We’re back with another Friday club! It’s been too long so we thought we’d entertain ya’ll with some more of our joint nonsense. This week we’re all recommending the ultimate games to play in lock down, we’re going to suggest 1 serious (super srs) game and one more casual game to get stuck into!
Well if you’ve got any money left over from your furlough pay cheque I highly recommend the FF7 remake, even though in this video I went for an 8 – I’m now very near the end and it’s gone up to a 9.5…..This game is likely going to end up being my game of the year. Everything about this game is so damn perfect, the combat, the story, the pacing, the visuals, the level design etc. etc. Honest to god any slight doubt I had about this game has been completely and utterly proven wrong. Thank god they made this game.
My more casual game rec will have to be the Pokemon switch games, moreso Pokemon Let’s Go because it is so easy to play but it’s so fun and it’s one of those you can put on and just kind of get lost in but not stressed out by, which is something you sometimes need when other games are kicking your ass. When the weather improves I think this is the perfect garden game.
My serious game that you simply must try if you haven’t already is Horizon Zero Dawn. Now you’ve presumably got the time on your hands you can afford to throw yourself head first into its stunning and exploration rich world. The expansion is a must as well, so if you’ve played the original game but not ventured into The Frozen Wilds yet then this should absolutely be your next port of call.
A less serious game I can recommend is Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. Who wouldn’t want to spend ten hours running around butchering Nazis and looking and sounding great while doing it? The story is a bit heavy in parts but the moment to moment gameplay is full of mindless high adrenaline gun battles that should certainly be on your radar. Just watch out for the Panzerhunds..
To avoid sounding like a broken record, I won’t suggest The Last Of Us. Instead I’ll go for another Naughty Dog classic in the Uncharted series. The Nathan Drake collection was recently made free to all players so you have no excuse if for some mental reason you missed these classics! Even if you have played them, do it again because they’re so much fun and will leave a big stupid smile on your face during these dark times.
My second less serious suggestion doubles up as a way to stay social during this lockdown period. A Way Out is an insanely fun co-op title that you and a friend can complete in one 5-8 hour session. Plus it comes with a buddy pass so only one of you needs to own the game so the cost can be split. Don’t sleep on this one!
Due to playing more games on my Xbox recently, my choice for a serious game would be any of the Gears Of War games. Having found a new love for the franchise through Horde mode with others from Respawning, I love the franchise and with Gamepass all of the series is free. I’m not going to go into detail about them, most will know the story by now, if not, play them, the story lines and lore are brilliant! The game is a cover to cover third person shooter that can get pretty intense and if played on higher difficulties, will induce some serious sweaty palms. But this is a good thing, trust me! Play them all.
And finally, to quote news readers everywhere, my casual choice, to play with others in the household, or even friends over the internet, would be Moving Out. I recently played this with my partner, and we had a ball! It’s basically built around the same idea as Overcooked (another I would recommend) only this time you’re a removal expert (I use the term expert, very loosely) and have a timer to get every item from a house to the removal lorry. This basically takes the form of yourself and friend/family member/partner/child whatever, it supports up to four players, carrying items as fast as you can to the waiting lorry. This, in some cases, even means just straight out through the plate glass window! Lots of silly, innocent fun with this one! Even better, it’s free with Xbox Gamepass!
Well I don’t really play long games if the narrative is over after say 15 hours, but there are a few games I would recommend you try 100% and they are – Yooka-laylee and Mario’s Odyssey. These are two fantastic platformers that encapsulate the idea almost perfectly (I’m aware Yooka has split opinions) with bright colourful worlds with a seemingly endless amount of collectables.
A more serious pick that could reach the 100 hour mark would be the Mana games. Start with Secret of Mana from the Collection of Mana and you could follow that up with the original Trials of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 3). At the moment I’m playing the 3D remake and I’m in love with this game already. From last Friday where I was on 5 hours to today (May 1st) where I‘m up to 57 hours and I’m not even through my first playthrough yet (I’m bad at games don’t judge). So yeah play the 3D Trials of Mana, you wont be disappointed. It’s so colourful, well written (if a little silly) and has really fun combat with the ability to switch between 3 characters at will.
My first thought, as it usually is at the moment, would be to go for the Final Fantasy VII Remake, but as Jav has already gushed over it already, I’ll suggest The Last of Us (you’re welcome Mikey). Not a lot more can be said about this game that hasn’t already, but let’s be honest, we’re all desperate for the next installation, so why not revisit the original to satisfy our need for more heartwarming conversation between Joel and Ellie.
As for my casual pick, I’m going to suggest Sims 4. With all the free time we currently have, what better time to build that giant mansion you’ve always dreamed of… And set it on fire.
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