Sophomore year, I wrote an essay about how video games are art. To be honest, Mr. Reiring did not like it that much, but I did. Anyway, I was interested in seeing who around Elder actually LIKED video games like me. So I asked members of the Elder community about what games are the greatest ever.

Mr. Currin – Final Fantasy 7 (honorable mentions: NHL ’95, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2, Tomb Raider)

“Final Fantasy 7 was a very creative game, definitely was the peak of my nerdiness,” is what the

legendary defensive coordinator and calculus wizard Coach Currin said. Honestly, this is a very popular opinion. Final Fantasy 7 has a turn-based battle system, and it was a huge difference to the bright flashing lights in games at the time. It was a darker and more serious story, with deep relationships with characters. It even has gotten a remake this year. Looking at Mr. Currin’s honorable mentions, NHL’95 is definitely a good game based on my recent gaming experience with the newer games. I remember Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 like it was yesterday. My brothers played it nonstop when we were younger. That definitely could be up there for GOAT level. Finally, Tomb Raider was a very influential game. Being an amazing adventure game that set up many sequels to come.

Isaac Hofmeyer – Call of Duty Black Ops III

Senior Isaac Hofmeyer said, “I have the most memories playing Call of Duty Black Ops III, there’s a lot of nostalgia there,” and I believe this is a hot take. Not to be critical of Isaac’s choice or anything, but Sac, come on buddy, there are many better Call of Dutys. For example, Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 and Black Ops II are two games widely considered to be masterpieces, not only in multiplayer, but in campaign as well. The zombies mode in Black Ops II is also very memorable and kept me engaged for a very long time. I did like Black Ops III, however, so I guess I won’t keep tearing Isaac’s opinion to shreds.

Gus Middendorf – Skyrim 

Fellow Quillster August Middendorf declared that “Skyrim is the best game, and anyone who doesn’t agree is just bad at the game.” Now I think that was pretty mean, but I can agree that Skyrim is a solid game. I’ve put many hours into that game, and I still haven’t came close to finishing all of it’s quests, and

to be honest, you can’t beat every quest in one play through.

The game is choice based, and your actions affect your experience in different ways. An example of this is the civil war that happens in the game, where you can choose which side you’re on. This just shows how incredible this game is, and the amount of effort they put into this game. The only issue I have with the game is how buggy it is. Though many have been fixed, they still have not fixed them all. Anyway, I think Skyrim is a fair claim by Gus for the best video game in the world.

David Meyer and Myself – The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (honorable mention: The Last of Us Part 1 and 2)

I combined me and my brother’s opinion because we both agree that Breath of the Wild is the best video game ever made, however, I’m going to talk about the honorable mention first.

Both of The Last of Us games are story based zombie apocalypse games that center around the relationships of the characters. They are a brutally honest and, honestly, a very sad look at the zombie genre. My brother and I love the games for that very reason. It makes you feel a certain way that hits you right in the feels. We felt immersed in the stories, and they gave us an experience we’ll never forget.

Now onto our number one: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild. “The Zelda series is, without a doubt, the most consistently amazing video game series, but they seriously perfected it with Breath of the Wild,” my brother said, and I 100% agree. I’ve played BOTW three different times, and I am about to play it my fourth. It still has never gotten old. It is the biggest world I’ve ever played in any game (besides Grand Theft Auto V), and every part of the map is able to be reached. This is the best feature of this game: the freedom to explore. Compared to the other Zelda games, this one allowed for so much exploration and many secrets to uncover. My nerdy brother and I are in love with this game, and we can both agree it is a master piece.

Regardless of what opinions are said here, the gist is that we all love video games. Video games are a way to get away and become a hero, an athlete, or even a soldier. There are endless possibilities, and thanks to gaming, we have a safe haven for our imagination to run wild.