Video games seem to get the most bad press among all the entertainment medias. Not films, not TV shows, not books, but video games are seen as the black sheep among the flock. Maybe it’s because video games are still an infant compared to other entertainment mediums or maybe it’s the interactive aspect of gaming that crosses the line. Whatever it might be, I believe there’s a better balanced way to look at this.

You can never generalize entertainment media. It’s so vast and diverse that labeling it good or bad, based solely on your experience or by judging a small portion of it, is narrow minded and ignorant. All media is a double edged sword, and it depends on the wielder. The message a piece of media conveys can lie anywhere from good/positive, harmful/negative or it can even be open for interpretation. The first 2 are obvious, but the third is a bit muddy. For example, a movie like “Taxi Driver” can teach you about mental health and the dangers of loneliness, or it can either teach you to be a psycho. Labeling media based on the consumer’s interpretation shouldn’t be the standard to judge it by, nor should misguiding media be encouraged. It is a blurred line, which we as a community need to address.

Gaming, like its peers, has the power to change one’s opinion and introduce new thoughts, for better or worse. On top of this shared quality, gaming has the added advantage of being interactive. This is what separated gaming from the pack. You are in control. You are the one who clicks, and you are the one that does the action. On one hand, this exponentially increases our immersion and teaches its lesson in a profoundly intimate way. On the other, this is the reason the media believes video games make us psychotic killers. Yes, there are many violent games, but multiple studies have shown this is not related to real life crime and inadvertently acts as a stress relieving mechanism. But I understand how consuming such media can affect a feeble mind, as it tends to desensitize us to these acts.

Video games aren’t perfect, none of the media are. There are many serious problems that need to be addressed like addiction, gambling, social disconnection and needs proper attention and care put into the development for battling these crippling obstacles. But there’s also the side of gaming that showcases stories and viewpoints that changes ones life forever. Gaming has a long way to go, and some major problems to fix. But I have hope for this medium and the communities behind it, and maybe one day, we will look back on this generation of games as one looks back on the infancy of movies and books.

This post The Case Against Video Games first appeared on R1CHU and is written by R1CHU

Spoilers

The year was 2016, it was a sunny day with just the right temperature outside. 16 year old me was sitting in my room playing the first free episode of the first season on the 4 inch screen of my smartphone thinking it was the best thing ever. It was just my type of game, narrative focused with great voice acting, great writing and a world brimming with stories to tell. Everything was perfect, but unfortunately 16 year of me didn’t have money to buy the rest of the episodes, so my wish of seeing the story to completion was something I held on to for many years, 6 to be exact. And it was only now, after my good friend Xena gifted me the Definitive Edition that I got to continue my journey.

The first game got over 100+ game of the year awards and that says something. Right of the bat you are put into the shoes of Lee Everett, a convicted criminal on his way to jail. Things happen and you are left with the young Clementine, who is so innocent that you want to protect her at all cost. I don’t think there is a single person who wouldn’t give their life to protect her. Along the way you meet new survivors while you try to make sense of what is happening all around you. The game’s dialogue system was revolutionary at the time and still holds amazingly well to this day. Not to mention the writing, music, character design, art-style, all of which work so well together that it’s impossible not to feel immersed in the story. The game is amazing, and probably my favorite one among all the others. It touches on a lot of dark themes but still provides you with a little hope to hold on to. The crazy thing in my opinion is even if this game came out this year, it’ll still be the game of the year because the game doesn’t depend on any fancy gameplay gimmick, the whole game and every Telltale game for that matter is about the characters and story, which only deepens as the lore continues.

The second one was heartbreaking to say the least. After the tear jerking ending of the first one, you’re thrown into Clementines shoe who is desperately trying to survive not knowing who to trust. Weirdly enough, even though I was controlling Clementine I still felt like I was Lee looking after and making the best choices for her. As she tries to get by, she makes new friends and meet some old ones. Interestingly the whole game revolves around the dilemma of who you choose to trust, your old friends or new ones. I definitely had to pause the game several times and ponder on my next decision as the game gets really tense at times and most of the things always seems to be out of your control. Unlike the first one, this has a whooping 7 different endings and its amazing how they even pulled it off.

The third one was weird. The first striking aspect is that you don’t play as Clementine, but instead Javier, a washed off baseball player who is a disappointment in his brothers eyes. The game isn’t flat out bad, it might be even good if it wasn’t one of the main line entries and a separate one-shot like TWD Michonne. For what its worth, the visuals are definitely better, certain sections of shooting feels great and voice acting as always is amazing. Unfortunately coming to this after the second entry you have a hard time caring for the new characters as you barely know them. One of my biggest gripe I have, which I don’t see mentioned often is the camera work. This whole game is shot like a freaking Michael bay movie and I don’t know why. They tried making everything cinematic, by using different aspect ratios for cut scenes, depth of field and camera shake, all of which I despise. Clementine is still in this but for not long enough and from the last time you played as Clem in the previous game, she has drastically changed. She is bolder, stronger and more sure of herself. In a way, I like to believe she became more independent on her own, figuratively by us not controlling her and this third game was the necessary evil to facilitate that.

The fourth and final one in the series is definitely the most innovative in terms of gameplay and visuals among all the others. You might have noticed, I’ve said little about the gameplay in these games, its because there’s only a little of it. You play a Telltale game for its story, not its gameplay. The two biggest improvement is, you can move the camera to look around, and secondly the combat is in real time which I really, really love. Throughout this game, I felt a sense of pride and déjà vu as we become a guardian of sort, first with Clementine and now Clementine with AJ. With such a huge series, you can never make everyone happy, but it is what Telltale has successfully done. It is the best conclusion that I or anyone could have asked for. Not to mention the internal situation at telltale at the time. For those unaware, Telltale was shut down mid way through the final season and it was set to be cancelled. Hundreds of employees laid off overnight with no where else to go, it was a nightmare and I sincerely hope all those people got back on their feet and are making great games. Fortunately for us gamer, Skybound the company owned by the original creator of The Walking Dead came to the rescue and stoke a deal with Telltale to finish the final season. For that thank you Skybound, thank you for allowing all us to see Clementines journey to the end.

TWD Michonne is probable the best game in the series in terms of gameplay and story telling. The first game is my favorite but objectively I think Michonne takes the cake. The combat is still the best in the series, the story telling keeps you on your toes and it has some great cinematic shots. Not to mention, Michonne might just be one of the most badass female protagonist I’ve seen in gaming and I love it. Like really, everything about this is amazing and I really think it deserves more praise.

Final note: I highly recommend watching the Dev playthrough of all the games with the voice actors, which was supposed to be viewable in-game but isn’t available now as they took it down from their server. Fortunately there are a few heroes on YouTube who have recorded the entire thing, so check it out there. Finally, finishing this game series has reignited my love the zombie genre and I can’t wait to go back into this world by reading the original comic.

This review on Steam

Steam Curator Page

This post The Walking Dead : The Telltale Definitive Series – Review first appeared on R1CHU and is written by R1CHU

Narcosis

Probably one of the most underrated game I’ve played. Released back in 2017 and with Mostly positive reviews (822) on steam, Narcosis is a first person horror/psychological thriller that tells an exceptional story. I was so surprised when I finished this game for the first time that I still, after a year or so, still sometimes think about the story of this game. Definitely a must-play if you’re into immersive story driven games. Also, it goes really cheap on sale (-80%) so go check it out!

Mutazione

Mutazione on the surface may only look like a point-and-click walking sim, but it’s one of those games that you stay for the characters and stories they tell. If you liked games like Night In The Woods, this game is certainly for you. Like NITW it has rich world, interesting story, weird and lovable characters and is overall a wonderful time. It was released in 2019 and has Very Positive (457) rating on steam.

Scanner Sombre

Probably the most unique one in terms of gameplay in this list, Scanner Sombre makes you walk through the abyss with just your scanner. I’ve never experienced exploration like this in any game. You feel lost throughout the game, but that’s part of the game and I don’t know how the developers managed to execute it so masterfully, but it works. Also, the story, which was only an underlying factor, took me by surprise towards the end. Definitely a must-try, and also it goes dirt cheap on steam (-85%)

Tacoma

Probably the most well known in this list, Tacoma from the creators of Gone Home, is an innovative story rich sci-fi game where you set aboard a space station and try to find out what happened to the crew. The biggest feature the game presents is where you can watch and control the surveillance system to piece up the puzzle, and it works amazingly. The game is also very polished and a joy to play. It has Very Positive (2,392) reviews on steam and goes cheap (-85%) on sales.

We Went Back

I honestly don’t know how to sell you this game. For once, I don’t have to sell it because it’s Free, and secondly it’s a mixture of Horror / puzzle done really great. I don’t want to spoil anything, even the gameplay, so just go check it out. It was released back in April 2020 and has a Very Positive (3,812) rating on steam, that itself says a lot.

Perfect Vermin

Another unique Indie gem, which you can get for Free on steam. As the description says on steam – “Your task is simple, exterminate all vermin” . It’s a tiny game with a dark undertone. You may miss what the game is trying to convey the first time you play as you’re busy smashing stuff (like I was), but then it hits you. What does? Well go play the game and find out!

Steam Curator Page

This post 6 Short Underrated Games That Made Me Think first appeared on R1CHU and is written by R1CHU