game that was made with no one in particular attempts to please everyone, and ends up pleasing no one. It’s a cross-pollinated genre specimen that is not like either of its parents, but like the abandoned bastard it is. It’s a labor of love for its creators, and a chore for the rest of us.
That’s Lucky Luke (1998), one of the more charming games I’ve ever played that I just feel sorry for.
Lost forever to obscurity, Lucky Luke takes place during the time in the 90s when games were still accustomed to offering 2D platforming, but overlaid on a 3D background. Forever the eternal crusade of video game protagonists to march towards the right side of the screen and jump when necessary, this strange juxtaposition just aggravated the jarring disparity between imagination and technology.
Lucky Luke is a beautiful game. It’s wonderful to take a sojourn though it. But sadly, it combines the influences of a platformer and a puzzle game to become a slow-paced meander through the Old West that gives you time to appreciate the art direction.
I like it, and having such fine taste, you’ll like it too. However, regardless of our appreciation, Lucky Luke was not made for us. It wasn’t made for gamers familiar with platformers or puzzlers. It’s not for fans of Westerns, who probably have a preference for shooting cowboys wearing drabber clothes. It’s not for children, who will enjoy the lovely color scheme and the cartoon violence of killing people with bullets and overhanging cargo boxes.
Lucky Luke was made for its makers. It’s a selfish choice, but it’s the only choice available towards the creation of art. Lucky Luke is a rare creation that we’ll likely not see again, and for this it’s doomed for eternity to receive such eulogies.
If only Lucky Luke was made for anyone, and it could have been, just as all great art is. But Lucky Luke is not of such a high pedigree; instead, it delights its audience with its fresh take, and then punishes them with the responsibility of having to play through its clunky gameplay.
* Off-topic example: when Paris Hilton looks into the camera and says, “I love you, national audience,” she’s not saying she loves you as a person. She loves the public as a whole, and in doing so she gives herself to everyone. In case you lose Paris Hilton, you should keep in mind that she loves the next guy as much as you.
That’s “everyone”
** Don’t like the ending to Red Dead Redemption? Son, that’s the whole point of the game.
How far did I get in 20 minutes: finished the first stage, and then got killed by the mini-boss while wielding a frying pan I had no idea what to do with
The good: liking this game has put me into a more inclusive fan club that Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
The bad: it’s hard to get other hipsters to notice me playing this down at the coffee canteen
Will I play this game again once this year is over: Yee-haw! Damn tootin! Well, somebody has to…
Days so far in the Year of the Play-a-DayStation: 21
Play-a-Daystation 