Of Dragons and Demons


Okay, I'm about three days into Skyrim...level 7 Argonian destruction mage, thank you very much.

I should open up by saying that as far as I am concerned, in game writing today there is BioWare, Bethesda, an honorable mention for Rock Star and then a confederacy of wankers. I may be missing a few great things out there, so I'm open to having my horizons expanded, but so far I haven't seen anything else I'd call Dickensian or Melvillian.

Okay, here's the thing. I've joked about this a bit, but there is a serious point here. I really like the Dragon Age series. For a title that looked to be another elves-n-orcs Tolkein fantasy slashfest, DA I and II really surprised me with the depth of the character development and the original qualities of the fantasy world. The Fade alone sets this series ahead of the others.

BUT I T HAS NO BUSINESS CALLING ITSELF "DRAGON AGE." There are dragons, yes. Even a few dragon boss fights. But that's all they are. There is no dragon LORE to be had. Demon lore aplenty. And there are even demon dragons. But the overwhelming theme of the series is the relationship between humans and demons. And the demon lore is FANTASTIC. Demons represent real psychological pathologies and attack humans at a very basic level that is both persuasive and compelling.

But calling the game "Dragon Age" is like calling "The Exoricst" "The Film Director." Yes, there is a film director in the Exorcist. Yes, his death plays a major role in the development of the plot. But the film is not about Burt Dennings.

And there's nothing wrong with "Demon Age." That's a great title.

Skyrim, on the other hand, is so far doing GREAT Dragon lore. Dragons aren't just big boss monsters. They are mobilized geology. They represent the elements: fire, frost, water and earth. They embody the living history of the realms they dominate. They are leviathan. We are but mice where they are men.

I've killed two dragons in Skyrim and gained two dragon shouts. The whole first five hours of the game are all about tying my character to the legacy of dragons, long gone and now returned to a world unaccustomed to living in the presence of flying, fire breathing mountains.

This is truly a game worthy of the title "Dragon Age."

But once again, love both series. It's not their fault that they are subject to the same marketing logic that released a game about dwarves and trolls and called it "Orcs and Elves." I guess it's similar to the way Native Americans became known as Indians.