THE ULTIMATE BAROMETER FOR A GAME TO FIT IN MY LIFE IS: CAN I EAT SOUP WHILE PLAYING?
Games need to reconsider how some people need to engage with them
Daylight is getting shorter at this time of year, and it feels like the games are constantly getting longer. Do you know how much time it takes to review JRPGs like Trails Of Cold Steel III, open world games like Death Stranding, and whatever Shenmue III is – and then squeeze in games like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey or Destiny 2 for fun? Time evaporates off the clock faster than watery soup off a plate in Nevada.
There’s something nice about a game that isn’t constantly demanding and stressful. That’s not to say both types of game aren’t enjoyable, but there’s a difference between engagement and the level of input required. Erica was just as engrossing played with a spoon in one hand, swiping my choices with the other.
SOUPED UP
A turn-based RPG can also be played like this: I can move the character around with one hand while sipping away, and input my moves at my own pace. Tales Of Berseria, for instance, even allows you to have Velvet automatically pick her own moves – that’s perfect for some low-level fights, which you can then hop into when your hands are more free.
Some games these days offer terrific accessibility options that can really help people who have genuine issues beyond my very first-world soup problems. Games like Celeste allow you to minutely tweak how certain mechanics work to find a fit where the game operates at a way that’s comfortable for you. That doesn’t mean such options would fit every game, but it’s worth developers considering including in their work. We’re all very different people and have different needs – whether that’s serious or simply soup-based. Games are something everyone should be able to experience, whether that’s me strategically warming up broth before an hour of Death Stranding cutscenes, or options that can enable those unable to engage with the complex minutiae of fine DualShock control. As gaming evolves, it needs to be welcoming, just like any other medium. And because of the way ‘play’ works, that requires a little legwork.