Hey everyone! I’m Francis (he/him). I’m an avid gamer, particularly on different consoles, but I’m a huge fan of any game (please invite me to game nights).
My favorite game of all time is a toss-up between Skyrim and Super Mario Galaxy. I’m heavily biased towards Mario Games because I grew up with them. Still, Super Mario Galaxy had just enough structure to make me strive for 100% completion and enough adventure and open-world elements that made me feel like I was always on my own while playing instead of being railroaded toward a specific objective. It’s the kind of game where you don’t have to think too hard, but the puzzles and platforming are still challenging enough to be engaging. Also, the soundtrack and visual design are just beautiful – the game was ahead of its time. I’ll still replay it every few years. Speaking of beautiful graphics and music, Skyrim also has a special place as the first game with open-world mechanics that truly caught my eye. I’ve put hundreds of hours into that game, and I’m still finding new content through mods, exploration, and approaching quests in new ways. This game will never get old to me, and I can’t wait for Elder Scrolls 6 in a few years (hopefully). It’s one of those games where 100% completion is never truly possible, but that doesn’t matter because there is so much to discover.
Lately, I’ve been playing a lot of Baldur’s Gate 3. I love role-playing games with open-world aspects, and the balance of action to story keeps me entertained for hours. I always encounter something unexpected while playing, and the game has severe consequences that feel realistic enough to hurt without derailing your game progress (Game Over). There are a million different ways to approach combat, dialogue, or other story elements, and no path feels like the “right path” pre-decided by the developers. The challenge, freedom, and unique mechanics have made this my favorite game lately, and I see why it won Game of the Year.
