Playstation: Chrono Cross (1999)
The thing about video games that sets it apart from any other form of entertainment is its unparalleled transportative nature. Gaming blends the broad, epic scale of cinema with the character development and world-building nature of TV into something that is both personal and grandiose.
Chrono Cross does exactly that. The opening scenes immediately set the stage for an intriguing, emotional tale split across two timelines – one where the protagonist Serge is alive, the other where he’s dead at sea.
The funny thing about my remembrance of the game playing it way back in 1999 was that I don’t actually remember what the story was about, but the experience of playing it. The plot was complex and obfuscating – I watched this video explainer that sums up the plot and came away with more questions than answers.
What was truly memorable was the incredibly moving soundtrack, the meaningfully written characters, and the artfully imbued themes of love, loss, friendship and family. For a teenage kid grappling with this new thing called “emotions” at that stage, it was meaningful and affecting.
Playstation 2: Metal Gear Solid 3 – Snake Eater (2004)
The original Metal Gear Solid (1998) set the bar for storytelling in video games, but MGS3 raised it to another level technologically, and emotionally.
The PS2 had a bumpy start in 2000, launching with a noticeably weak line up (ESPN International Track and Field, anyone?) but gradually picked up with A-list titles like Final Fantasy X, the Grand Theft Auto titles, Kingdom Hearts, among others. The release of Metal Gear Solid 3 was met with some level of trepidation from fans, its predecessor Metal Gear Solid 2 was considered in some quarters a bit of a letdown.
MGS3 blew all of that away. It introduced a gameplay mechanic that elevated the complexity and excitement of stealth movement, and coupled that with a story that reframed the entire series and its villains. And that ending…I still get choked up watching Snake facing off The Boss in a field of white flowers. Kojima, you brilliant, evil manipulator of feels.
Playstation 3 – The Last of Us
Some say the opening sequence of Pixar’s UP is the best start to any movie ever, itself worthy of accolades. As a Pixar and Up fan myself, I won’t disagree but I ask that you first watch this and then, let’s have a friendly debate.
The game is set in a world ravaged by disease, where obnoxious Karens have run rampant in the United States refusing to wear masks, and the President and leader of the free world is refusing to cede power after losing an election.
Wait, sorry, that’s this reality. Let’s talk about the game.
The Last of Us is set in a world ravaged by disease; an outbreak of a mutant Cordyceps fungus has run rampant in the United States, transforming its human hosts into aggressive creatures known as the Infected.
Basically – zombies have taken over the world!
This may seem like a tired, well-trodden genre, but the premise is really just a set up for us to embark on the character journey of Joel and Ellie. Joel is a grizzled, middle aged survivor in this post- apocalyptic world who is tasked to escort Ellie, a teenage girl seemingly immune to the Cordyceps mutation, to another location.
As the story evolves, the duo develop a father-daughter dynamic that, as a young father to a 2-year old daughter at that time, resonated deeply and quite viscerally. You would do anything to protect your daughter, wouldn’t you?
This game is why I feel sorry for people who think that videogames are for kids. The level of storytelling and artistry is up there with the best of any entertainment form I have ever experienced, from the Godfather saga on film, to Breaking Bad on TV and Hamilton on Broadway.
Hyperbole, perhaps, but one this game absolutely deserves.
Playstation 4 – Spider-Man (2019)
Spider-Man on the PS4 is a joy to play. It’s the purest, most unadulterated manifestation of what simple pleasures gaming can bring. This delight has been for me, further amplified in particular because my 12-year son totally CRUSHES the game. Watching him dodge attacks with the dexterity only a seasoned gamer possesses conjures a mix of admiration and anxiety that he’s spent way too much time holding a controller.
Web-slinging through the streets of the faithfully recreated Manhattan with nary a care in the world (apart from some annoying sidequests, but you can ignore them) is just therapeutic. I’ve spent considerable time just going around the city taking pictures of landmarks around Central Park to the Grand Central terminal and even now I don’t consider that time wasted. Because a Spider-Man does whatever a spider can.
