We need politics in our games. There, I’ve said it. Death Stranding is the poster child for this social-commentaryas-entertainment. Its slow drag of delivering one parcel after another across a barren landscape under a ceaselessly grey sky had me reaching for my receipt and the phone number of the nearest CEX. I feel my eyelids drooping just thinking about Koj’s Amazon sim.
It’s no surprise then, that it’s taken me some time to finally play it. What I found is a game with something to say. Its plodding gameplay sheltered a political message, and the more I delivered, the closer I came to understanding Koj’s world view: teamwork makes the dream work and staying together is favoured over isolation. Those 60 hours spent delivering packages didn’t seem so daunting any more. I have fallen in love with the game and its blend of odd characters. Now I’m not the first to open Koj’s Marmite jar; this game has split opinion, friendships, and the OPM team since launch. It’s proof that we need politics in our games, but do they all have to divide to rule?
Just like Death Stranding, Sony’s other exclusive, Quantic Dream’s Detroit: Become Human, wasn’t afraid to tell us a few home truths. Some bounced off its lecturing, but the core aim of the game, to form a team of resistance fighters to battle and protest for what’s right, shouldn’t be ignored. With games like this, I can’t help but think about the way the governments of certain countries are corrupt and how the people are trying to come together and challenge them. It triggers my thoughts for all the real-world stories I’ve heard.