Chances are you have recently invested in a shiny new laptop or desktop and are looking for programs to test the limit of what your machine can do. These limits can be easily tested with some of the new games in the market while they also keep you entertained. Most of us have grown up with some form of computer games and that interest has stayed with us even through our adulthood. As much as you, games over the years have evolved as well.

 

Long gone are the days of pix­el-based graphics with limited game mechanics. Today games are complex not only in the way they look but also in the way they play. Game developers are looking for different ways to push the boundaries. The year 2017 brought us some interest­ing games that blurred the lines between childish entertainment and works of art. Today, we talk about some newer games that redefine the genre.

 

 

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice

 

Properly titled ‘Indie Triple-A’, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a game that looks like it came out of a big company but was instead developed by a small team of around 20 developers at Ninja Theory. The graphics are spectacular, augmented by complex motion capture technology. The tit­ular protagonist, Senua, is rendered in complex emotional brushes.

 

This works for the narrative of the game that revolves around psychosis, a condition that con­stantly plagues the central character with voices swirling around her head all the time.

 

Part hack-and-slash action, part puzzle solving, Senua’s Sacrifice is a game that is uncomfortable to play: the controls are slow and most of the game revolves around trying to align symbols in the air; even the narrative keeps pushing Senua into situations where more pain is inflicted onto an already damaged mind. These aspects con­stantly remind the player that as a game based on the fragile, tortured mind of a troubled Celtic warrior it’s not supposed to be fun. Nonetheless Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a game that video games connoisseurs should definitely try.

 

 

Nier: Automata

 

Created by a crazy developer behind a creepy mask, Nier: Automata is a poignant reflection of his drug-addled mind. Truly a hybrid game, Nier Automata is an action RPG that is sometimes hack-and-slash, sometimes top-down shooter, and sometimes an action platformer among many other genres. The most interesting part is how seamlessly it moves from one kind of game­play into another while keeping the pacing and gameplay balanced throughout. The game tells the story of the battle robot A2, who makes her way through the desolate dystopian world of Nier where all living humans have left for the moon after a humiliating defeat against automatons created by a higher being.

 

The narrative is what piques interest because of its bizarre and yet entertaining take on existen­tialism, following themes like the meaning of life and the humanization of those on the other side of the war. The game looks good, sounds great and is a delight to play. If you can look past its rather clunky controls on the PC, Nier: Automata is a game that should appeal to you, never mind the genre.