Games that get harder the older you get

If you've been gaming for a large part of your life, you've probably found that your tastes have changed somewhat. Maybe you used to enjoy the fastest hack and slash games, but your reactions don't seem as fast as they used to, or you've recently turned away from long-winded RPGs because you just don't have time for them.

There are also those games that don't quite hit you at first when played as a child, but become much more emotional when you experience them later in life. The premise, themes, and gameplay of these titles really seem to hit home the older you get.

7

Spiritual

A touching, arresting journey

The role of Spiritfarer that our heroine took on at the beginning of this adventure is beautiful, emotionally charged. At first glance, the game is a management title with charming visuals, where you will collect materials to improve your ship and make it more comfortable for those on board. You will listen to their thoughts, feelings, and concerns, feed them, do everything you can to soothe them, and leave them busy working on the loom, in the workshop, or whatever they may prefer.

However, the basis of the relationship with each guest is your sacred duty. You will help them prepare for the journey to the other side and transport them to the Everdoor when they are ready. While the guests are on board, you learn a lot about their life experiences, regrets and treasured memories, and it's always so deeply moving when you say goodbye to each of them. As we age, it is a tragic inevitability that we will lose loved ones, and anyone who has experienced such a bereavement will feel the real impact Spiritual. It's also a great experience to share in co-op.

6

The Old Man's Way

The path of life

Many games tell their stories through long cutscenes and long conversations. However, sometimes a visual approach is just as effective. The Old Man's Way he takes this very approach, painting a picture (almost literally) of a full life. It begins with the main character looking out over the ocean in a beautiful storybook world when he receives a letter that clearly contains some affecting news. Without further ado, he sets off on foot. The game revolves around the idea of ​​helping an old man go from path to path, a bit like jumping between panels of a comic book.

At certain checkpoints, they will stop on their way, which can cause the scene to move into a closer and more detailed perspective (remember the scenes in Supergiant Games Bastion) when he remembers special moments throughout his life. These memorable moments and transitions, as the man moves from scene to scene, have a dreamlike quality and give the impression of a kind of “production” of his life. The happiest and saddest scenes follow as the sailor sets out for the ocean and leaves his family behind. His path is a path of reconciliation in the most difficult circumstances, and the more life experience you have, the more impact it can have.

5

Gris

Impact of grief

Gris is a stunning game, and to see it in motion is to immediately understand the case for video games as an art form. The animation of every little movement of the protagonist and NPCs, the small details in the background and the use of colors are amazing. However, it is not just a visual matter. The music is subtle but emotional, and like the studio, it's equally stunning but rather understated NevaThe story that unfolds is incredibly emotional, it speaks for itself without the need for a word of dialogue.

The riddles on the faces of the protagonist Gris in the dream world can be seen as representative of her inner struggle, coping with the loss of her mother. The themes of joyful, poignant song cutting through the silence, light illuminating the darkness are deeply profound and will resonate with any player who has felt the sting of grief. A beautifully crafted platformer and much more at the same time for those who appreciate nuance.

4

Before I forget

The power of memories

The older we get, the more we remember, and life is always such a mixed bag. The wonderful things we've achieved, the moments we've shared with family and friends, all intermingle with the pain of loss, the regret of opportunities we don't take, and the mistakes we've made. It's all part of the rich tapestry of life, as they say, and that's what gives Before I forget such an emotional impact: What if we started to forget those memories, the best and the worst of them?

The play examines the impact of Alzheimer's disease through the lens of Sunita Appleby. A famous glass-ceiling-shattering spacemog struggling to hold on to the memories of her life, the player controls Appleby as she travels through her home, interspersed with commentary that reflects her feelings. It is a stark, honest and important portrayal of the disease and the impact it can have. In one instance, for example, Appleby notes that she doesn't remember receiving a certain bill or letter, but when she hands over an umbrella, she has a wonderful memory of a rainy walk with a companion. Developer 3-Fold Games depicts Appleby's apartment as a place with changing layouts, familiar and unfamiliar. This highlights the fact that Appleby is still the same remarkable person she was.

3

Final Fantasy 9

Solving the big questions

Final Fantasy 9with its unique and charming fantasy visuals, it has something of a carefree and more cheerful atmosphere than other PS1 titles Final Fantasy trilogy. Its predecessors lack the imaginative and unique creature design, and at no point in the two games does the regent of a powerful nation turn into an insect.

Despite all this, however Final Fantasy 9The exploration of life, death, belonging and the desire to support others hits very hard, and perhaps more as an adult than it did for those who played as children at the time of its release in 2000. The tragic story of a happy Zidane about his “purpose” and origin on another planet is a slow-paced experience of each party member finding their place where they belong. Amaranth and Quina feel like an afterthought at times in this regard, but the philosophical discussion about life and how to use the time you have seems more and more real with each subsequent playthrough. This is the core of Vivi's legend: The little black mage who could is an inhabitant of a fantasy world that may seem absurd compared to real life, but his fears and doubts are heartbreakingly real and deep.

2

To the moon

Creating amazing memories

“YOLO” is a concept that many have offered as a reason for rash decisions, but there's no denying that there's some truth to it. We can carry burning desires or ambitions for a large part of our lives, and when we don't have time to fulfill them, we start to feel regret and remorse. IN to the moon Johnny Wyles had a desperate desire to travel there, and although he is nearing the end of his life and physically unable to do so, two Sigmund Corporation doctors have devised a way to satisfy him that he has been to the moon.

Wyles has experienced a tremendous amount of grief in his life with the tragic loss of his brother in an accident and his eventual wife River, whom he once promised to meet again on the moon if they split up. The doctors are able to turn this promise into reality, altering his memories of the past and in the process the timeline so that there is a reality where he “believes” he traveled there as an astronaut with his beloved. It's a unique concept that revolves around memories, regrets and the progress of life, albeit in a slightly more direct sense than a title like The Old Man's Way. It seems that the older we get, the more relevant all these concerns and missed moments in our lives become. There is no combat at all in this indie title, but the feeling is endless.

1

What's Left of Edith Finch

Family secrets unfold

A house that has been in the family for a long time is not just a home, it is a container of memories. The good, the bad, the everyday and everything in between. If those walls could talk, as they say. What's Left of Edith Finch is an exploration of this very concept, with Edith revisiting the family home and compiling a diary detailing a series of unfortunate deaths that have befallen Finch in the past. The twist is that Edith's son, Christopher, has returned to the house and we experience Edith's adventure through his eyes. There are definitely things you might want to know before you play for the first time, but what an experience.

Poignant, dreamlike sequences follow, each detailing the family's supposed curse and the fates of various members. The game is constantly changing, from the slow exploration of Great Aunt Edie's dusty bedroom to the comic visualization of Barbara's brutal murder. It's stylized and unpredictable, leaving players wondering what exactly happened to the family and what's fiction, but the sense of connection to the family's ever-expanding past is something we empathize with more and more as we get older.