It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when you live somewhere so different from everywhere else, like Australia. Sometimes you don’t have the money to explore new places, or even the friends to go with you on your adventures, and it can all just feel like too much work to even bother trying. When this happens, it’s important to find ways of escaping your own reality, even if just for an hour or two at a time. To give you some ideas on how to accomplish that feat, here are Australian games that you should check out sometime soon!
1) The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
This game will give you many hours of entertainment, whether you want a relaxing puzzle or an intense sports game!
You’ll have access to horse racing, rugby and soccer games on one console. It’s important to get out every once in awhile and play some sport-based video games as they can really help your fitness level! Most people find playing this type of game to be fun and relaxing, which is good because we’re always so busy with work that it’s nice to escape into our own personal world for a little bit. Playing video games also has other benefits, such as improving fitness levels by giving the body an opportunity to exercise without actually having to go outside. It may sound silly but I think most people would agree that sitting in front of the TV doesn’t seem too much like exercise when you compare it to going for a jog or taking the dog for a walk!
2) Super Mario Odyssey
Mario’s latest adventure is a delightfully fun and frustrating journey. The game is set in the kingdom of New Donk City which is a weird mash up of New York City and Tokyo. Mario has to find a way out of the city by collecting moons which are donuts that he can use as currency. The gameplay is very different from previous Mario games, but it works well for this game. There are tons of collectibles and hidden areas scattered throughout the world, and players will have a lot of fun exploring them all. It doesn’t hurt that they get coins and souvenirs along the way!
Despite being released on the PS4 last year, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture was only recently released on PC. It’s an exploration-heavy story-driven game about what happens after most people disappear from a small English town called Yaughton. Players explore their abandoned surroundings and meet any other remaining living residents, who may or may not be friendly.
3) Splatoon 2
Splatoon 2 pits two teams of four against each other, armed with paint guns that have the ability to transform into an inkling. The objective is for one team to cover as much territory in their color of ink as possible before time runs out. Players can turn into squids and swim through their own paint, as well as shoot ink from various weapons they find throughout the stage, while also trying not to get killed by enemies. Though the game can be a little hectic at first, once you figure out how it all works it becomes much more enjoyable.
4) Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle
Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a role-playing game that blends tactical combat with Rabbids and other iconic Nintendo franchises. It was released on August 29, 2017. Super Mario and his friends team up with members of the Raving Rabbids series to fight enemies in order to restore peace between their worlds. Critics from around the web universally praised its gameplay and lighthearted spirit. A sequel, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle – Donkey Kong Adventure, was announced at E3 2018 and will be released in 2019.
5) Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is a role-playing game that expands on the first title in the series, Xenoblade Chronicles. It features an open world environment, side quests and turn-based battles. The story follows the protagonist, Rex and his new friend Pyra as they try to find Elysium which is a paradise for humanity. Along their journey, they encounter many obstacles such as enemies and other people trying to stop them from reaching Elysium. If you’re interested in playing this game, you can purchase it here. The games on this list are all great additions to any gamer’s collection!
6) Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
This side-scrolling platformer has you play as Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong as you use a variety of items and weapons to help rescue the Kong family from King K. Rool. Donkey Kong can execute various attacks in mid-air and can execute barrel rolls that allow him to attack enemies or cross gaps. Diddy can also roll across obstacles, but cannot use a jetpack like Donkey Kong. Collectibles include golden bananas, which are used to purchase additional lives; blueprints for new moves; heart barrels, which give players a temporary boost in health; and coins, which serve as currency. The best way of thinking about this game is if the last two Super Mario Bros games were mashed up with one of your favorite arcade classics.
7) Backyard Cricket
Despite originating in England, backyard cricket has been a favorite pastime of Australians for generations. It’s become such an iconic part of the culture that it’s even featured in the opening credits of Neighbors, a show about two families living next door to each other and constantly bickering. This game is so quintessentially Australian that some people may be surprised to learn there are variations on it around the world, with different names and rules. One version of the game is called Cricket and features only three players per team.
It might seem easy enough at first glance but scoring can get complicated pretty fast if you’re not familiar with it! Players need to know how many runs they’ve scored as well as which batsman was out. The bowling player needs to know when they’re going to run out of overs – they keep track by counting 1-2-3 every time they throw the ball, like in baseball – and must also know how many balls have been bowled before completing their over. All these variables combined make this one surprisingly strategic game.
I hope you enjoyed this look at one of my favorite games from Down Under!
