With so many people turning to video games for their entertainment these days, here are some recommendations for video games to really sink your teeth into.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons (Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite)
Courtesy of Nintendo
You would be hard pressed to have missed one of the reasons Nintendo Switch consoles have sold out pretty much everywhere in the recent weeks. In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, you get a fresh start on a deserted island that you make your own, with the “help” of Tom Nook, that is. There is a running joke that games are the only way Millennials and Gen Z-ers will ever own property, and this game is honestly a pretty good example of that. Starting out with a tent, you advance day-by-day by running errands, building things, and making friends with your neighbors. This game is perfect escapism when you just want to get away from everything else going on in the world, and instead just chill out and plant some roses in peace.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite)
Courtesy of CD Projekt Red
After the success of the recent Netflix show The Witcher, this iconic game had a huge resurgence these past few months. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is based on the book series by Andrzej Sapkowski and has always been well thought of in the role-playing game genre. You play as Geralt of Rivia, renowned Witcher, and you are looking for your now-grown charge, Ciri. As with most other RPGs, the choices you make, both big and small, influence the outcome of the game. One simple thing such as collecting a book from a salesman can decide if that salesman still exists in the game after a certain point. This means that you can easily put in hundreds of hours playing and re-playing this game and get a different outcome each time.
Final Fantasy XV (PS4, PC)
Courtesy of Square Enix
While this may be a controversial opinion, to me, Final Fantasy XV is one of the most beautiful games to come out of the past decade. While it differs quite a lot from previous games in the franchise, there is a lot to fall in love with. The story both takes your breath away and breaks your heart, and after you’ve finished this game you will never be able to listen to Florence + The Machine or the song “Stand By Me” the same way ever again. You play as Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum, and you are on your way to your betrothal to Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. With you on your journey are your best friends, Prompto Argentum, Ignis Scientia, and Gladiolus Amicitia. This is also a game you can spend hundreds of hours on, though there is only one ending to the main story line. However, depending on how you interact with your companions, you unlock certain dialogue and certain cut scenes, so make sure you talk to your friends! On top of the main game, there are a few expansions, as well as an anime prequel that is available on the official Final Fantasy XV YouTube channel.
Detroit: Become Human (PS4, PC)
Courtesy of Quantic Dream
Quantic Dream, the company behind Detroit: Become Human, is known for creating games with multiple endings. There are so many possibilities in this adventure game, it will have you coming back and playing it over and over again. In a society that has become accustomed to the use of androids in their everyday lives, more and more of these androids are becoming what is known as deviants. This is when an android breaks through their programming, and truly starts thinking on its own. Detroit: Become Human lets you play through this uprising through the views of three different androids: Connor, Markus, and Kara. Choices you make as one can and will affect the others, though on your first playthrough it can be tricky to tell exactly how. After each finished chapter, you will see a timeline of the choices that you made, and a hint at how many other ways the story could have gone if you had chosen differently.
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch Lite)
Courtesy of Nintendo
Waking up with no memory of who you are or how you got to where you are might not be generally viewed as a good time, but that is exactly how Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild starts. In classic Zelda-style it is still a bad idea to attack chickens, there are a ton of puzzles and random places to get lost in. There are a bunch of wild animals to befriend, but unfortunately, you cannot pet the dogs. You can bond with them in other ways though, through treats and playing fetch, and as a reward the dog will lead you to a chest. Breath of the Wild is a wonderful game with tons of fun mechanics, and when you think you know it all, there are still more things to learn about the game.
Kingdom Hearts (PS4, Xbox One)
Courtesy of Square Enix
If you want to really sink your teeth into a mystery, Kingdom Hearts is definitely for you! On the surface it is just a fun mashup of classic Disney and Final Fantasy characters, with some original characters sprinkled on top. But when you get really into it and play more and more of the games, questions start popping up. Who is Ansem, what is Organisation XIII, and why is Donald so useless? Despite three main games, and nine spin-offs, all the answers you get just lead to more questions. However, this series is perfect if you like RPGs and Disney. There are plenty of fun worlds to explore, and a truly astounding amounts of lucky emblems to find.
