Like any sensible young man, I am a fan of good beer. And obviously, a fan of video games as well. For certain reasons, these two interests don't usually intertwine. I usually unwind with an adult-style beverage (or two) along with some quality gaming at the end of the day, but I get hopelessly distracted when operating on anything more than a solid buzz. However, a recent purchase of mine proved to me that some games actually get better as your BAC rises.
Folks, Rock Band 2 has driven me to drink. More.
Of course, this really should have come as no surprise; I've done karaoke before, and I can say that if you aren't sick the following morning (and not from shame), you're doing it wrong. So I decided to test out the Karaoke Principle by inviting a few friends over who had never played Rock Band before. Here's some dialogue that was exchanged as we were sober and holding plastic instruments:
Friend 1: I'm not gonna lie. I feel like a pretty big nerd right now.
Me: Don't worry; this is the first step of our suicide pact.
Before the drinks were poured and/or swigged, one Rock Band item found itself completely untouched: the microphone. It dared us to grab it, but the basic limits of human shame had not been brought down to the level where singing in front of each other would be socially acceptable. But, given enough time, the Karaoke Principle took over and we were soon singing as loudly and as badly as humanly possible. My neighbors must have all been murdered in their sleep because the next day there wasn't as much as a written warning or brutal police stand-off to be found.
We left Rock Band briefly to pick up more music fuel downtown, and actually ended bringing a few people back with us (don't worry, I knew them an am well aware of stranger danger); until about three in the morning, me and five other people sat/stood in my cramped living room as we tried to see the TV screen through visible, floating clouds of alcohol. Some of the most fun I've had with a video game? You bet. Strange, because I've played Guitar Hero at a dozen parties, and it just seemed tedious at the time.
So are there any other games worth checking out with a room full of drunks? So far, my other option has been the Wii version of The House of the Dead 2, but you can only make fun of shitty acting so much before irony collapses in on itself.
Related Links:
Whatcha Playing: A Little Singin’, a Little Dancin’
The Magical Mystery Tour is Coming to Take You Away
Everyone Will be Able to Rock