Video Games Are My Escape

Video games are my escape in life. While that may sound sad to someone who doesn’t play or know anything about video games, just hear me out. For as long as I can remember, video games — as well as board and card games — have always been an integral part of my life. They’ve helped me learn, count,  and memorize patterns and sequences. As I’ve gotten older, they’ve also  contributed to my extensive and admittedly questionable amount of screen-time. It all began with my Mother’s original 1989 Grey Nintendo Game Boy, which was my go-to for beach trips and vacations. I dominated Tetris and played for hours and hours trying to increase my score. I then transitioned to only playing Animal Crossing Wild World and New Leaf on various DS models. 

But now, having spent a regrettable time playing League of Legends on PC as a teenager, I learned that I am more familiar and prefer gaming with a mouse and keyboard. Now that I have reached my mid-twenties, my tastes in games have also changed and I have become a massive Resident Evil Series fan. Starting with Resident Evil 2 (which was actually a remake of the game that came out in 1998), I was thrown into a world of decisive  characters and horrifying zombies. I instantly fell in love with exploring the Raccoon City Police Station and its complicated puzzles as Leon S. Kennedy (voiced by the incredibly talented Nick Apostolides), a rookie cop who was late for work on his first day. Having to play as Leon and adapt to impossible situations throughout the game taught me that in life, you can’t control everything; sometimes, you just have to adjust and keep going. It is Leon’s strength and demeanor that are partially responsible for who I am today, with his toughness and sensibility to save himself and those around him remaining true to my real life. After all, it is my friends, family, and hobbies that make me the unique individual that I am. This theme then carried over to one of my favorite games of all time: the Resident Evil 4 Remake. 

One of the reasons why this game is incredibly important to me is that, as this popular title came out, I was finishing my final year of college at the University of Central Florida. During my very last semester, I felt stuck, stuck with the endless amount of work, writer’s block, and creative block. It was in those moments that I found myself playing the Resident Evil 4 Remake whenever I could, with one unforgettable line sticking with me. It is a line Leon says to the President’s daughter, Ashley, in the moment she discovers she’s infected with the virus and feels hopelessly lost on what to do next. 

“It’s okay to be afraid, you know.…You gotta keep moving forward. We will beat this. Together.” 

Thanks in no small part to Apostolides’ heartwarming delivery, I still get teary-eyed every time I watch that cutscene. His reassurance to Ashely holds a special place in my heart and has become my mantra towards graduation and in my everyday life, especially after meeting Apostolides in person a few months ago. With the anticipated release of the newest installment in the franchise, Resident Evil Requiem continues Leon’s story 30 years after the Four Remake, with new and exciting enemies and allies lurking around every corner. I plan to play it on its release weekend, fully in the dark. That’s how brave I feel. 

Continuing this wave of love and admiration, comes Iron Lung, a remarkable achievement in the world of video games and independent film. Based on the game of the same name created by David Szymanski and adapted to the screen by the Youtuber “Markiplier,” Mark Fischbach, an unnamed convict is forced to venture into a desolate moon’s ocean of blood  to take pictures and chart its depths. Discovering the spine-tingling presence of a large multi-teethed creature that  is stalking the submarine made me peer over my shoulder a few times despite playing the game in broad daylight. Having gone to see the film twice, the multiple whispers and a twist I didn’t see coming truly shocked and left me admiring the film’s slow burn storytelling and Fischbach himself. After absorbing the fun and heart pounding horror, video games are worth having or at least watching from a distance. I find  they truly help shape storytelling by immersing myself in a world that is entirely different from our own, allowing me to leave my troubles behind.