No Lives Left

I always love how discussions of “realism” in games come down to graphics and physics. I ultimately think that neither of those factors ever made a game more "real." Sure, when a trailer plays for the new Call of Duty or Final Fantasy, the graphics do look amazing. The facial features and lighting are very life-like, and the voice dubbing is top notch. But just because something looks real, doesn't make it feel real. There is nothing in those games that pulls at something inside you. A good game may make you feel different emotions: anger, love, sadness, or joy—but not futility or helplessness. And I understand that it's not supposed to. Most games just use the graphics as an immersion factor, but the ultimate point of the video game is just for entertainment. But still, people want their graphics real and it always cracks me up. Look at dem in-game graphics! It's so real! And if it's not graphics, people harp about the physics. The way a gun shoots or t...