Video games are a massive part of the entertainment culture. They are enjoyed by a diverse community of people from all over the world, different genders, and different ages from young to old.
If you never played video games before and want to start a new hobby, or if you want to start playing video games more, becoming a part of the gaming community can be a little intimidating. With hundreds of video games to select from, it's daunting to decide on which game to start with.
In addition to that, there's a huge variety of genres of video games to choose from. Some games are more focused on story and plot-line, some games are minimalist and creative, and some games are focused on strategy and puzzles. I have a list of games that covers different types of genres of video games. If there's one on the list that you don't enjoy, there are hundreds of others out there to try on different platforms from a PC to a smartphone to a gaming console like Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4. If you can afford the game, try it, and don't be afraid to explore different genres of video games. I encourage you to play and discover what kind of gaming experience you love.
Minecraft
Ever since Minecraft was created in 2011 by Markus “Notch” Persson, it hasn’t stopped growing in popularity. The world of Minecraft is made up of a variety of biomes to explore from forest to ocean to desert. There are resources to gather to help you craft new tools and materials to get you further in the game. There’s a multiplayer mode aside from the single-player mode to play along with other players on a server. The game has no specific story or goal to follow. There’s a huge amount of freedom in how you want to play the game.
The two main modes in Minecraft are Survival mode and Creative mode. In survival mode, marauding monsters are out to kill you, there are hazards like lava, drowning, and falling off high cliffs, and you must prevent starvation by eating food in the game. Gathering resources and crafting tools and materials is a necessity to survive and advance.
Creative mode is more relaxed than Survival mode. Compared to Survival mode, you are the god of your world in Creative mode. You have unlimited resources, tools, and materials already in your hands, and no matter what you do, you can’t die. In addition to all of these things, you have the abilities to fly and spawn the living beings of your virtual world including monsters and animals. Creative mode is more focused on imagination and creativity of the player. One could create their perfect dream Minecraft house, a statue of their favorite character from their favorite fandom, or create intricate pixel art using a variety of different materials as colors.
Pokemon
Spanning over multiple video games, trading cards, and an anime series, Pokémon is one of Nintendo's most successful franchises. For the purpose of this article, we'll be focusing on the main RPG series of Pokémon.
Pokémon was created by Satoshi Taijiri. Pokémon was inspired by insect collecting. In Pokémon, you start off as a female or male Pokémon Trainer who has been chosen to receive a creature called a Pokémon to journey throughout the world. To add more Pokémon to your team, you must capture Pokémon using Pokéballs, a spherical device. You could only have six Pokémon at a time; the rest are stored into a specially designed PC that turns Pokémon into data. You must train your Pokémon to become stronger to battle against the Pokémon League and other trainers, and defeat a villainous team conspiring against the Pokémon world.
Battling with your Pokémon is not the only thing you can do in the video games, you could also evolve them to let them become stronger, breed your Pokémon to hatch another Pokémon, complete the Pokédex, an encyclopedia stored in an electronic device containing data of all the different species Pokémon you've encountered in the game. In the later versions of the games, you could enter your Pokémon in Pokémon Contests, a type of competition similar to beauty pageants that shows off your Pokémon's abilities, play with your Pokémon and earn their friendship by feeding them, petting them, and playing with them in mini-games.
If you have a friend that plays Pokémon, you can trade Pokémon with them, and battle against them through a wireless or infrared connection. Not only can you trade and battle against your friends, but you can also battle against other people with the game from all over the world through Wi-Fi!
Not sure which version to start with? I'd recommend starting off with the most recent generation of Pokémon (right now, the most recent games are Pokémon X, Pokémon Y, Pokémon Omega Ruby, and Pokémon Alpha Sapphire) to be able to connect and play against friends with the same game.
Journey
Created by thatgamecompany, Journey is a game where video games, art, and philosophy intersect. The landscapes, music, and gameplay mesh together to evoke an artistically pristine and emotionally enriching experience. In Journey, you are a lone vagabond venturing to a glowing crevice atop a mountain. However, this journey does not need to be traveled alone.
Perhaps the most important themes in this game are the bonds you make, and the adventures you share with your fellow traveler. Without another wanderer, you are isolated in a vast world. But together, both of you explore the wonders of the desert, remnants of a lost civilization, deep gloomy caves, and brace through a furious blizzard storm. The identity of the other player is anonymous, and the wanderers communicate with each other through chirps. The Playstation Network IDs of your fellow travelers is revealed in the ending credits of the game.
In real life, we constantly pass by strangers on the way to our destinations in our busy lives. We don't connect with each other. We are too occupied with our own paths to connect to the paths of other people. Journey allows two people who may never cross paths with each other to intersect with each other, and bond through a journey to the same destination.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
The High King of Skyrim has been murdered, and civil war overtakes the province of Skyrim. Unfortunately, these events are linked to a prophecy in the Elder Scrolls foretelling the return of Alduin the World-Eater, a fearsome dragon god who intends to destroy the world. You play as a Dragonborn, a warrior born with the soul of a dragon and a body of a mortal. Your destiny to defeat Alduin and his fellow dragons.
However, that is only the main quest; you do not need to follow the main story in the game. You could go on side-quests unrelated to the main quest. You could go explore every dungeon, climb every mountain, and even marry a NPC (Non-player character) if you want...or kill all the NPCs if you're that sadistic.
Skyrim is the fifth chapter to The Elder Scrolls series created by Bethesda Game Studios. Throughout the game, you have the ability to explore the world and discover new places anytime, and select from hundreds of spells and weapons to customize your character.
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV was developed by Rockstar North.You play as Niko Bellic, a man from Yugoslavia. In the game, you have the option to explore the available areas of Liberty City, and take on optional side missions. Along the way, you could use guns to defeat your foes, and travel around Liberty City with automobiles.
Niko moves to Liberty City, United States to chase the American Dream, escape his past, and pursue a man who betrayed him fifteen years ago. He realizes that the reality of living in the United States is different from the dream he believes in, and soon falls into debt. Niko discovers the world of gangs, murders, and criminals.
Portal 2
The sequel to Valve's award-winning Portal, Portal 2 is just as clever and hilarious. Portal 2 takes place in the far distant future in an abandoned science facility of Aperture Science. Chell, a human lab rat, with the help of Wheatley, a portable A.I. called a personality core, tries to escape Aperture Science once again, but her attempts were futile. GLaDOS, a powerful, artificially-intelligent supercomputer who controls the Aperture facility, awakens to torment her through a series of experiments inside the labs again. Chell must go through obstacles and puzzles using a portal gun, a gun that creates portals that connect through each other. The puzzles increase in difficulty throughout the game.
Undertale
In Undertale, you play as a human child who falls into the Underground from the surface world. The Underground is full of monsters. Whether they are your friends or your enemies is determined by you! In many video games, you must destroy your enemies in order to advance through the game, but not in Undertale. Whether you kill them or spare them affects the outcome of the game.
Developed entirely by Toby "Radiation" Fox, Undertale is a fresh experience to the generic fight-everything genre that many games fall into nowadays. The game does not need to be super expensive or have flashy, realistic graphics to be enjoyable. Most of its charm comes from the interesting, complex characters, delightful chip-tune music, and the hilarious references to internet culture.
Life is Strange
Life is Strange is a choice-based, episodic game developed by DONTNOD Entertainment. The game is a story of choices and consequences, and the friendship between the two main characters.
Max Caulfield is your average awkward teenage girl. She is introverted and a bit self-conscious. She has friends, passions, and personal problems to deal with, but she discovers she has a special ability. She has the ability to time travel!
One day, Max witnesses a blue-haired girl get shot over a heated argument in the girl's bathroom at her school. Suddenly, Max finds herself reversing time back to moments before the girl's death. Upon realization that the same events that lead to the girl's death were repeating, she uses her powers to save her.
You take on the role of Max, and select the decisions that will ultimately affect her fate. When forced to make tough choices or even a simple action, Max manipulates time to change the outcome. It seems like she can get away with anything, but even one small action to escape a difficult decision could lead to a huge, devastating consequence.
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
Developed by Nintendo, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is about a young boy from the Kokiri Forest named Link who has been chosen to defeat the Gerudo King of Thieves, Ganondorf. He must also bring back peace to the kingdom of Hyrule, and defend the Triforce, a legendary relic that has the power to grant any wish of whoever touches it.
By pulling out the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time, Link remains dormant for seven years until he becomes an adult. With the help of the Ocarina of Time and the Master Sword, Link must awaken five of the Seven Sages sealed away in the five dungeons of Hyrule to help him defeat Ganondorf.
You play as Link throughout the game. Alongside the main story, there are some optional side quests that could give you new weapons, abilities, and even a horse. Your main weapon is a sword and a shield, but you could also use spells, arrows, bombs, and an ocarina.
While I consider these games to be good choices to get the non-gamer into the gaming world, it is also possible to play some of these games competitively. For example, some people use a multi-player Minecraft server to stage a competition between players to gather materials, build a fortress, and fight against other players.
For the experienced gamer, If I left out any video games that you would suggest, or you don't agree with any of the video games I chose for beginners, leave a comment on what you would say. I'd love to hear your opinions!
