Week 11&12 - Cornell Box and Unreal Engine
Personally, I think I find the eeriness of virtual worlds fascinating. I remember as a kid when I used to play video games, I would feel I was getting sucked in to this other dimension, living there for a brief moment in time. When it rained inside the game it felt like it rained in real life. This is what I find was the central concept of the game Gone Home that most people don't seem to appreciate enough. Most gamers want to just get the missions done, acquire the gems and score higher than before, but for me games and virtual worlds have always been about exploration, I never finished the mission-based games because I was too busy exploring the city and the objects. I never cared for what the story line was, I would always create my own story line. This is particularly what I loved about Gone Home. I had also recently played a game on my phone called Tiny Room, which is similar in essence, that the player has to go around the city explore different parts of the structures and find clues to solve mysteries. I think part of the reason I love these kinds of "explore a second dimension" games is that they offer an escape from the real world and the real problems I'm drowned in. It feels so good to step into the shoes of a character, explore and live the life as they would and forget about my own existence.
— Nima Niazi