There Has Been an Awakening
Maybe some of you are over this game, but my first step into the modern gaming world began a few months ago, via Battlefront II, and I’m hooked.
I have only recently begun playing video games after a long, absence and likely prompted by my midlife crisis. To let you know my age, as a kid, I played Intellivision then progressed Sega Genesis when it came out during my senior year of high school. And even then, video games did not consume very much of my time. Games felt to “complex” for my video-game-inept brain. Watching others play was entertaining because they were capable, but it was never fun when I tried and repeatedly, immediately failed. But something has awaken...
LET THE PAST DIE
My brother/roommate was a video game tester, so consoles and games were continually around our house, and I now have a child who now is into Minecraft and has a Playstation 4. About 6 months ago, inspired by the hype around The Last Jedi that my interest had been piqued enough to try again. We had Battlefront on the PS4, and I poked around it with a desire to fly a TIE fighter. But unable to not immediately be killed, I gave up. My strategy is, what I call, to “oscillate wildly” (always loved that title of that the Smiths song! My strategy is not as beautiful and harmonious as the song, though) was pressing all the buttons on the controller at random and hope that something would save my life.
THAT IS WHY YOU FAIL
You would think that having a son and a brother who are very skilled at video games that they would be helpful. If continually sarcastic remarks, snickers and “why did you do that?” and “press L2, NO L2!” or “Do you want me to do it for you?” or “Duh, hit the “options” button” or “Give me the controller; I’ll do it for you” type of questions and statements sneered at you were helpful, then they were intensely, extremely helpful. I began to believe that I would never get the hang of it.
A NEW HOPE
Then the Battlefront II trailer came out, and I saw the focus on the dark side; I saw my cupcake and his big red saber featured, and I became hopeful that I could play again. One of the parents who I talk to as we wait for our kids to get out of school became my first Battlefront II enabler and when it was released, he got the game and would tell me all about Iden Versio and the Battle Scenarios. I wasn’t sure that I should buy it, just yet, and tried playing Battlefront, again, to see if I could be persistent enough, learn all the buttons on the controller for that game before spending money on Battlefront II because I was pretty skeptical that I would persist and it would be wasted money.
I began to talk to my friend more and from what he described about the game, I became more and more intrigued. With anything I’m interested in, I do research, and I began to seek out articles about Battlefront II. Apparently there is quite a bit of unhappiness with it, and not being a gamer, I understood very little of it and am not knowledgable enough to join that discussion...yet
During my time weighing my decision to take on this challenge or not, I reconnected with a long-lost friend, who also played Battlefront II. I would watch him play, and I became even more intrigued. Then we watched a youtube video of the campaign story, with the game play edited out, and that was the catalyst to rebuild a sense of persistence in me.
DO OR DO NOT
I expressed my determination to others in my own smug way, a method to goad myself into not quitting by declaring: “you know, I don’t know why I think the game is so hard. I mean if the guys I know can play it, then certainly it can’t be too difficult.” On top of that, my Star Wars-hating son, really wanted to play the game as well. In fact right after Christmas, he asked if I could buy it for him. Hoping this could be my way to sway him to the dark side, I had to resist buying it for him. Being right after Christmas I told him that there was no way he needed more stuff, so I bought it for myself!
I started out with the Arcade games; being able to choose dark side characters and swing a lightsaber was quite satisfying. I also learned that with an EA account, I would get crates. I wasn’t sure what the hell that meant or what to do with them once I had opened them and saw the cool stuff, but the story in the campaign kept calling me. So I began.
YOU NEED A TEACHER
On New Year’s Eve, my way to celebrate was to stay home and play Battlefront II all night. My friend who I had recently connected with decided that he’d rather see that than attend a party he was planning on going to. I figured it was so he could get a good laugh and have more ammo to make fun of me. However, I give much credit to him for being a supportive, helpful guide. He explained the controller, help me understand how to load the neato things I had gotten in my crates, and helped me have patience with the level. A couple days after New Year’s I finished the first mission. The adrenaline and endorphin release was expected, but its fierce intensity was not.
THE GREATEST TEACHER, FAILURE IS
Luckily I was on winter break from teaching, and I became a bit consumed and obsessed about continuing my mission. Days I had my house to myself were when I was the most successful, not because things came easily but because no one was around to heckle me, hear me shout obscenities, or see me near tears when I could not get past a level. I often found myself up after midnight just trying once more to finish a mission. And then no one was around for me to wake up as I cheered and jumped around victoriously!
IT’S A TRAP!
Consume you it will! Friends on Facebook became concerned when my posts were continually about me playing Battlefront II. When I turned down invitations to meet up, the assumption was that I was playing Battlefront II (sometimes those assumptions were correct.) Now that I had the hang of it, I found myself always wanting to play.
GREAT KID, DON’T GET COCKY!
Beating my son in Arcade mode was a highlight, and I behaved as any mature parent would when beating her 10-year-old at a game -- I jumped and down, cheered, pointing mockingly at him and shouting “HA! TAKE THAT!”
TRAITOR!
Oh, the heartbreak I had when Iden Versio betrayed the Empire. I feel so tainted fighting against the Empire (although being able to play one mission as my cupcake, Kylo Ren, helped me use that anger properly) and against the First Order, in the Resurrection campaign. I hope one day the stain of my betrayal to the dark side with wash away.
It took me a couple months to complete the main campaign and I got stuck for about a week on the last mission of Resurrection.
I HATE YOU!
Because my brother is ruthless, he decided, after seeing my progress with the game, that he would play the Campaign. In a few days he had completed it and caught up to me on Resurrection. So he, my friend, and I were all at the same point on Resurrection. My friend and I had just commiserated by text on trying to protect Zay as she planted detonators. The day after I spent another late night failing to protect Zay, my brother finished the campaign. I texted my friend that night “I hate my brother. He just finished Resurrection” And my friend’s reply. “I just finished it, too.” My reply. “Fuck you. I hate you, too.”
STAY ON TARGET
I would not allow myself to go to bed until I had completed it. I started at 11pm and by 12:43, I had finally completed the mission. Resurrection was done! I sent my friend a message via PS4 and text message -- hoping to wake his ass up with my message of trivial Battlefront II glory. For those who are avid gamers, this may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for me, I was on a high from this accomplishment for about a week!
Now, I am exploring the Battle Scenarios and joining friends online. Look at this dream team I was a part of. I sucked; we lost, but it was fun.
I WAS MISTAKEN ABOUT A GREAT MANY THINGS
As someone who was scared of and sometimes scoffed at video games (because of my ignorance and inability), I’ve come to learn what an amazing feat of creativity and innovation they are. The collaborative effort of imaginations and technical skill that go into a game like Battlefront II are most impressive. I don’t know enough about video games to understand the criticisms of it. Perhaps it’s because I’m new to this that I find it so amazing, where those who have been gaming for a while already know what an incredible accomplishment a game can be to make and play.
- Squire Ren
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