Video games, I play them from time to time.  This past week I indulged in this hobby of mine and played a few video games.

YAKUZA 6: THE SONG OF LIFE

There I was, investigating the scene of a hit & run, carefully observing my surroundings when I notice a man in the distance filming me.  He’s been following me for a while.  This can’t be good.  But before I go any further with that, a different man is going to introduce me to the internet by putting me in a live-chat with a real woman who strips on camera.  Then I think I’ll go and beat the shit out of someone by swinging a bicycle at them.  But before any of that, I think I’ll go to the arcade and play a round of Virtua Fighter.

This is Yakuza 6, a game about tonal inconsistencies that sway from intensely serious to over the top hilarious.  The main quest line is your dark and gritty crime movie, while most of the side quests are complete batshit insanity.  For instance, I just watched two people fall down the stairs and then pretend they had a Freaky Friday body swapping scenario happen.  This game is lunacy and I love it.  I only wish the combat was a little better and less mashy, but it still manages to be fun and exciting despite that.

GOD OF WAR

In stark contrast to Yakuza 6 there is God of War, the reboot/sequel I never knew I wanted.  I’ve only put in a few hours with Kratos n’ son, but I can tell that I’m going to have a blast with it.  The game is gorgeous, and heartfelt and plays phenomenally.  It’s brutal in the way that God of War should be while also reinventing itself in a meaningful way.

The most damming thing I can say about God of War is that it is an incredibly daunting and draining experience.  It has a tone and sticks to it almost always.  The little bits of levity that are there are more than welcome, but I just found it hard to play it for hours on end without needing a break.  That’s what Yakuza 6 does so well that GoW doesn’t (thus far).  While I totally respect the story it’s telling, I don’t think I personally am able to spend large stretches of time with it.  That’s why I’m going to finish up Yakuza before I dive back into God of War.

STREET FIGHTER II TURBO: HYPER FIGHTING 

So I bought a Super Nintendo Classic, it’s wonderful and I love it.  I’ve touched a couple of games in it so far, but spent the most time with Street Fighter II.  I bounce between this and Dragon Ball Fighter Z pretty consistently when I need a fighting game fix.  There’s something pure about doing sweet uppercuts and launching sonic booms into Sagats mouth, that still holds up.

So that’s more or less what games have been in my rotation.  Video games, it turns out, are still pretty fun.