#20 Hits of the generation
This week’s news has been a lot to deal with. And it feels like it’s going to be that way for a while now - so finding ways to scape is more important than ever. And so gaming has taken on a new importance - not just as something I can enjoy, but as a vital way to give my brain a break from the real world.
Normally, I’d sit and play games while also vaguely browsing Twitter on loading screens. That’s not the case right now - when I’m gaming I’m leaving my phone on the other side of the room to try and get a break from the world for an hour.
And that lack of distraction from external sources haas got me even more hyped for the promise of the next generation of consoles and the end of loading screens - allowing us to completely immerse ourselves in a game.
And that got me thinking about my favourite games of the generation - not necessarily the best games, but the ones which most immersed me in their worlds and stories. I’ve kept it to a relatively short list of five which means some games I’ve loved have missed out - sorry to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Horizon: Zero Dawn in particular, who gave me hours of joy. I’ve also left Nintendo games off this list - the Switch stands alone and it doesn’t feel right to include it in a wrap up of a generation.
What’s stood out to me writing this list, is that the gameplay has barely been a factor in my decisions. Sure - it had to at least not actively alienate me. But I cared far more about the worlds and stories the games let me experience, rather than how the game feels to play from minute to minute. That’s a great sign - it shows how our medium is evolving and I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
The Last of Us 2
I have never dreamt about a video game’s story until The Last of Us 2. I’ve never had a game stop me from sleeping from stress either. These two facts alone are enough to earn its place on this list - the ambition of its storytelling and bravery in not pulling a single punch meant it was a game I couldn’t stop playing or thinking about from the moment it arrived. And the gameplay backed it up - I felt like I was in a constant fight for survival and every new corner terrified me. It’s the only game i’ve ever had to take breaks from because of the stress it was causing me - but within minutes of breaking I couldn’t wait to play it again. It was controversial - but I know when I remember the PS4 in a decade’s time this will be the game I remember. (If I’ve stopped dreaming about its story by then)
Witcher 3
The only game on this list I’ve taken the time to play twice - Witcher 3 deserves its place for so many reasons. Firstly, the world building is top notch - the developers took everything good about the books and their previous games and made things even richer - creating a world you want to travel across. Which is no mean feat when riding everywhere takes bloody ages and there’s a fast travel option to move you between locations. Secondly, the relationships between the characters - I wanted to spend time with them and was always sad when the story sent them off in different directions. And of course - it’s incredibly fun to play. So many games now are intent on making you feel powerless - while the Witcher never did. You had to earn your power sure - but it preferred to put challenges in your path through storytelling and moral dilemmas, rather than simply ramping up the difficulty of combat
Spider-Man
Spider-Man earns its place on this list for the sheer, utter joy it brings. Swinging through New York is effortless, fun and is the closest a game has ever come to making you feel like a superhero. I could explore New York for hours, hunting down backpacks and completing challenges and be completely satisfied. But it doesn’t end there- it’s got a story which manages to both feel like a fresh take on the character, while also celebrating its comic and film roots and a supporting cast who feel like living and breathing characters. It’s the closest i’ve ever come to feeling like I was exploring a comic and I can’t wait to revisit the world in two weeks when Miles Morales arrives as the launch game for my PS5.
God of War
While gameplay wasn’t a huge factor in my decision - boy did God of War deliver some great gameplay. Exploring the world would leave me speechless, while combat really did make you feel like a god. (except for a couple of the boss fights, which left me trying to think like a tricked god to come up with ways to overcome them). But, like the other games on this list - it’s the story that stands out for me. The God of War franchise had never interested me before this reboot - it felt like violence for the sake of violence. But this meditation on fatherhood, loss and new beginnings hit home hard. That’s not to mention having your virtual son by your side as you travel. He starts as the typical video game nuisance - someone to protect and worry over, but evolves into something far more special. And the game recognised this growth and weaved it naturally into the story - creating by far the most engrossing one on one relationship of any game i’ve ever played.
Red Dead Redemption 2
RDR2 has a control system so bad I’m sure I yelled at my PlayStation multiple times. That would disqualify almost any other game from contention - if I’m spending 60 hours on something I don’t want it to be a pain in the arse to control. And yet, here it is - last, but by no means least on my list. Why? Because it created a compelling image of a world that was changing in a way its protagonists couldn’t comprehend and made me question whether that change was good. And it did it with a cast which felt as well developed as any novel’s heroes - people I genuinely enjoyed cooking for and fetching water. Their lives mattered - and watching them fall apart was heartbreaking. And that’s not even mentioning the lead character Arthur Morgan - a man who watched his world fall apart
Not a bad effort from the PS4 all things considered - it’s been a great six years and my console now has to survive just two more weeks. After that it’s off to a friend’s house so he can embrace the nostalgia of Tony Hawk and the PS4 can get a much deserved rest.
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