Online games are a cheap distraction through this pandemic. The lockdown has forced people, including myself, to stay indoors since 2020. Being cooped up at home for such a long time has made me search for alternative distractions.
I’ve been playing online games for as long as I can remember. Over the years, the story-telling and the graphics of these games have greatly improved. I’ve listed here some games that helped me cope through the pandemic.
Genshin Impact (GI)
Genshin Impact was released in September 2020, with an estimated 53.6 million players as of today. It earned $2 billion in its first year on mobile phones alone, with over a quarter of it from China where it is the biggest-earning mobile game.
This online game is free-to-play and it’s about a mysterious traveler in search of their lost sibling. You also get to meet a lot of characters as you travel this almost open-world fantasy land. As the game progresses, you get to choose four characters to deploy and fight monsters and bosses.
What I like most about Genshin Impact is the playstyle and also the look and feel of the characters and the world reminiscent of anime. There are a lot of quests to complete and you get to collect items along the way to earn greater rewards. The game also allows you to team up with other players which is especially helpful when you both have the same goals to finish.
The quests, however, are repetitive especially during the early months of the game’s release. Some bosses are also overpowered that you tend to lose interest. Getting 5-star characters is also difficult because of the gacha system.
Genshin Impact is not without controversies also, but the parent company miHoYo has promised to look into player complaints. Let’s wait and see if they will address these soon.
Mobile Legends (ML)
DotA and LoL remain as the most popular MOBA online games on PC, but I believe Mobile Legends Bang Bang is the undisputed MOBA king on mobile phones. (LoL has recently released Wild Rift, its answer to MLBB, while rumors of a DotA mobile MOBA version has been floated around since the start of 2020.)
MOBA stands for Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. From PCGamesN, “a MOBA is a team-based multiplayer strategy game, where each player controls a single powerful unit that accumulates resources and increases in strength throughout the match. Each team starts on opposite sides of the map, and the goal is to destroy the opposing team’s buildings, culminating in the destruction of the enemy’s main building, which wins them the game.”
If you’re used to playing DotA or LoL, MLBB should be a breeze. Since Mobile Legends Bang Bang is played on mobile, it’s very portable and requires minimum data to play.
What I don’t like about MLBB is that you have to earn Battle Points (BP) to pay for the heroes that you like by winning matches. Unfortunately, the game seems to give you small amounts of BP which forces you to buy diamonds instead. These diamonds can also be exchanged for heroes and other items.
One of the most annoying things about MLBB is the ridiculous amount of ads, reminders, and in-game pop-up rewards before you could get to the main screen to play.
But the most annoying thing on Mobile Legends? The players. Especially the ones that are always AFK. Like, stop already.
Ragnarok Online: Next Generation (RoX)
Ragnarok Online: Next Generation, or RoX, was released on October 2020. I could say that it’s a great mobile adaption of the original MMORPG.
There’s a lot going on in this online game that I don’t know where to start. Besides your standard leveling-up quests, activities include mining, fishing, and gardening, just to name a few. There are also dungeon instances that are best to enter with a 5-man party. In addition, there is equipment and armor crafting to make your character stronger.
In RoX, you could also participate in guild wars, boss hunts, and even guild KVM (Kreiger Von Midgard) which is a 5-on-5 battle. These are best played or are required to play as a party.
The good news and bad news, RoX can waste a few hours of your time which is great when you are stuck or home or just want some alone time.
I’ll be honest, at the moment I’ve stopped playing RoX because there’s just too much to do that I can’t keep up.
Are there other games that have helped you manage your sanity during this pandemic? Tell us all about it!
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