We have said it a thousand times. But we never tire of repeating it: 2023 will go down in historyas one of the best years in terms of video game releases. However, this year has also been unique due to the nature of these digital adventures; Although many of them have content that encourages you to invest dozens of hours of gameplay, such as missions, epilogues and other extras, players We have also had fun with the basic mechanicsof each experience. starfield is a good example of this phenomenon: although Bethesda has created secondary objectives and factions for its immense universe, there are several members of the community who have extended their link with the RPG through ship customization. In fact, many users have dedicated themselves to replicating popular vehicles from Star Wars, Futurama and other franchises set in space. And someone has managed to fool the AI with a totally extravagant design!
Regardless of what you think about the overall Starfield experience, this is undeniable: there are users who They have invested hours and hours just in the construction of spaceships. And this is not the only title released in recent months that gives wings to the public’s imagination only with its mechanics; 2023 has been a year that, coincidentally, has also included the release of two of the most notable games in this regard. Clearly, we are talking about Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3.
Between lethal machines and absurdly fun strategies
Players have ignored side quests and exploration for quite some time to test their creativity.
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is not a mystery. After its premiere last May, the networks have been filled with gameplays with machines of mass destruction that work alone and comic constructions. The ability Ultraman is probably the culprit We players have invested more hours than imaginable in this new version of Hyrule. And while I was spending 30 minutes of my life creating a defective drone that ended up killing Link, a player managed to make a Metal Gear with Zonnan gadgets that could defeat Ganondorf himself with one impact. In both cases, users They have ignored side quests and explorationfor a long time to test your creativity with one of the basic delivery mechanics.
Exactly the same thing happens with Baldur’s Gate 3. Beyond its well-written characters and the epic nature of its main campaign, many have invested enormous amounts of time in formulate absolutely irrational combat strategies. I have seen the death of a boss due to the fall of a large Owl Bear, a group of enemies defeated by the weight of some boxes pushed at a good time and companions who multiclass in ways as crazy as they are brilliant. And this is just a small part of everything that is offered in the RPG from Larian Studios.
In any case, the result is the same: even though the developers have devised extras that provide many hours of gameplay, the community is easily entertained with the mechanics of the experience. This is not a complaint, and it is not a way to detract from the secondary content of Starfield, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3; It is a brilliant idea that comes precisely from many resourcesand the creators’ efforts to do something different. If Nintendo had released a linear Zelda like those of yesteryear, it would have pocketed millions of euros from the massive purchase of the community. But by giving Link’s latest adventure brutal freedom with the Ultraman ability, he ensures that its development directly leaves its mark on video game history. And the same goes for Bethesda and Larian Studios; They will always be remembered after this.
Metal Gear in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Via uran120 in X.
A (rare) occasion when creativity goes hand in hand with popularity
Zelda: TotK, Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3 guarantee hours of fun, a boost for imagination and a large community that supports the craziest ideas.
The best thing about all this is that we talk about wildly popular projects. Creative players have always existed, but in 2023 they have had a space to let their imagination fly with titles that have been topics of conversation before, during and after their respective launches. Zelda is Zelda; She will always receive the public’s attention. Baldur’s Gate 3 was a bomb that not even Larian Studios could foresee. And Starfield was one of the most anticipated games on Bethesda’s calendar.
This combination of factors is not often seen in the video game industry. A good example of this is dreams; Beyond being a PlayStation exclusive (just like Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a Nintendo exclusive), the title never reached a level of popularity as high as that of the installments discussed in this article. While is true that Its premise is nourished mainly by content created by the community, without secondary missions or campaigns involved, the possibilities it offers in the creation of video games and experiences are incredible. And he has barely been talked about during the almost 4 years of his life.
Popularity, ultimately, is what is making the projects of Bethesda, Larian Studios and Nintendo remain relevant in the collective memory of the community. And this only feeds itself with each new creation or strategy that, devised by a single person and shared massively on the Internet, leaves us speechless. In this way, 2023 has been a great year not only for the majority of video game fans, but also for those players who seek to materialize new proposals with an experience that also has the attention of thousands of users. Hours of fun, a boost for the imagination and a great community that supports the craziest ideas. A perfect cocktail for the most creative.
