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22 Video Games that Got Us Through the Pandemicby@limarc

22 Video Games that Got Us Through the Pandemic

by Limarc AmbalinaApril 9th, 2021
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Slack discussion by Jeffrey Harris, Jack Boreham, Jose Hernandez, Nicolas Ng, and Nicolas Ng. Discussion occurred in slogging's official #gaming channel, and has been edited for readability. What video games got you through the pandemic? What games did we play the most? Let's find out. 22 Video Games that Got Us Through the Pandemic: The Witcher 3, Doom Eternal, Super Mario World, Call of Duty Warzone, Fortnite, SkyrimVR, Monster Hunter Hunter, Fallout: New Vegas, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Outer Worlds.

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When lockdown restrictions came into effect, lots of people turned to gaming as an escape, or just simply a way to pass the time. I, and many of my fellow Hacker Noon staff, belong to that camp. Which games did we play the most? Let's find out.

This Slack discussion by Jeffrey Harris, Jack Boreham, Jose Hernandez, Nicolas Ng, and I occurred in slogging's official #gaming channel, and has been edited for readability.

Limarc AmbalinaApr 4, 2021, 3:40 AM
What video games got you through the pandemic?
Limarc AmbalinaApr 4, 2021, 3:46 AM
Because of lockdown restrictions, many people had to find other ways to entertain themselves at home. Being an introvert, I wasn't that bothered by it to be honest.

But I'd say there were a few games that helped me spend the time in glorious fashion. These games were:

1. Call of Duty Warzone
2. Fortnite (before it died)
3. FitXR (for exercise)
4. Thrill of the fight (for exercise)
5. SkyrimVR
6. Among US
7. Pixel Ripped 1995 (super amazing hidden gem of a VR title)

JeffreyHarris-HackerNoonApr 4, 2021, 8:02 PM
Ones that definitely helped
JeffreyHarris-HackerNoonApr 4, 2021, 8:02 PM
  1. The Witcher 3
JeffreyHarris-HackerNoonApr 4, 2021, 8:02 PM
2. Doom
JeffreyHarris-HackerNoonApr 4, 2021, 8:03 PM
3. Doom Eternal; 4. Overwatch; 5. Mega Man X 1-3; Super Mario World; 6. Kirby's Planet Robobot; 7. Ghost of Tsushima
Limarc AmbalinaApr 5, 2021, 7:47 PM
So SkyrimVR helped me get through the pandemic because I was discovering a familiar world for the first time in an incredibly immersive way. It was the escape I needed to feel like I wasn't confined, despite the fact that I was playing in a 2 meter x 2 meter space within my tiny Japanese apartment.

Riding a horse in SkyrimVR, and turning to shoot your bow and arrow at a dragon flying overhead is an experience I can't really put into words. In a lot of ways, video games, like any other form of storytelling, can give us hope in times that we need it.

Could you tell me which one of those games helped you cope or escape JeffreyHarris-HackerNoon and what it was about it that resonated with you?
Limarc AmbalinaApr 5, 2021, 7:48 PM
Also Jose Hernandez Nicolas Ng Jack Boreham get in on this topic when you can! 😄
Jack BorehamApr 5, 2021, 9:35 PM
I couldn't agree more with your number 1 pick Limarc Ambalina. Call of Duty warzone helped me get through the lockdown and is still helping me cope with it (the UK is in its 3rd lockdown). There is nothing like teaming up with mates that you can't see in real life to win a battle royale and click some heads. It allows me to socialise with my pals, and it has been a godsend during the pandemic.
Limarc AmbalinaApr 5, 2021, 9:37 PM
I think a lot of people are worried when gamers like us say this FPS shooting game that "glorifies violence" helped us cope with a pandemic, but it's not about that. It's about whatever game gets you and the friends together, you know? It could have been Among Us, it could have been Fall Guys. It's more about finding a way to socialize online with friends while you feel like you're isolated.
Jack BorehamApr 5, 2021, 9:47 PM
Exactly, warzone came at the perfect time. My friends and I all had little to do and were isolated. Warzone brought us together. It's the same as monster hunter. That game is helping me now to connect with friends and to get through this wave of lockdown. It's not all about the FPS nature of the game, it's the fun you can have with friends, and that can be with any game.
Jose HernandezApr 5, 2021, 10:06 PM
A game that I played a lot in the pandemic was The Outer Worlds. It's an action-RPG that takes place in outer space.
Limarc AmbalinaApr 5, 2021, 11:00 PM
So Obsidian also developed Fallout: New Vegas and I loved that game a lot. Is the combat similar to Fallout Jose Hernandez? Also, what about that game was especially good that helped you either destress or find some escape during the pandemic?
Nicolas NgApr 6, 2021, 12:43 PM
So my own list was:

1. Minecraft (With the SevTech Ages mod installed)
2. FFXIV: Shadowbringers
3. Ace Combat 7
4. Project Wingman
5. Microsoft Flight Simulator
6. Ring Fit Adventure

7. Not sure if this counts, but Dungeons and Dragons played over Roll20
Nicolas NgApr 6, 2021, 12:46 PM
And I agree with both of you, Jack and Limarc, it doesn't really matter what we do when we game, so long as we can do it with our friends. In my case, it was making nuclear reactors and going to space. I barely felt the pandemic simply because more of my friends were on more often. When they weren't online, there's always the next world to explore with some interesting characters.
Jose HernandezApr 6, 2021, 7:46 PM
Limarc Ambalina I've never played Fallout, so I can't compare the two. But what helped me escape the pandemic was the story: traveling through outer space trying to take down a corrupt government captivated me. I hated putting the controller down
Limarc AmbalinaApr 6, 2021, 8:43 PM
Interesting Jose and on that note Nicolas Ng how does Ace Combat or Microsoft Flight Sim help you escape? Or is it a more relaxation thing. Flight Sim like just seems to be so boring to me haha but maybe I'm wrong.
Nicolas NgApr 6, 2021, 9:06 PM
Ace Combat is more of something that I did for excitement. It gets pretty intense and kept my hands busy. I just happened to be really addicted at the time. Flight Sim can be really boring but I kept it to short flights through really interesting places like the Alps or the Grand Canyon. Plus, I don't actually know how to do things normally and tend to end up in crazy situations like getting stuck in a snowstorm without an airspeed indicator while weaving between mountains.