For many people, 2016 has been a rough year filled with loss and disappointment. Over the course of this year it seems that the world has become even more divisive, and tensions that have been kept under control have finally reached the boiling point. From my perspective it feels like America itself has become more separated and relationships between some groups have become strained. With all of that in mind, 2016 for video games has been in a lot of ways the opposite of the real world. The relationships and bonds that have become soured in the real world have become a strength for many games that have released this year. As a whole, this year delivered some great examples of the strong connections and emotional bonds that video games can deliver, whether it be between players and a character or between a cast of characters in a game.
The most recent examples of this being games that players have long been waiting for: Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian. These two games demonstrated the potential that games have of delivering an experience that can connect with players in ways that other medium at times can't. Playing through The Last Guardian and slowly building a bond between the young boy and the giant creature Trico, two beings who couldn't be more different, and seeing the emotional attachment that the two have by the end of the game is truly something unique only to the medium of video games.
You can say all you want about the dated and frustrating gameplay segments of The Last Guardian, but you can't deny that the game offers players a one of kind experience about two unlikely beings coming to together and forming a long lasting bond that can't help but melt my icy heart as the credits roll.
Final Fantasy XV offers a different sort of bond than that of The Last Guardian. The relationship between the "boy band" cast of characters of Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio, seems a little off at first and a bit awkward, but as is the case with most anything that deals with bonds and relationships these characters begin to grow on the player and demonstrate the unbreakable connection that these four characters have with each other.
Even when things begin to go south for the cast in Final Fantasy XV and these bonds are tested, the connections between the crew finds a way to overcome these trials and show the emotional attachment that these characters have. I was never sold on the cast or plot of Final Fantasy XV before it released, but after the dozens of hours of time invested into the game and witnessing the relationship between this crew, I can't help but feel a connection to the cast of characters. The photos that Prompto takes throughout the journey just add a little something extra to the recipe that contains all the ingredients of a game that displays the power that relationships between characters can have.
The Last Guardian and Final Fantasy XV are the recent examples of the special bonds that video games have provided this year. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End demonstrates the bonds between two brothers, and a husband and wife. The final hurrah for Nathan Drake and his crew, is a perfect showcase of the bonds that have developed throughout the series.
Uncharted 4 is pretty much all about the bond between Nathan and his brother Sam, the sudden reappearance of Sam and the adventure that Nate goes on with him causes a snag in the relationships between his wife, Elena, and also his father figure Sully. The reconnection of the bond between Nate and Sam forces the current relationships that Nate has to become stressed and close to breaking.
While everything works out in the end as things would for our treasure hunting buddy Nathan Drake, the game demonstrates a type of relationship that doesn't often take place in video games and that is the bond between husband and wife. The section late in Uncharted 4 where Elena and Nate are back together again, is a great section showcasing the relationships between the two and the reigniting of the bond they have, and is one of my favorite moments of the game. I would be remised if I also didn't mention the scene where the two play Crash Bandicoot because that is also a great moment showcasing the relationship between Nate and Elena as well.
Games like Stardew Valley, Titanfall 2, and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, also displayed some of the better examples of the variety of bonds that video games this year demonstrated. The bond between the protagonist Cooper and his titan BT, while maybe not as special as the other bonds discussed, displays a solid improvement between the original Titanfall, where titans were rather soulless, and the titans in Titanfall 2 who had personalities and offered players at least a chance to feel connected to their big robot buddies.
BT may not be the best character, but hey he goes from someone who doesn't understand what a thumbs up means, to a titan who gives you a nice thumbs up before he throws you a mile away and if that isn't an example of a growing connection between two characters then I don't know what is. The improvement in Titanfall 2 compared to the original, showcases the upward trend in the video game industry of creating characters and games that offer players a chance to experience memorable relationships like in The Last Guardian and Firewatch.
The bonds and relationships established by many games throughout 2016 definitely made many of the real world struggles a bit easier to handle. As knowing that video games at times offered a chance to get away a bit and witness the good that can occur, was much needed. When the calendar flips to 2017 and many of us attempt to try and bury 2016 in a safe deep inside our mind and throw the key into the ocean; just make sure to keep the memories of the emotional bonds that you witnessed or developed with characters in video games this year, as those are the memories worth keeping and looking back on throughout 2017 and beyond.
Feel free to share your thoughts below and have a Happy New Year! See you next year!