Dark Mode Issue 001 | Page 12

FEATURE FEATURE DELAYED Why our summer games of choice Written by Vivienne Westwood There are two types of video games, right? One: the Call of Overwatch Legends type, the hands-on-the-energy-drink-and-controller-type, the massively multiplayer shoot-em-ups commonly associated with 12-year-old boys. And two: the visceral body horror, mostly Japanese-type, the chased-down-a-hallway for 50 hours, Resident Space Shock: Isolation type. Of course, this isn’t true. But looking at the internet, you might think so. Whilst “IRL” this year has felt like a Dark Souls-style waking nightmare, videogames don’t have to be like that -- here at Dark Mode, we think it’s time out for the quicktime events and blood-and-guts of first person shooters. It’s the resurgence of the point-and-click adventure, the story-focused games that reached peak popularity in the 90s, worlds that you can escape to without hairraising frustration (well, nothing that can’t be alleviated with a quick glance at a walkthrough). So, while you enjoy the long evenings, warm nights, and hope of summer 2020, here are our top picks for games to reach for. The Sims 4 | PS4/XBOne/PC/Mac | It’s that time of the year again, where you play EA’s most popular game for 3 days straight and don’t touch it again for 6 months. And with the recent release of the Eco Living expansion pack, there’s no time like the present. The time is nigh to rediscover a classic, whether your style is building the perfect house, starting the perfect family, or killing your sims in new and creative ways. We can think of no better way to spend one of these hot summer nights. Disco Elysium | PC/Mac | Thrust into a bleak, eastern European inspired landscape still recoiling from a political vacuum, this ZA/UM produced game has you assume the role of an amnesiac detective – investigating a murder, naturally. Whilst the gorgeous art by Aleksander Rostov is for sure worth standing around and staring at, it’s the dialogue and story that is where this game shines. Based off a D&D-style dice rolling system, the game pits aspects of your character’s personality against each other. It’s an adventure game for literature geeks, and it’s got the BAFTA’s to prove it. Disco, baby. 12