Bryan Behrenshausen's public notebook. Updated irregularly.
My recent description of the Mother video game franchise represents my most significant attempt (to date) at describing precisely why I love the games so much. That shot at articulating the ineffable appears in the recently released 100 Greatest Video Game Franchises book from Rowan & Littlefield:
At a time when players and critics alike tend to laud video games for some ability to help players transcend or project or escape, Mother reminds us that we are always right here, entirely aware of our complex relationship to its quips and quirks, nowhere other than in the midst of the emotional miasma it spins. While seemingly similar games celebrate the spirit of the journey, the joy of striking out, the thrill of leaving behind, Mother recalls the importance of coming home.
The book looks wonderful, and it’s available now (along with its sister volume).
# July 2, 2017