Digital Dreams

A Hero's Journey: Storytelling in Mass Effect 3

By, Sean Frank

I remember hearing about the Mass Effect trilogy and how great it is. It’s just one of those franchises I always meant to get around to but never have. I picked up Mass Effect 3 for the Wii U a few months back and finally gave it a spin. I am so happy that I did. It turned out to be one of the best games I ever played and an impressive achievement. Through a combination of player choice, npc conversations and beautifully executed cut scenes, this game creates a vivid and poignant story.

The story is about Commander Shepard and his or her (you get to pick the gender) fight against an ancient synthetic force called the Reapers. An interactive graphic novel fills you in on the plot details from the first two games. It even pauses periodically to allow the player to make a decision. It is a nice gesture that gives you an investment in the saga before the game begins.

The game begins with a surprising immediacy. There is a chaotic battle occurring in the background as the player is introduced to the combat controls (third-person cover based shooter). This feels much more natural than the common use of training grounds in most games. Eventually, the world opens up and the game’s two hubs are introduced.

The two hubs are the Normandy space ship and the space-station city The Citadal. The Normandy allows the player to get to know their crew through direct conversations and ones you hear in the background. This adds depth to your crew-mates and illuminates their relationship with your character. The Citadel’s main feature is it’s abundance of NPCs. Their discussions give you a sense of the game world at large and the many smaller conflicts occurring within the larger one. One unexpected touch is that some of the NPC conversations also advance with each visit to The Citadel. Much of this content will only be experienced if the player explores and interacts with the environment. I admire this technique because it creates story elements that require input from the player. This gives you an incentive to explore and a reward for doing so.

While the dialogue adds depth to the story, it is the cut scenes that push it along. These cut scenes are beautifully executed. Dramatic camera angles, slow motion, and a compelling musical score create emotional moments. I was constantly surprised by their impact. Even though they are extremely well done I think it is the preceding conversations and instants of player choice that really elevate them. Everything works in concert to give the player an emotional stake in what happens. Because of this; when the cut scenes play out; I am not passively watching them. I am watching them with expectations and hopes of what will happen. What does happen is not always predictable but it does feel well earned.

While the ending is not necessarily predictable and many have an understandable problem with it, it worked for me. Ultimately, Mass Effect 3 is a science fiction saga that asks big questions by focusing on the small ones. The fate of a galaxy looms large but the relationships feel just as important. Is the crew just soldiers who follow your orders or are they your family? Are you just a commander willing to do whatever it takes or a hero unwilling to sacrifice their humanity? The journey offers many paths and many answers but it is the stops along the way that elevate this to a piece of popular art.

Favorite Media of 2019

By, Sean Frank

FILM

1: Parasite

Parasite is crafted to perfection. Every element, from the acting to the cinematography, to the script feels thought out and carefully executed. It is this attention to detail that kept me invested in the film as it bounces between various genres.

Parasite is a thriller. It is also a comedy and a razor sharp satire with rich characterization that gives it shades of a drama. It is the characters that invested me so thoroughly in this film. Writer/Director Bong Joon Ho gives his talented cast a lot to work with, thanks to his tight script. It moves along briskly but lingers on details such as the reveal of the wealthy family’s modern home or the lower class family’s apartment being filled with “free” pesticide fumigation from outside. Both families have their own perspectives and priorities which seem wholly reasonable to them. The film understands this but shows that it is the large gulf between these perspectives and priorities where conflict bubbles to the surface.

2: Little Women

I have seen the Little Women film version from the 1990s so I already had familiarity with the story. What Writer/Director Greta Gerwig does with her 2019 adaption makes it very unique. She has the film jump around in time as it follows the Marsh sisters in 1800’s New England. While I was occasionally confused, the effect overall is impressive. It made me think about time, memory, and how things change while a somber familiarity lingers. Saoirse Ronan’s Jo is the heart of the film as she finds her voice as a writer. Florence Pugh also impresses as Amy with a complex, confident performance.

3: Us

Jordan Peele’s sophomore effort Us is an astonishing film. It is a parable that can be interpreted many different ways. It involves Lupita Nyong’o’s Adelaide and her family going on a vacation that gets interrupted by murderous versions of themselves. There are some jump scares but the horror comes more from the ideas Peele presents. Since this film is high concept it will fall apart if you think too logically about it; (How did the tethered get all the red jumpsuits & gold scissors etc…). Taken as a parable though, this film succeeds wildly. It left me rattled as I thought about the vastness of the human experience and how many people suffer unseen. Lupita Nyong’o also deserves recognition for dual performances that are layered, physical, and subtle.

4: Avengers: Endgame

While this film is impressive on its own terms, it really becomes monumental if you have seen the previous 22 Marvel movies. A long list of characters come full circle and reckon with their actions from the past 10 years of Marvel cinema. This creates characterization that is rich with drama and themes. Endgame keeps drama in mind as it starts slowly, exploring the grief that comes with half of the population disappearing thanks to villain Thanos. When the action does come it hits hard and gives all the very human superheroes moments to shine.

5: Wild Rose

Wild Rose is a film about Rose, played brilliantly by Jessie Buckley, fresh out of prison and dreaming of becoming a country singer. She lives in Glasgow, Scotland and has two children. The film humanizes her as she struggles to reconcile her responsibilities as a parent and dreams as a singer. Over the course of the narrative she learns, that while she is immensely talented, she can never succeed if she closes herself off. The film concludes with a song and performance which powerfully sums up her emotional journey but doesn’t feel pat or contrived. Wild Rose instead feels wholly authentic thanks to careful direction and committed performances.

6: Midsommar

Midsommar is a great horror film. It is not scary but it is terrifying. It is also very hard to recommend. Florence Pugh plays Dani, who experiences a horrible family tragedy. She decides to go with her boyfriend and others to a festival in an isolated community in Sweden. The horrible events that slowly escalate happen in broad daylight which creates an eerie atmosphere. Dani is also constantly confronted by her grief and the deterioration of her relationship with her boyfriend. Midsommar is unpleasant, dense, and hard to shake once the credits roll. It also features another stellar 2019 Florence Pugh performance, impressively choreographed camera movements, and rich themes of grief and loss.

7: Knives Out

Rian Johnson is a bold & unique writer/director. After one of my all-time favorite directorial debuts with Brick, he has jumped from genre to genre while maintaining a high level of quality. While I loved The Last Jedi, Johnson received a fierce backlash from some fans. This did not seem to deter him. Knives Out is an ensemble murder mystery that subverts expectations and entertains at every turn. Anna de Armas’s Marta is the center of the film. She plays a nurse to a wealthy novelist. Her performance is very engaging and full of empathy. Daniel Craig is also a joy to watch as Detective Benoit Blanc. The rest of the ensemble cast is at the top of their game with carefully calibrated performances that complement each other. Overall though, it is Johnson’s engagingly intricate script and pitch perfect direction that elevate this to a new genre classic.

8: JoJo Rabbit

Taika Waititi has created what is advertised as an "anti-hate satire" with JoJo Rabbit. While this description makes sense it doesn’t convey the amount of heart this film has. It follows Jojo, a young boy who is a Hitler youth member. His mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home. Hitler also happens to be JoJo’s imaginary friend. The comedy is broad but effective and the drama is much more powerful than I expected. This is thanks to Scarlett Johansson as Rosie; JoJo’s mother, and Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa; the Jewish girl hiding in their home. Both of them are full of compassion and strength as they challenge JoJo and the hate he has been taught. Roman Griffin Davis also impresses as Jojo with a subtlety expressive performance. While this film’s blend of broad comedy and sincere drama won’t work for everyone it did for me.

9: The Irishman

The Irishman is unlike Martin Scoreses’s other gangster films. There is no glamour in the violence. While there are hints of glamour in the lifestyle there is much more regret. This is a somber film as Robert De Niro’s Frank Sheeran recounts his career as a hitman and enforcer. CGI de-aging techniques are used during scenes when De Niro, Pacino, & Joe Pesci are younger. This is not entirely convincing but also gives these scenes a glossy coat that works to its benefit; feeling like the haze of memory. Steve Zaillian’s script explores themes of regret and memory deftly as it balances patient plotting with rich dialogue. Scorsese uses his masterful technique in new ways such as displaying text which details gangsters’ abrupt ends as they appear on screen. He also uses one of his signature tracking shots not for a club entrance but for a journey down the hallway of a nursing home to the melancholy strains of The Five Satins – In the Still of the Night.

10: 1917

This is a large scale film but it feels small. It follows Lance Corporal Black and Lance Corporal Schofield during World War 1 as they race to deliver a message that will prevent 1,600 men from walking into a fatal trap. This journey is presented to look like one long shot with hidden edits. Cinematographer Roger Deakins cements his already impressive legacy with compositions and lighting that immerse and impress upon the viewer. Lights and shadow from flairs cascading across the ruins of a bombed out village is a particular highlight. Director Sam Mendes gets natural and emotional performances out of the leads while keeping the action easy to follow and showcasing the horrors of war along the way. This is not the average war film. It feels more like a journey that the viewer becomes a part of thanks to stellar camerawork and production design.

TELEVISION

1: Watchmen (2019)

This series takes place many years after the events of the graphic novel which is considered the best of the form by many. For this reason I was hesitant about the series and how the creators could follow up such a masterpiece of fiction. It turns out they were more than up to the task. This series explores racism, vigilantism, and time while moving a mysterious and intricate plot steadily forward. Regina King is the star of the show as Angela Abar/Sister Night. Her performance conveys strength and vulnerability in equal measure as she learns about her past while digging deep into a mystery.

2: Chernobyl

This mini-series explores the 1986 explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It is an excellent drama and also taught me a lot about the event. It centers on two scientists and a Politician who are driven to mediate the effects of the disaster against a government intent on covering it up and denying the extent of the problem. The production design and direction never falter, maintaining a believable representation of the time period while giving us characters to empathize with and root for.

3: The Crown (Season 3)

The Crown follows Queen Elizabeth and the Royal family. Season 3 (set during 1964-1977) features new actors in the lead roles and their performances are on par with the impressive work of their predecessors. While the Royal Family is not a topic I am particularly interested in, this show is just exceptional on all levels. The dialogue is smart, the performances feel real and lived in, the production design is incredibly detailed, and the camera work is full of rich lighting and beautiful compositions.

VIDEO GAMES

1: Fire Emblem: Three Houses (Switch)

Fire Emblem: Three Houses is a tactical role-playing game full of choice and rich characters. Soon after the start, you are tasked with picking one of three houses at Garreg Mach Monastery to be a professor of, teaching your students and readying them for battle. The conflict that follows changes depending on choices made throughout the experience. The gameplay is split into exploring the large complex of Garreg Mach and turn based battles. The exploration sections offer great dialogue and characterization that create bonds with your students. The battles use layers of systems and weapons that can be upgraded and changed as you progress. While this is a niche genre that is not for everyone, I was enthralled by the action and rich drama throughout.

2: Control (PS4)

Control is a third person action-adventure game set in the fictional Federal Bureau of Control. The Bureau is tasked with investigating and containing the paranormal. The player controls Jessie, a civilian with powers of her own, looking to find answers from the bureau about her brother. The action involves gunplay and powers such as telekinesis. Destructible environments elevate the combat and atmosphere. Performance issues and projectiles that are unfairly hard to see coming do deter from the action though. Overall, it was the atmosphere that kept me coming back. Notes found along the way at the Bureau about everyday things such as a book club or personal grievances give the location a great sense of place that, along with the shifting walls, make it memorable.

3: Luigi’s Mansion 3 (Switch)

I have tried but never completed the previous two games in the Luigi’s Mansion series. They are very well made but my horrible sense of direction kept getting me lost. Luigi’s Mansion 3 takes place in a hotel infested with ghosts. Levels are separated into different floors. These smaller, broken up, spaces are easy to navigate and contain great puzzles and engaging combat. Using Luigi’s vacuum is a blast and most items on tables, walls, and shelves are affected by it, which creates a great sense of interactivity. The stationary camera and difficulty aiming the vacuum are occasionally problematic though.

Favorite Media of 2018

By, Sean Frank

FILM

1: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
This animated Spider-Man film surprised me. It is funny, thrilling, emotional, sincere, and irreverent. The script moves along briskly, juggling a large amount of characters while giving them all moments to shine. The main character; teen Miles Morales; has a great arc that finds him overcoming his uncertainty and fears. This helps convey the film’s message that, with courage and conviction, anyone can wear the mask.

Miles ultimately finds this courage from within but Spider-Mans from other dimensions as well as Spider-Gwen & Spider-Ham (A talking pig) encourage him. These characters and the world itself are animated in a distinct style unlike anything I have personally seen. The animation also takes direct inspiration from comic books using dialog bubbles and splash panels to great effect. All of this combines to create a film that is loaded with plot, character, and style but not overstuffed. Instead it is overwhelming in the best way possible.

2: Bad Times at the El Royale
Bad Times at the El Royale is set in the late 60’s and involves various characters whose lives violently intersect over the course of a night at a once glamorous hotel that straddles the California-Nevada border. It is long, tediously plotted, and slow. But it is also distinctly stylistic, genuinely thrilling, and unexpectedly moving. Writer/director Drew Goddard has crafted a film that uses the conventions of a thriller to comment on the ways our past defines us.

3: Crazy Rich Asians
Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy that is unabashedly romantic and unabashedly funny. It follows a young Asian American woman meeting her boyfriend’s extremely wealthy family in Singapore. She clashes with his mother over their divides in culture and class. Throughout, this film is engaging with a tight script and excellent performances. I have already seen it three times and each time I was just as surprised by how witty, well-crafted, and heart-felt this film is.

4: Mission Impossible: Fallout
Star Tom Cruise and Director Christopher McQuarrie are the perfect combination for the Mission Impossible franchise. After the very good Rogue Nation they have created an action masterpiece with Mission Impossible: Fallout. The plot may be fairly convoluted but it deftly pushes the protagonist and his team towards escalating scenarios. Tom Cruises’ willingness to participate in the stunts allows the camera to capture the star in the action and invest the audience in the inherent danger. An emotional through line about the many sacrifices Ethan Hunt has to make give the film its necessary beating heart.

5: Roma
Roma is not a film for everyone. It is subtitled, in black and white, and very slow. It is worth the effort though. Writer/director Alfonso Cuaron uses the pristine black and white widescreen image from the ARRI ALEXA 65 to capture the actors as well as the details and crowds in the background. It creates a great sense of place, specifically Mexico City in the early 1970s. Although Mexico City is an important part of the film, the main focus here is on Cleo, played brilliantly by Yalitza Aparicio. Cleo is a maid for a middle class family. The beginning of the film spends time with her during her average day to day life. The richness and deliberate nature of the character work here is transfixing. Because of this, when the traumatizing moments do hit, they land with an unexpected impact.

6: Eighth Grade
First time writer/director Bo Burnham has crafted an impressive feature-film debut with Eighth Grade. It follows the last week of eighth grader Kayla Day’s school year. She is very shy and anxious and uses Youtube to express herself in advice videos. Elsie Fisher does a great job with this role. I was especially surprised to see social anxiety expressed so clearly. Her anxiety and insecurity feels very real. There are no easy answers or simple fixes to the external and internal social pressure she faces. This film acknowledges that but is not entirely cynical either. The cringe-worthy moments are carefully balanced with moments of acceptance and resolution.

7: If Beale Street Could Talk
The best word to describe this film is poetic. From the evocative orchestral score to the fluid and carefully composed camera work, everything feels seamless and overtly expressionistic. The plot involves Tish and Fonny, a young African American couple in early 1970s Harlem. Fonny is arrested for a crime he did not commit, and the pregnant Tish fights for his release. Tish’s voice-over along with flash backs and the fantastic score reveal the depth of their love for each other. Barry Jenkins further cements his place as a world class director in this artful exploration of love, compassion, and racial injustice.

8: A Quiet Place
I have always thought that horror works best when paired with great drama. A Quiet Place accomplishes this paring brilliantly. It involves a family in a post-apocalyptic world doing what it takes to survive. The creatures that destroyed most of humanity have incredible hearing and now the remaining few must live in strict silence. This scenario allows for tense scenes of horror and expressive moments of drama. Though sign language helps with the plotting, it is the committed performances and careful camerawork that elevate this into a new genre classic. When the credits rolled, I felt exhausted, breathless from the action and moments of sorrow, regret, and sacrifice that drive it.

9: A Star is Born
I have always found Bradly Cooper to be a great actor. Though his impressive performance in A Star is Born further confirms this it also announces him as a great director. Sure, there are some Hollywood contrivances, but overall this film feels very raw and very human. Lady Gaga’s performance is full of depth. Perhaps, the best example of this is when Bradly Cooper’s veteran rock star Jackson Maine invites her to perform on stage. Her singing is of course excellent but it is her initial hesitation which evolves so naturally into disbelief and finally pure joy that elevates this scene into an iconic one. Though this scene proves difficult to top, topics such as fame, alcoholism, and depression are aptly explored by this ambitious film.

10: Searching
Searching is part of a new genre of film that takes place entirely on computer screens. Though this would seem limiting it actually expands this film in interesting ways. John Cho plays a father looking for his missing teenage daughter. We watch him do the investigative work of digging into his daughter’s digital life. This methodical approach is engaging instead of tedious as new plot details are revealed along with twist after twist. The director also uses video chat and video files found on the computer to keep us connected to the characters. This film may just take place on computer screens but the engaging mystery and committed performances make it feel just as cinematic as any other thriller.

TELEVISION SHOW

The Haunting of Hill House (Netflix 2018)

This show is about a family. It is also about trauma, depression, mental illness, and ghosts both literal and metaphorical. Sure it may be too ambitious but when it lands it lingers with you long after the episode is over. The plot jumps back and forth in time from when a family stayed at a haunted house during the summer of 1992 to present day when everyone is still dealing with their experiences. Most episodes have a unique mixture of terrifying scares and sincere drama. While this combination may not work with everyone I found it to be mesmerizing.

MUSIC ALBUM

Now Only by Mount Eerie

Following up the great album A Crow Looked at Me, Singer/Songwriter Phil Elverum is still dealing with his grief over the passing of his wife on Now Only. This album is more dynamic but still just as intimate and devastating. While there is some guitar distortion and more variety in melody and tone, the lyrics still cut deep. On the title track he sings the chorus in an upbeat voice but the lyrics are “….But people get cancer and die. People get hit by trucks and die. People just living their lives get erased for no reason with the rest of us watching from the sides….”. These songs are about loss, grief, and moving on while looking back. Just like his previous album, it is a difficult listen but worth the effort.

VIDEO GAME

Red Dead Redemption 2

I didn’t know what to expect after the excellent Red Dead Redemption but this sequel is a landmark in video game storytelling and open world immersion. Players control Arthur Morgan, an outlaw in the old west. Arthur is a member of the Van Der Linde gang. The gameplay can sometimes be tedious but there seemed to be valid reasons for this. One example is I couldn’t make Arthur run in the gang camps. Because I couldn’t run, I took the time to talk to the other gang members and create connections with them. One evening, when everyone celebrated after a rescue was a particular highlight. A few people were singing around the fire, a couple others drunkenly stumbling along, and as Arthur, I could interact with all of them. The story allows for time to interact with the world and all its inhabitants but it does move steadily along. I don’t want to spoil where it goes but by the end of this long journey I was stunned. Stunned by how a video game could tell a story just as grand and cinematic as any film or television series.

Favorite Media of 2017

By, Sean Frank

FILM

1: Blade Runner 2049
Of all the films I saw in 2017, Blade Runner 2049 left the biggest impression. Its visuals are astonishing both in the careful cinematography and intricate set design. What really impresses me though is how a film following an android and his hologram girlfriend feels so human. Though a larger story looms in the background, the focus here is an intimate tale on family and what it means to be human.

2: Lady Bird
Lady Bird is a film following a teenager ready to leave her hometown for college. It perfectly captures the end of high school and the unease it creates for us and the unease we create for ourselves. The acting is great across the board but Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf are superb. The way they express the many emotions of a mother daughter relationship give the film its strong emotional core. Thanks to Writer-Director Greta Gerwig’s script and direction the actors have room to breathe while the story never loses its sharp focus.

3: Dunkirk
Dunkirk is war film of pure experience. It follows the Dunkirk evacuation of allied soldiers during World War II. There is very little dialogue. Characters don’t talk about back home or plan their next move. They are just trying to survive. While the timeline of events can be confusing the filmmaking on display here is next-level. Director Christopher Nolan creates moments of harrowing beauty that are hard to shake. The film ends on a note of hope, which through the culmination of watching the soldiers’ ordeal, feels bittersweet but earned.

4: The Big Sick
The Big Sick is a great drama that also happens to be a comedy. For most of the film Kumail looks after Emily while she is in a medically-induced coma. The problem is they just broke up because he was keeping their relationship secret from his traditional family. During the course of the film he befriends Emily’s parents while challenging his own. The script here contains so many small and big moments that land with unexpected impact. This is a film about love, family, tradition, and how to smile through the tears and laugh through the pain.

5: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The Last Jedi is Rian Johnson’s Star Wars movie. I say it is his because he imbues it with an abundance of style and personality. There are some plotting missteps that halt the pace here and there. Overall though, I was enthralled by the drama-driven action and the visually striking way it is all captured; from Snoke’s bright red throne room to the cave scene with Rey’s row of reflections. This was the only film I saw twice in the theaters in 2017. I think I saw it the second time because I couldn’t believe there was a Star Wars film this bold, this unique, and this subversive.

6: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a messy film about loss, pain, and anger. Main character Mildred seeks justice for her daughter and puts up the three billboards to push the investigation along. Of course things go sideways from there. Frances McDormand inhabits Mildred with a fierceness and vulnerability that seem to coexist. Her performance is one for the ages. The film that surrounds it isn’t all that bad either. The cinematography, music, script, and supporting cast are extremely engaging as the film shifts from comedy to drama and back again without losing a step.

7: Phantom Thread
Phantom Thread is a peculiar film that is hard to settle into. It is worth the effort though. The performances are incredibly detailed. It is the looks between lines and during long stretches of silence that the characters really speak. Daniel Day-Lewis plays a dressmaker in 1950’s London who demands total control over his life. Vicky Krieps’s Alma enters his world and things change. Lesley Manville plays his sister Cyril, unsure but curious of Alma. Writer/director Paul Thomas Anderson is also the DP of the film and creates a texture through careful framing and lighting that looks deliberate but feels very natural.

8: Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 is a sequel that is rougher around the edges, a little too long, and a little too confident of itself. It is also a film where the drama between the characters outshines the special effects. I enjoyed spending time with them again and becoming entangled in their sibling rivalry, father issues, and self-doubt. The ending is also both over the top and unexpectedly touching.

9: Baby Driver
Baby Driver is an action film full of character. Director Edgar Wright keeps the focus on Baby, a getaway driver without much to say. The director does all the talking, using music and dynamic angles to convey his character’s frustration, desperation, and hope of a new life. The action scenes also convey the speed and thrill of the chase without losing the spatial geography of the scene.

10: Logan
Logan feels like a character study that happens to feature a superhero. Hugh Jackman portrays Logan as carrying the weight of his past actions in all the prior X-Men films and struggling to stand against it. Patrick Stewart also plays an ailing Professor X. The film is violent and at time somber. Dafne Keene does a great job with young mutant Laura who challenges Logan’s tough exterior.

MUSIC

Melodrama by Lorde

This album uses pop music and unique phrasings to convey emotions with a singular point of view. The production is intricate but not over produced. There is also great variety within the specific tone of the album, from the strings of “Sober II (Melodrama)” to the piano driving the chorus of “Green Light”. The lyrics are personal but just broad enough. The album doesn’t have filler tracks. It flows perfectly from first song to last. It is one I will listen to again and again.

Runner-Up

A Crow looked at Me by Mount Eerie

This album is intimate, raw, and full of details that are devastating in their specificity. It is about the loss of the Singer/Songwriter Phil Elverum’s wife. He struggles with his grief and the prospect of raising their young daughter alone. The album follows the struggle with minimal instrumentation. It is all about the lyrics, which are poetic and plain spoken at the same time. Lines such as, “…when I walk into the room where you were and look into the emptiness instead, all fails, my knees fail, my brain fails, words fail…” convey emotion without trying to be catchy or clever. This album is not an easy listen but it is a highly rewarding one.

VIDEO GAMES

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Zelda games have been largely fantastic. The majority of them haven’t strayed far from the basic formula of a series of dungeons in a linear order. Breath of the Wild though, allows total freedom. After clearing The Great Plateau you are free to complete all the shrines, climb all the towers and defeat the four Divine Beasts or you can go right for Gannon. It is up to the player to explore and conquer as little or as much of the map as they want. The excellent physics system, tight combat, and ability to climb just about anything make the gameplay behind the journey a joy. What makes the game a true masterpiece though, is that it is your journey, your story. Personally, I wasn’t ready to fight Gannon for a good thirty hours. For other players it might be 20 or even 200 hours. Nintendo has always had a laser focus on gameplay and in that regard, this is their crowning achievement.

Runner-Up

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

I have never completed a turn based game before this. I usually don’t have the patience for it. But the turn based combat in this game never frustrated me too much. There was always strategy to learn, weapons to purchase, and skills to unlock. The ability to fast-forward the enemy’s turn also helped with my patience a great deal. Overall, the art direction, irreverent comedy, and polished gameplay kept me hooked and turned a game in a genre I usually never touch into one of my favorites of 2017.