A game I really enjoyed in the past was Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a video game situated in the Star Wars Universe. In this game, there is a combination of multiple dynamics that make the game interesting for many types of players. For example, each level has an increasing degree of challenging — you either fight opponents who are more skilled (while gaining skills yourself) or learn and have to use force-related skills. At the same time, each level has an aspect of exploration/discovery. As you find these opponents, you’re also exploring new land and adding it to the character’s map. In a particular level, it might be mostly exploration or mostly challenge-based, meaning you can vary the types of actions you are performing. The mechanics are tailored to these dynamics — you can use the console to use the lightsaber or force and the more you use these skills, the stronger they become. In one level, you can collect a little robot which stores a map of what you have explored.
Personally, for me, what makes this game really enjoyable is that all these mechanics are tied together by the lense of narrative. Every user acts as the same character, Cal Kestis, who is Jedi who escaped Order 66 and is trying to find other fellow Jedi. Each level contains a series of animations — the level of this is personalizable — and you learn Cal’s narrative and progress with him as he tries to find other Jedi. In this way, the aesthetic is narrative but also fantasy. When I was younger, I was a huge Star Wars fan so playing this game gave me a fun way to explore the world.
