UPDATE NOTE: This article is about the original Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, released in 2013. 

You know what they say about an image being worth a thousand words: the same or something similar could be said about expressions. Human expressions can be astonishingly revealing of sentiments or thoughts that may be never expressed through words; they can convey emotions and speak louder than any speech. Their subtlety is impressive; several times, micro-expressions pass unnoticed while being of the utmost importance, while other times, when appearing with calculation, they can even be misleading of a person's true feelings or intentions. The effective depiction of such detail through a three-dimensional world is extremely challenging; even in high-definition productions with absolute attention to everything, sometimes the facial expressions and the body postures may still look unnatural or stiff. Something that is not the case in the original, now classic already, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, which can boast, among its many other great traits, about how cared after the design of its characters is, to a degree where they are able to convey even the subtlest of emotions, many times revealing things that are never talked about or not even hinted on the first level.

Background action is also flourishing. An early example is the start of Sequence 6, with Jack Rackham and Charles Vane making their grand entrance in the Old Avery tavern. The scene begins with the lead protagonist Edward Kenway once again studying his map of the Observatory, while at a table behind him Anne Bonny is shown having a drink alongside a man who, although we never learn officially who he is, in fact we know is her husband. (clip)

The real Anne Bonny arrived at Nassau with her spouse at a very young age, and soon became an object of gossip among the locals, because she was considered quite promiscuous. This is a historical detail about the real person, which is discreetly hinted at in the game, with the fictional Anne abruptly changing her posture as soon as the two seasoned pirates show up with a playfully aggressive attitude.

In a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment, because the camera immediately moves to the left leaving Anne outside the frame, her husband is seen turning towards her, looking clearly annoyed and troubled. (clip)

Partly ready to fight, partly not really bothering about it, Rackham and Vane instantly switch to a much more friendly manner, thanks to Edward's diplomatic and calm response. You can see how their expressions change while he is talking to them, as they realize that the place is not hostile and that they can settle there with no problems, as long as they do not cause any problems themselves.

As the scene comes to and end and Jack makes himself obvious to all the people in the tavern, you can see how Anne leans towards him, while her husband's gaze is something between furious and baffled. (clip)

In the same scene however, there is yet one more interesting series of reactions that may pass unnoticed. After Vane and Rackham make their acquaintance with Edward, our hero abruptly moves to the background action as soon as Thatch makes his grand appearance. Having significantly changed since we last saw him in Sequence 4, Blackbeard is no more just one more pirate, but he has developed an imposing personality, highlighted mostly by rather extravagant stylistic additions the most prominent of which is the long, black beard that he had grown, which already gives him a wild, marginally demonic look. When he enters the scene, being obviously an old acquaintance of the two seasoned pirates, Edward swiftly moves to the back of the tavern's terrace, taking down what is clearly a quite big quantity of rum. For most of the time in the rest of the scene he remains at the back, silently watching, with Rackham turning to give him a curious side-look when he first does so. (clip)

This part of the scene intrigued me when I took notice, and it almost instantly became my headcanon that meanwhile, during the time that passed between the end of Sequence 4 and the beginning of Sequence 5, Edward had started to develop a growing infatuation with Thatch. It is sometimes hinted and other times clearly shown that Edward is very sentimental and has a tendency to bond strongly with people, especially his close friends. Thatch's compelling presence in this scene feels and seems quite overwhelming for him, intimidating in a way that betrays his more vulnerable side. (clip) 

This intriguing non-interaction between them comes to the foreground in Sequence 6, when they go together to explore the wreck of a ship that was rumored to have been transporting large quantities of medicine. When they arrive at the site, Edward undresses and dives down to the wreck to look for the loot in question. Back at the ship, Thatch speaks about how he plans to use more extreme means in order to be able to secure medicines for the people of Nassau, since simply searching shipwrecks is fruitless. He comments how people can get easily intimidated by a fierce, devilish persona, even if it is exaggerated or unreal. Not yet persuaded enough, Edward asks him, with a mysteriously flirty gaze and smile, if he is planning to be the devil himself. (clip)

 

 

 

Immediately after, Thatch puts a hat on his head, under the rim of which he has attached lit fuses, and starts a devilish performance, aiming at showing Edward how exactly he is going to do it, using the unsuspecting Stede Bonnet as a sample of his target group.  

Stede's reaction to Blackbeard's performance is the expected: he gets instantly intimidated, nearly paralyzed by the fierce pirate's gripping presence. 

 

Edward, on the contrary, is watching from a distance, calm and collected, with a discreet grin of fascination on his face. 

 

Then when the performace is over, and Thatch is abruptly back to his usual laid-back style, Edward seems to be in a state of rather enthusiastic tension - if you know what I mean. (clip)

 

 

A detail that is worth noting concerning the relationship between Edward and Thatch comes from the complementary book "Blackbeard's Lost Journal", a beautifully illustrated, gorgeous chronicle of Thatch's experiences in the West Indies, where a quite large portion of the memoir is naturally centered around Edward. It is supposed to contain Thatch's thoughts and reflections, and it includes scenes from the game narrated from his own point of view, as well as some extra dialogues that could have been part of the original scenario of the game but were later left out. One very specific scene is the one where Edward talks to his crew in order to have them decide about raiding the Great Inagua island. The scene in Thatch's journal is described exactly as we see it in the game - with Edward being absolutely captivating in his speech and presence, and the sailors instantly agreeing to follow him. In the journal, however, there is an additional dialogue between Thatch and Jim / Mary as soon as Edward leaves. Thatch confesses to Mary that "If I were a lass, I would be pining for this man", a comment that further highlights the undertones of the already strong bond between him and Edward, which are so masterfully insinuated by their body language - especially Edward's.

 

Another worth-noting instance of such accurate depiction of emotion is in the scene where Thatch announces to Edward that he has decided to retire. You can see how, within seconds, Edward's expression changes and all the sadness and broodiness of the world fill his gaze. (clip)

 

 

Not randomly, the lead character of the game is the one with the most interesting array of expressions and moods. Edward has a stunning physical appearance, and he is able to convey a grand variety of different emotions with his beautiful features, which are at the same time harmonious and intense. His bright blue eyes can show fury, sadness and longing with equal passion, and his hearty smile is always a sign of a golden heart in spite of how superficial or stubborn he may seem due to his decisions and actions sometimes. At the very start of the story, after he saves and then befriends Stede Bonnet, they sail together on the latter's schooner with Edward on the helm. When Stede admires him for his many talents, including him being able to pilot a ship, Edward tells him that he had learned to do it a couple of years ago, when he was a privateer. His expression when he says that clearly shows how he misses those privateering days, probably reminiscing them for a moment. (clip)

 

Then after escaping from his imprisonment on the ship with Adéwalé, as the two of them manage to steal the brigantine that will soon become his own, Edward abruptly names himself the captain of the ship and informs Adéwalé about deciding to name the brig "The Jackdaw", adding that it is to honor the sly bird that he loved back in Swansea, his birthplace. Both his own expression as he says this, and Adéwalé's as he is listening, are very telling of a complex alternation of emotions and inner thoughts. Clearly there is much more about the jackdaw than Edward says; you can tell from the deepness of his gaze and how he stares straight ahead, again as if he is recalling something that should be precious to him. At the same time, Adéwalé's side-look is slightly bitter and cautious, because it was him who first spotted the brig, yet Edward stepped ahead and claimed it as his own; but at the same time it is as if he is trying to decipher the inner psyche of the passionate young man he just met, who is obviously far from being ordinary and common. (clip)

 

 

As much as Edward is able to convey complex and dark emotions, the same way he can show hints of his lighter, humorous and feel-good self. Towards the end of the story, his is tasked by Anto, the Assassin who is in charge of the bureau in Kingston, to track down and kill Woodes Rogers. To be able to even approach him, Edward must find a disguise that will allow him to enter a private party that the ex-governor of the West Indies will also be attending. The plan is to find and kill an Italian diplomat who also happens to be a Templar, and take his clothes so that he can pass for him and be able to bypass security and subsequently enter the area where the party is being held. After Edward kills the diplomat, he takes his coat and wears it over his own clothes. At this moment, a hilarious moment of plot complexity takes place: the standard outfit that Edward is wearing is a modified version of his original one, which was in fact the uniform stolen from Duncan Walpole. So Edward had been walking around wearing not only a dead man's clothes, but additionally the clothes of a dead man that he had killed with his own hands. So now that he puts on the diplomat's coat over his outfit, it is a double score: for a few minutes, he is wearing a dead man's coat over another dead man's clothes, and both men had been killed by him. You can tell by his half-acknowledging, half-cunning smile that this is more or less the thought that crosses his own mind at that moment. (clip)

 

 

The subtlety of expressions and body movements that is so characteristic of the game's design adds a lot of spice not only to the lead characters, but also the supporting cast - like in the case of Anne Bonny that I mentioned earlier. There is also one more such instance involving Anne, even more brief and passing that the previous ones. Before leaving to find the diplomat, Edward hands over to Anto a letter, which is addressed to Caroline, his estranged wife back in England, asking him to make sure it reaches its destination. Obviously unaware of Edward's family status or his relations with his home, Anto simply takes the letter, but Anne, who is present in the scene, watches curiously as Edward gives over the letter. 

 

Then as Edward is leaving, you can see how she leans slightly over the desk, most probably to gossip a bit with Anto about her captain's family issues. Literally a blink-and-you-will-miss-it instant. (clip)

 

Edward's good looks don't pass unnoticed from anyone; his striking physique and bright personality are guaranteed to catch everybody's attention, even if they do not always show it clearly. Laureano Torres's reaction in the scene where Edward invades the War Room of the Punta Guarico fort is quite indicative of this. After capturing the fort by destroying its defences, Edward bursts in the War Room with his men, in order to threaten Torres and make him hand the Sage over to him. The last time that Torres had seen Edward was back in Havana, where his scam was revealed and Torres had him imprisoned in the ship from where he eventually escaped. Although he was anything but intimidated back then, he is now far more self-confident, with his imposing figure showing even more now that he has established himself as a intrepid and occasionally relentless pirate captain. Torres is clearly taken by surprise, but the most decisive moment is when Edward threatens him directly and gives him a fearless look with an audacious, mischievous smile.

 

 

Just then, the old man stays speechless for a moment and gazes Edward in amazement. I always suspected that Torres secretly loved a bit of rough, but after noticing this detail, I was sure. (clip)

 

 

For last, I saved my favorite scenes on this theme of expressive facial reactions and body language. I had included a mention in a past article about Edward Kenway, but they do deserve to be more analyzed here, since they are so fascinating. 

 

There is a very subtle subplot of sorts going on, nearly impossible to notice if you do not pay close attention to certain interactions and reactions. It can be traced back to Edward's first time at sea as a privateer, but since there is very little information in the game's scenario about those early years, most facts can be retrieved from nuanced dialogues and expressions of the characters and the complementary book that I referenced earlier, "Blackbeard's Lost Journal". In his notes, Blackbeard narrates how he first met this young and fearless boy who joined him on board and became his mentee, vividly reminiscing several adventures where Edward eventually triumphed with his skills, charm and genious. There are several sketches of Edward in the pages where he is mentioned, the most impressive of which is one that depicts him catching a giant sea turtle underwater. On the occasion of this incident, Blackbeard praises Edward's bravery and solidarity, clearly impressed by his ability to adapt to tough situations and think on his feet. Soon after, he narrates how he brought Edward to Nassau to meet his own mentor, Benjamin Hornigold. Although Blackbeard does not talk much about Benjamin throughout his journal, it is notable that there is a stunning portrait sketch depicting him, accurately highlighting his character and mysterious personality with its rough lines. As a side note here - I cite the Journal as a source of reference rather than the novelization of the game, because I found the Journal to be more faithful to the development of the game's scenario, and much more accurate in its historical details. Specifically, it is stated in the novel that Hornigold was older than Blackbeard, when in reality they were the exact same age (according to some sources, Hornigold was younger even); and although this may seem like a minor detail, in fact it is very important: Hornigold was a mentor to Blackbeard and several other pirates who later became notorious for their deeds, while himself was very young, and this is quite indicative of his skills, his strategic mind and his overall perception of privateering and piracy. And it is also important because he was not even 40 years old when he died. The way the Journal portrays him both in image and in words, does him justice, as does his depiction in the game. 

 

With this background in mind, nearly all the interactions between Edward and Benjamin become much more interesting than what they may seem on first look. And even without it, because when I first took notice of what was going on in the background, I did not know about the existence of the Journal. It just confirmed some of my thoughts when I studied it; also it helps highlight some facts even more. And here is where the game's attention to detail when it comes to facial expressions and body language comes into play. 

 

Edward reminscing his privateering days while talking to Stede, which I mentioned earlier, is a first hint; as is, much later, his very apt mention of the jackdaw to Adéwalé. Then when they arrive at Nassau, Benjamin welcomes his friend, obviously overjoyed to see him after a long time, with the rather spicy greeting "You are a sight for salty eyes", which may seem like a phrase that would be expected among seasoned seamen, but coming from Benjamin at this specific point feels anything by random.

 

Equally not random is Edward's response, which may be a neutral greeting addressed at everyone there, but his subtle smile and pleased gaze convey something not general at all, as at just the last moment he turns his eyes towards Benjamin. (clip)

 

 

Minutes later, when Edward mentions the name of his newly acquired ship, Benjamin does not make any comment, unlike Blackbeard who teases Edward about naming the brig after a poxy bird. In his turn, Edward does not reply to this comment, but instead turns slightly to look at Benjamin, and for a fraction of a second, in a blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment, they exchange a furtive look at each other, both with a very slight, knowing smile. 

 

Then Benjamin leans back with a calmly satisfied look on his face, as if being very content about the name of Edward's ship. (clip)

 

I had mentioned in the aforementioned article how much Benjamin resembles a jackdaw; in the novel, his description says that he had a nose like a hawk, but it is pretty obvious that he has much more of the overall look and feel of a raven. The hawk references a predatory creature, but a raven hints at something - or someone, in this case - who is mysterious, watchful and maybe hides secrets; a perfect description for Benjamin as we see him in the game's story. Ever since I noticed that his features resemble those of the jackdaw, I felt it was a deliberate design choice, and that Edward mentioning that he loved the "sly bird" in Swansea was part red herring, part half truth. Jackdaws are very common in Wales, where Edward was born and raised as a child. Naturally he could see them every day, and somehow he got attached to them. Leaving home, they were among the memories that he brought with him. Then he met Benjamin who somehow must have gotten related to this memory, at the same time taking it to an elevated level. Thatch might have been Edward's original mentor and closest friend, but Benjamin was the one who further taught him the secrets of piracy and, moreover, how to take what he likes but at the same time be a gentleman. Benjamin was not like the other pirates; he would put more thought into his decisions and actions, and calculate things and chances before actually doing anything. Just like the jackdaw - any bird of this kind, for that matter, which is extremely smart. So in that sense, Benjamin was to Edward much more valuable as a guide and mentor. 

 

What may or may not have been going on between them remains generally vague, but at instances such as those described above, their facial expressions and body language speaks volumes. Near the end of the same scene, as Edward is about to leave, Benjamin's gaze abruptly - and not so discreetly - gets fixed on him as he speaks and moves, and even follows him as he departs. (clip)

 

The looks they are not exchanging but somehow share during the subsequent scene, where Edward tells his friends about the Observatory, are also quite interesting. (clip)

 

 

The next instance is the start of memory "Prizes and Plunder" where Edward sets off with Benjamin so that the latter will teach him how to attack ships and subsequently plunder them. Before they do so, Edward finds Benjamin and Thatch at the beach, where he exchanges teasing comments with Benjamin concerning the size of their ships. Edward's ship is a Spanish brigantine, a considerably large ship which cannot go very fast but looks quite elegant, while Benjamin's ship is a schooner, a rather small vessel which however can sail with high speed. In yet another blink-and-you-will-miss-it moment, Benjamin seems to momentarily fix his gaze on a very specific spot while mentioning that he prefers the Spanish stuff; a comment that comes to contrast with the choice of his own ship, which is Jamaican, while it is actually Edward's ship that is Spanish. (clip)

 

Then as Edward walks towards the shore, Benjamin follows him with his gaze without making the slightest attempt to hide it, although they are not alone on the beach. 

 

And he keeps staring as they push the boat on the water to reach the ship. (clip)

 

Incidentally, Edward's posture during most of those instances does not look like he has not taken notice, but more like he chooses to pretend that he hasn't noticed.

 

Then in memory "Raise the Black Flag", after having successfully plundered a couple of merchant ships, Edward and Benjamin stop by at the Salt Key Bank for the necessary ship repairs and resupplies. Benjamin looks quite satisfied with how things have turned out and also content with Edward's skills. He mentions how if things keep going on like this, everyone will be able to live a free life in Nassau. Including them, of course, with whatever connotation this may have. Again the look in his eyes says a lot more than words while staring at Edward.

 

Minutes later, as Thatch also get involved in the scene, he affectionately touches Edward on the shoulder while making a brief but very touching speech about the black flag symbolizing the essence of a pirate's life. This innocent and clearly friendly move seems to alert Benjamin, who immediately turns towards him, with his countenance completely changed.

 

Subsequently he asks Thatch to give him a docket, essentially forcing him to take his hand off Edward's shoulder so as to hand Benjamin over the list in question.

 

Then Benjamin rushes to take Edward away again, by leading him over to the Jackdaw so that they embark on the next activity, which is a lesson of attacking and plundering military ships, with his stare again fixed on Edward. (clip)

 

When they are back at shore, Edward informs his friends that he plans to stay at sea for as long as needed in order to gather enough wealth and influence to give him a status and a legacy back in England. Benjamin then essentially urges him to stop thinking about Caroline and focus on the West Indies, where he can have any girl that he wants, anytime. His expression when he says that is more than revealing about what he truly might mean. (clip)

If Benjamin's face and body language is unveiling and indicative of a much more complex connection between himself and Edward, Edward's body language towards him is equally telling, in fewer situations but which are quite intense. The first of course is the scene where he is reminiscing his days as a privateer, during the course of his chat with Stede Bonnet, after their eventful first meeting. It is very obvious there that he misses those days, bringing them back to his mind with nostalgia. Then it is his reaction towards Benjamin's compliment upon seeing him in Nassau.

 

Then comes a period of time when Benjamin's presence is very limited, and we do not know why. When he shows up again, he starts making it clear that he does not wish to fight for Nassau anymore, although the Republic of Pirates was mainly his own vision which he, moreover, managed to make real; this, together with his insisting upon not attacking British ships, gradually estrange him from his once bosom friends. As Edward and Thatch seem to be taking a separate, far more risky path, culminating in Thatch's violent death during the attack in North Carolina, Benjamin accepts the pardon, allies with Woodes Rogers and becomes a Templar and a pirate hunter, going as far as hunting down his former partners. Edward watches from a distance as this shocking transformation takes place, unable to explain it and finding it very hard to accept. As Benjamin takes on a mission assigned by Woodes Rogers and Laureano Torres to find and deliver them Bartholomew Roberts, Edward manages to locate the latter first, and agrees to help him get away from the Templars as an exchange for Roberts leading him to the Observatory. Eventually Roberts takes notice that Benjamin is after him, and sends Edward off to kill him in what is essentially a mercenary assignment. Frustrated by his old friend's betrayal, and feeling closer than ever to what has been his goal from the start - the supposed treasure of the Observatory - Edward rushes off to track down and kill Benjamin. While at the start of the hunt he sounds determined to kill his friend with no remorse, then as he watches Benjamin's ship crash on the shores of an island he is suddenly overwhelmed with his own emotions. When Adéwalé asks him if he can really do it, he replies that he wishes that the sea would swallow Benjamin and his ship, so that he wouldn't have to kill him with his own hands. He does not stand back however; instead leaves the Jackdaw so as to go find Benjamin on the islandl but the darkness and gloominess of his stare at that moment says all that he does not speak with words. (clip)

 

Then the time comes for him to do the painful deed, and as soon as he does so, his frustration and inner struggle are more than obvious.

 

Then as he tries to make Benjamin see the weightiness of his betrayal, both his moves and his expression show how he feels furious and devastated at the same time. Furious for Benjamin's betrayal, and devastated for being forced to kill him. (clip)

 

 

And then near the end of the story, during his brief but painfully emotional speech, as he acknowledges that, after having lost all his friends, there is not a man or woman that he loves left standing beside him, both his posture and his expression highlight his words with exceptional accuracy. (clip)

 

Of course there are a lot more instances in the game where the accuracy of expressions and body language is stunning; and this includes even all that is going on in the environment which involves characters that are simply part of the surroundings. But I think all instances described above are the most indicative of how the game manages to convey the emotions of its lead and supporting characters, highlighting elements of their temperament and psyche in a most sensational way. Although the game was released 13 years ago, its attention to detail is impressive; and it is one of the many reasons why Edward Kenway's story is and will forever be one of the most fascinating ever told. 

 

A Gamer's Banes

We reach a point sometimes during the gaming adventures of our life where we find ourselves cursing at the computer screen, babbling unacceptable things while getting so close to throwing our controller or keyboard out of the window or right on the screen itself. This may happen more than once, depending on how experienced a gamer you are or not, on how difficult and demanding are the games that you like to play and, maybe mostly, on how their gameplay is structured, something that quite often does not have much to do with how hard the game in question may be overall. What I am describing is those points in video games that tortured us enough to be considered as the banes of our existence; be it a nasty jumping sequence, an evil timed run, an insane boss fight, sometimes all such things combined. 

I started playing video games in the early 2000's, and have played quite a few since then; and I recall always wanting to complete the highest difficulty levels when they were available. I am mentioning this in order to highlight that a game sequence turning into a bane does not always have to do with the difficulty level; most of the times, it is a result of design and setup, and although how much experience a gamer has is also very important, it is not a number one factor in every case. The very first games that I played were third person shooters (Blake Stone, Wolfenstein 3D and Duke Nukem 3D), and a bit later I discovered the iconic third person adventures of Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider series. Up to now, I have played and loved games of various genres and gameplay styles, and naturally I have my fair share of banes, ranging from my first gaming years until recently. 

Von Beck's Revenge (Tank Chase Sequence), from Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb

Released in 2003 by Lucas Arts, Indiana Jones and The Emperor's Tomb was sensational for its time, and it still is, for that matter. Classic third person, with fancy action, smart puzzles and wonderful sceneries, its only serious flaw (well, if you can call it such, but from a practical point of view, it kind of was) being the lack of checkpoints in the course of the levels. Each chapter was divided in several levels, at the end of which the game would make an automatic save; but there was no way to save your progress while in those levels. I do not remember experiencing any issues with this, however, until I reached a point very close to the finale, the infamous tank chase sequence in Hong Kong, in the level "Von Beck's Revenge". Von Beck was the villain of the story, an annoying and persisting German military man, who had been pursuing Indy throughout the whole adventure. So in Hong Kong he made his most grand entrance in a nasty tunnel full of abysmal gaps, driving a huge tank with a drill at its front. Not the least impressed with his artillery, Indy must run along said tunnel, jumping over the small gaps and taking care to swing over the biggest ones with the aid of his trusty whip, while Von Beck's drill is literally down his neck, creating even more gaps on the ground as it moves. It is a sequence that requires timing, speed and reflexes, and although it lasts less than 3 minutes, it is guaranteed to leave a mark. When I first played the game, it took me one whole week of retries until I finally made it, and I remember that when I gave the game another go a bit later, because I liked it so much, when I got to the accursed level I stopped and quit without even trying again. Just recently, I decided to go back to it and record it, to see how it would be after all this time; it now took me only a few reloads until I succeeded, and it was mainly because of the different control system which I was not used to. To be fair, however, I cannot blame my younger self for having such a hard time with this sequence, because back then I was playing with keyboard and mouse, and admittedly it is way easier to do with a controller, with which I played it now. 

 

Brother Obscura aka The Red Ghost Boss, from Tomb Raider: The Angel pf Darkness

Technically this is not a boss fight, as you do not literally fight the enemy in the actual sense, but as a sequence per se, it is set up in such a way as to be justly classified as such. Concluding a rather well-structured sequence in an underground archaeological site, this part of the Angel of Darkness is clearly one of its most notorious moments. Released in 2003, the last game of the now historical Core Design was a charming tangle of fascinating elements and problematic gameplay. In an attempt to evolve the well-known and lauded features of the classic Tomb Raider games, the developing team decided to implement a few new mechanics which, however, could never work as they were supposed to. And not only that; they affected the overall gameplay so badly, that even the simplest task, running from one spot to another just a few steps away, would end up being nothing less than a struggle. The main and most infuriating problem of the game was Lara's inexplicably slow movements, a number one obstruction in instances when she was called to do things quickly and with perfect timing. One such instance was the sequence in the attic of the Hall of Seasons where Brother Obscura, the infamous Red Ghost, was guarding a painting, the artifact that Lara had been looking for since the beginning of the adventure. In a small room with several identical statues, the Red Ghost keeps floating around, moving the painting from statue to statue, thus preventing Lara from taking it. The task here is to shoot the Red Ghost enough times so as to immobilize it for a few seconds, which will then give you time to run and grab the painting. Needless to say the conditions need to be perfect for the task to succeed: you need to stand close to the statue that holds the painting, but not too close because in this case the artifact will fly off to another statue; additionally, you need to stay there in the crawl position, so as to not get hit by the Red Ghost; and shoot it with a powerful gun so as to stun it quickly. Moreover, you need to holster the gun as soon as the Ghost gets stunned, and then stand up to run to the painting. With Lara's slow motion movements and her needing practically ages to change positions and holster her guns, all this becomes an instant and never-ending nightmare. Even now, I found it quite nasty, although not even half as bad as in my first runs.

Boaz Returns, from Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

Another nasty highlight from The Angel of Darkness was undoubtedly the boss fight with Cristina Boaz, the scientist who mutated into a hideous giant spider-like creature and was "tasked" to rid off Kurtis Trent, the secondary protagonist of the story. Designed almost the same way as Lara in this game, Kurtis however was at the same time better and worse as far as his movements were concerned: he was able to run a bit faster, but certain moves, like stepping backwards for instance, seemed to be a pain for him to execute. On top of that, although he was carrying his cool, sharp and shiney chirugai, it remained a precious gem hanging from his belt, as he could use it only during cutscenes. On the other hand Boaz, although being even more awkward than him, was able to attack him with a variety of ways, the worst being those that made him fall, because then, just like Lara, he needed ages to stand up on his feet. In addition, the aiming system was not on Kurtis's side either, resulting in most of us succeeding in hitting the targets (the four pods on Boaz's body) almost entirely by chance.

 

The Great Pyramid Shaft, from Tomb Raider: Anniversary

Timed events are always a highlight in games; in fact the tighter, the better. Or maybe not. Sometimes the line between challenging and infuriating is so thin, it can easily become invisible. One such case is the sequence with the timed jumps in the shaft of the Great Pyramid, from Tomb Raider: Anniversary. The game was released in 2007, created by the developing team of Crystal Dynamics as an admittedly impressive remake of the original, classic first Tomb Raider game. For the most part, Anniversary was a blast; fantastic graphics, immersive, interactive environments and ambience, beautiful music, a smoothly moving Lara, an easy and comprehensive control system - and then there were the retractable poles. I can't even attempt to understand the logic of adding retractable poles in nearly every room in Egypt, but regardless it was something you eventually got used to after a point; until you reached that demonic shaft in the Great Pyramid in Atlantis. The room consists of several levels going upwards, that you need to reach after performing sets of timed jumps. Said jumps involve, guess what: retractable poles, as well as retractable rings to which you must grapple and swing from. After the first two sets which are rather easy, there comes the third set - the actual bane of my existence in this game. That third set is, no doubt, the work of demonic forces combined, moreover since there is a workaround there in plain sight which, however, is nearly impossible to acknowledge due to the deceiving complex "official" route that you are supposed to follow while running out of time in the most unforgiving fashion. When I first played the game, I literally quit at that point after I don't know how many retries. Then I downloaded a save file from right after that part, so as to be able to at least complete the game. I admit it was a most traumatic experience, because it is not like me to quit a game like this; let alone a Tomb Raider game which, moreover, I loved. And now, nearly 20 years later, the time came for me to make amends and give it a try again. Again, it was pure nastiness, but now, after having played several difficult and challenging games meanwhile, I knew how to deal with it; and I knew that when something in a game seems impossible, there is always another way around it. Of course it can also be done the official, long way, but the shortcut I am going for in the video is pure work of art - and yes, I see it this way since, thanks to it, I was finally able to complete this part after all these years. 

 

The Final Execution Chamber, from the Executioner DLC of The Evil Within

I have very fond memories of The Evil Within, which proves how a game can be as difficult as it gets, but if it is wisely designed, it can offer a most entertaining experience. Created by Shinji Mikami, the mastermind behind the first Resident Evil games, The Evil Within was released in 2014 by Bethesda and it still carries its peculiar, undeniable charm. There are no flaws in its DLC The Executioner either, just an extremely difficult extra level / room in NG+. Luckily, you have very strong weapons at your disposal at that point, but this does not make the Final Execution Chamber less challenging. In the DLC, you play as the Keeper, and you pass through a series of rooms where you have to fight all sorts of monsters and enemies from the main game. The Final Execution Chamber is naturally the toughest of all, as there are that many enemies whom you must defeat, and on top of that, in the end you are forced to fight a very badass Sebastian and a crazed, enraged Joseph at the same time. I like to call them The Murder Husbands at that point because, let's face it, they kind of look like they are that. Needless to say they are insanely tough bosses, and more so since they attack together. I remember reaching my wits end in this frustrating mess of a battle, so I decided to start recording it to give me a motive and keep trying. I was victorious eventually, but I admit that, as much as I enjoyed it, I don't think I will ever touch that DLC again.

 

Lucas Baker Boss Fight in Professional difficulty, from the Not A Hero DLC of Resident Evil 7

From Resident Evil 7 and onwards, most games in the Resident Evil franchise took a different approach as far as their levels of difficulty would differ from each other. Its DLC episode "Not A Hero" was no exception in its Professional difficulty, its main problem being the rather stingy drops of ammo that you find and the insane number of super-strong enemies you have to deal with until you reach the arena of the boss fight. Lucas Baker becomes a nasty, infuriating mold monster in the finale of the episode, and at first he may seem impossible to defeat in Professional difficulty. I remember arriving at the last room of the game with as much ammo as I could get, and still running out of all of it before he would even reach his last phase. The "secret" to beat him is in fact using several weapons in some kind of cycle, something that the game does not make clear during the fight. You can easily decipher that his weak point is his heart whenever it gets exposed, but to be able to shoot it enough times while preventing him from fatally attacking Chris requires a series of strategic moves that, once understood, can really make the battle in Professional end within minutes. Stunning him with incendiary grenades just before he lands an attack, then immediately shooting him to eventually expose his heart which, in turn, gets a dramatic amount of damage when shot with a specific kind of ammo, puts an end to his miserable existence faster than you would expect. This fight was a nightmare for me when I first got to play the DLC, and I remember not being able to finish it back then; I did so years later, and again now for the sake of this article. This time it felt way easier; I don't know if it was because I got a better computer now, thanks to which the game had better performance, or because meanwhile I had become more experienced after having played several demanding games; maybe it was a combination of both. 

 

 

Nemesis Boss Fight in Nightmare and Inferno difficulty, from Resident Evil 3 Remake 

Jill Valentine's iconic adventure in Raccoon City saw an interesting remake in 2020, which was a pretty atmospheric game with nicely developed characters, and one very nasty boss: the infamous Nemesis could only be even more evolved in his revamped version, made even more stressing due to Jill having to move in tight and limited spaces while being chased by her ferocious stalker. There are several boss battles that you have to carry out with this monster, plus one crazy chase through town; and although all of these sequences can easily become a gamer's banes, it is the last boss fight that shines as the absolute winner. The finale of the game finds Jill trapped in a room with the heavily mutated Nemesis covering half of it. The boss cannot move around, but it is able to attack Jill with a series of deadly ways, while she must shoot several blobs on its "body" and at the same time fix the super-powerful weapon which is conveniently placed in the same room and with which she will be eventually able to destroy the monster. In the first three difficulty levels this fight is a breeze; the Nemesis has very few blobs on it, its attacks are fewer and much slower, and Jill has all the time in the world to succeed in her mission. But in Nightmare and, worse, in Inferno difficulties, fighting the final form of the Nemesis is exactly that: a nightmare and Hell incarnate. This is one of the cases where the difficulty level truly makes a difference. The boss has way more blobs on it, which, moreover, are more resilient; its attacks are incessant, literally the one after the other, and capable of sending you to the You Are Dead screen far more times than you can count; and the time that you are given to fix the weapon whenever the monster is stunned, is marginally a nasty joke. The first time that I finally made it, I could not believe my own eyes, and I admit it is a sequence that I never look forward to when playing the game. 

Naturally in the gaming part of my life I still come across several sequences that have the characteristics of a bane, but those listed above have to be the most impressive ones, at least in terms of how many times I had to play them out until I would finally succeed in completing them.

The Artifacts That Hold The Earth Together

Some say they are a legend, others may believe it is all true about them. There are several myths concerning them, from all around the world; and through the ages, literature has several times referenced them and made use of their magical world. In any event, the artifacts that hold the Earth together can easily become fascinating pieces of narrative that most of the times (if not always) act as an axis or even a driving force in the progression of a plotline. For what it's worth, Shay Cormac in Assassin's Creed Rogue and Lara Croft in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider definitely have great stories to tell about their almost identical experiences with such magical objects, and especially what happens when they are removed from their sacred resting places.

Shay's story takes us back to 1755, when our hero is sent on a mission arranged by the Colonial Assassins, to locate and retrieve an artifact of great power and utmost importance from the depths of a temple in Lisbon. Before that, he was able to decipher a riddle of sorts, involving a Precursor box (another magical object) and a manuscript written in an unknown language (it is the Voynich Manuscript in fact, playing a vital role in the story), which were both used in an experiment carried out by Benjamin Franklin, and the result of which revealed to Shay the exact location of the artifact in question. Shay arrives in Lisbon on a joyful day, with the city celebrating the Feast of All Saints; and the temple, which is his destination, is aptly decorated with flowers and colorful flags.

Once inside the church, he starts looking for clues that will lead him to the exact location of the artifact. Somewhere around there, probably buried deep in the foundation of the historical building. Shay has fond memories of Lisbon, as he had confessed earlier to Liam, his fellow Assassin and childhood friend; he had been there before, quite possibly on a mission again, and he met some lovely girls who were preparing to become nuns. So this is not just another place for him; he is emotionally attached already. But since he is a professional after all, his focus now is strictly set on locating the artifact. With his eagle vision, he spots four symbols on the walls of the church, each one representing an element: fire, water, earth, wind. 

With parkour and acrobatics, he reaches them one by one, unlocking a key mechanisms each one with his hidden blade. Notably, the four elements, albeit very much real and existing, often obtain a magical quality in fiction, including video games. It is thanks to them that Earth and humanity can live and breathe, and their eternal presence, although it accompanies human existence since forever, always holds an amount of mystery and unpredictability. When all mechanisms are unlocked, an underground passage is revealed in the center of the church.

Shay follows the passage going down below the ground floor of the church, which leads to some kind of bridge that seems to be floating, forming itself little by little towards a pedestal where the artifact is sitting. Our hero stands in awe as he approaches the mythical object which looks like a spiked star, illuminated with strange bright symbols. Following the orders of his superior Assassins, he reaches out to take the artifact from its resting place.

Just then, the ground starts to shake and the walls around him begin to tremble and slowly collapse. It is obvious that removing the artifact from its pedestal was not a good idea after all. Somehow, doing so unleashed a destructive, unearthly power, a force that humans were unable to predict, let alone control. Shay is at a loss; all he knows is that he has to escape the collapsing church as quickly as possible.

Once on ground level, all he encounters is chaos and panic as the earthquake is in full swing. What follows is a mad run across the collapsing city, during which Shay has to find alternative paths every now and then as the streets are not always accessible. As he goes, people are running in panic, screaming and praying loudly; buildings are falling down, the ground breaks and collapses. The city, which was flourishing with festive joy just minutes before is now completely defenseless against one of the most destructive forces of nature.

After an agonizing race against time, he finally manages to reach the harbour where his ship and crew await. Once he is safe on the deck, he watches the destruction from a distance, realizing that he is partly responsible for the doom that befell that beautiful city and its innocent people. It is at that moment that he seriously questions the actions and decisions of his fellow Assassins, leading to his dramatic rift with them soon after and his subsequent accession in the Templar Order.

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider brings us to contemporary Cozumel, a Mexican village, where Lara arrives with her friend Jonah, following the leads of one of her father's maps. It is the Day of the Dead, so the whole place is decorated with flowers and candles, and there are festive activities all around; there is singing, a small bazaar here and there, and the cemetery, usually a place of grief, is now a joyful haven of remembrance, as the locals are communicating with their deceased loved ones in a ritual that aims at exorcising death.

But Lara is on a mission; as much as she loves the festivities, since they are also part of her own field of knowledge and research (being an archaeologist who is also interested in folk culture), she disguises herself as one of the locals so as to locate and follow the trail of Dr Dominguez, a fellow archaeologist and former associate of her father's, who is also looking for the same artifacts that she wants to find. Of course he does not want them for anything good - at least this is what Lara believes in the beginning; Trinity, the order of which he is the leader, seeks such artifacts around the world in order to gain more power and control humanity.

Lara's path to the artifact is not as straightforward as Shay's; she has to stealthily follow Dr Dominguez and his men for a while, then outrun them towards the location in question, which is a precipitous area just outside the village; and climb some rather unfriendly rocks above raging waters until she finally gets to a huge cave where she has to move several objects around so as to reach a series of otherwise inaccessible platforms. Eventually she gets to the top of the cave, where she discovers a dagger of incredible craftsmanship hidden under a riddle pedestal resembling a Mayan calendar. Lara solves the puzzle, revealing the dagger which is majestically sitting on a receptacle, in such a way that all the details of its design are fully visible.

On the wall above the pedestal, there is an ominous primordial mural depicting a series of catastrophes, which Lara understands that are connected to the dagger. It is definitely wise to just leave the valuable artifact there, but knowing that Trinity is close behind and that they are surely going to take the dagger for their own dark purposes, she has no other choice but to remove it from its resting place. As soon as she does so, there is a shaking, and parts of the rocks around her collapse. However she has the time to escape the cave, as the first catastrophe has not started yet; and once outside, she has to fight a group of angry Trinity soldiers before she comes face to face with Dr Dominguez himself. The mysterious archaeologist attacks her with the help of his soldiers before violently taking the dagger from her and just then a most destructive flood is set in motion.

Lara runs frantically across the village, which is now fully overtaken by the force of nature. As she goes, either jumping from roof to pole or swimming through flooded buses and stores, everything around her gets gradually swept by the hostile waters as streets become torrents, houses flood, people try in vain to save their lives and the only way to possibly survive seems to be to attempt to reach a higher ground. And that is what she does, eventually reaching a safe terrace, marginally making it alive but ever so devastated for involuntarily causing this tragedy. 

These parts of Shay's and Lara's stories are very similar, and not only as far as their progression is concerned. It is worth the while to watch the sequences side by side, so that we can see in real time how things unfold for both of them, in the following comparison video. On the left, we see Shay's part and on the right there is Lara's part. 

Although their initial intentions are different, since Shay is tasked with taking the Precursor artifact by order of the Assassins and Lara is looking for the Dagger of Chak Chel following her self-assigned mission, they both seek to hide the magical objects from the opposing forces, namely the Templars and Trinity respectively. Interestingly enough, however, there is a similar twist in both stories. In Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, Dr Dominguez secretly wants to protect his native city, the mythical Paititi, and thus use the dagger for this purpose; similarly in Rogue, the Templars wish to keep the Precursor artifacts protected, knowing what would follow the removal from their resting places. Even so, the motives of the "villains", so to speak, in both stories still remain somehow dark and foggy, and we can never be sure about the sincerity of their own intentions. It is notable however that in Shay's story we witness a rather rare instance in the Assassin's Creed saga where the "good guys" not only seem to be completely in the wrong (albeit this is due to ignorance and not to malice), but they also act with unusual hostility towards Shay, who dared question their creed. In both stories, the setting is pretty similar. Lisbon in Rogue, Cozumel in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider, places of Latino heritage and on very fateful occasions as well: the Feast of All Saints in Lisbon and the Day of the Dead in Cozumel, both create a magical, unworldly atmosphere; although this is more evident in Lara's story, because there we have the chance to spend more time in the festive grounds and even interact with the locals; while Shay's route is mainly solitary.

 

The most prominent common element however is the quality of the artifacts themselves. They are both found buried in practically inaccessible places, and they seem to be placed at neuralgic spots, as if they are literally connectors in some kind of circuit that holds parts of the Earth together. Just like the crucial pieces of a Jenga tower, which, if removed, cause the collapse of the whole installation, in a similar manner objects like the Precursor artifact in Rogue and the Dagger of Chak Chel in Shadow Of The Tomb Raider act like key items of a power that the human mind is unable to conceive. From a scientific point of view, we could assume that, in the case of the Mayan artifact, there could be some realistic explanation to back the legend up. The Mayans, like the Aztecs or the Egyptians, had developed a massive and impressive expertise. Their architectural achievements are miraculous, even with today's standards. It is very likely that they had come up with ways to control the unstable grounds of their earthquake-prone lands by constructing mechanisms and key elements that were able to somehow hold neuralgic connecting axes together. Of course this could never work fully, as nature is unpredictable; but it could act as an indicator or a regulator of an imminent disaster. The fictional Isu of the Assassin's Creed saga share elements of civilizations like the Mayans, so their own expertise is pretty similar as well. Humanity - even in the case where it is half-divine, like the Isu - will always seek ways to understand the complex mechanics of the Earth and all it involves; because as much as we want to believe that we know it well enough, it still retains and undoubtedly will always be full of unexplored and unexplained mysteries.