Not to be out-nerded by Offender Anderson (there can be only one!), I am compelled to share the trailer for an upcoming video game.

Before I gave up on the relatively nascent art form, one of my favorite franchises was undoubtedly Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed.

Initial information on the first in the series made it seem solely like a period game set during the Crusades featuring assassins.

And while, to an extent, it actually was, you as the player wouldn’t actually be playing through the game as if the Crusades were ongoing.  The brilliant spin is that you would actually be playing as one of this man’s descendants.

The conceit is that your ancestors’ memories are embedded in their DNA and are passed down from generation to generation.  Someone in the present is searching for an important artifact and their only lead is one of your ancestors.

Using a machine called an Animus, they are able to watch you navigate your ancestor’s memories and inadvertently help them find the location of this artifact.

Honestly, I don’t know why they haven’t fast-tracked a Hollywood adaptation yet with me as an advisor.

At this point, there have been three games released – the first video is of the upcoming fourth and the second video is of the third game, already out.

Depending on your experience of video games, you may believe them to be very simple, even facile creations.  Generally speaking, I think even those with the most superficial encounters with games would find it difficult to deny that – visually speaking – yes, games have come a long way.

One widespread stereotype, however, is that – in terms of narratives – they are still far behind forms like film or literature.

Play through a game like Assassin’s Creed or Uncharted or Mass Effect and experience for yourself that this is far from the truth.

Bear in mind, of course, that different games have different aims (while Creed has its detailed mythos and series of themes, Uncharted is more akin to a fun Hollywood blockbuster and Mass Effect is a space opera of the highest order) and that games – unlike the other mediums – have you controlling the narrative to varying extents.

What works in one won’t work in another and that ongoing process occasionally bears fruit such as those games.

Yes, the trailer is a very superficial argument for this, but hey, professor – I’m not getting graded for this!  But it shouldn’t be difficult to concede that, judging from that video alone, the editing and use of music is more than effective, rivaling most fare hitting silver screens today.

So if any of the unconverted actually read my blogs, take the time out to play through one of these games (although set aside a lot of time for Mass Effect) – I guarantee it will, at the very least, be an eye-opening experience.

NOW WHERE THE FUCK IS MY MONEY, UBISOFT?