This week's game is B3 Game Expo for Bees, a Wii U title that asks the daring question of "what if E3 but with Bees?", a question I'm sure we've all asked at some point. The answer is wholly underwhelming thanks to a concept that never goes beyond the surface, a story that does nothing to explore any kind of theme, and writing that is rife with unsuccessful humor:
I cover a lot of unusual games, but I think this one is up there as one of the most unusual of all! A Wii U exclusive game about bees at E3 that plays ever so slightly like Metroid Prime sounds like it should be incredible, but it's unfortunately lacking in some pretty significant ways. It's a very slight and insubstantial experience mechanically - only an hour long, only having a couple of shootouts means you don't get to explore the mechanics for long, the scanning system is let down by the writing, the puzzles are either too simple or kinda nonsensical, etc - but my biggest problem with the game is that it feels like such a squandered concept. There's a lot you could do with an interactive deep dive into E3, such as exploring its history digital museum-style, but B3 doesn't engage with the material at all and is perfectly content to throw repetitive bee puns at you without assigning them any further meaning. E3 is a complicated thing, especially for those who were in the press and had to deal with the ESA, but it's undeniably a part of video game culture and its history, so I was disappointed that this game was exactly what it looked like on the surface and nothing more. It's not worth playing, but I do think it's worth studying (and listening to me prattle on about, of course!) because it serves as a reaffirmation that games are art because they have themes and messages and emotions to impart on the player. Without strong conviction, without any motivation beyond running a joke into the ground, you do both your art and its audience an injustice, so if nothing else, take this as a lesson to be sure to express yourself in everything you do.
