Video games are almost a guilty pleasure of mine. Admittedly, I am absolutely awful at them, I can barely stay alive in reality, let alone virtually. Instead, I prefer to watch those around me play them. I become invested in the plot, characters and missions, rather than the actual action of the games - I'll leave that to the professionals who actually know what they're doing! But that doesn't mean I don't have my favourites that I could watch again and again, and today I thought I would comprise a list of the ones I enjoy the most! These are solely console games, but I do love a good round of Candy Crush now and again too.

OVERWATCH
Overwatch is known for its fabulous variety of characters, competitive competition ranks and various game modes to suit everyone, making it easy to adapt the multiplayer game to suit you. There's no actual story mode to the game, however Blizzard have done an amazing job of giving each character their own individual backstory, dictating their role in the formation of Overwatch. There's good, bad and everything in-between, and coupled with the colourful characters, Overwatch has become one of my favourite games.

THE WITCHER 3: THE WILD HUNT
Introduced to me by my housemates, this game became a firm favourite in our student house, as we watched one of us progress further into the story every night. It has a great medieval mixture of monsters, sorceresses and epic battle sequences, with a fantastic storyline, great graphics, and a variety of side quests. It also helps that the hero of the game is like a lovable uncle who says the wrong things sometime, but still does the right thing in the end. My only qualm with The Witcher 3, is that it is part of a wider trilogy, so there are references to previous games that went waaay over my head. Equally, every decision you make has an impact of the outcome of certain sub-plots, so its so important to make the right decision with everything!

GRAND THEFT AUTO FIVE
Who doesn't love a game with endless possibilities to exact your deepest, darkest desires on a virtual world, with practically zero consequences? I sure do! However, GTA 5 proved it was a lot more by introducing some great anti-heroes to interplay missions with, and some ridiculously funny moments that really help lighten the tone of the game. It is violent, it is graphic and it is definitely not for the faint of heart, but it is certainly very good in that it allows you to take out all of your frustrations in real life.

FALLOUT 4 / FALLOUT NEW VEGAS
The Fallout series are by far my boyfriend's favourite games, and after watching him mindlessly play at them for hours, they inevitably became my favourites too. I have absolutely no survival skills whatsoever, so seeing a character adapt and thrive to a post-nuclear apocalypse fills me with excitement. I couldn't choose between the most recent instalment of the series, and the phenomenal New Vegas, both of which have a cracking plot, endless downloadable content, and brilliant soundtracks to make the endless wasteland slightly more cheerful. The dialogue is funny, witty and the games are filled with outside references and sarcastic comments, and there are definitely some scary moments too! Its funny, exciting and hilarious, and a game series that I could watch again and again.

DYING LIGHT
A cross between Assassin's Creed and The Last of Us, Dying Light is a survival game with a day / night cycle that increases the fear factor of the game. The story is slick, brutal and full of twists and turns, which only intensifies the need to survive in such a hostile environment. It can be tough going, and kind of repetitive at certain points, but it's certainly one of the more original zombie games I've played, and adds something new and fresh to the genre.



THE EVIL WITHIN
Now this game is a little out of place in this list, as I never actually got to watch it through to completion because my boyfriend and brother hated it, but it was right up my street. Scary, dark and bloody hard, it was thrilling and frustrating all at once - which is probably why everyone hated it! Again, character decisions can alter certain aspects of the game, and in a world fuelled with terrifying nightmares, keeping your wits about you is crucial. That's not to say that the entire game is just mindless jump scare, as a pretty intricate plot begins to emerge, however as I mentioned, I never got to complete the game, so I still have a few questions lingering about it!

THE LAST OF US
I think you'd be pushed to find a list of favourite video games that doesn't feature this masterpiece of modern video game. From its cinematic, beautiful graphics to its brilliant protagonists and wonderful story scenes (who could forget those giraffes in that dreamy forest scene?), The Last of Us is a zombie apocalypse game like no other. The relationship between Joel and Ellie is dynamic, in that it pushes the typical "not-quite-father-and-daughter" trope to its limits, with Ellie being the true hero and protector of the two. A game that is warm, scary and suspenseful, it is a firm favourite of mine - if only my brother hadn't gotten rid of his Playstation!

THE WALKING DEAD GAME
Another game that explores the relationship between protector and child, is that of The Walking Dead game (the first season of which is the best season), which deviates from the plots of the comics and the TV adaptation. Introducing new characters into the harsh world of zombie survival, the relationship between the two central characters, Lee and Clementine, is heart-warming and heart-breaking. The outcome of the game is purely based on the decisions you make as a player, and like every other RPG, the decisions you make affect everything; from your relationships with your fellow survivors, to the outcome of the game. The game is also episodic, and when it first came out the wait between episodes was suspenseful and nerve-wracking, with the choices you made going on to affect the writing of the following games, with Clementine at the helm of the subsequent games. I didn't enjoy the following games for various reasons, however I won't mention them as I may end up spoiling the plot for those who have never played. You don't have to be a fan of the show / comics to play, and this game is well worth playing. 

ALIEN VS PREDATOR
I'm a huge fan of the classic films, so when I had the chance to play the video game I was very excited, and even more thrilled to discover it was a game I was actually good at - who knew!? There are three different modes of play that all interlink into the overarching storyline, and you can choose to play as a marine, alien or predator. Every mode requires a different set of skills, and requires you to prioritise different modes of play, and vision to advance further. It's not easy, and I'm still surprised that I managed to be quite good at this game, considering the amount of stealth required to succeed. If you're a fan of the films, you'll definitely be a fan of this.

ANIMAL CROSSING NEW LEAF
In the wake of the recently released Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, it's only award the previous franchise release, New Leaf, a spot on my list. Until a couple of years ago, I had never played any form of Animal Crossing game, but when I finally took the plunge, I was immersed in a colourful, peaceful world filled with various anthropomorphic villagers who require little more than a few favours and conversations to quickly become your best friend. Animal Crossing is perfect for relieving anxiety, and adding a little bit of sweetness into your life, and I never tire of playing it. 


I hope you've enjoyed finding out a little bit more about my favourite video games! Are you a big fan of video games? What's your favourite? Let me know!

Until next time,

Rachel x