where yuvi talks about the video games he played in 2022
(CONTENT WARNING: This post is about video games. And it also involves a lot of parentheticals!) (Like, A LOT!) 🫠🕹️😵💫
a year of gaming
So among other activities this year (like publishing a novel and blogging and YouTube and migraines), this was the year where I went more deeply into video games (and ventured outside of the Nintendo Switch). Specifically, I got an Xbox Series S (i.e. the cheapest of the new generation of consoles) and Xbox Game Pass (i.e. sorta like Netflix for gaming). During nights when I was too angst-ridden to sleep or get stuff done (i.e. A LOT), I played games. When looking at the list, it's a little bit alarming how many games I played! (How the hell did I have time for all these damn games when I didn't have time to clean my room!?)
On the upside, it was pretty joyful that—even as a more-than-50-year-old (!)—I can totally fall in love with some compelling, beautiful, and often brilliant video games. I can’t believe I spent most of my adult life writing off video games as a waste of time, instead of appreciating this art form that’s just as worthy of attention as books and movies and… art. When looking at the games I actually saw through to the end, they cross many different genres, but the overriding theme is that they (almost all) have wonderfully-written stories.
In case you're curious (even in a judgmental way), here is the list of games I completed (along with some that I abandoned), and a bit about why I got into each game.
Many of these games aren’t new (the beauty of being away from gaming for 25 years is that you have A LOT of great games to catch up on!), most of them were free with Game Pass (which is one of the most consumer-friendly services I’ve encountered in recent years), and all of them had something fascinating to experience. Some required a ton of hours to complete (around 100 for Persona and Red Dead Redemption!) and some were fairly quick encounters (5 for Unpacking and Edith Finch).
Completed Games
Red Dead Redemption 2. I was afraid this game would be too violent and too much about cowboys and shooting, but what stood out for me was what a beautiful, tragic redemption story it is for the compelling hero, Arthur Morgan. So beautiful that I MADE A 40-MINUTE YOUTUBE VIDEO ABOUT THE DAMN THING because I wanted others to appreciate the storytelling.
(Genre: open-world action adventure game • Hours played: 95)
Persona 5 Royal. You play as a Tokyo high school student falsely accused of assault. It's one-part life-sim and one part fighting in these “metaverse” dungeons. Even if the game has a few cringy elements (and it honestly could use a more LGBTQ-friendly refresh), it was a beautifully-crafted game about relationships and pain and happiness and grief and denial and distorted realities. With some gorgeous art. Somehow I even enjoyed doing laundry in this game.
(Genre: Japanese role-playing game • Hours played: 105!?!)
The Forgotten City. My wife and I actually played this one together. It's just a really fun mystery adventure game that takes place in an ancient Roman city. If you can handle the unsettling, toothy mouths of the characters, it’s an addictive and really well-written mystery.
(Genre: mystery adventure role-playing game • Hours played: 15)
What Remains of Edith Finch. This is a tough one to explain. It's a collection of strange tales about a family somewhere in Washington state. Each story is different in tone and style and you go through each family member's (often tragic) story to try and untangle the family's mystery. Weird. Lovely. A little bit eerie.
(Genre: first-person adventure game • Hours played: 5)
Cult of the Lamb. This is just your typical game where you play the role of a possessed lamb who is saved from death by a demon creature and must repay his debt by creating a cult of desperate animal followers… Yeah, it's weird. But a joy to play. It’s arguable whether this game has a “wonderful” story, but it is satisfyingly twisted.
(Genre: roguelike • Hours played: 15)
Unpacking. As opposed to the creepiness of the last game, this one is absolutely soothing. You play as a girl (and then as a woman) who has to unpack her stuff in each house spanning from childhood to adulthood. All you know about her is in what she has in her boxes as you unpack them. That's it. So I guess you don't actually play as her, you just unpack her boxes. And learn about her life through her stuff. It’s such an unexpected delight to see some of her objects from childhood appear years later when she’s an adult. Soothing and lovely.
(Genre: soothing puzzle game??? • Hours played: 5)
Psychonauts 2. This was just an adorable and fun exploration of the mind. You play as Raz, this young acrobat with psychic abilities trying to stop those that perform nefarious deeds with their own psychic forces. I honestly got a little tired of the action and fighting and jumping around part of it, but the story (and the playful dialogue) was too interesting for me to quit.
(Genre: 3D platformer • Hours played: 20)
Assassin's Creed Origins. I’d heard of these Assassin’s Creed games for years, but never gave it much thought or attention until I saw this game on Game Pass and gave it a try because the time and place seemed compelling. This game takes place in Ancient Egypt. Actually not ancient ancient Egypt, but in 49 B.C., which is still 2500 years AFTER the pyramids (closer to NOW than the pyramids if you can believe it). Beautiful setting. And it was a genuinely emotional story (even if not as deeply rendered as something like Red Dead Redemption 2). And apparently I like sneaking around and assassinating people (in a video game).
(Genre: open-world action adventure • Hours played: 59)
In the Midst Of…
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Got derailed from playing this game during the more intense part of my book release, but I’ve sure enjoyed the dozen or so hours I’ve clocked in so far. The story is so nuanced and fascinating. Even the side stories are top notch and I love the morally complex decisions that you have to make, as the Witcher. The only downside is that I’ve been away from the game long enough that I can’t quite remember how to play the damn thing… Probably I’ll need to start over, which isn’t a terrible thing with a story like this. (2023 UPDATE: Completed! Loved it!)
(Genre: open-world action adventure)
It Takes Two. A fabulous two-player action adventure and puzzle game that somehow includes themes about relationships and marriage and divorce and cooperation in a surprisingly thoughtful way. You play as the mom and dad of a girl who is sad because the parents are always fighting. Y'all have been transformed into toy dolls and you have to work together to get out of the situation. The brilliance is that the storyline and the gameplay are in sync so that you have to learn how to work together to solve the puzzles at the same time that you’re repairing the marriage. (2023 UPDATE: Completed! Loved it!)
(Genre: action adventure platformer)
High on Life. Twisted humor similar to Rick & Morty. I love that part about it, so much irreverent ad-libbed (seeming) dialogue. But I’m not sure I'll finish it just because I'm really not into first-person shooters, and I get a bit nauseous playing first-person games like this, but… the dialogue is pretty damn delightful.
(Genre: first-person shooter)
Abandoned Games (That Still Seem Great)
Elden Ring. I can see the beauty of this one, and why it won game of the year. But it’s a little too complicated for me. I don’t want to figure out so much about fighting and spells and magic and weapons… while getting my ass kicked over and over again.
Disco Elysium. Seems like a fascinating, psychological exploration. I heard amazing things about it, but the controls were a little awkward, and I didn’t get hooked right away, and then never came back to it.
Guardians of the Galaxy. Some really great banter between teammates. But too actiony for me. Got bored with the shooting and platforming.
Outer Wilds. Amazing and fascinating. But a little too subtle for me. I need more hand-holding, I guess. I didn't feel like I had enough time (or patience) to figure it all out.
Mafia. Seems like a great story, but I got sick of the shooting part, and of me being so damn bad at the shooting part (even on the easy mode it was too hard for me).
OK! Thanks for going on this tour with me. I really love video games. On top of the beauty and the gameplay brilliance, there is just some incredible and heartbreaking storytelling in these games. I wish I could expose more of y’all non-gamers to some of these wonderful experiences… even if you might end up as a Tokyo high school student, a cowboy with an uncertain moral compass, or a deceptive, possessed lamb.