To be honest, I had already given up on videogames. The latter years saw the emergence of a trend which, I fear, will continue for some time. I call this trend emulated realism, where digital environements try to emulate reality as close as possible. This emulation not only applies to environmental representation, but also to physics and manageble objects. In short, whenever a videogames tried to look “real”, it also tried to fullfil the expectations the player has when confronted with this reality. These expectations ususally come in the form of the ability to handle or interact with every object the player is presented with, an the ability to roam through the environment on his own accord. Some examples of these games are GTA: San Andres, Halo 2, Half-Life 2, and the host of MMORPG’s whom by nature are defined by their ability to have their players roam through their fictional worlds.
Such a trend is blurring the boundaries of simulation and game. Where does a game end and a simulation begin? Technological advances are not a factor, since early simulations were also incapable of displaying a level of realism which was normally associated with videogames.
Therefore, the actual content is more indicative when determining whether a piece of software can be labelled game or simulation. With the increase of games which display real world environments, with the associated fullfilment of expectations, there is hardly a boundary to acknowledge.
It is therefore refreshing to see a videogame which behaves like videogames used to do; a true Deus Ex Machina. Although the visual representation of the digital environment in Resident Evil 4 tries to emulate reality, it does not conform to the expectations one would have when entering such an environment. For instance, it is impossible to deviate from a path through a forest, even though the trees give ample room to move through. In this way, a player is guided along by the game, instead of having the ability to explore and utilize his own surroundings.
The same same expectational disappointment aplies to doors and objects. Some doors might be part of the scenery, while other doors may be opened. Some objects can be handled, other cannot. The latters ones are indicated with a flashing sign when the player is in the proximity of such a door or other object, which is means that the game indicates what is interactive, instead of the environement and the expectations it produces. By inhibiting and even shattering the sense of disbelief of the player, the focus can shift from interactivity with the environment towards gameplay and storyline.
Players sometimes seem to have trouble grasping this concept. Nourished on a steady diet of reality-conforming games, they often will run into situations where their expectations will not be met, as illustrated with the above mentioned example of the forest path. Although this might frustrate some players at first, I can only applaud Capcom for their daring to release such a game as this, in an industry which embraces the opposite trend.
