Ingress is unlike any other video game I’ve ever played—it doesn’t fit the traditional definition of a video game. Unlike most video games where you sit down, and let your hands do all of the work, Ingress requires you move around and explore your surroundings—rather than exploring a made-up universe.
At first, it was very difficult to understand. I didn’t read any formal tutorials, or documentation, and I didn’t know what the point of the game was. I had a general idea of what I was supposed to do—I just didn’t know how to do it. Most video games follow a similar pattern—press a button to shoot, use the arrow keys to move, etc.—but in Ingress, you physically move from one location to the next to hack portals.
Like most video games, however, Ingress relies heavily on teamwork. It’s definitely not a game for people who want to play alone. After class today, I met up with 7 fellow Resistance (blue team) members, and set off around campus to attempt to figure out how to play the game. None of us knew what we were doing. There was a cool moment, however, when we all attacked an enemy portal together:
Personally, I don’t see myself getting into a game like this. I don’t play video games often, but when I do, I play because I want to just sit there, relax, and be wowed. I’m not exactly the most active person, so I can see how others might enjoy this game.
Taminder Bariana CS 108 