Going, going, gone

Having been shielding for the last five months, I’ve found that there’s something comforting about the imminence of Shin Megami Tensei 5; a series known for typically starting off with the end of the world, and ending with the creation of a new world – or a new normal, so to speak. I jest – but looking back at the games I’ve played during lockdown I’ve noticed a trend towards games that have rigid gameplay and feedback loops rather than ones that encourage freedom: Picross, Fire Emblem, Etrian Odyssey, Slay The Spire and so on, and as much as I enjoyed Animal Crossing in the early days I quickly got fed up of my villagers berating me about when KK Slider was going to arrive. And don’t ask me about my Wii U copy of Breath Of The Wild that I’d intended on playing that still remains untouched.

If anything, the last few months has reinforced the fact that life is short, and for a great many recently, unfortunately cut short. I’ve found that my tolerance for bulk, openworld, live-service games – or anything that adds tedium to progression – has diminished greatly. This was perfectly highlighted by the mention in your Deadly Premonition 2 review of the progress-gating wild goose chase for beans – I sat through 20 different loading screens to pass that and had I been playing as someone other than Francis York Morgan I’d have been Googling whether I could recycle Switch cartridges. Looking to the future, I’ve decided my new normal is to focus on games that I’ll feel enriched by. Life’s too short.