Last Friday I was told the unfortunate news that I would be quarantined, along with the rest of the bank branch, for fourteen days. While I was getting these news panic settled in. My mind started racing, what was I going to tell my wife? What was I going to tell my family? So with a weary mind and heavy heart, I turned to one of the things that I have always turned to when I want to get my mind off things; video games. In the next couple of paragraphs, I will be talking about some of the games that I have been playing to keep my mind off things during this quarantine. These games have helped me keep my sanity.
Video games have a way to transport you to different worlds; to connect you with people even if you are miles apart.
The first game I want to talk about is Borderlands 3. Borderlands 3 was my personal game of the year of last year and what better way to get my mind off things and my spirits in a better mood than to loot and shoot things. Maybe you are like me and you are in quarantine for the next two weeks and you are trying to make it through these rough times, borderlands 3 can help you during these times. With hundreds of different guns, tons of side missions, and new DLC coming out this week, Borderlands 3 is the perfect game to play right now. You can grab a friend and play this online, or enjoy a nice couch co-op session, just remember to practice social distancing. And while the story is not the strongest in the series, the gameplay and the quality of life improvements that come with the game make borderlands 3 a worthy entry in the series.
If shooting and looting is not your cup of tea and you want to try a solo experience, something that will help you soothe your mind and take you through different journeys, then think no more and grab Octopath Traveler for the Nintendo Switch. Right now you can grab Octopath traveler on sale for $30 dollars on the eshop, which is what I did, and this game will make you forget all about your quarantine. With a beautiful soundtrack, amazing art style, and very fun combat, Octopath traveler will make your hours fly by. I have always wanted to have time to jump into this JRPG and well, now I have just that. For the next 14 days, I will be playing this game and hopefully by the time that I am done with all of the characters’ stories this quarantine that I am in will have blown by.
The third and final game that I want to talk about is one that you don’t have to spend any money on and its one heck of a good game and no I’m not talking about Fortnite. Call of Duty Warzone is my final game for this list. I have never really been a big fan of battle royale games. Last year when Apex legends was released I gave it a shot but it was not my thing. I have tried playing Fortnite, and plain and simple I suck at building so I gave up on the game. PUBG never really got my attention so I didn’t even bother with it, but Call of Duty: Warzone caught me by surprise and it’s a game that I can’t stop thinking about. The premise of the game is simple, you jump out of a plane along with 149 other people and your goal is to survive, revolutionary I know, but what sets this game apart from other battle royale games is how polished and refined everything feels. The shooting feels fantastic. The action feels fast. The way you can call out your own load outs or killstreaks is brilliant. All of this is happening on a beautiful map, and you can play this with anyone since cross-play is allowed. Every round I have played of Warzone has made my heart race and my hands sweat, and that’s the kind of adrenaline rushes that keep me coming back for more.
Video games have a way to transport you to different worlds; to connect you with people even if you are miles apart. Im not here saying that during this terrible time that the world is facing that video games will make it all better, because it won’t. But what I have found is that in the middle of this chaos I need a way to escape this harsh reality, even if it’s just for a couple of hours, and video games are helping me do that. During this quarantine I have been playing this games with my friends, with my wife, and for just an hour or two there is a sense of normalcy in my life that is helping me get through this mess. So, grab a cup of coffee, put on your best headset gear, and be transported to any world of your choosing. After all your journey is just one “power” button away.