PC Gaming Bootcamp: Which games have shaped you?
I have very few friends that I can talk to about video games. They just stare blankly back at me while I tell them about my weekend of dragon slaying, caped crusading and capturing animals inside red and white balls. And the very few people I can talk about the above about without being subjected to random drug testing are what can only be described as PC elitists.
I remember when Skyrim fever was running high, just prior to its release. I and a couple friends were gathered outside our lecture theatre waiting for class. The topic of discussion quickly turned to Skyrim, all of them bowing their heads in agreement that PC was ‘the only way to go’. I was mute, the most I could muster was an odd head jerk that fell somewhere in between a shrug and whinnying horse. I usually don’t shy away from running off my long list of consoles I’ve had over the years – it’s actually something I’m quite proud of – but around this group, after a lot of console shaming on their part, something in me clicks to nod along. A lot of the time in conversation part of me wants to scoff and roll my eyes though another part of me wonders if maybe they’re on to something.
As a gamer that’s been confined to console gaming for some time now the world of PC gaming seems to take on a special kind of lustre. It’s this cool club that I’ve only been able to look on from the outside of. Hearing second hand about the insane and outlandish mods and missing out on some excellent co-op action because I didn’t have a game on PC only heightened the appeal. Titles like Planescape: Torment and Baldur’s Gate are like badges of honour. More than that really. They’re each treated like a qualification added to a gamer’s resume.
So now I’m going to start looking back at all the games I missed out on because I was too busy trying to catch ‘em all on my Gameboy. But where to begin? Well, that’s where you come in gentle reader. I want to hear all about the PC titles you’ve played that had an impact on you – good or bad. What game really meant something to you? You can tweet them, email them, post them as a comment below or hell, if you have the means you could even write it in the sky (NB: Submissions sent via carrier pigeons will not be read as I am terrified of birds). I want to know what titles have shaped you into the gamer you are today and see for myself what all the fuss is about! Once I have a few of your suggestions I’ll then scamper off back into seclusion returning in two weeks to post my impressions. So what are you waiting for? Dredge the recesses of your mind, take a stroll down memory lane or just take a peek at your hard drive and tell me what I should be playing! Consider this a PC gaming boot camp and you all can take on the role as my drill sergeant. If it helps, you can even call me a maggot.
Send Rebecca your suggestions by emailing admin@savegameonline.com with the subject line: PC Gaming Boot Camp or tweeting @SaveGameOnline
Editor’s note: Tash already introduced (read: corrupted) Rebecca to Mass Effect 1 and 2, so both those stellar games are off the table. Everything else is more than fair game. Rebecca has also already experienced the wonder that is Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher. We could suggest she play it again, but we’re worried her PC monitor can’t take the liberal makeouts she’d be inflicting on it. Oh Geralt….