$20 Game of the Week: Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC)

I’m one of the many who believe that video games not only can be a form of art, they can also be a literary medium. Want proof? Look no further than Silent Hill 2’s gripping narrative and try to tell me that that’s not on par with a Steven King or Clive Barker. Check out Ico’s emotionally moving story. Even Bungie’s Halo and Bioware’s Mass Effect have introduced players to science fiction universes on scale with a Star Wars or Battlestar Galatica. However, if gaming is to progress as an entertainment medium, it’s not enough to present an quirky art style or a deep plot. Gaming has to be able to explore taboo and even controversial subjects just like books, movies, and television shows do, even if they may get somewhat offensive or politically incorrect (which is why I was disappointed when 6 Days in Fallujah ended up being indefinitely postponed, but that’s another story). Of course I’m not saying that a developer should go out and create ‘KKK Lynchin’ Heroes’, but if and when done correctly, video games can provide a light with which to look at social issues that continue to affect us today. Beyond Good and Evil could be considered a commentary on the role of the press and the distribution of information during times when civil freedoms are being challenged, and Metal Gear Solid 4’s storyline about private military corporations can be considered a look at military policy, particularly in the wake of the Blackwater scandal. However, few issues have been more hotly debated than that of violence in our schools, and no one moment in our history better exemplifies the issue than the Columbine Massacre.

For those of you who don’t know the story, on April 20th of 1999, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two troubled teens who had apparently been bullied during their years in high school went on a violent shooting spree, killing over a dozen students and teachers. The media, parents/teacher groups, clergymen, and opportunistic politicians, unable to fathom that two white boys from a wealthy suburban community bought about something that apparently is only supposed to happen in the ghetto or a backwoods rural area (and with rumors of a so-called ‘trenchcoat mafia’ shut down), immediately set about finding things to blame the tragedy on. “It was because of easy access to guns!” “It was because gun control laws are too strict!” “It was Marylin Manson!” “It was violent video games!” “It was Doom!” “It was because of the evil liberals taking prayer out of schools!” “Where were the parents at?” “Why didn’t anyone see the warning signs?” With all the fuss in a search for a scapegoat, few even considered to take a look at the events in their lives that might have led up to the shooting. Enter independent developer Danny Ledonne. Using the program RPG Maker 2000, he created a game which places characters in the role of the shooters. By researching thousands of pages of news articles about the massacre, home videos the two killers made, and video news reports, Ledonne’s product gives an insight and paints a picture suggesting why such a tragedy occurred.

Super Columbine Massacre RPG takes place in 3 parts. In the first part, the two sneak past teachers and students to place bombs in the cafeteria. In the second part, the two gunmen enter the school and attempt to kill as many students as they can (although how many they actually kill is up to you) before ending it all in the cafeteria. The third part sees the boys in hell fighting demons and creatures from Doom before meeting Satan. Throughout the game, you’ll discover flashbacks from the boys’ past. The dialogue in these events was lifted from home videos and writings, and they portray the events as the creator imagined them. It’s these flashbacks which give the most insight into Eric and Dylan’s mindstate and hold clues as to why Columbine happened. The game falters a bit in it’s third part, which may seem a bit absurd, especially compared to the events of the first two parts.

Super Columbine Massacre is one of the most difficult games you’ll ever play. Not because of level design, technical issues, enemy AI, or gameplay mechanics. It’s difficult because it places you in the role of the perpetrator of one of the worst events of last decade. It’s like watching a horror movie like Saw or Hostel in the way that the only way to skip the gruesome parts is to simply not play the game. Obviously this game isn’t for everyone, and for many, it tends to re-open wounds from that tragic day almost 11 years ago. However, this game may be the few pieces of media to give us any real insight as to why events such as this happen. Chuck D referred to hip-hop music as ‘The Black People’s CNN’. Well, video gaming has the potential to become the geek’s CNN, especially with more games such as Super Columbine Massacre.

Note: If you want to download this game, then you’ll have to search online sharing networks as the author no longer hosts the game on his sight due to the stress on his server.