Pages in category 'Video games set in Chicago' The following 63 pages are in this category, out of 63 total. This list may not reflect recent changes. Download the official app of the Chicago Bears featuring live local and prime-time Bears games., play-by-play updates, live stats and push notifications with every scoring play. Never miss an update from Halas Hall with the latest news, live press conferences, chances to win prizes and more.
Good Intentions Aren’t Enough
Have you ever really, really wanted to like something, yet despite your burning inclination to feel otherwise you just can’t get yourself to come around? Such was my experience with We Are Chicago, a game designed around showcasing the difficulties of trying to succeed while growing up in Chicago's notoriously dangerous black hole of a South side. I’ve previously reviewed and enjoyed a number of games such Sunset and
We Are Chicago Game Machine
Virginia that, as is the case here, eschew most of their “gameplay” in favor of a mostly on-rails narrative experience, but it’s a dangerous line to walk that requires a fair amount of storytelling prowess that, unfortunately, We Are Chicago consistently lacks.There are indeed other titles out there that prove there’s a market among gamers for experiences that bring attention to and shed light on real-life problems being had by various groups of people around the world (This War of Mine comes to mind, as does the aforementioned Sunset), though few have gone to the same lengths as
We Are Chicago Game Machines
We Are Chicago. Based on the real life experiences of Chicagoans that were interviewed by the developer for the project, the goal was to present life - both the highs and the lows - through as unfiltered a lens as possible. On one hand, this is noble. As someone who lives near Chicago and has seen the areas and people that cover its eroding underbelly, I appreciate that the game is attempting to present life as it is for some people in lieu of an overly sentimental or exaggerated fictionalization. The videogame medium hasn’t done victims of gang culture and violence many favors with its often glorified depictions of both, so I think a look at the flip side of the coin is certainly warranted. On the other hand, however, it begs the question of whether or not We Are Chicago actively works against itself by virtue of its choice in medium.
Master of None
In my time with the game I found that We Are Chicago seems to dodge definition by genre - not quite a game, not quite a visual novel and not quite a documentary - which stops it from ever really being able to settle in and take advantage of the strengths each medium is known for. It certainly isn’t a game in the traditional sense that you’re going to play for “fun.” There isn’t really any challenge or skill-based objective. The game plays out as a sort of interactive documentary with the hope that by playing through various situations based on the real lives of Chicago natives you’ll be able to better understand the inherent struggles of life marred by gangs, responsibility and a system stacked against you. However, the draw of documentaries reside in their ability to transport the viewer to a new world, time or environment. By seeing people involved in various issues and events, and spending time in their shoes, you develop empathy that helps you better understand the subject matter at hand. This is undermined by the cold, lifeless game world of We Are Chicago - that bears little resemblance to the actual city - and its poorly animated, graphically unimpressive characters. I’m sure there’s passion and emotional toil deeply rooted in the source material the game draws on, but it’s lost in translation. I feel bad saying it, but after not much time at all I simply felt bored.
Unmemorable
The dialogue system in We Are Chicago is heavily influenced by Telltale’s various titles, including some branching conversational options, choices to make and the idea that your choices will be remembered. While I agree that a Telltale style game is a decent fit for what Culture Shock Games was trying to do, I just never found the conversations particularly engaging. I suppose they were trying to capture the “beauty of the mundane,” but it didn’t work. The choices I made in conversation didn’t seem to much matter either, as protagonist Aaron seems destined to succeed whether I want him to or not. Things didn’t much improve outside of conversations either, as I quickly grew bored of taking Aaron through some of his daily routine with a camera that refused to cooperate, despite the lack of anything that should give a camera much trouble.
I do think it’s worth commending We Are Chicago for its noble intent, even if that intent largely results in an endeavor that is unable to harness the enormity of its subject matter into something meaningful and digestible for its audience. I think there’s definitely room out there for games that explore real human issues, and We Are Chicago seems to have had the best intentions behind it. The story buried behind the bland presentation and emotionless dialogue is one worth telling, but it’s one worth telling in a way that can better represent the truth behind it.
Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac and Bayview Mackinac Race Adopt New Rating Rule
Posted Oct 30, 2020The Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac Committee and Bayview Yacht Club Mackinac Race Authority announced today that each has adopted the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) rating, or handicap, rule to correct the elapsed time difference of competing boats and put them on the same level. The new rating rule will go into effect for the 112th running of the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac, which will start on July 16 & 17, 2021 and the 97th running of the Bayview Mackinac Race, which will start on July 24, 2021.
READ ARTICLEChicago Yacht Club announces cancellation of 2020 Race to Mackinac
Posted Jun 05, 2020CHICAGO - The Chicago Yacht Club and the Race to Mackinac (CYCRTM) Committee announced today that it has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Race to Mackinac due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
READ ARTICLERacer Update: May 19, 2020
Posted May 19, 2020We would like to share a synopsis of the following important updates:
- June 1 Entry Deadline: We have extended the June 1 Entry Deadline to June 30.
- June 15 Late Entry Deadline: We have extended the June 15 Late Entry Deadline to June 30.
Please click here for the applicable NOR amendment #3 on the Official Notice Board and the exact procedures that will be in place moving forward.
The committee continues to monitor COVID-19 developments and how this is impacting our sailing community. This remains a fluid situation. We have contended all along that our ability to host the CYCRTM race this year will be dependent on the alignment of three key items:
- The ability to run a safe race with consideration of the safety, health and well-being of all of the participants and our volunteers.
- The availability of equipment: the ability to have boats safely provisioned in time for the race in such a manner that we can inspect and check their compliance with CMSRs.
- The proper clearance from governmental bodies: which include the States of Illinois and Michigan, the Cities of Chicago and Mackinac Island, and the USCG.
Racer Update: March 29, 2020
Posted Mar 29, 2020
In an effort to be as transparent as possible with the planning of the 112th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust, we would like to share a synopsis of the following important updates:
- April 1 Deadline: We have extended the April 1st Division Formation, One-Design Section Request and Early Bird Entry Fee deadlines to May 1st.
- Cancellation Refund Policy: In the event that we cancel the race due to COVID-19, we will issue a full refund of 2020 entry fees paid.
- Withdrawal Policy: If the race continues as planned and you, the Invited Competitor, decide to withdraw your entry for any reason, we will credit your paid entry fee toward your entry as an Invited Competitor in the 2021 CYCRTM.
We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments, and how this is impacting our sailing community. The committee is targeting late May for a “go or no-go” decision on running the race.
READ ARTICLE