A gaming realisation

13th February, 2022 - Blog

How’s it going folks?

Back to talking about games this week, and I’ve had a realisation while playing Dying Light 2.

I love open-world games, but they don’t love me back.

What do I mean by that? I mean as much as I love running from zombies, and as much as I’m itching to play Horizon: Forbidden West, I know they’re the kind of games that are tough to plough through when I work full-time, I run a business, I host a podcast, I blog, and I’m trying to raise a beautiful boy.

That’s not counting Destiny 2, the game I play most for work, and any other reviews I’m covering.

That’s led me to reevaluate the number of games I’m playing, and the type of game. What I’ve learned is that I adore games that offer bite-sized chunks of gameplay – a half hour here, an hour there.

I’ve always dropped into a game of FIFA career mode when I have some downtime, or a Destiny strike. This year, though, I’ve been spoilt for choice.

Monster Hunter Rise was great last year, but having it on PC means I can fire up a hunt when I have a spare moment.

Then there’s Rainbow Six Extraction, a game I called “a game as a service, but for Dads” on the podcast, but being able to jump in, rack up some XP, and get out within 15–30 minutes is ideal.

I’ve also been playing a fair amount of Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel and Legends of Runeterra since card games are ideal for killing time.

Sure, any level-based game fills the criteria of being “bite-sized”, but the key with these titles is long-term progression – I’m always moving forward in terms of XP, or gear, or cards or something.

That’s not to say I don’t like a good RPG or MMO, though. I’m still chipping away at Pokémon: Shining Pearl, and desperately waiting for the Lost Ark server queues to die down.

Anyway, just a few words to cap off a busy week. Hope you’re all keeping well and staying safe.