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Gex, Hegel, and the Master/Slave Dichotomy

In my "first ever" madly paradoxical non-literal preview/review of Gex 1, one of three titles included in the recently released Gex Trilogy Remastered, as always, I designated no score to the title, much like I didn't go out of my way to comment or scrutinize about every little detail involving the game, as is my MO in writing with most of my more traditionally analytic think pieces involving the metaphysics of video games. My main focus is often predicated heavily upon the interplay of player bouncing off the system in question, the mechanics involved, the moment to moment of gameplay...the metaphysics of virtual reality, as it were.

I always attempt in my own head to put up "guardrails", so to speak, in order to keep myself bound and restricted to a mode of thoughtful travel when deconstructing a title, so I can never go "too far" off of the beaten path of reasonable traversal within my own exploration of analysis while doing so. I guess within the realm of spirit of this notion, I'm always constantly reviewing my own work, and in this instance, reviewing my review, even though it wasn't really a review any more than it was a preview, so to speak. For the sake of compartmentalization, however, let us consider it a general overview of insight of Gex 1, and then posit the notion I have insight to share about my insight.

In my "7th official paragraph", I referenced two other titles in helping to illustrate the intangible but very "real feeling" of what playing Gex 1 is like, and likening the experience to both Mario 1 and Sonic 1 in doing so:

The game brings into question just what was “good enough” in terms of testing back then, due to how unforgiving the game can be in terms of enemy placement, platforming sections, and a general sense you’re fighting with the game to get to the end instead of it working with you. The difference between the design choices that make distinct the metaphysics between Mario 1 and The Lost Levels is a great comparison point, with a slightly more specific call out to the difference of what makes the first area from Sonic 1 Green Hill Zone an absolute blast, which is then followed up by the complete headache that is Marble Zone to contend with..

I bring this up, due to the general notion of "judging a game on its own premise", so identifying what any given games mission statement of play is, and breaking down whether or not they succeed thusly within their own declared realm. This may in fact be contingent upon the platitude "comparison is the thief of joy", in that in comparing one game to another, I'm doing so in bad faith, and therefore expecting something of a title it inherently is not. I think while those are fair points of assessment on some level, for a notion as simple as "If you expect Call of Duty of Halo, you're doing them both an injustice". A counter argument of course is that people do like shorthand, and it's inevitable in a free market to compare product, and if there exists a big name in which to reference, and people most certainly will do so in having that go to standard in their head, they are essentially going to use it as the moment of truth in asking the question of a relative competitor: "does this do it better?"

I will posit the notion there is no objectively right answer in approach, just continually better methods of refinement of approach. I think two main sources of defense for why the references to Mario and Sonic felt appropriate, at least in the context of critiquing Gex, is two fair fold, and they are both respectful to the very premise of Gex itself, so therefore at the very least, doing the title justice by judging it on it's own premise. First fair fold; Gex doesn't take itself too seriously, in fact, it goes out of its own way to create a sardonic sense of frivolity in its approach to everyday being, so not being overly serious about the very notion of identity is in part, part of it's identity, helping to reinforce the notion, and in the name of Gex, this is purely in the name of jest, and should not be an overly serius affair.

Fair fold two; Gex as an entity, and one can essentially swap the notion of whether or not my reference is to the character or game, both being interchangeable on a level, is entirely dependent on reference to the other to exist. As interestingly maddening as it would be to go "Full Hegel" on you, by doing a serious dive into the identity of Gex viewed through Hegel's philosophy involving the Master/Slave dichotomy, I'm attempting to wrap this article up without having to write another ten thousand words before reaching a safe stopping point, so rambling on in a Hegelian sense is best saved for another day. The Master/Slave dichotomy, as a shorthand, does come in useful here, for many, many reasons, which as mentioned, I will not be discussing in all of their glory here today, but in using some essential essence of the notion of the Master/Slave dichotomy,

Gex becomes, and is defined, as entity, through reference by the other, and exists in it's capacity through that view point of the other. Without reference points here, and perhaps not even taking into account the totality of the relationship of power dynamic therein, Gex's humor is the very essence of the foundational building block of the experience, and therefore, simply ceases to be without the contingency of the other with which to base it's premise upon. This may seem evidential even without my mention of it, but for the sake of clarity, if one's main hook of identity is to skewer Hollywood, there needs to be a Hollywood to skewer for the "becoming process" to be able to predicate itself, without which Gex simply would vanish in a quick burst of it's own paradoxical non-existence.

This obviously does relate to Mario and Sonic, as Gex is obviously very much a parody figure in the sense it is a riff upon pre-established notions of the other, needing the perspective of the absurdity of the others existence to make concrete Gex's very own. One other citation I made within my not actual "preview/review", was that the humor was almost an entity on top of the entity, with Gex punching sideways in skewering Hollywood, and not necessarily predicated on visual gags or even meta-humor picking apart games themselves. This obviously I feel is a missed opportunity of sorts when considering Gex's premise in it's entirety, but does feed into the notion at the very least of taking Gex at it's own premise is vital in helping to define it by it's own reality in developing a sense of identity, as Gex isn't Mario, and isn't Sonic in it's process of becoming. Though this has the inverse effect of becoming more problematic in breaking down the process of the breakdown of becoming, as part of the problematic nature of why Gex falters in becoming more of it's self, is that the very premise of the game is that it does not have a stronger identity of being without the being of others, and therefore may have it's contingent existence in reality be regulated by the very reality of this notion. The master/slave dichotomy continuing to be very real, as Gex cannot become without Mario and Sonic, but cannot become more without them, dependent upon them in becoming, but also regulated by it's sense of other by these others, and while also being able to exist, is also essentially doomed by them in the same breath of existent reality upon which it is possible to be.

There is a lot to dissect here, and to discuss further, but like most great moments in theory, we shall leave more to ponder then we have presented, and continue this discussion another day.

~Pashford

Source: Gex, Hegel, and the Master/Slave Dichotomy

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