For many college students, video games are an excellent way to de-stress during the semester. Whether they are story-based games or competitive games, there is something for everyone. Here is a glimpse into the favorite games of the newsroom staff.

Baldur’s Gate 3

Set in the universe of Dungeons and Dragons, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a role-playing game that fully immerses players into the adventure of the Forgotten Realms. It is the favorite of Assistant Sports Editor Gabriel Duarte. “The choices are meaningful, the characters are lovable and the story is great. It’s a real-life board game come to life,” said Duarte. 

God of War Ragnarök

This action-adventure game had one of the bestselling launch weeks in PlayStation history, with 5.1 million units. It is the selection of Social Media Editor Carolina Tello. “The performance is one that can’t be beat with emotional moments, incredibly satisfying puzzles, and combat,” said Tello.

Mortal Kombat 9

Mortal Kombat 9 keeps the series’ fighter game roots intact, while continuing its storyline from the aftermath of the Battle of Armageddon. The game is the pick of assistant culture editor Rodrigo Hernandez. “I like its graphics, stories and fatalities — it was the first fighter game I remember playing,” said Hernandez. 

Persona 3 Reload

Having just released on Feb. 9, Persona 3 Reload reimagines the original 2006 role-playing simulator with spunky graphics and updated gameplay features. It is a new favorite of copy editor Jay Kuklin. “The way Persona stands out to me so much is the storyline, especially in Reload. And the visual effects are also another factor into why I’ve gone knee-deep into Persona,” said Kuklin.

Hyper Light Drifter

Hyper Light Drifter serves as a perfect amalgamation of beloved games in the action role-playing genre. It is the pick of social media day editor Trisha Anas. “If you ever wanted to know what a Dark Souls, Journey, and Legend of Zelda lovechild looked like, this game is it,” said Anas.

Batman: Arkham Knight

As the final installment of the Batman: Arkham trilogy, Arkham Knight takes players around Gotham City as Batman, protecting himself and the city from foes. The game is the choice of sports editor Ryan Romero. “Rocksteady Studios goes far and beyond to tell the story of Batman by having entertaining fights, entertaining missions, and more importantly an entertaining story,” said Romero. 

Mario Kart Wii

Acting as one of the many spinoffs to the original Super Mario Brothers games, Mario Kart Wii was released in April 2008. It is the favorite of assistant social media editor Jasmine Cuza. “I think that the characters, cool tracks, and races are what makes it so fun and unpredictable — and the fact that they have power-ups makes the game even more exciting,” said Cuza. 

Rocket League

Mixing both the kart and soccer game genres together, Rocket League is a fan favorite of both critics and gamers alike. The game is also the pick of news editor Griffin O’Rourke. “The competitive feeling of playing against a good team and winning is multiplied when I’m with my friends, it’s a lot of hype,” said O’Rourke.

The Sims 4

Known as one of the bestselling games of all time, The Sims franchise is a staple in the genre of life-simulator games. The newest release, The Sims 4, is the favorite of social media day editor Teagan Davidge. “With many other games, you go through it once and move on. Here, there are an endless number of families, houses and storylines that you can create within the game, which make you want to play it again and again,” said Davidge.

Outer Wilds

Taking players through an intergalactic mystery, Outer Wilds is an exploration and adventuring game that won the hearts of many sci-fi fans. It is the pick of print managing editor Claire Boeck. “It has one of the most emotionally compelling stories I’ve ever experienced in a video game,” said Boeck.