My Game of the Year 2019: Control

2019 was a strange year for a number of reasons, one of which was that for a brief moment, I kind of fell out of video games. My biggest hobby, one that I’ve had for decades, became unexciting and boring. I tried numerous new releases but nothing grabbed my attention for more than a few hours. Everything felt the same and I wasn’t having as much fun as I was in the past. Where was that big, new experience I was longing for?

Turns out, I just had to wait until August to play it.

Control was the first game of 2019 to completely take over my free time and the first game in I don’t know how long to surprise me. Control is an third-person action game from Remedy Entertainment, best known for the first two Max Payne games as well as Quantum Break and Alan Wake, the latter of which is one of my all-time favorites. Control has just what you’d expect from a Remedy game: a great narrative, tight shooting, and a unique setting. Except this time they added in an extra healthy dosage of weird.

Control takes place within The Oldest House, the mysterious home of the Federal Bureau of Control, a secret government organization that houses, studies, and protects the world from supernatural objects and occurrences. As Jesse Faden, you arrive at the FBC in search of your long-lost brother, and inadvertently become entangled in a battle against an interdimensional threat called The Hiss. To delve more into the plot would be a disservice to the game and ruin the surprise of it. Just imagine a cross between The Twilight Zone and Twin Peaks, with a dash of The X-Files thrown in for good measure.

What makes Control so memorable for me is how challenging it is, both in its gameplay and its narrative. Juggling shooting with the numerous supernatural powers at your disposal (flight, telekinesis, mind control) can be tricky, especially when fighting multiple enemies. But once things click, you feel truly powerful. Each battle feels destructive and dynamic thanks in part to the excellent level design. And I can’t tell you just how satisfying the woooosh sound effect when using telekinesis is.

Narratively, Control is bonkers. It’s weird, scary, and often hilarious. It takes itself seriously but never becomes pretentious. Most importantly, it trusts its audience. It delves into some really strange and complex territory but never handfeeds or overexplains anything, nor does it ever feel overwhelming. It leaves enough breadcrumbs to allow the player to piece things together themselves. This is a game that has you fighting a giant bug-like monster that's trapped within a killer refrigerator and you just ... accept it.

Audio logs and collectible documents flesh things out as well, making the world feel grounded and lived-in. The characters you encounter are unusual and richly entertaining, and all have unique stories to tell. But The Oldest House is the biggest star, and its twisting and shape-shifting environments make it one of the most memorable and detail-rich settings in gaming.

Control is big, weird, frightening, and very, very funny. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever played and it’s my favorite game of 2019.

One Week With The Nintendo Switch

Nintendo sure does know how to make a great box

As a kid, I cut my gaming teeth on Nintendo systems. My cousins had a NES, so every holiday gathering was punctuated by intense matches of Double Dribble and endless rounds of Duck Hunt. I got a Game Boy Pocket when I was about six years old, followed by a Nintendo 64 a few years later. In those early console war years, I was firmly on Nintendo’s side.

Despite such hearty nostalgia for the gaming giant, my interest in the Switch was somewhat muted. You can blame that in part on the Wii U, a system I picked up about a week after it launched in 2013, only to have it collecting dust next to my TV three years later. The Wii U was, in my opinion, a system that was void of a true purpose. The Gamepad was a cool idea, but Nintendo (or any other developer for that matter) never seemed to know what to do with it. Add to that the lack of any compelling software outside of first-party releases and the system was doomed to fail.

Even though my interest for Nintendo had waned in recent years, I was still very much interested to see what they would offer next in terms of hardware. On the surface, the Switch seems like a home run. A system that doubles as a home console and a handheld is a pretty novel and practical concept. And unlike the Wii U, it would appear that Nintendo learned from past mistakes and has a very clear vision for the Switch.

I still had my reservations, but that deep love for all things Nintendo was boiling up inside me to maximum levels. I had every intention of pre-ordering a Switch but was too late to procure myself one.  I figured, much like with the Wii back in 2006, I was going to have to wait to get my hands on one. And to be honest, that was perfectly fine with me.

Until I stumbled upon one in my local Target on launch day, that is.

The combination of nostalgia and a rather unhealthy obsession of being an early adopter of just about every new tech device drove me to walk out of the store that day with a shiny new Nintendo Switch and Breath of the Wild in tow.

So now that I’ve had a week to analyze every inch of Nintendo’s new machine, what do I think?

That’s… kind of a complicated answer.

The core concept of the Switch is executed very well. Being able to play a game on a television and then immediately continue playing on the go works to perfection. For me, not having to be locked to one location to play a console-quality game is quite freeing. Switching from playing on the TV to handheld is fast and easy, and there isn’t any real noticeable dip in quality between the two modes, outside of a slight downgrade in resolution.

The joy-con controllers, while small and a tad bit uncomfortable to hold after a while, work well and offer multiple play styles. Being able to hold one in each hand allows me to be completely relaxed while playing, especially when I’m sprawled out on my couch. Even when docked with the included joy-con grip, they make a solid controller, though I’m sure many would prefer the (rather expensive) pro controller.

As much as I enjoy playing on my television, I’ve mostly used my Switch in handheld mode. With the joy-cons attached to the sides of the console, the Switch becomes a pretty comfortable (if a little oversized) handheld device.  I’ve spent many nights this past week bundled up playing Breath of the Wild before I go to sleep. Everything works just as smoothly away from my television as it does docked to it. 

Playing like this on my desk has caused productivity to cease completely

The Switch also has a little kickstand on the back, which allows you to prop it up on your desk or table. It’s there so that you can play local multiplayer games by just using the console and joy-cons, but I’ve found myself setting it up on my desk or on my bedside table to play on my own. Suffice to say, I really love the multiple ways the Switch allows me to play video games while being a lazy bum.

As a piece of gaming hardware, the Switch is well designed. It feels sturdy and has a good weight to it. The UI leaves a bit to be desired, as it’s somewhat bare bones at the moment, but hopefully Nintendo jazzes it up a little in the future. Friend codes are still here, which is unfortunate. And to the disappointment of myself and millions of other Nintendo faithful, the eShop has no music.

Right now, the Switch has laid a pretty sturdy framework for the future. But there’s still so much that’s unknown about it at this early stage. What will the online service be like? Will there be a more robust social element? When will we get streaming services like Netflix and Hulu? Will third party support show up in force? When will the virtual console make its way over?

As it is right now, the Switch feels unfinished. But there’s a lot of potential here. If Nintendo continues to add features and there’s a steady stream of software (from first- and third-party, as well as indie games) they could be onto something big here.

Deciding whether or not to take the plunge on the Switch is entirely up to you. Zelda’s the only true reason to buy it right now, though if there was ever a single game worthy of justifying a new console purchase, this is it (but more on that later).

Personally, I feel like my purchase has been justified. Zelda is huge enough to keep me busy for months if not years, and big games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, and Super Mario Odyssey aren’t that far off. Nintendo’s also taken a huge step forward in terms of indie games, as there are numerous titles on the way for the system, many of which will make their debut on the Switch.

Nintendo still has quite a bit to do to fully regain my confidence in them, but I’d say they’re off to a good start. Unlike with the Wii U, I truly feel there’s a reason for the Switch to exist. It’s a new idea that doesn’t feel gimmicky and serves a real purpose. Nintendo has said they’ve always been about games, and for the first time in years they’ve produced hardware that’s worthy of playing them on. 

The Game Awards 2016 - Nominations and Predictions

Photo courtesy of Game Informer

Now that 2016 is winding down, it's officially awards season! The Game Awards is back once again, and the nominees for this year's show have been announced.

In my opinion, 2016 was a pretty solid year for gaming (but not a solid year for just about everything else). This is reflected in this year's nominees, as big-budget games and small-scale indies get equal love. Looking at everything on this list, I've found it hard to choose who I think should win (as of writing this, I'm still slaving over my 'best of' list for this year) as just about every game mentioned here is award-worthy.

Following the break, I've included a good portion of the nominations (you can view the entire list here) and have highlighted the games I would vote for. Understand that there are a few categories (Fighting Game and VR, for example) I'm not the best judge of since I don't typically play games in those genres, but I've chosen the winners anyway just for posterity's sake. Also, this list is going to be a pretty big indicator as to what's going to be on my end of year list, if you're into that sort of thing.

My 7 Favorite Games of All-Time

A while ago, #fav7games became a very popular trending tropic on Twitter. It completely took over my feed, so I spent a good amount of time reading about the games that meant so much to so many people. It made me realize just how wonderful a hobby gaming is, and I began to reflect back on the games that I love so much. But no matter how hard I tried, I simply couldn't curate my own personal list. I kept adding and subtracting titles, trying to think about the ones that had the biggest impact on me as a person and as a gamer. I've been playing video games for a very long time, so needless to say, this was not an easy task.

Inspired by that popular trending topic, I've come up with seven games that have been burned into the back of my brain forever. If the video game industry collapsed today, these are the games that I could play from now until the end of time and never get bored.

One Last Time

There's a moment early in Uncharted 4 where Nathan Drake, newly retired from treasure hunting, is at home in his attic. Scattered across various shelves are many of the artifacts he has amassed during his adventures; Nate can interact with them and reminisce, in a somewhat solemn tone, about his past. In the corner is a toy gun. If picked up, Nate begins to roleplay as if countless enemies have invaded his attic. There are numerous targets hanging from the ceiling, and you can dive, roll, and shoot your way across the attic. The classic Uncharted battle music plays while Nate makes his famous quips. After a bit, you hear his wife Elena calling from downstairs, beckoning him to come down to dinner. Nate puts the gun down, heads downstairs, and returns to his normal life.

At this moment, I realized this was going to be a very different Uncharted game. Everything you've come to expect from an Uncharted game is here for sure; shooting, exploration, puzzle solving, and traversal are all here in spades, and done better than any game in the series. But what sets A Thief's End apart is its strong focus on story and characters. It's still as swashbuckling and entertaining as fans of the series have come to expect, but the stakes have never been higher. Not only is countless treasure on the line, but so is Nate's personal life. He puts his relationship with those he loves at risk because he simply can't ignore the call of adventure.

The plot rolls into action when Nate's long-lost (and thought dead) brother Sam shows up at his office (Nate now works in marine salvage). Sam owes a huge debt to a very dangerous man, and in order to pay it off he needs Nate to help him finally find the lost treasure of famous pirate Henry Avery, something the two of them have been chasing since they were kids. Hesitant at first, Nate succumbs to the call of fortune and glory once again, and the two head off on a globe-trotting adventure.

The theme of the story is simple: letting go. Both Sam and Nate can't let go of their desire to find ancient treasure. The game's main villain, Rafe, is tired of living in Nate's shadow and is obsessed with forging a legacy greater than his. This theme of letting go can also pertain to the player, as developer Naughty Dog has stated multiple times that this is the final Uncharted game. Whether or not that proves to be true, A Thief's End brings satisfying closure to the series. Without spoiling much, the game's ending is as unexpected and emotionally satisfying as they come.

The influence of The Last of Us is felt heavily throughout the game, both from a mechanical and storytelling standpoint. There's more of a focus on stealth during action sequences this time around, as the game's new massive open-world sections allow you to tackle enemy groups in any way you please. But it's obvious that Naughty Dog has taken everything it learned while making The Last of Us and applied it here. In addition to the various collectible treasures scattered around levels, you can stumble upon various letters that expand the game's lore. Optional conversations also pop up from time to time, providing you with some very intimate and beautiful character moments.

A Thief's End was not the game I was expecting, but in a good way. It's everything I ever wanted from an Uncharted game, but much more grounded. Sure, there's pirate treasure to be found, but the focus isn't on that. It's a very human story about some very human issues. Are we truly willing to sacrifice everything because can't ignore our own selfish desires? This is the real struggle we get to see Nate, Elena, Sam, and Sully go through. We've gone on countless adventures with them but this time they're at their most vulnerable, stripped down to their very core. They may be digital, but they feel real. Their struggles and emotions feel real. In the midst of such an over-the-top adventure lies a very simple, believable tale of love and loss.

From its opening moments to the final, beautiful closing shot, I loved every second of Uncharted 4. It has immediately taken its place among my all-time favorite video games and is one I will return to again and again. As a huge fan of the series, I'm incredibly sad to see it end, but I couldn't think of a better way to send it off. The performances, visual design, gameplay, soundtrack, writing, direction, pacing, thrill, and mystery of A Thief's End are all perfection. I can't say enough about it, other than it's something that must be experienced. It's truly a treasure.