So, what have I been playing recently? Well, aside from loads and loads of Guitar Hero Aerosmith (judge me not!), this weekend saw me messing around with a brilliant little metagaming effort called Upgrade Complete. As the title implies, this game completely rips off the idea of using upgrades, money and tacky little “shops” to prolong gameplay and add complication to trivial experiences.
Everything from the loading bar to the menu buttons has to be bought with cash earned from killing enemies, and the game is so delightfully more-ish that it makes one consider one’s own gaming habits. Just how easily exploited is our innate hoarding mentality? Are we really so easily lured in by that need to “have it all”, even if it’s just a bunch of crap? Thought-provoking stuff.
Give this one a shot and reflect upon it afterwards. And don’t worry about the crappy graphics: they’re fully upgradeable.