Entry #2- Red Dead Redemption

Preliminary Elements:

Title: Red Dead Redemption
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Release Date: May, 2010
Game Type: Adventure

Game Summary:  In the same genre as the Grand Theft Auto Series (and from the same publisher) comes this riveting adventure game set in the beginning of the end of the old west days.  This game follows the adventures of former outlaw turned bounty hunter John Marston as he completes missions bringing him closer to his goal of being reunited with his family.  While the missions are the primary focus, the mini-games and other happenings in the virtual landscape can keep the player very engaged and busy for a long time.

Educational Value: This game is most certainly not appropriate for all ages. If you can look past the violence and language, there is an entire virtual world to explore.  The creators went to great lengths to create this world as historically accurate as possible including the detail on settlements and buildings.  In addition, this could be a good study on the general living conditions of the old west.  From a more advanced gaming perspective, the artificial intelligence and graphics are groundbreaking and could be a study in themselves.  

Opinion: I was not familiar with this game when I played it for the first time and, for someone who doesn't play games very often, I was amazed at how engaged I became in the storyline.  Everything about this game is just fantastic from the design (as I stated above) to the various missions and other objectives that the player must accomplish.  There is certainly no shortage of rewards which really entices the player to keep playing to complete one more mission or mini-game. The gameplay is very fast paced and before you know it, an hour or two has just flown by. The game has all the elements that we have studied and I can see why its so addicting. The game is very fun and engaging and while I can see the benefit to introducing older students to some of the more historically accurate aspects, I think this would have to be done a greatly limited scale.  Maybe just some screenshots or brief gameplay videos that don't have the objectionable material that truly do not belong in school.  An overall great game but, on the larger scale, not too appropriate for students.  

Entry #1 - Escape Series #1 The Car

Preliminary Elements:

Title: Escape Series #1 The Car
Publisher: Afro-Ninja Productions
Release Date: 2006
Game Type: Puzzle

Game Summary:  This is the first installment of the popular Flash based Escape series.  The game is essentially a puzzle where the player must point and click their way around the game's universe in the hopes of finding items and highlighted areas.  The player must use whatever tools are presented in a variety of methods to, escape from the car.  


Educational Value: This game, as well as the rest of the Escape series games, have limited educational value. The game does promote a level of critical and analytical thinking that often times leads to "outside the box" solutions.  


Opinion: The gameplay can get tedious, confusing and can be very frustrating as the player has to click directly on point for an action to occur.  In addition, as the player is trying to solve the puzzle, the time is being loudly monitored through a ticking clock which can get very annoying. While I didn't know how to play at the beginning, there is a quick learning curve and I found myself very engaged and focused as I tried to solve the puzzle.  I think this game could have some potential in the classroom to help students understand the potential relationship between objects (that may be outside the norm) and also as an analytical tool.  My main concern with introducing this game would be the graphics that include some blood found in the trunk.