(This is a republished, old entry.)
It is very often that I hear others speak negatively of a piece of work just because it wasn't what THEY expected it to be. And it happens with my brother all the time. We go to see this movie, and he says “it sucked”, simply because he thought it would be something different.
It's like when we went to see Bridge to Terabithia (I hope I spelled that right). Since we never read the original work this movie was based on, we let ourselves be “fooled” by the trailers, and were expecting to see something like The Chronicles of Narnia or Harry Potter, under the theme of “reality meets fantasy”. But we were wrong. This was not a fantasy action or science fiction movie, nor anything like that. It was something simpler, but for me, in the end, more beautiful than what I was expecting it to be. Here was a very moving story of two pre-teenagers trying to escape from their realities, if only for a few moments every day, while meaning no harm to anybody; just using their imagination. And I really liked that. I forgot about my expectations and enjoyed the movie, and praised it for what it was; not for what I wanted it to be. My brother, however, kept thinking that it should have been a fantasy movie, and didn't give it a chance. He still thinks the same.
And then it happened again today; this time with an amateur game. And I am talking about a game called The Mirror Lied, developed in only 4 days with RPG Maker XP, by a really talented person. This was supposed to be a simple side project to distract his mind from the big game project he has been working on for over a year now. The end result of his brief work ended in controversy. Considered by many as the most original, most intriguing RPG Maker game ever made to this date, it has also received harsh criticism from those who were expecting a game with a linear and comprehensible story. The problem here is that they can't forget about the set standards (aka “the game must have a –clear– point!”), and for that reason, can't let the game shine for its own strange beauty. The Mirror Lied is not for everyone. I mean, it does have a point, but… It's a game with a vague structure, and consisting of a series of elements that serve as a base for the player to interpret a meaning of their own, and create their own story. And when you think about it, what is a roleplaying game? Now, let's split those two words a moment and think about what they mean: “role” and “playing”. Role-playing. Playing a role. The role of who? And what's the role? While most roleplaying games make you follow a very clear and linear story and barely offer any freedom to choose what is going to happen, The Mirror Lied turns to be the opposite of that. Some will definitely think this game has failed in having any point at all. And there's little we can do about that. Because, like the author said, this game is what you interpret it to be. It can be an Horror game and scare you, or not. You are presented with many objects you can interact with, and they could mean something if you want them to… Or they could mean nothing at all. It all depends on your own experiences. It's a girl without a face; a mannequin without a dress. Yes, there is something missing; and according to what the author has stated several times already, you are meant to fill that emptiness yourself. And I repeat: while this may still be considered a pointless game for lacking a solid structure, it's also considered a masterpiece because of that. That, is “both its beauty and its ugly”. It all depends on your interpretation. I am very happy with this game, even if I still haven't found my own clear interpretation of the events that occurred in it. But I am hoping that I eventually will, like others already have. I'll say much more about this game soon.
Let's just think about an abstract painting. What is the abstract painting supposed to mean? I leave you with that for now.
It's possible that none of this made sense… But it's almost 3 AM here, you see… I am sleepy, so I'll review this in the morning or afternoon.
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