A Reminder Why Video Games Are Special

Life has a weird way of bringing you back into your hobbies. In a period where I was starting to miss writing for my blog, the topic of video games came up during a meeting at the news station I work for. Specifically, we approved to go forward on the story of how the massive popular video game Fortnite was given an 'F' rating by the Better Business Bureau for lack of response in complaints. It was fascinating to hear my peers vent their perspective, which was predictably negative, since my coworkers are not versed in the gaming world. Their only conduit of understanding is from their kids or young relatives.

So here I go and enter into this conversation to go on a brief tangent on why Fortnite is the behemoth that it is. I left that meeting feeling excited, and hoping that one day I'll get the chance to explain again how Fortnite is dominating TVs, tablets and phone screens. Maybe next time, I'll get the chance to take it a step further and get into why video games are so special.

That moment came just a few days later. I was talking to my father about this instance at work to which he nonchalantly shrugs, suggesting his knowledge about video games only goes as far as what Facebook and the news tell him. Naturally, I was eager to talk to him about why a video game like Fortnite is so popular for better and worse, and that video games are not all a Fortnite, a Minecraft, or a Grand Theft Auto. In the gaming world I live in, video games have ascended to be incredible achievements in sharing human experiences, storytelling, and bringing people together. My father then nods and finally understands that video games aren't just fun little blips and bloops with Italian plumbers trying to save the princess.

Being a part of these conversations made me reflect and realize how many people just don't know what video games can do, and sometimes they can do it better than books or movies. I became a writer for many reasons, and sharing my love for gaming was one of them.

One of the best analogies I have heard to help conceptualize the special nature of video games is the comparison to Legos. From my childhood, the best kind of fun in kindergarten during indoor recess was when the teacher brought out the big box of random Lego pieces. Your fun was gauged by the amount of imagination and creativity you put in. Fully unscripted, imaginative fun. Now compare this to Lego sets - a specific and orderly set of instructions that tell you how to build something that, in essence, is still fun and can achieve impressive feats. Nothing is wrong with either, and each person will have their preference on what they rather play with.

Video games like Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Fortnite, Grand Theft Auto III, and more are the boxes with random Lego pieces. The developers create this simulated world for you, the player, to explore and experiment in what it offers purely from your discovery and creativity. Evidently, people go nuts for this kind of freedom and fun in a video game.

On the other side, we have video games that are pushing the medium forward into bringing new, dramatic, and epic experiences through storytelling and gameplay. These kinds of video games have a beginning, middle, and end, and are intentionally taking you on a linear and cinematic journey. From this, game developers created masterpieces like Bioshock, Final Fantasy X, Persona 5, Metal Gear Solid, and so, so much more.

Then we have my favorite kind of video games - the ones that blur the lines and are not tied to one genre. They're rooted in the personality of the player and respond to creative experimentation while delivering an engaging story to follow. Bloodborne, Horizon Zero Dawn, Kingdom Hearts, etc. are just a few of the many examples that bridge the gap.

Now, video games aren't just all about the fun. Some are really intense, stressful, scary, and emotional. The Last of Us tells a harrowing, grueling, and emotional post-apocalyptic tale unlike anything we have seen in video games. It's so vigorous, that some people don't consider it a fun time, but rather a captivating narrative tied with intense gameplay. You will cry and you will get scared, but it's one hell of a game.

2018's God of War has you playing as Kratos once again, but with a new and very different perspective - being a dad. How can one man come to terms with his dark, bloody past and build a relationship with his son? What does he need to do to make sure his son doesn't end up like him? This results in a very personal adventure that fleshes out a complex and relatable relationship between a father and his son while perfecting its gameplay-to-gameplay moments. Playing this game can perhaps allow sons to see the perspective of their father and learn from that, which is incredible.

There's a video game out there with a story that any and every person can connect to. There's one that can help them through a hard time in life, build a relationship with a loved one, and even help one understand themselves a little better. Putting a controller in your hand is the first step. Getting immersed is the hurdle, but you can do it. And once you do, you'll come across a magical moment - you'll forget you're playing a game.

Instead, you'll be Spider-Man ready to take on Doc Ock and save New York. Or a Phantom Thief devoting your incredible powers to bring corrupted individuals to justice. Or a monster hunter surviving the hardened fantasy world and shaping YOUR story choice by choice. Or... well, you get the idea. There are many games to choose from, so go nuts.

Any one who knows me, knows that I LOVE the Kingdom Hearts franchise. There are so many reasons why I do, but the absolute base is because the series taught me to take value in the kind of person I want to be: kind, helping, strong, independent, to see the good before the bad in others, and, most importantly, to follow my heart.

Now this may all read like cheesy jargon to you, but, as all adolescents know, molding the odd, but unique shape of your own personality is messy and confusing. Kingdom Hearts guided me during those times. In the isolated moments growing up, those characters were there for me. Throughout high school and college, I made so many local and long distance friends because of our shared love for Kingdom Hearts. And now, they're a few of the building blocks to an incredible relationship with my girlfriend, something I could have only dreamed of. Kingdom Hearts brought me closer to people in my life and made me a better me.

That, my friends, is the impact of video games. That is why they're so special. The interactive stories and varied experiences are endless, whether it's your box of random Lego pieces or the cool-looking Lego set.