The Games Making Us Swap Remotes for Joysticks

We’ll admit it! As TV enthusiasts, a video game needs to be pretty special indeed for us to put down the TV remote and pick up a controller instead. As advanced as the video gaming industry has become, with simulations and emulations available in abundance, not every game released manages to hold our attention. There are some games, however, that have interesting stories, engaging content, and compelling characters who keep us tuning in, much like our favorite TV shows. Here’s a rundown, in no particular order, of some of our favorites:
 
Fallout 3

Even though this franchise has been around since the late nineties and contains a total of seven different titled games with another one in the works, the fifth game in the series (confusingly titled Fallout 3) is our top pick from this crop of games.

This post-apocalyptic, “atompunk retrofuturistic” RPG is incredibly vast. It’s an open world game, so you can wander, and wander, and wander – which probably makes it one of the definitive immersive video games. The attention to detail in each environment would make even Stanley Kubrick quake in his boots. Add some special guest voice stars like Heroes’ Mr. Linderman himself, and you have yourself a winner. Released way back in 2008, it’s still so popular that a new mod has even been released for it this year.
 
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Red Dead Redemption

Before we had Westworld through which to live out our Wild West fantasies, there was Red Dead Redemption. This iconic game had us hooked from the moment we saw the released footage of its gameplay, and with its eagerly-anticipated follow-up, Red Dead Redemption 2, due for release any day now, it’s definitely time to give this one a re-visit.

RDR has drawn critical and cultural acclaim for everything – from its gripping gameplay to immersive, interactive elements, like being able to play Five-Finger-Fillet in a full-on Wild West Saloon. Then there’s all the gunfights, missions, and hours of roaming open plains on horseback that you can enjoy as the lead character John Marston. Despite almost being ten years old, RDR definitely withstands the test of time.
 
 
Super Mario Bros III

Okay, it’s a bit of a retro choice, and if you’re not playing it on an original console, the feeling isn’t quite the same… However, Super Mario Bros III is one of those games that we’ll happily forgo time spent watching the gogglebox for. And if you don’t feel the same after watching this nostalgic clip below, then what are you reading this article for?
 

Source: YouTube
 
Batman: Arkham Franchise

In much the same way we’d never be able to prefer one Game of Thrones season over another, so it’s the same for the Batman: Arkham franchise. Whether it’s trying to stop the mayhem unleashed by the Joker in Arkham Asylum, facing down eight of Gotham’s most deadly assassins in Origins, or dealing with the king of terrifying lunatics, Scarecrow, in Arkham Knight, each of these games based on DC’s most noir of all characters is truly gripping in their own right. If you want to take your Batman: Arkham immersion one step further, check out Rocksteady’s own virtual reality experience, Batman: Arkham VR. Although, we can’t promise that you won’t return with bats on the brain if you do…
 
South Park Stick of Truth

Okay, it’s another slightly retro pick, but since it has only just been given a release date for Nintendo Switch, this hilarious game is a lot more relevant to today’s audience than you might think. From the deranged geniuses Trey Parker and Matt Stone, South Park the television series, the movie, the tie-in album, and yeah, the video game really shouldn’t need much of an introduction!

Why do we love Stick of Truth? Let us count the ways… For starters, it actually has a really simple premise and, despite all the lunacy that unfolds, the characters similar to what we know and love from the TV show. Plus, that 8-bit Canada level will always have us chuckling to ourselves with its Legend of Zelda homage.
 
 
Would you add any games to this list? Let us know your picks in the comments below.