Gaming is big business for companies and producers. They are facing a high demand to constantly deliver new and exciting gaming titles to keep us entertained and impressed. As technology continues to move forward, we turn to gaming for new and exciting ways to immerse ourselves in different worlds and realms. These give us a break from our day-to-day lives. It’s not just teens that are gaming these days. It’s the whole family! That could be on their phones, social media devices, PC’s, Playstation or Xbox. We all have different games that keep us entertained. Some prefer educational and interactive games where learning something is a key feature. Others just want to come home from work and relax in an all-enveloping gaming saga. Children are even becoming more adept in using gaming devices and consoles from a much earlier age. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, is still very much up for discussion.
Here we look at some of the games making an impact with various family members and what makes them so popular.
Call of Duty
The Call of Duty series is an insanely popular franchise. Delivering some amazing graphics and providing hours of exciting gameplay makes it one of my favourites. You can play this as a single player and immerse yourself into each game’s storyline. There are gripping plot twists, realistic and tense situations and more drama than you can shake a stick at! However, if like me, you prefer a more social gaming experience you can very easily also get this. If you play Call of Duty online, you can connect with fellow gamers all over the world. The online gaming mode lets you compete against others and play a selection of levels. I very often join in a game with my husband, and I must confess to getting seriously competitive about the whole thing! With various options and tactics available to you, you can choose exactly how you want to play. Be stealthy and snipe your way through a level or just throw yourself into the action and hope for the best. This is my approach. It doesn’t always work out too well, but it is great fun! These games aren’t suitable for young children, but adults and older teens will love them.
The Sims
Somewhere like chillblast.com will give you the best starting point for your research into PC’s for this one. I play The Sims a lot but have noticed that my poor old laptop is not very well equipped to handle it these days. The game runs slow, and my laptop sounds like it is going to fly away at any minute, with the fans whirring away in overdrive. To fully experience The Sims in all its glory, you should play it on a proper gaming PC. When you start The Sims, you’ll probably wonder what all of the fuss is about. Within minutes you’ll have built your own character and created a little universe all of your own. This is seriously entertaining stuff! You can find various cheats and tips if you don’t want to play by the rules and have things take longer to arrange. Personally, I had zero patience and used just about every cheat up for grabs. I especially love the money cheats as I’ve become slightly obsessed with making and decorating my house. Of course, it has to be the best and most stylish house on the block! This is a fantastic game for the entire family. Kids, teens and adults will enjoy playing it. Just remember to keep track of how long you are paying for. The Sims has become something of a black hole in my life and once I’m in ‘the zone’ it is easy to forget how long you’ve been playing. I use the term ‘playing’ lightly. I mostly just obsess over character details and designing things, but you get the idea! The Sims is as advanced or as easy as you choose to make it.
Bioshock
Bioshock is one of my all time favourite gaming series. It has a very steampunk and 1920’s in look and feel. The design of the game is absolutely breathtaking and is right up my street. I would quite literally buy up all of the merchandise available if I could afford it. The characters in Bioshock games are utterly unique, and their storylines are so well written that you genuinely do end up caring about what happens to them. Bioshock isn’t without its horror and jump-scare type elements. It’s not suitable for younger kids at all. This is very much the sort of game you’ll want to save and play when the kids are in bed. There are some quite gruesome (but captivating!) scenes in all of the games but in my opinion, they are so well executed that it helps to drive home the atmosphere of the game. As you play, there’s a sense of urgency about the whole thing. There were so many times when the hair on the back of my neck stood on end. I love games that make me feel this way, and it would seem that I am not alone. Bioshock continues to be one of the world’s most popular game series, and if you haven’t played it yet, you are seriously missing out.
Younger children and teens will also enjoy the most interactive elements of gaming. There are several accessories and interactive games to be purchased that encourage you to get involved with the game. Singstar will see your kids competing against each other to sing the best version of the latest pop song. While games such as Just Dance will encourage them to get up onto their feet and start dancing. Whatever your thoughts about gaming as a whole, it certainly does have it’s plus points and negative points. There is something out there for everyone and gaming can be a fun part of family life. As with anything, just consider using games consoles as a family in moderation. It makes a great treat or a little bit of fun time-out for all.
