Facade

Sep 16, 2013 by bganter

When I first heard about Facade I was extremely interested and curious. I knew it was an interactive game that was very different from conventional computer games in that there were no opponents to beat or levels to overcome; the objective was simply to be yourself and to try and help a struggling couple with their marriage. The couple were admittedly highly annoying at times but their problems seemed simple and somehow familiar, which is why this particular game appealed to me. If Facade was created with today’s technology I think that it would be far more interesting because it would involve the player in a real life scenario where he or she could interact with the computer characters as if they were a real couple (although I don’t know that giving relationship advice is the usual gamer’s idea of fun) and the couple would actually be responsive to the player’s actions and words. In the game as it is, it seemed at times as if the characters weren’t listening to me at all, even though I was giving them some great advice. In that way the game wasn’t completely interactive. Even though the poor technology in the game detracted from the overall gaming experience, I think that playing gave me a completely new outlook on marital issues that watching a movie or reading a book never could because I was a character that could actually witness and influence the actions and decisions of the other characters.