Link to original post: [drupal=5511]Is it rising?[/drupal]
Bought a game about two weeks ago, you know, pretty typical stuff to do around the holidays. The game is called Little Inferno. It's essentially a fireplace simulator. So, I thought, how cool is that? I've seen those TV screens with an image of a burning log looping endlessly and one in my own living room would be neat and kind of funny to show off. Reviews didn't quite describe it as that, though-- everywhere I read up on it, it was described as an "experience" and how the story was so good. Naturally, I snatched it up when it was on sale.
I must warn you. If you have any intention of playing this game, seriously do play it before reading anything here. It really is an experience and the less you know about it, the better. I don't really tell the story, just the premise and some of its messages, but still, it might be worth checking out.
So I start the game and beat it that night. It mixed some small puzzle elements with the childish fun of burning toys and things, sure, but what managed to sneak up on me was none other than the story. It hit me full force, slapped me across the face, and then politely helped me back up. I have no doubt that an eleven page research paper could be written on everything this game criticizes and preaches, but I really want to just talk about certain parts of the story. I don't even cover everything that's said, and there's a lot.
The game starts out with you acquiring your Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace, which is made by Tomorrow Corporation. You burn things because it is cold outside. A small tutorial in the form of paper is shown to you, at which point you burn the TOS and begin the game, which has you buy your way through catalogs of merchandise, which are then delivered to you. At first, your only contact is the owner of Tomorrow Corp., this fat old lady named Miss Nancy, but as you progress, a strange girl who signs her letters as Sugar Plumps begins writing to you. You also receive messages from the Weather Man, who gives you weather updates. Now, Sugar Plumps' letters...they're only really special once you beat the game. It's like a movie where when you watch it again, you pick up on small messages that you might not have really considered important the first time. In this game, anything important is usually repeated like 5 times. And capitalized. So, this brings me to the first important thing the game shows.
"When I play with my Leetle Inferno Fireplace...
I have sooOOO much fun!
I stare into the fIRE for HOURS and DAYS...
Where does all the time GO?
It floats up up the chimney...
...up up up...
...like everything else.
..."
This message is actually delivered to you fairly late in the story, but it's the only message that kind of explains everything. Like high school literature, we have some pretty blatant symbolism going on in this game that even someone that hasn't played might be able to figure out. Over time, you come to realize that your Little Inferno is basically anything that distracts from life. It's a TV, a computer, a smartphone, a videogame. When you use the "Little Inferno" to "keep warm" because it's "cold outside" you're burning things and watching them go up in smoke. The same goes for the time spent. Those hours and days are gone forever.
"But you can't do that forever!
There is bound to be an end!"
At the beginning of the game, this is what you're told about burning things and sitting in front of your Little Inferno. Later, you hear this as a sort of stock response to everything. The weather, the things you're burning in the fire, and the "free money" you get (you buy things for money, you burn said thing, and you get more money than you started with). It's probably one of my favorite lines in the game, since it's a truth that's really not heard and never said as jovially as in this game. I equate it to "we're all gonna die anyway!" It's a strange thing to consider, but when you hear it six times and mix it with the rest of the game, you kind of feel bad. I'm that kid in this game wasting his life sitting in front of the fireplace? Wait, what?
"We're not allloooone you know
The city is fillllled with people!
I know they are there.
I can see theeeir chimneys ... and smell the smoooke!
There are more people than I can count!
I want to visit everyone and ask biiiilllions of questions!
Where did you come from?
What did you always want to be?
What's your favorite smeeellll?!
But even though they are everywhere ... they are far away like leeetle burning galaxies
...with leeettle smoking chimneys on their heads!"
It's revealed about half-way through the game that Sugar Plumps is actually your neighbor, with the only thing separating you and her being the wall. This particular letter really hits me because I remember having thoughts like this. You know, I'm pretty shy, even on the internet. But that doesn't stop me from wondering about people. I sorely wish I could go up to someone and ask them how they're doing, or why they just did the thing they did without sounding like a creep or a ******. It's not that I can't, but there's always something holding me back in any social situation for some stupid reason.
"I've been here too long!
And I'm not getting any younger!
Although I DO look fantaaastic for my age!
There was so much more I wanted to do!
Where did aaalllll the time go??
Ohhh! It's easy to forget!
I remember when I wanted to be an astronaut!
And explore the cosmos!
And compose a symphony!
And dive to the bottom of the ocean!
And discover lost cities!
And build new cities!
And become a model!
But before you know it...
...
Ooo!"
Man, call me a baby or something, but this is the part that legitimately made me tear up, and I'm not sure why. Here we have Miss Nancy, at the end of the game kind of just talking to you. It reminds me of hell, any person over 40 I've ever talked to. You've heard these before:
"Life is too short."
"Bud, I tell ya, enjoy it while it lasts."
"A month?! I'm telling you, treasure that...I get two weeks in one year..."
"I was about your age..."
Something along those lines. It's ****ing depressing. Why does life have to end? Why do we have to work and be unable to spend time chasing our dreams? Does it have to be like that? I don't want to be 30, 40, 50, 60 and thinking, "There was so much more I wanted to do!" I don't want to be Miss Nancy.
"It's so bright...
...it hurts to open my eyes
Is the sun rising or is it setting?
I stared at it forever, but I could never tell.
Rising?
Or setting?
It hurts my eyes..."
This last bit is like any of those open ended questions. Half full? Half empty? What is is it? Does it matter? Maybe it just hurts to look and realize what it really is??
So...
Bought a game about two weeks ago, you know, pretty typical stuff to do around the holidays. The game is called Little Inferno. It's essentially a fireplace simulator. So, I thought, how cool is that? I've seen those TV screens with an image of a burning log looping endlessly and one in my own living room would be neat and kind of funny to show off. Reviews didn't quite describe it as that, though-- everywhere I read up on it, it was described as an "experience" and how the story was so good. Naturally, I snatched it up when it was on sale.
I must warn you. If you have any intention of playing this game, seriously do play it before reading anything here. It really is an experience and the less you know about it, the better. I don't really tell the story, just the premise and some of its messages, but still, it might be worth checking out.
So I start the game and beat it that night. It mixed some small puzzle elements with the childish fun of burning toys and things, sure, but what managed to sneak up on me was none other than the story. It hit me full force, slapped me across the face, and then politely helped me back up. I have no doubt that an eleven page research paper could be written on everything this game criticizes and preaches, but I really want to just talk about certain parts of the story. I don't even cover everything that's said, and there's a lot.
The game starts out with you acquiring your Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace, which is made by Tomorrow Corporation. You burn things because it is cold outside. A small tutorial in the form of paper is shown to you, at which point you burn the TOS and begin the game, which has you buy your way through catalogs of merchandise, which are then delivered to you. At first, your only contact is the owner of Tomorrow Corp., this fat old lady named Miss Nancy, but as you progress, a strange girl who signs her letters as Sugar Plumps begins writing to you. You also receive messages from the Weather Man, who gives you weather updates. Now, Sugar Plumps' letters...they're only really special once you beat the game. It's like a movie where when you watch it again, you pick up on small messages that you might not have really considered important the first time. In this game, anything important is usually repeated like 5 times. And capitalized. So, this brings me to the first important thing the game shows.
"When I play with my Leetle Inferno Fireplace...
I have sooOOO much fun!
I stare into the fIRE for HOURS and DAYS...
Where does all the time GO?
It floats up up the chimney...
...up up up...
...like everything else.
..."
This message is actually delivered to you fairly late in the story, but it's the only message that kind of explains everything. Like high school literature, we have some pretty blatant symbolism going on in this game that even someone that hasn't played might be able to figure out. Over time, you come to realize that your Little Inferno is basically anything that distracts from life. It's a TV, a computer, a smartphone, a videogame. When you use the "Little Inferno" to "keep warm" because it's "cold outside" you're burning things and watching them go up in smoke. The same goes for the time spent. Those hours and days are gone forever.
"But you can't do that forever!
There is bound to be an end!"
At the beginning of the game, this is what you're told about burning things and sitting in front of your Little Inferno. Later, you hear this as a sort of stock response to everything. The weather, the things you're burning in the fire, and the "free money" you get (you buy things for money, you burn said thing, and you get more money than you started with). It's probably one of my favorite lines in the game, since it's a truth that's really not heard and never said as jovially as in this game. I equate it to "we're all gonna die anyway!" It's a strange thing to consider, but when you hear it six times and mix it with the rest of the game, you kind of feel bad. I'm that kid in this game wasting his life sitting in front of the fireplace? Wait, what?
"We're not allloooone you know
The city is fillllled with people!
I know they are there.
I can see theeeir chimneys ... and smell the smoooke!
There are more people than I can count!
I want to visit everyone and ask biiiilllions of questions!
Where did you come from?
What did you always want to be?
What's your favorite smeeellll?!
But even though they are everywhere ... they are far away like leeetle burning galaxies
...with leeettle smoking chimneys on their heads!"
It's revealed about half-way through the game that Sugar Plumps is actually your neighbor, with the only thing separating you and her being the wall. This particular letter really hits me because I remember having thoughts like this. You know, I'm pretty shy, even on the internet. But that doesn't stop me from wondering about people. I sorely wish I could go up to someone and ask them how they're doing, or why they just did the thing they did without sounding like a creep or a ******. It's not that I can't, but there's always something holding me back in any social situation for some stupid reason.
"I've been here too long!
And I'm not getting any younger!
Although I DO look fantaaastic for my age!
There was so much more I wanted to do!
Where did aaalllll the time go??
Ohhh! It's easy to forget!
I remember when I wanted to be an astronaut!
And explore the cosmos!
And compose a symphony!
And dive to the bottom of the ocean!
And discover lost cities!
And build new cities!
And become a model!
But before you know it...
...
Ooo!"
Man, call me a baby or something, but this is the part that legitimately made me tear up, and I'm not sure why. Here we have Miss Nancy, at the end of the game kind of just talking to you. It reminds me of hell, any person over 40 I've ever talked to. You've heard these before:
"Life is too short."
"Bud, I tell ya, enjoy it while it lasts."
"A month?! I'm telling you, treasure that...I get two weeks in one year..."
"I was about your age..."
Something along those lines. It's ****ing depressing. Why does life have to end? Why do we have to work and be unable to spend time chasing our dreams? Does it have to be like that? I don't want to be 30, 40, 50, 60 and thinking, "There was so much more I wanted to do!" I don't want to be Miss Nancy.
"It's so bright...
...it hurts to open my eyes
Is the sun rising or is it setting?
I stared at it forever, but I could never tell.
Rising?
Or setting?
It hurts my eyes..."
This last bit is like any of those open ended questions. Half full? Half empty? What is is it? Does it matter? Maybe it just hurts to look and realize what it really is??
So...
Is it rising?
...Or is it setting?
...Or is it setting?
