Games of the Year 2017
[Work in Progress]
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I'm 8 years old, sitting on the edge of my bed and leaning into the glow of the TV, avoiding these skeletons that are throwing their own skulls at me until I can line up the boomerang just right.
I'm 29 years old, barely sitting on the edge of my couch, trying to circle around this damn Talus that is throwing its own fists at me so I can shoot it right in the ore.
I'm 10 years old, sitting next to my father in chairs that we pulled right up to the TV, talking out just how far we need to fill the water in this fucking temple so that we can get to the boss key.
I'm 29 years old, sharing a single couch cushion with my wife while she explains how far I have to rotate this fucking lizard to get the next terminal.
Not only is the world of this game breathtaking, the exploration amazing, the characters fun and the puzzles & shrines ingenious, but the way that this game was a time machine and a translator was incredibly powerful for me.
This game was a time machine because it took me away from the troubles of being almost thirty, about to start my final semester of my second attempt at college. When life, finances and my own mental instability all had me teetering on the edge, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild took me back to a time when I could just Z-target my problems or I could solve them if I just took the time to think them through. It took me back to when the world was still fresh, new and exciting and there could be anything around the next corner.
This game was a translator, because I was finally able to convey to my wife the way that two of the most influential games of my childhood cemented relationships and the way they made me feel.
Those two games were Link to the Past and Ocarina of Time by the way, two games that are such a part of me that I barely had to type out the titles as I write this on my phone; my predictive keyboard knew exactly what I was going to say after "Link" and "Ocarina".
Breath of the Wild gave me the closure on the loss of my youth, something I think pretty much everyone seeks, but not everyone finds. When we're children, we can't wait to grow up, have more choices, make money. We don't see the death of our childhood coming, murdered by puberty, bills and sore joints. By the time we realize what's happened, our childhood is six feet under and we didnt even get a good look at the bastard who did it.
I've spent more and more time recently trying to figure out when I went from carefree jokester and clown to the grumpy "old" man I am today. Breath of the Wild took me back to the scene of the crime and let me come to terms with what happened by giving me one last taste of my childhood, and for that, I will be forever grateful.
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The first game I ever beat was Super Mario World. This is a very different game, but it made me feel the same way, filled with wonder at the possibilities and confronted with interesting puzzles. I had a big stupid grin on my face the entire time I played. I live when a game makes me feel the feelings.
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Never have I simultaneously hated and loved a game so much at the same time. Dead Cells feels amazing. It handles great, has great weapons, traps and spells and the progression is intensely satisfying.
Now if I could just stop dying because of stupid mistakes...
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Don't give me any bullshit about mechanics or visual novels. Games are art and art should make you feel things. This game made me feel many things. The relationship between Amanda and her dad is great. The writing here is excellent, with each character really having an interesting personality.
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I absolutely HATED the original Destiny. The only time I had anything remotely resembling fun was when playing with close friends, and it had much less to do with the gameplay than the camaraderie.
This time around I played to max level and did everything but the raid in the first week after launch. I haven't played much since, but I know I'll go back when I can find time, and I can't wait.
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I have played this game a ton with my wife. The real value of this game is its ability to let you share your gaming pastime with those who don't play games all of the time.
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The writing in this game is spectacular. I don't think I could possibly identify with the self esteem of Mae any more than I already do.
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While there are plenty of plot holes, bad acting, dialog choices that don't match the actual dialog and even an ad for a McDonald's product that uses the words "doubley bubbly" (in the background of a shot) I still love the idea of this game-movie. Immediately after I finished it, I played it all the way through again. Twice.
Maybe it's just because I'm a problem solver and my brain always wants to fully understand any mystery it comes across but I really got pulled into this movie-game, even though the plot doesn't make much sense and is a little racist.
The production value on Late Shift is great and I hope more movie-games like this get made.
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*Honorable Mention*
This game did not come out in 2017, but it did get a major update and I can't stop playing it.
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