TNIAAM Recommends: What video games are you playing right now?

Perhaps you’ve taken up some new hobbies over the last few months, or even rediscovered some old ones. We can’t blame you for feeling a bit lost without sports. It’s natural, and dwelling on a lack of sports probably helps alleviate the existential dread anyway. But if you’re looking for other things to occupy your time with, we do have some recommendations.

Last time we went down this road, we talked music. And before that, it was shows to binge-watch and reading selections. This time, we change things up once again, and tell you which video games you should be playing right now.

Kevin: FIFA 20

The game I’ve been playing the most lately is FIFA 20. We bought EA Access this spring and since I don’t mind waiting for games I was able to pick up FIFA and right now my Irish National striker is manning that spot for Arsenal. If a Syracuse fan is going to pick a Premier League squad why not go with the one that is known for crushing unexplainable losses?

John: Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

I’ve definitely been playing NBA 2K20 more than any other game, but since I have a Nintendo Switch, I would not recommend that version for anyone. I’m just an addict, so I just play it anyway.

But Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is one of the dumbest and most entertaining games I’ve ever played, and I’d highly recommend it. I managed to catch it on sale for $15 on the Nintendo eShop a month ago, so up to you if you want to pay full price. The basics, however: Ubisoft’s “Rabbids” mascots wind up invading the Mushroom Kingdom, and to fix things, you end up in a goofy, turn-based shooter with Mario, Luigi and the other characters you’re plenty familiar with. It’s incredibly pointless, but I promise, it’s a pretty good time once you get the hang of it (doesn’t take long since the game starts out with some training wheels).

Steve: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

At this point I’ve played myself out of FIFA and my PS3 has been on the fritz so you folks don’t get any more of the NCAA Football 13 love that I had been giving you.

That said, Jedi: Fallen Order is a fantastic game. Think Uncharted, but with lightsabers and force powers. It’s set between Order 66 and the original trilogy and follows a padawan named Cal Kestis after the Jedi Purge. EA seems to be learning and finally got a Star Wars game right, which I can’t complain about. Now if only they would come out with another Knights of the Old Republic...

Szuba: Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy VII Remake is Square Enix’s foray into exactly what it sounds like: A revamped rendition of the 1997 RPG classic with modern graphics but also updates to the storyline and added character development.

For the uninitiated, Final Fantasy VII takes place in the fictional city of Midgar, a dystopian society governed by the powerful Shinra Electric Power Company. You play as Cloud Strife, a former Shinra soldier that is seemingly arrogant and aloof at first, yet a competent character. He teams with a ragtag group from the slums of Midgar with the sole mission of taking down Shinra. The emotionally-charged and easy to root for group goes by the name Avalanche and believes that Shinra is greedily sapping the planet of its main energy source, mako.

Square did a tremendous job with the plot and character development in game that feels equal parts movie as it does video game and the voice actors gave noteworthy performances (Cloud is voiced by All-American actor Cody Christian). For fans of the original, the gameplay is much different with a battle system — which is phenomenal by the way — that occurs in real-time as opposed to turn-based. The game is a time investment (and this is just part one) and it feels as though the fat could’ve been trimmed, but it’s still well worth it.

Personally, I was never much into the Final Fantasy series, but VII captivated me and was one of the most influential games of my youth, so needless to say I was very pleased with the remake. Next up? The Last of Us.

Andy: Marvel’s Spider-Man

This is the first game I’ve replayed simply because the first time through was so much fun. If you haven’t played this game yet: get a PS4 (super discounted now with the announcement of the PS5) and enjoy what’s probably the best Marvel video game to date. It’s so much fun to move around their map of NYC, and the combat can be as simple or as complex as you desire while not getting locked into a specific progression point. If you’re new to the game, this is also probably the best Spider-Man cinematic experience, period. The story hits predictable plot beats in an enjoyable way, while also surprising you with some heart wrenching twists.

And yes, part of this was because of the announcement of Miles Morales’ solo game coming this winter.

Christian: F1 2020

So I could’ve gone for quite a few options here. I’m still a Call of Duty kid, so Call of Duty: Modern Warfare has certainly seen quite a few miles on my PS4 as of late. I thought about Uncharted 4 and the newest God of War since both of those games are amazing single-player adventures that everyone should play. Andy’s suggest of Marvel’s Spider-man is also a great option, and I thought that should have been Game of the Year, although that got beat out by God of War in 2018.

However, we’re talking about games we’re playing right now, and I’ve been engrossed in F1 2020, the latest edition of the Formula 1 game from Codemasters. I started watching F1 last year and have been in love with the sport since - going into the technicality of driving and the building of such advanced cars. It’s a really technical game, especially if you’re used to just playing Mario Kart. You’ve got to manage your racing line and braking points and so much more. It makes you feel like an actual F1 driver, and the new My Team most is incredible in terms of putting you in the shoes of an F1 team owner trying to build a car to the top of the championship. It’s challenging and fun at the same time.