Ben lately has been wanting to play every computer game I play. He's not particularly interested in racing games, like, for instance, the numerous Cars PS3 ports, even though he loves Cars.  This could be because I suck so badly at using the controller.  FYI Cars is a marvelous movie for a young child because it has so little violence and actual meanness.

In any event, this has led to some uncomfortable moments when, for instance, Ben's sitting on my lap while I play, say, Dead Space, and bodies are getting pulled apart and recordings have increasingly desperate people cursing like…well, increasingly desperate people.

So I've hunted hard for games that, while possibly including violence (i.e., Tron 2.0, Half Life 2), aren't necessarily so disgustingly visceral.

One of the games I was hoping would work would be Tron Legacy.  So I ordered it, started it up, and…ack!  A jumping game!  Press alt-a while holding down the 'W' button to leap to a platform while running along the side of (!!!) a wall and throwing a disc to hit a target on the other side of a chasm.  After a ridiculous number of times trying just to handle–forget master–certain jumps, I gave up on it.  It reminds me of the relatively recent (as in past 5 years) Prince of Persia port–which had the same kinds of maneuvers.

Is it that I'm old and lack reflexes in my fingers?  Err I type 100+ words a minute (never mind the actual number you wouldn't believe it anyway).  Is it that I'm using a keyboard?  Is it that I don't have the hours to put in to learning how to use a controller?  Is it that I'm missing something cool that younger people see in trying to push buttons/move controller sticks incredibly quickly?  Or is it just lazy game design, in that developers think all these maneuvers take the place of actual story?

I dunno.  So I went to the one place where I've routinely over the years gotten informed and thoughtful opinions.  What's the deal?