Video Game Recommendations
Gaming is an extremely diverse hobby and field. You can be a gamer who just plays 2048 on their phone or a gamer who owns multiple consoles. I like to think that there’s a game out there for everyone. As someone who mainly plays on consoles, the games that come out just keep getting better and better, so here are 5 games I think everyone should play at least once in their lifetime.
Pokemon Black and White
In my opinion, the best Pokemon game ever made. Set in the Unova Region, the game follows Hilda/Hilbert across the land, battling for recognition and against Team Plasma, a group hellbent on setting pokemon free from trainers. Not only is the story extremely compelling, ringing up moral and ethical dilemmas, the gameplay is insanely fun as well. The Pokemon are fully animated, bouncing and moving during battles. Gen V is also special for the fact that it has a whole new roster of pokemon. You can only catch these pokemon till you beat the Elite 4 and new pokemon are so fun. The game also looks extremely good for a 3DS game. The first time I entered Castelia City, my mind was blown. I think this game holds up pretty well, even 16 years later, and it’s still highly regarded both in the Pokemon community and the wider gaming community in general.
- Red Dead Redemption 1
Everyone’s heard of Red Dead Redemption 2, it’s regarded as one of the best video games ever and in my opinion, the first RDR is just as good and deserves all the praise. RDR1 takes place in 1911, following John Marston as he is forced to hunt down his former gang members for the government in exchange for his family. The game explores the American dream and the continuous cycle of violence, especially highlighted by John’s former leader and father figure, Dutch Vander Linde. For a game that came out in 2011, it still looks amazing and the graphics don’t look dated. I found myself taking many screen captures throughout the game, especially while riding through the desert in the moonlight. My favorite aspect of the game is its vibes. RDR1 is extremely unsettling. The dying west is represented perfectly and it is beautifully haunting. These are the last remaining parts of the wild west, filled with people who can’t seem to let go of the past and move on. In many areas of the game, the setting is especially creepy and eerie. After you finish the main game, you still have left arguably one of the best DLCs made, Undead Nightmare, a zombie spin off and a must.
Resident Evil 4
OG or Remake, both versions are really good. The original Resident Evil 4 that came out in 2005 is iconic, having a long lasting impact on both survival horror and the action adventure genres. It redefined third person shooter games by introducing the “over-the-shoulder” aiming method, influencing future works like The Last of Us Part l and Bioshock. The game itself is insanely fun, you play as Leon, forced to become a government agent after the events of Re2, rescuing the President’s daughter from rural Spain. The gameplay rocks and the aesthetic is really nice too, especially when you get to Castle Salazaar. You have to strategically manage your resources as well, cranking up the tension all while fighting to survive and save Ashley from the Plagas. The modern remake in 2023 takes everything that the OG did and makes it 10 times better. The graphics are amazing and the gameplay becomes even more smooth and engaging. It’s definitely a game that has to be played at least once.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This is quite possibly my favorite game ever. There’s a reason why it won Game of the Year back in 2017 and it completely redefined open world games for years to come. Games like Final Fantasy Rebirth and Elden Ring have cited BotW as their inspirations. It became the standard when it came to open world games. There is just so much to do, so much to explore, which is the best part. Nothing could ever beat the feeling of me exiting the shrine of resurrection to see the map for the first time during the intro scene, it’s something that stuck with me, till this day. The story of the game really hits as well, especially when you are just as clueless as Link in the beginning. You need to reclaim his memories along with him to truly figure out what happened a century ago. The softer, quiet post-apocalyptic vibe of BotW is, I think, one of its best qualities. It truly feels like a world that’s just begun to heal after a tragedy, especially with some places completely deserted and nature reclaiming them. It’s “empty” in the best possible way. For the actual gameplay, I find the combat system extremely fun. I love the small burst of dopamine I get when I time a parry or flurry rush just right. I love the tension that builds up as I have to creep past the guardians and the adrenaline that rushes through me when I get spotted by one. Breath of the Wild was one the first games I played by myself, with no spoilers, and just the childlike sense of wonder I felt while playing through makes me feel that everyone should get a chance to feel the same as I did.
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
The best Lego game ever made…wait scratch that, the best game ever made, actually. This is a peak cousins game. My best memories with my cousins and neighbours is playing through this game on the Wii, it’s just so fun. The gameplay aged really well and some levels I still prefer to the newer Skywalker Saga. One particular standout is the cutscenes. They utilize a slap stick form of comedy that I still remember to this day. It’s made even funnier when you take a look at their heads and it’s just two dots, as Lego hasn’t updated minifig eyes just yet. Some of the puzzles, however, are a challenge and probably will require multiple events to get through them. I remember having to play the phantom menace podracing level multiple times, getting so frustrated that I had to set the remote down and go take a walk. If you’ve got an old wii and another person to play with, this is the perfect game to whip out, both for fun and for the nostalgic feeling that comes along with it.
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