GamerBraves Newsletter Vol. 108 – How Three Games That Came Out Next To Each Other Define Play

Time is funny, man. I remember in the early 2010s, late August was considered the date you released your game if you wanted it to quietly die. Yet somehow, this year’s late-August Early-September window had one of the strongest showings, with three critically acclaimed titles all launching basically within a month of each other.

I’m talking, of course, about Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield and Armored Core 6. It’s not particularly interesting that all three of these games are excellent- given their pedigrees you’d expect nothing less. But I think it’s worth noting that while all three games cut themselves a slice of internet discourse, they did so for totally separate reasons.

The State Of Play

After a lot of ruminating, I think I’ve figured out what’s so special about this trio- they’re all focused on play. I know that sounds stupid when you remember play as the literal definition of what you do with a game, so bear with me: what a game is has become largely expanded in recent years. For titles like The Last Of Us, they’re a vehicle for storytelling. Yes, Ellie can shoot the gun, but the context in which she has a gun in the first place is why you’re here.

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