Four Video Games to Avoid at All Costs
Finals are fast approaching, with numerous papers and essays to add to the mix. While video games are harmless most of the year, turning on an Xbox 360 or PS3 would be downright dangerous right now.
However, if the need arises to relieve some stress, and a game must be played, gamers are urged to avoid these games at all costs. The addictive nature of these time-wasters cannot be overstated and would be nothing but a hindrance to the easily distracted student aiming for a 4.0.
THE ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM
Skyrim was released in November 2011, so most would think it harmless to delve back into the open world created by Bethesda Game Studios. These are the gamers guaranteed to miss their finals due to extended exploration and character leveling.
Skyrim is now synonymous with addiction. Caffeine and solitaire can move over, because anyone who tries the fifth installment in the Elder Scrolls series can say goodbye to any semblance of a social life for an average of one hundred hours. Playtime can increase drastically if gamers forget about sleeping and eating.
Whether it be that last quest that has been asking to be completed since December, or finding that perfect weapon with which to slay the dragon leader Alduin, Skyrim is the absolute worst game that could be played at this time of the year.
Avoid at all costs.
KINGDOMS OF AMALUR: RECKONING
For those fortunate enough to not have Skyrim staring at them while they study, the next game to eradicate from their life is Reckoning.
Reckoning takes the proven formula of world-exploration and leveling up, and combines it with a flawless combat system that has the player aching for another fight. Experience points are expected to pile up as long as this game is not dealt with properly before finals.
If students think character leveling and enticing combat are superfluous when memorizing the quadratic formula for that upcoming math test, they are strongly urged to break this disc in half. Mail it to some place that doesn’t exist, with an incorrect return address. Bury it in a sealed time capsule, with a warning note to future generations of students.
MASS EFFECT 3
Although Mass Effect 3 doesn’t have the same addictive nature of exploration and character progression as the aforementioned games, the compelling story and pacing of this sci-fi game is sure to keep gamers glued to their flat screens when they should be looking over the composition of igneous rocks.
The third installment in this stellar series takes Commander Shepard to numerous planets and solar systems in an earnest attempt to unite the civilizations of the galaxy against the looming threat of the Reapers, an alien race bent on the destruction of sentient life. As the story progresses, it is player choice that drives the plot and characterization throughout the saga.
Once again, this game may not be addicting for the same reasons as other games, but it is still highly dangerous. Any sightings of this conclusion to the series should be followed by a quick snap of the game disc. If any students know of any friends within range of this game’s flawless presentation, undergo rescue attempts as soon as possible.
CALL OF DUTY: MODERN WARFARE 3
By now, everyone has likely experienced or heard horror stories about the addiction that accompanies multiplayer sessions of this game. Lack of sleep, frequent pounding of fists on any nearby hard surface, and total removal from friends and family are not out of the ordinary once the journey through the multitude of upgrades available in this game has been experienced.
Improving one’s stats, earning new weapons, and mastering new game modes ensure that newcomers will stick with this game through thick and thin. Although victories are not too hard to come across, everything in between just makes the next win even more alluring.
If any roommates are heard screaming about headshots or kill streaks, students are urged to kick in the door, slam the periodic table of the elements on their roommate’s desk, and throw this game out of the window, preferably in a place where no one else is in danger of finding it.
