Shallow Depths

June has been a month of set-up and new beginnings for me.  Here on Personal Gamer I began by deciding to overhaul the comment system, and ended up redecorating the whole place.  I'm still tweaking minor things no one but me will probably ever notice.  I'm glad this tendency of mine only applies to my virtual homes or I'd run through a lot of furniture and trimmings.

Meanwhile, my own game review column is starting up on Game People.  As Microcosm Gamer I'll be looking at how games recreate elements of the real world, and how they inform my life.  A bit wanky arguably, but I happen to enjoy that sort of thing.  I know if I tried to write for a more standard review site I would get bored very quickly.

My first microcosm review is on Nier, and builds somewhat on my initial impressions here.

Having experienced Nier, Heavy Rain and the original Silent Hill recently I've been looking at a lot of game plots about fatherhood.  More specifically, about a father trying to save their child.  And on a basic level they were all the same -- a self-sacrificial struggle at any cost.  I think it's worth noting the unhealthy aspects of this take on what it means to be a parent.

There is more than that going on in Nier though, so it's been interesting to write about.  There is a lot about the game which would normally put me off, but somehow I forgive it.