Coincidentally enough, comic books have for a long time incorporated basic morality into their story lines. Spider-Man especially, considering the center of the his existence is based on the saying "with great power comes great responsibility". This saying reflects the very essence of the character and has stuck with many readers throughout their lives. I myself have always identified with the character of Spider-Man and even more so with the man behind the mask, Peter Parker. Peter's modest east coast upbringing mirrored my own and when coupled with the fact that I grew up on a street called Parker Avenue, it was almost impossible for me to avoid connecting with the character on many levels.
When I purchased The Amazing Spider-Man I had little to no expectations about the quality of the game itself. I had seen the newest film version (which I thoroughly enjoyed) and I was ready to play another game featuring my favorite super powered vigilante. I burned through the story mode insanely fast on the hardest difficulty, and needless to say the game wasn't the most riveting or challenging experience. Sure I died a few times along the way, but that was more due to trial and error than anything else.
But this is not a review of The Amazing Spider-Man. What I'm here to discuss is that despite the fact that this game is mediocre at best, I now have a platinum trophy on it. I spent about 20 hours doing everything you possibly could do in that game and I did not enjoy myself through the last hours of it. Why did I subject myself to this torture? Because of my love for the character and what he represents? Because web-slinging through a full scale Manhattan is exhilarating?
The answer is that for me this game was art imitating life.
As previously stated I've always identified with the character of Spider-Man. When I beat the story mode of The Amazing Spider-Man something in my brain told me that I needed to see this one through all the way to the end. I needed to trudge through copious amounts of repetitive and mundane tasks and get myself that platinum trophy. It was time consuming, painstaking and down right boring at times. At 1:30 A.M. I completed my task and went to sleep.
The next morning I went to work.
I trudged through copious amounts of repetitive and mundane tasks. It was time consuming, painstaking and down right boring at times. It always is, yet I still do it. I go to work not because I want to, but because the end result is that I can continue to live in here in San Francisco, play music and one day reach my goal of making a living through my art.
Although The Amazing Spider-Man can not take the credit of introducing me to the concept of focus and determination, it definitely serves as a reminder that plugging away at something can produce a desired outcome. Never give up on your dreams, kids!
What do you guys think? Can games reinforce productive and positive attitudes? Leave a comment and check back for more at www.fanboysanonymous.com
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