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Stirrers, Shakers and Boundary Breakers: Games That Will Blow Your Mind
We think these three in particular from the last decade deserve a shout-out.
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Introduction
It’s been four years since The Last Of Us Part 2 came out, and we’re still talking about it! There’s no doubt that the world of gaming has progressed, and gamers couldn’t be happier about it. With the amount of money being pumped into the industry, the technological advancements are insane, making the games we have access to that much more entertaining and lifelike, but we think these three in particular from the last decade deserve a shout-out.
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Image via Unsplash
1. No Man’s Sky
Initially released in 2016, No Man’s Sky is an action-adventure survival game developed and published by Hello Games. Since then, it has gone through many major updates, and has managed to stay up-to-date with the trends and demands of gamers by using an impressive piece of software.
Hello Games released this game on practically every console, making it popular amongst many. The action-adventure survival game allows you to play with up to 32 of your friends through its multiplayer mode, and that’s not even the most impressive bit!
Due to the sandbox setting (a game in which the developers are constantly changing, testing and editing the game) No Man’s Sky has received numerous extension packs and upgrades over the years, with two major patches in 2024 already.
The billions of additional planets and sub-terrains keep things interesting and increase the involvement of players in the game. This game is known in the industry for its impressive and ingenious mechanical and procedural abilities and really pushed the boat out for survival games to follow!
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Image via Hello Games
2. L.A. Noire
If you manage to get past the cheesy title, you’ll actually discover quite the masterpiece of a game that will have you on the edge of your seat. The motion capture is what makes this game that much more special.
Team Bondi developed LA Noire 13 years ago, and it has yet to be followed by one better! This action-adventure crime game is set in 1950s Los Angeles, and requires players to test their people-reading skills whilst solving a range of cases in an open-world environment. From collecting evidence from NPCs to finding physical clues at the scene of the crime, the player must complete these objectives to progress through the riveting story.
The game uses real actors to reenact true crime stories, and it’s your job to be a good detective and figure out who’s telling the truth and who’s lying by reading facial expressions and body language.
A game of working out who’s telling the truth and who’s lying that might actually help you in real life.
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Image via Rockstar Games
3. The Last Of Us Part 2
Despite all the internet’s conflicting discourse, this game was a masterpiece!
No matter your opinion of the storyline, the choice of the developers, or the fact that the story feels like it could actually happen, there’s no doubt that this game is visually stunning.
Naughty Dog’s highly anticipated sequel to the hit zombie apocalypse survival came out in 2020 as a PlayStation exclusive. It’s received “universal acclaim” from critics and since it’s release, has even gotten a remaster for the PlayStation 5. The graphics on The Last Of Us Part 2 are the first of its kind and have pushed the boat so far out that other games will have to swim quite far to keep up or drown trying.
Not only does the game truly take advantage of motion capture to leave players hearts wrenching from the characters’ emotional depth, Naughty Dog technical artists were able to use elements from Uncharted 4 and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy to build upon its newest title. The studio paid special attention to lighting, nature scenes, and architecture, and created a truly amazing piece of entertainment that has you hooked from the first spore.
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/abc5fd67-4f82-44d5-920b-e6f9f2c02cab/itbSm3suGHSSHIpmu9CCPBRy-ezgif.com-webp-to-jpg-converter.jpg?t=1716178084)
Image via Naughty Dog
Conclusion
Technology has come a long way and the gaming world really has benefitted. Since the 80s we’ve seen plenty of boundary pushers, breakers, stirrers and shakers and we can’t wait to see the bar get pushed higher and higher! From ever-changing and updating games to games that feel like you could reach out and pat someone on the shoulder, these games have paved the way for the future pioneers of the industry.
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