Why I play games: From childhood memories to a life-long passion

As a grown-up now, I fondly look back on the time when my primary school friends were obsessed with playing Identity V (in Hong Kong), me attempting to play it, and being told off by my parents because it was “too violent”. That did not dim my interest in video games in the slightest. In fact, it somewhat kick-started my journey in the video game world.

The most memorable video game I played as a child would definitely have to be Pokémon Go. At 10 years old, I was absolutely infatuated with Pokémon, and having a video game with new gaming mechanisms at the time was incredibly eye-opening.  During the Pokémon Go era, everyone would collectively sprint towards the location of a rare Pokémon once it was spotted. It was fun and chaotic at the same time. At the time, my dad had utilised my interest in the game and essentially bribed me with it into going long-distance running with him. While I feel slightly taken advantage of when I look back on them, they are really fond memories. The Pokémon franchise had grown a lot since then and has come out with many new versions of Pokémon games (Pokémon Let’s Go Pikachu/ Eevee, Pokémon Sword and Shield, Pokémon Sleep, Pokémon TCG etc.), but Pokémon Go still has a special place in my heart as it is filled with childhood nostalgia.

Genshin Impact was revolutionary because it managed to let an open-world RPG run on a mobile phone

During the Covid years came the era of Gacha games. There were predecessors, but Genshin Impact had taken off with insane popularity when it was first launched. Predictably, I was lured in with the positive reviews, and henceforth my Gacha game addiction began. Genshin Impact was revolutionary because it managed to let an open-world RPG run on a mobile phone. During quarantine, my secondary school had arranged online lessons held on Zoom, and we would join meetings every time there was a subject switch. Fortunately, that meant that I was able to do sneaky gaming sessions in between my lessons (and sometimes during). This game was also memorable to me as it is probably the one I have spent the most time playing.

I saw beauty in the game’s landscaping, rich lore, character design, and music. Each playable character in Genshin Impact has their own theme song, and I appreciate Hoyoverse’s (Genshin Impact’s Developer) effort in making the character personalities shine through in these theme songs, as well as letting regional characteristics pop in region background music. This game had also led me down the Gacha games/ open-world RPG rabbit hole, playing Honkai Impact 3rd, Honkai Star Rail, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, Project Sekai, Umamusume, and Infinity Nikki.

I also enjoy games that are comedic but could get competitive as you invest more game time into them

Though a somewhat niche category, I also enjoy games that are comedic but could get competitive as you invest more game time into them, such as Trombone Champ, Crab Champions, and Muse Dash. Trombone Champ is a very silly rhythm game, with most of their in-game “tips” surrounding the topic of baboons. There are also options to select a fart sound as the sound effect for the trombone, as well as having a trombone so long that it extends past the screen, along with the way that you still don’t sound good despite playing every note correctly.

Concluding my own experience as well as that of other fellow gamers, video games offer escapism, temporary relief from reality and routine, and relaxation. I wholeheartedly appreciate the amount of craftsmanship that goes into video games, from brainstorming storylines and crafting in-game graphics, to hiding easter eggs within the game for players and optimising user experience. Video games are special in the way that they are constantly evolving, with more unseen mechanics or designs, but the classics from long ago can still remain in digital form and be played even decades later.