Binge Wars
- Taylor Caesar
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
Over winter break, I interacted with a few sources of media I could not look away from. When the break first started, I was surrounded by videogames since I was finally back in my room at home.
I decided to play a game I haven’t played in a while; Red Dead Redemption 2 by Rockstar Games. When I loaded up the game, I felt this rush of adrenaline and memories from the first time that I played it. It made me feel a bit old, as the game came out nearly 10 years ago. But it made me happy to see Arthur and the entire gang.
The mechanics were still smooth with great graphics and resolution. This game is close to my heart because of how well the overall story is told. It is riveting with deep emotion that deals with complex and realistic characters for the time period we are set in. The relationship that Arthur, Dutch, John and many others share is authentic, placing you in this real, broken and diverse family.
The amount that you are able to do with the open world makes it immersive, and even the smallest interactions you have can make big impacts on your game play.
I finished the game in about three to five days and definitely recommend it to anyone out there. One of my favorite things about playing Red Dead Redemption 2 is how immersive the game is. You can play through the main story one, two, three different times and still experience new things. You can do smaller quests, hunt around the forest, play minigames like dominos and complete an array of different challenges. There are also player specific things that can be altered, like Arthur’s honor level. Doing either a massive amount of good or bad things affects how others treat you.
Another game I can’t step away from is called Balatro by LocalThunk. Although the game may look simple, it calls for a total balance of risk and reward to win your runs.
This is a rogue-like game that is more for my strategist and card players out there. It takes basic poker hands and revives them to a fresh new deck, building a bunch of different mechanics that can help improve your run.
This game is all about adaptability; each run performed can require a different approach in strategy. There is an interesting aspect that allows different card deck types to be played, all having a unique perk to them that can make or break your run. The joker system adds another level of planning and a good amount of critical thinking. No run is the same, with different jokers being randomized and the possibility of running into new blind bosses. There is a shop where all jokers can be bought, and even that refreshes every run.
The game's overall style gives it great personality, and it is easy to learn the basics. Balatro is a game that can be played at any swiftness, so both long and short runs come out of this game. The best feeling is watching the screen light up with an exploding ball of fire due to a perfectly played hand at the final boss of a long Balatro run.
One of my favorite things that happens when I am playing Balatro is when I am trying to assemble a good joker lineup to win the run, and the joker I am looking for is available in the shop. It all comes together like a grand symphony orchestra. It is extremely satisfying to collect all the jokers and complete all the levels I need to reach the required score to complete my run.
I love video games with all of my heart. I like the ones that give me either the most immersive experience or that make me calculate my every move. Nothing compares to the feeling of beating the machine as a player. But these are also games I can enjoy again and again. With every playthrough, I get a new sense of urgency for the immersion it gives me.
These were the pieces of media, specifically in the video game sense that I interacted with over my winter break. They both remain very near and dear to me and I hope that there are games that are special to you. Whether it's a new book or a new video game, I would encourage everyone to find a piece of themselves in certain media; there is nothing else like it.
