s n a p p e r h e a d

let yourself feel—Esteban Diácono

Deliver me from Swedish furniture. Deliver me from clever art. May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect. — Chuck Palahniuk

Heavy Rain

A video game for film lovers, Heavy Rain is a unique detective and revenge thriller that will keep you entertained for 12-15 hours the first time (I'm almost finished with my second go-round).

Reasons to like this game: Death is death. In most other games when your character "dies" he returns at a previous save-point or re-spawning location (which my paramour calls 'the Shoots and Ladders element', bless her heart)—not in Heavy Rain. If one of the four characters you control dies, you're 25% closer to game-over. It is possible to identify the serial killer and win the game with only one remaining character alive and mobile.

No cheats or work-arounds. The most common work around in other games is to save your game (especially before a conflict) and when you die you re-load and resume where you saved—not in Heavy Rain. Saving your game is not an option. When you make a mistake the game immediately autosaves...so that's where it will return if you try to start over.

No jumping through the movie scenes. In many games the "story" may feel like it is slowing your game play so you skip the story and get on with the mission—not in Heavy Rain. You are watching a movie. The plot unfolds differently depending on what actions (or inactions) you choose with each of your characters, but you can't skip the (sometimes lengthy) film and dialogue.

Emotional investment in the characters. With the use of theatrics (music score, camera movement, mise-en-scène, script, and stereotypical protagonist/antagonist plotting, etc.) you begin to care about your game characters like you would a film character. Your emotional desire to "protect" or "save" your character(s) influences your game decisons.

A desire to re-play more than once. The outcome of the entire game will be different if you defend yourself completely, drive the car expertly, and don't trip at that crucial moment. But, as the story unfolds from four points-of-view you'll choose what to say, you'll accomplish some "mini-missions," and you'll make mistakes. Consequently, you'll want to go back and make a different decision or master the unique controls one more time.

All Trophies are unknown. Trophies provide a record of additional accomplishments for those who want more goals than just the completion of the game. In many games you can scroll through the list of trophies to determine some of the important "mini-missions". In Heavy Rain all trophies are locked and unknown until you earn them.

Reasons to dislike this game: Linear-gameplay. This isn't a sandbox-game and, therefore, you can't roam and explore beyond the confines of the scene-area, which enforces the "film feel" of the game.

Vehicle driving. Although your characters drive different vehicles, you don't have much—if any—driver control; again, enforcing the "film feel".

Character similarity. Two of your characters look very similar...so much so, that—until one grows a beard—you confuse them. The first time I played the game, I thought this was intentional and that I'd eventually learn they were related (brothers or, maybe, a Fight Club-thing). Nope. Just poor casting by the director.

No Jumping through the movie scenes. Yea, this is/was a plus...but it's only positive the first time or two through. On the fifth viewing, now you've memorized what they're going to say for the next five minutes, and you may abandon the cut-scene heavy game.

I have heard, and read, strong criticism about the unique character controls. I think it's important to understand that the uniqueness of the controls is crucial to enjoying the game. If the controls were simple or similar to other games the challenge of moving your characters in a stress situation would be non-existent. As your character gets excited, it translates to his thoughts and to the controller, then you make mistaken statements or take clumsy movements which adds to your fear for your characters safety...and that empathy drives your desire for a win-finish. It wouldn't be a thrill if you could rely upon muscle memory to control your characters, so...floating a "button/movement" on the screen when specific actions are needed lends a spontaneous immediacy that could not be attained in any other manner.

On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. — Chuck Palahniuk (Fight Club)

Unfriended the old fashioned way

          Last year I was unfriended by my last, outspoken conservative-christian-republican (ccr) friend. I've written about him before. I did not learn of our no-longer-friendship in the Facebook-way (I don't book) but rather in the protracted, adult, manner of heterosexual men.

          Although I can't recall the specific words I said which (hindsight affords me the knowledge must have) drove a wedge in our friendship, I remember our last debate was about religion. His routine, after hours of alcohol-fueled conversation, was to begin to proselytize—mine was applying logic to debunk his religion.

          Just before he started talking about god, we'd been discussing porn:

"...because I'm a man and men have needs. Even though my job takes me on the road for long periods, I still need it daily. Hell...three or more times a day! But because of those needs—that I, as a good christian and a good husband wouldn't allow to be met by anyone but my wife—I rely on porn even though I hate doing it." He said, nodding in the direction of his laptop.

"You...I don't understand. You're saying you hate porn, but it's a necessary evil?" I asked.

"Porn is...yea. It's bad. Horrible." He said. "It can...it sucks you in. Like dope's a gateway drug— pornography's a gateway perversion. You can get addicted to it. It...there's so much out there...it's too available."

"I disagree." I said. "It's more like guns than marijuana. To call it a gateway means that once you start whatever you're 'headed-down-a-slippery-slope'. Porn doesn't do that. The adage: 'guns don't kill—people do' is more appropriate, I think. If you follow a link from a porn site to a chat site to a webcam site and eventually end up driving to a prostitute you found on craig's list...you can't blame the porn, only yourself."

          At this point he shifted the conversation directly to religion and god. His god. He touched on his belief in the bible...his being saved from an afterlife in hell (and my lack thereof)...how homosexuals were terrible sinners...and then said he didn't vote for Obama because he was a Muslim.

          I called him a willfully-ignorant bigot—afraid of people who thought or behaved differently than he did. When he tried to rebut, I replied that he'd just proved his prejudice by stating someone should not be president because of a religion different than his own; and proved his ignorance by believing something he read on the internet or heard on FOX.

          I, then, dropped the blade on our 12-year friendship (I guess) by calling his entire belief-system a fantasy...no different than scientology...and saying that after death he'd return to the state of nothingness he was before he was born; as had—and would—every living thing. I also said that even though there's no such thing as hell, I still took offense when he proclaimed I and others were headed there, since it's the thought that counts and his thoughts were not those of a friend.

For three months after that, our communication was one-directional, then I stopped trying. It's been a year. I no longer have any more ccr friends to alienate. There are some extended family members and a few acquaintances who are ccr, but they (unfortunately) know not to discuss their prejudices, flaunt their superstitions, talk about their imaginary friends, or embrace their ignorance around me.

I don't think he'll ever read this blog (heathen's words are probably a gateway to a lower ring of hell or something equally imaginary) but if he does: Jim, I'm sorry I was rude and dismissive, forgive me?

Reprove your friend in secret and praise him openly. — Leonardo da Vinci

Vanishing Point - Bonsajo

My creativity is hibernating so I'm sharing the art and music of others.

A painter should begin every canvas with a wash of black, because all things in nature are dark except where exposed by the light. — Leonardo da Vinci

The Universe

There are these adorable little organisms—did I say little? I'm sorry, minuscule creatures—who've survived for less than an infinitesimal tic of time (bless their hearts) on a almost invisible mote of gravity revolving around a mediocre speck of light. Here's the giggle: they imagine all of everything was created for them by a magic being who looks like they do. I know!...Right?