We’ve all got movies we love to watch over and over. Monty Python. Princess Bride. Airplane. Friday. Usually fun and lighthearted, these flicks allow us to sink away into an enjoyable place, without worrying about tracking characters, plot, and the like. Of course we’d get bored if we only watched these movies, but they’re comforting and it’s nice to have them around — it’s so relaxing to just zone out for a while and watch an old favorite.
I feel this way about some games. There’s no surprise anymore, nothing new to see or discover — but there is a soothing enjoyment in treading over familiar ground and seeping into the world I’ve come to love.
Skyrim has become one of these. Not only is it the first game I’ve ever bought for both the PS3 and the XBox 360 (so I can play down in the video game gym), but now I’ve got two games going simultaneously on each system. Ridiculous, I know.
But sometimes at the end of a crazy day at school, it’s just so darn nice to head out into the wilderness and take on a cavern of bandits. Or rescue a long-lost blade from a Dwarven ruin. Or whip a little fus ro dah on some Forsworn jerks. I don’t have to keep track of the story, I don’t have to pay attention to cutscenes or dialogue. It’s just 100% smooth sailing in the mountains of the north.
Quantum of Solace is another of my go-to games. I never get tired of shooting those bad guys and sniping the snipers. I don’t really know what it is about that particular game — I recognize that it’s not the greatest title of all time. But it’s a perfect combination of elements for me.
What are your comfort games? Which are the titles you can go back to over and over and never get bored? Share your thoughts and we’ll discuss ‘em on the next podcast.
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Spiderman 2 on the original xbox was a big one, but now it’s Red Faction: Guerrilla. There’s just something about the awesome, mindless destruction that let’s me zone out. Maybe it’s open world games that does.
But I don’t like Skyrim… too much snow. I get enough of that irl.
Fallout 3 and Forza 4.
Switch on, tune in and drop out.
Rainbow six Vegas 1 is a game I still play to this day. It has the best cover mechanic of any shooter this generation. clearing a room with flash bangs and c4 is so rewarding. Having to open a door not really knowing what is behind it is something I really miss from the current crop of FPS’s
My second go to game is full house poker. This is because gambling is the most addictive game ever invented and in the real world I would lose all my money!
Quite randomly mine has always been civilisation series on pc. Its calm, turn based so no major pressures, if stressed out on a difficulty i know i can handle well and then you can just go about building a world/empire happily.
On the xbox it used to be GTA 4, log on, cruise about, shoot some random people, steal some cars etc. Nice relaxing. Then it changed to fallout 3 which is now just discover a new location, wander the wilderness, try something new that i havent before. You know what you are getting, the gameplay system is solid and doesnt put too much pressure on you, and being lvl 30 you are extremely hard to kill! Done
I unfortunatly dont usually have the time to sink into games i’ve already completed these days but if I do, my happy comfy place is always retro. I dont believe that all retro games suffer from the old rose tinted’s and if I had to choose two for switching off and relaxing, it would be Zelda 3 on SNES and World of Illusion on Megadrive.
Pinball FX2. Great game to just zone out to while listening to a podcast. Fallout 3, Red Dead and Saints Row 2 have been my biggest time-sink go-tos this generation. (Skyrim and Saints Row The Third will be taking over those mantles for good this summer no doubt.) Mafia II might actually be the most comforting and likeable open world I’ve ever experienced. For its narrative’s sake I completely understand there not being game-play distractions, but it would have been nice to have more to do in a separate mode or something. Such an inviting place. Even with the lack of extra content I would just drive around and listen to the oldies radio now and then.
I could state the obvious of over a dozen Indie Games but no one wants to hear about that. Games that let me explore the mechanics because they offer that kind of depth in design allow me to slip away and really appreciate that passionate game design does still exist.
If I had to just pick one, (try not to laugh too hard)then it would be Skylanders. Encouraging others to play a game that is essentially geared towards children and is somewhat of a money-sink is probably ill-mannered but I am doing it anyways. The figures are still cheaper than most children’s toys that are individually packed and they offer so much. Never before has a game offered so many character options that receive so much care in design and testing that each character actually work better than most whole games do.
Alterntively, Minecraft fascinates me because it challenges you to try and break the game engine at every turn. Never before has something so unstable been so lauded… well besides a particular series that starts with E. I have to remind myself I am playing a beta (0.6 beta is the 360 version) because there is a ton of content there. The game is far from boring as one ‘tries’ to coordinate building or collecting something before the inevitable sundown and those ever so bittersweet Creepers come out to ruin good times.
Apologies for being so long winded! Be well all!
Skyrim and skyrim! Ff vii maybe. Perfect dark against lots of bots was a good one. Oh and perhaps the game that wins this contest for me would be lylat wars.
Mafia 2 is a good shout, always fun.
I used to just go play Vice City, find a motorbike, and do crazy stunts, that is always fun.
Red Dead, Left 4 Dead those are great to kill time.
I also really like racing games, Dirt 2, F1 2010 (yes 2010) and Trials are great to drop in, play a stage and drop back out.
Also, as I now find it bloody hard to just sit and do one thing at a time, I play IOS stuff, like Drop 7 or Bejeweled Blitz while watching TV. Is it bad that just watching TV isn’t enough anymore? I have to be playing something at the same time.
I think my attention span ain’t what it used to, oh look a puppy !
Okay, now I might have to add Minecraft to my list…
scrap my above comments and replace them with Rome total war. C&C generals and starwars rebellion(supremacy). JUst like building up huge armies so i can act out power fantasies!
Has to be any of the recent Tiger Woods games for me. The perfect gaming chillout, it’s like the anti-Trials.
Got to agree with bongo and quanrian on this one, fallout 3 and minecraft.
Fallout just seems so playable. No matter where you left off, 5 mins of gameplay later and you’ll be as immersed as if you’ve been playing for hours. A game like that is a good thing to have as a fall back.
Minecraft is another good one because of the way you always manage to give yourself a new project unintentionally. Also, with the pc version when the main game gets boring, installing new mods can radically change the gameplay enough to add hours more projects and conquests!
Red Dead Redemption, I love to fall into that setting. Skyrim, duh. Hitman, because there are so many different ways to hit your target.
Halo, because that is where I got back into gaming, and Rainbow Six Vegas and Ghost Recon because they are the best shooters around.
Pinball Fx 2, because its there.
Full House Poker, I love Texas Hold ‘Em.
Fifa, Football, Golf or Tennis
Xbox indie titles.
Demos..
These are only some of my comfort games when I’m not in a new adventure.