Most video games are designed to immerse you during your actual gameplay. They want you to enjoy the times you’re sitting with them, controller in your hand, absorbed by what is taking place on the screen. Every once in awhile though, there’s something about a game that sticks with us after we’ve turned off the television and put the mouse and keyboard away. Maybe it a song with a sticky quality in the back of your mind, or a character you adored or a story that meant so much more than just getting to the end credits These are the titles we want to celebrate here.
NICK
Fuga: Memories of Steel 2
The original Fuga surprised me when it came out. The art style and animorphic characters didn’t much appeal to me at the time. That being said, I finally played it and quickly found myself caring about the characters and enjoying both the music and setting while eating up the strategic gameplay. Fuga 2 really did not change up the formula much, but it didn’t need to as the things that I enjoyed so much of the original did. That being some, there were some pretty emotional character and narrative notes in the second game that stuck with me well after I finished playing it.
SUSAN N.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals
Night School Studio splashed across my screen when I was watching a bunch of world premiers several months back and I shouted, “NO WAY. ARE THEY RELEASING ANOTHER ONE?!” I heard familiar audio and jumped out of my seat in excitement.
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals takes place many years after the first game, though has ties to it. As I went through the story, I was shocked when I heard some familiar names. This instantly hooked me because I couldn’t contain my theory crafting about how and why this game would connect to the first. What it would all mean. Why are the spirits coming after us. Heck, on stream, I’m sure my viewers were confused because they didn’t know anything about the games. Hearing me prattle on about some of the characters, laughing at some references, and griping about certain events, must have been quite interesting without any context. Halloween was the perfect time to play the game and I had a blast. It sticks out in my mind as one of the most memorable and impactful games of the year for several reasons and I’m not ashamed to say that I love everything about it (even if the ending was a bit strange.) If you’re looking for a mind melting experience, go in without any preconceived notions and try it. It may surprise you!
RICHARD
Crymachina
Now, I was debating putting this in guilty pleasure, but it made its way here for a few reasons. First of all, it has a rather deep introspective into what it means to be human, and at what point do we either become or stop being human. Can advanced enough AI become human? What even is the defining factor of "what makes a human, a human"? Add to this a little bit of a meta requirement for getting the true ending, a bonus boss that was the first truly serious boss fight I've had in a while, as well as some interesting backstory on major enemies and the references they represent and it's a game that'll stick in my mind for quite a while.
PIERRE-YVES
Disgaea 7
While a new Disgaea is in and of itself a guilty pleasure, Disgaea 7 was memorable for multiple reasons. It was back to a lot of basics but it didn't sacrifice all the strides that the series has made over the years. It had a great cast of over the top characters which were fun to all see together dood, but may have needed more Prinnies. And as always, it had an addictive turn based strategy gameplay that just makes you want more.
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