I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember. The earliest were floppy disks (showing my age) on our family PC – games such as Doom or Duke Nukem that I was undoubtedly too young to appreciate (and terrible at). Luckily, my skill has improved with age (I don’t die *quite* as much when getting shot at) and I still love to immerse myself in video games, getting lost in vast worlds and beautifully immersive stories.
So, here’s my top 5 video games—and it goes without saying that these are simply my opinions!
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask
This could be replaced with Ocarina of Time, which was the first Legend of Zelda game I played when I got my N64 at age 10. Both games hold a special place in my heart (I even walked down the aisle to music from them) but Majora’s Mask is ever so slightly higher on my list because of its unique play style.
For any unfamiliar with the story, you play as the hero, Link, who has three days to save Termina before it is crushed beneath the moon, a leering and ominous presence that looms in clear view throughout the game, drawing nearer as the hours tick by. Thanks to the trusty Song of Time, you are able to repeatedly travel back to the dawn of the first day, starting the cycle over again.
Along the way, you meet numerous citizens of Termina and learn their stories. These are often poignant, heartfelt, moving tales that you become embroiled in as the end of the world draws close. It gives each playthrough of the 3-day cycle a unique and interesting twist. I think it’s this aspect of Majora’s Mask that I love the most—the ability to explore numerous storylines, to learn about the world and the characters in it and to see their reactions as they come to terms with their fate.
In terms of my debut book, Awakening, this inspired me to consider the individuals who create the novel as a whole. There are four main POV characters but there are also numerous side and background characters. How could I bring them to life, even if just in a sentence or two? Far more skilled writers than myself have this ability down to a fine art—those such as Robin Hobb, Joe Abercrombie or George R. R. Martin, who can create a vivid depiction of a person in just a few words. This is something I will keep working towards in my own storytelling, and it all started with Majora’s Mask.
Final Fantasy X
This is probably the game I remember being the most excited about. I was 12 when it was released and I had to painstakingly save up to buy a PlayStation 2 (lots of housework and chores for £1 a pop!). I had a copy of PlayStation magazine that came with a demo disc and a guide for the full game. I don’t know how many times I read through that guide and played the demo, but I’m sure I wore that disc down to within an inch of its life.
For players of Final Fantasy games, you’ll know the standard format of this role-playing game. I’d played FFVIII and FFIX before it but this one… the graphics, the characters, the music, the beautiful world; everything about it drew me in.
I think what I love the most about FFX is the depth of the world of Spira, the links to historical events (there is a scholar character called Maechen who I could seriously listen to for hours), the religious beliefs and cultures of different people and how these impact on the overall story. This is a world terrorised by a monster called Sin, who must be defeated on a cyclical basis by summoners and their guardians.
I think it’s this aspect of FFX that has translated into my own writing aspirations. In Awakening, I wanted to create a world that was rich in history. What’s happening in the time of the story is happening because of what’s come before in the kingdom of Septima. People believe that those with powers are dangerous because of a previous uprising 107 years ago. Known as the Seven Year War, this resulted in the formation of the Commune, which in turn has grown in strength and authority, increasingly encroaching on the freedom of the citizens of Septima under the guise of providing protection. As I’ve planned the full trilogy, I’ve tried to explore different beliefs and cultures, all of which play a role in the overall story.
Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture
A bit of a change of pace from the other games on my list. Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is what’s often called a “walking simulator”, though that description does little to portray the true beauty of this game. Yes, you walk through the village of Yaughton—but it doesn’t feel like a slog or a chore. As you go, you are blessed with stunning scenery and a truly gorgeous soundtrack (it’s worth playing for that alone, believe me), learning about the strange events that have led to this picturesque countryside village being seemingly abandoned. This game gives so much in just a few simple exchanges between characters. You learn about the relationships, tensions, gossip, personalities at play in Yaughton—it is both heart-breaking and touching, with you witnessing the last moments of the six people you follow.
This game taught me that a story doesn’t have to be complicated to be effective. Of course, the mystery of what’s happened is part of the draw here—but what we do learn along the way is simple enough, with the game delivering gut-punching revelations in just a few lines of dialogue. It doesn’t try to be overly clever or complex. It just delivers the story and lets you decide what it means.
In my book, I want to try and give the readers what they need to know in an interesting yet uncomplicated way (I’m not saying I’ve perfected this technique. I’m a debut author, after all, with lots still to learn and many more books yet to write). If I’ve learned anything, it’s that trying to be too clever often backfires and leaves people confused or annoyed. You can have detailed, multi-layered concepts that are portrayed in a way that doesn’t leave readers feeling this way—and that is what I’m aiming for in Awakening.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
This game is fantastic, unique and immersive, putting you in the shoes of Aloy as she explores a 31st century Earth roamed by huge mechanical beasts. Through uncovering the vast map, you piece together the details of the past, what happened to the human race and how things came to be as we find them in the game. The story is multi-layered, the world and its history detailed and rich, with eerie and haunting tributes to the Earth of our time.
It is this latter point that sticks with me about the game. It is an idea of what could happen to our planet, an imaginative story that is perhaps not quite so far-fetched as we’d like to believe. So, what inspiration do I take from Horizon: Zero Dawn? This one, perhaps, is not so clearcut. I do particularly enjoy seeing elements of our contemporary society in a futuristic setting—and I think it’s this aspect I try to translate into my own work.
Awakening is set in a medieval-style fantasy kingdom, yet it explores issues and themes that can be seen within our modern-day society including sexual assault and sexism. As someone who works in the mental health field, I have studied and learned about these areas and how they impact upon people and their mental health. I do not claim to be an expert on any of them (I am still learning and will always continue to do so), but I do feel they form part of our lives and therefore felt it important to acknowledge this within my writing. Some people like to use storytelling for escapism. I do too, to a degree—but I also appreciate stories that are steeped in realism, however difficult that may be to read.
Red Dead Redemption 2
This game might just be my favourite of all time, which is surprising as it’s not fantasy in the traditional sense of the world—though of course there are elements of the genre within it. Red Dead Redemption 2 is a stunning and moving game with a story and cast of characters that drew me in and didn’t let me go, even after the end credits rolled. You play as Arthur Morgan, a cowboy who is working with his gang as they try to earn enough money to make a new life for themselves outside the reaches of the law.
I feel I should add here that I am someone who, no matter the options, will always go down the “good” alignment in a game. What can I say, I’m lawful good at heart (ask my D&D Dungeon Master)! I get a strange sense of guilt if I do anything “bad” (outside of the set story, where you have no choice in the matter damn it). I ended up with a bittersweet ending to this game that left me wanting to go right back to the beginning so that I could walk in Arthur’s shoes once more.
Like many of the games on this list, I enjoyed the cast of characters within the story and cherished the chance to get to know them through missions and snippets of dialogue. Perhaps what stands out most for me in this game is the grey morality within which the protagonist and his gang operate. This is part of who they are and not something that can be changed, no matter how much I gave beggars money or greeted people in the streets or .
Characters with questionable, complicated morals have become more and more popular in fiction. People aren’t good or bad; they are often somewhere in-between, stumbling around in a big field of moral greyness and simply trying to do their best. What that “best” is usually depends on each individual’s views and beliefs, their upbringing and experiences. As a counsellor, I’d call this phenomenology; simply put, the way in which an individual experiences and views the world around them. In my book, Awakening, the story is told from the perspective of four characters—each of whom has their own ideas about the world, their own motivations and goals. I think Commander Sulemon, a soldier of the Commune who is acting at the behest of his former lover, is the most outwardly morally grey because he is on the “bad” side, but I think all of the characters possess this trait to a greater or lesser degree—as we all do.
And that’s my list! I hope this was at least a bit interesting. And I’d love to know—do you play video games? If so, what are some of your favourites? Have they influenced you as a writer? Comment below, reach out to me on Twitter or sign up to my newsletter and ping me a reply!
Lucy A. McLaren 
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