Of all the creative mediums, video games tend to do escapism better than most. By that, I mean that we don't just play games to escape reality, but in the more positive sense that at their best, they're extremely effective at letting us explore and engage in beautifully realised alternative realities. Particularly in the last decade, games have become technically robust enough to create believable and memorable locations that we can visit in much the same way we would any real-world locations. The most impressive places in video games are far more than just levels for us to complete, but living, breathing (or in some cases decidedly dead) environments that are a joy to just explore. These could be places of incredible tranquility, scenic viewpoints that let us appreciate the scale of the game world, or masterfully designed metropolises that are true to real-world architectural styles, but submerge them (nudge, nudge) into settings that we would never have imagined. Video games are at the stage where the spaces they create are a worthwhile experience for anyone. Gamers should visit them as a kind of pilgrimage, while non-gamers should be chaperoned to demonstrate just how powerful a sense of place they can evoke.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
