Choosing games is much like selecting clothes; only the reward is greater in case of the former. But the CD or file just lies there, gathering dust after the first 20 minutes of initial gameplay; and you start questioning yourself “Am I getting too old for games? Is this not my ‘thing’ anymore?”
Choice, though arising out of need causes confusion, with its thrust upon the chooser to make the right decision.
Going by the elimination rule, I ticked the horror genre off my list. Ajmal, an avid gamer says, “I started playing Resident Evil, but it’s a little hard to complete, if you aren’t prepared for jump scares”. Dead Space, with its many-limbed necromorphs can psychologically push you into thinking that it can’t be blasted apart. “I was playing BioShock in the middle of the night with headphones on, the graphics were creepy. BioShock Infinite is tame, though” explains Narayanan, “But I find the game challenging with the genetically mutated ‘ADAM’ popping up.”
Mariam goes with the flow when it comes to gaming “It depends on whether I want to smash, or be really stealthy at that point in time.” If the method of elimination still doesn’t work, go with a good Indie game. Independent developers make good standalone stories that can get you hooked. The Stanley Parable (Available on PC) has a paradoxical story line, where you play a game inside a game and has narratives which make you question existence.
Playing two games at one go can help too. I recently bought both Skyrim and Wolfenstein 3D. Wolfenstein 3D is an old DOS game with its typical level progressions. You play as an American soldier infiltrating and pilfering Nazi bases. The graphics were top tech in the ‘90s, and the gore and sound effects are oddly satisfying. Skyrim, on the other hand heats up my GPU and I had to stop playing after I customised my character (a female wood elf). When one of the games frustrates you, play the other one as ‘revenge’.
Save up money for that one game, and when you get to play it, your brain will unconsciously force you to enjoy it, even though it may not be that great.
(The writer is an economics graduate who spends her leisure time preparing for the zombie apocalypse)