More FUN Indoors
Going out can be great fun, but so can staying indoors. Here are some of the latest titles we’re playing that’ll have you exploring MORE without having to leave your personal comfort zone! So go on, grab the snacks, get those drinks ready, hell, bring a bucket if you need to because these games will have you playing for days!
Resident Evil 3
Nostalgia is a powerful thing, especially in the gaming community. Many fondly look back to the golden era of gaming, when they were all teenagers and life was simple and the games were good. Of course, the problem with such rose-tinted viewing is often the misconception of what was good and what was all-round bad, and gaming nostalgia is not free of this curse as many look back on ’90s era games and forget how rubbish they were. Fortunately, Capcom has the answer to our nostalgia fever. Bring back epic games and modernize them as was the case with the epic Resident Evil 2 remake last year. A classic game from 1998 brought to 2019 with all the modern bells and whistles one would need. Fast forward less than a year later and Capcom returns with another fan favorite in Resident Evil 3 and it looks to be an immediate contender for 2020 game of the year.
The original game, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis was released in September 1999, and has gone on to sell over 3.5 million copies as of September 30, 2019. Just like its predecessor, Resident Evil 2, the game is set in Raccoon City, a city overrun by a whole new kind of biological threat, but this game illustrates the outbreak and conclusion of the incident. It follows the protagonist Jill Valentine as she fights to escape her pursuer, the Nemesis T-Type, and offers a new kind of survival horror that plays off the fear of being constantly and relentlessly chased.
A series of strange disappearances have been occurring in the American Midwest within a place called Racoon City. A specialist squad of the police force known as S.T.A.R.S. has been investigating the case and have determined that the pharmaceutical company Umbrella and their biological weapon, the T-Virus, are behind the incidents — though they’ve lost several members in the process. Jill Valentine and the other surviving S.T.A.R.S. members try to make this truth known but find that the police department itself is under Umbrella’s sway and their reports are rejected out of hand. However, soon reports of a grisly “cannibal virus” begin to surface, and vicious dogs begin roaming the streets. With the viral plague spreading through the town and to her very doorstep, Jill is determined to survive. However, unbeknownst to Jill, an extremely powerful pursuer has already been dispatched to eliminate her.
The Resident Evil 3 remake reimagines this city as it falls into chaos beneath the undead horde, with a level of detail and fidelity that can only now be realized with current technology. The character models look amazing and the terrifying Nemesis, that’s hunts you down throughout the game, is as terrifying as ever. If you were a fan of the 1999 original, then you will instantly fall in love with this remake. For newbies to the series, this is an amazing game to jump into and re-establishes Resident Evil as the premiere survival horror game.
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Final Fantasy VII Remake
Anyone who was gaming in the ’90s will instantly tell you that Final Fantasy VII was and is one of the greatest games ever made. The original release wowed audiences across the world with its epic story and the mind-blowing mix of gameplay and FMV sequences. Since 1997 people have been enamored with the seminal game and for the last 20 years or so gaming audiences have been begging for a remake of one of the greatest video games ever. Now in 2020, twenty-three years after the original release, Square-Enix has answered the cries. Enter Final Fantasy VII Remake, possibly the best game of 2020.
Final Fantasy VII is set in Midgar, a city powered by Mako, the lifeblood of the planet. By exploiting this resource through their Mako Reactors, the Shinra Electric Power Company has all but seized control of the entire world. A ragtag group of idealists, known as Avalanche, are one of the last bastions of resistance. Cloud, an elite SOLDIER operative turned mercenary, takes part in an Avalanche operation to destroy Mako Reactor 1 in the city of Midgar. The bombing plunges the city into fiery chaos, and amidst the raging inferno, Cloud is tormented by visions of a bitter enemy long thought dead. After this hallucination fades, he meets a young woman selling flowers, who offers him a single yellow blossom. In that instant, a host of swirling shadows surround them. Once more begins a story that will shape the destiny of an entire world.
Firstly, the game looks amazing. From the city itself to the excellent character models, Final Fantasy VII Remake is even more gorgeous than any gamer could’ve imagined. But it’s not just the visuals that have received a massive overhaul. The combat system itself has been modernized, stepping away from the turn-based combat of the original release. The new tactical mode allows you to assess your enemies’ strengths and weaknesses and employ powerful magic and special abilities to fight effectively. Such is the guiding principle of this unique system, a mix of traditional command-based Final Fantasy combat and real-time action, giving you the power to choose how you play. As you build ATB charges in combat, you will be able to perform stronger attacks, cast magic, use items, and execute other battle commands. When accessing your commands menu in battle, time slows down dramatically, giving you the freedom to develop and carry out a plan of attack.
Take this opportunity to use your ATB charges to employ a variety of abilities, magic, items, and limit breaks. Adapt to the strengths and weaknesses of your enemies and take control of the tide of battle. With brand new shiny graphics, an overhauled battle system and brand-new dialogue that further fleshes out the already complex characters, Final Fantasy VII Remake is exactly what gamers wanted. There were many naysayers beforehand and rightly so, the odds of this turning in a dumpster fire was high, but Square-Enix smashed it out of the park. This game is essential for everyone!
