Hala Tashkandi

I’m the type of girl that eats, sleeps, breathes, and lives video games. More specifically, those video games that touch your soul and resonate with you long after you’ve beaten the final boss and put the controller down for the last time. And even more specifically, those video games that destroy you emotionally, because the main character becomes something of a loved one to you. Not only because you took every step of their journey alongside them, but because something in them called out to you, something relatable and instinctive that made you realize that you were much more similar than you ever thought you could be.
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Two years back, at GCON 2015, we had a corner of the con space dedicated to indie developers interested in showcasing their latest work. It was there that I had the opportunity to try out a fascinating-looking little game called A Cat’s Manor, which had me hooked the minute I sat down and picked up the controls. Everything from the artwork, to the music, to the atmospheric writing, had me absolutely mesmerized, and I left the game thinking that I couldn’t wait to see what would become of this delightfully intriguing little project.
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The tension in the room is utterly palpable. Around me, a collection of twenty-something independent game developers fidget excitedly in their seats. Some of them have their phones perfectly poised in their hands, waiting for the event to start so that they can immediately take notes. Others have gone the classic route of notepads and clipboards, waiting with their pens ready to start scribbling at a second’s notice. And it’s not hard to see why these guys are so eager; These young programmers are about to get the opportunity of a lifetime. The president of Sony International Entertainment is visiting them in a few scant moments to give them an exclusive opportunity to chat with him about their future prospects.
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Ah, yes, Tekken. The game most of us played before we even knew what it was to be a gamer. Or if you’re of the, ahem, younger generation like myself, the game you watched your older siblings play and one day dreamed of being able to play yourselves. Surely I’m not the only person that had to sit on the sidelines and watch for years before I was allowed to touch the controller myself…right?
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Who amongst us, as a child, didn’t dream at least once of being a race car driver? The thrill of driving a super-fast car down a winding track has called to us all at some point. Racing can be dangerous though, let’s admit it. It doesn’t seem like the safest sport in the world to indulge in…or maybe I’m just a scaredy-cat. Nevertheless, I’m sure I’m not the only person relieved to have a potential solution; the Gran Turismo games are famous for coming as close to the real thing as today’s technology can allow. The games are designed to simulate the look and feel of the real thing; sitting behind the wheel of of a sleek, shiny new race car with a powerful, thrumming motor just raring to go; and the best part is, the latest game in the series, Gran Turismo Sport, is available for the VR now too!
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What makes a video game truly monumental? What sort of criteria does it need to meet to be one of those that sticks out in your mind long after you’ve finished it? There’s a lot of ways in which to describe the impact that a game has made on someone. Games that touch you emotionally; that make you feel like you’ve been a part of something greater than yourself. Games that inspire you, that draw you in and let you become someone else for a while, free of the regular inhibitions of your daily life, and let you become a hero, even if just for a day. Games that let you feel the weight of your decisions and actions, that make you a central part of the story. Games like those made by Quantic Dream.
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