Games are a magical portal to get lost in the enchanted realms, to forget the tough realities just for a while. The pandemic has been depressing for many people, especially the ones who sought solace in the workplace or school, who have been confined in the walls of their home. Playing games has been one of the coping mechanisms of people all over the world. 

Mobile games have been monumental in ensuring the ease of the players. The online casino has replaced its brick-and-mortar counterpart. People everywhere are opting for the most easily accessible entertainment. This has been made possible by the mobile-friendly interface of the online gambling and gaming sites. Free sample games offered by various casinos, e.g. free Buffalo slot machine, have resulted in the abrupt explosion in the online casino users during the pandemic.

Press X to Continue Podcast 

The time has come when the Press X to Continue Podcast is ripe with awards announcement. This podcast annually declares the nominees and winners in the gaming industry. Let us look at this year’s award labels and the nominees thereof before listening to the podcast.

The Best Game You’ve Never Heard Of

This is an interesting award as it rewards the games that are not well-known but are still qualified because of their brilliant gameplay. The nominees for this award are:

• Little Orpheus is a side-scrolling game for mobile devices. It is a visual treat for those who are avid fans of Pixar animation.
• Journey to the Savage Planet is a gorgeous quirky adventure game that is minimalism at its best. 
• Genshin Impact is an action roleplaying game that has an entire world that you could explore for free. It was shortlisted because it is a stunning visual feast.

Best Lockdown Game

Lockdown has turned even the non-gamer “productive” people into gamers. Games let us evade the horrible reality the coronavirus has inflicted us with. The contenders for the best lockdown game are:

• Among Us: Nearly every person with access to a mobile phone with the internet has played this social deduction game. It has been massively popular due to these reasons:  
• • it’s free.
  • its premise is simple enough for everyone to comprehend.
  • the multiplayer feature makes it addicting because you can play with your friends despite lockdown restrictions.
• Hades: It is an action role-playing game featuring the King of the Underworld. It has an immersive storyline where you have to defeat the god of the dead by hacking out of the Underworld.

• Call of Duty: Warzone is another game that has helped the loved ones get together during this pandemic. Warzone is an enormous combat arena stemming from the known world of Call of Duty. It is free to play battle royale game.

Biggest Disappointment 

This award does not have any contenders because the game critics at Press X to Continue Podcast have decided that the winner is obvious this year. They don’t even need to go through lists of all the games to analyze their pros and cons.

Best Game

The best game this year has two candidates:

1. Animal Crossing

This cute escapist game from Nintendo provides the much-needed habitual diversion during the coronavirus epidemic without being mind-boggling. Its simple but open-ended gameplay is gratifying and addicting. This social simulation game is played in real-time, tracking the date and time through the video game console.

The plot is simple, or rather, non-linear. A player character moves into a tranquil village with anthropomorphic animals to settle there for an indefinite period. The best plot is no plot, this is what’s highlighted in animal crossing. The character’s interactions with other villagers and his activities determine his fate just like in real life. So, the scope of imagination is huge. 

One major feature is the flexibility of customization. The entire persona of the protagonist, the gender and the name, is customizable at the start of the game, with much wriggle room later on. Players can choose to buy or design costumes, and accessories. The house can be changed according to the player’s preferences by furnishing and decorating it.

Another feature is the ability to collect various items, e.g. tossed out objects, fruits picked from trees, seashells, etc. These items can be exchanged for Bells, the game’s currency. Bells can further be used to buy interesting stuff for customizing the character and the house.

Animal Crossing is a charming game that has won the hearts of people all over the world.

2. Last of Us Part 2

This action-adventure game was developed solely for PlayStation. Set in a sinister post-apocalyptic world, this game features two protagonists whose lives somehow intertwine. The beauty of this game lies in the third-person point of view when we have to monitor both of the protagonists alternatively.

This single-player game features the distinguished theme of revenge, which is the goal of one of the protagonists, Ellie, after having a rough past. The other main character is Abby who’s a combatant in a clash with a cult.

This game is similar in themes to the Survival Horror genre featuring dystopian places like forests and dark buildings. The antagonists in this game are humans and cannibalistic creatures, both of which our player (the control shifting between the two main characters) has to defend against. The defense is done through firearms, improvised weapons, and the use of stealth. The player can jump and climb buildings to pass through them. 

An interesting feature is the “Listen Mode” which gives an increased sense of hearing and spatial perception so that the player can detect enemies more easily. 

The dramatic overtone in the detailed plot was praised by the critics, although some believed that the second half lagged and lost its momentum. The cast performances, character study, and visually immersive gameplay are also noteworthy, with some criticizing the game’s portrayal of a transgender character.

The best thing, aside from the meticulous visuals, is the hauntingly beautiful score from Gustavo Santaolalla which creates a looming sense of inevitable ruin. Surreal.

Who do you think won this biggest prize?

Photo by Fábio Silva on Unsplash