Games don’t just let you escape.They can also help you remember

Of course, the game is not just a lonely experience.Although I am a big fan of single player games, and My early game memory Mainly single player experience (thanks, slow internet connection), Social aspect Games add another dimension to our experience and memory.Whether it’s a fierce shooter game (my fond memories of those nights Unreal Tournament 2003 In the dormitory), cooperative puzzle games, or just chat with friends in a shared world separated by thousands of miles, we further deepen the memory of the game by sharing with others.

This is something I particularly appreciated in games during the pandemic in the past year. Looking back on a year ago-through anxiety, uncertainty, and fear of early lockdown-this is a strong, hopeful and joyful game memory.

Once a week, I play games with friends from graduate school on the other side of the country, where noisy matches are always dominated. Rocket League, Has turned to epic RPG Divinity: Original Sin 2Fortunately, everyone is working remotely and working inside safely, and we suddenly have more time to play together. A game that I thought might make it easy for us to spend more than a year began to fly away.

In the game, we can become (usually clumsy and inadvertently dangerous to innocent citizens) heroes, take control of our own destiny, save the world and take action. We have a complete world to explore and learn about history, magic and combat need to be learned and perfected, and there are many new characters to talk to. Time passed and the visit was cancelled, but we still have our gaming sessions several times a week.

Original Sin 2 I will always be associated with a tragic and fatal epidemic in my memory. Thinking of it will remind me to be inside, learn the Rt value, worry about my parents, and calculate my blessings to ensure safety. But it also reminds me of everything that is constantly burning in the game world, mocking my character for complete failure in any persuasion conversation, turning enemies into hapless chickens, planning carefully planned combat strategies, and (eventually) success.

By sharing the magic of games, we can stay in touch, away from desks and sofas, but cast spells side by side. Gaming has always been a form of connection, and this was emphasized during the pandemic when physical distance is needed and social closeness is desired.Over time, obvious benefits can be obtained feel Not alone but safely alone. We can leave good memories to help weather the long storm.

Recently, my game escape has turned Virtual Reality. I thought it would take a few years for me to play games in VR; it always seems to be the future. After I spend almost all of my time in it, in addition to shopping for groceries and other necessities, wearing a VR headset is a revelation. I was teleported to an open world, my ceiling disappeared, replaced by a clear sky in the distance. I no longer stay in my small living room, and the feeling of the new space made me immediately believe in this technology.

Once again, there is this strange mismatch between novels and pleasant experiences and the horror of the larger environment of the world. Maybe nothing can better reflect the privileges I have in this era. I will never forget my first step into VR (literally), just as I will never forget why it suddenly became so attractive. Although VR is an escape, it does not erase other memories.

Instead, it weaves them together in a new way. This memory will not obscure all the time I spent in it during the pandemic, nor will it be neatly packaged in an attempt to forget it. On the contrary, it gave me unexpected happiness in dark times. Games help me stay healthy and live in the moment, which seems to be the opposite of trying to use it to escape. Games will not make me forget, but help me remember.

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