VG247’s The Best Games Ever Podcast – Ep.22: The best game about gods that isn’t God of War
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I don’t believe in any god. I don’t think that’s a particularly unusual viewpoint in 2022, at least in some parts of the world, but if it did, there are certainly a few moments that stick with me as things I would have potentially given credit to a deity for.
I was once sitting under a tree watching an amateur cricket match. From the tree fell the largest pineapple that he had ever seen and that probably has existed in the history of the world. The kind of pineapple that if he landed on a head, he’d smash it like a hammer on a watermelon. This pineapple got so close to my head that I heard it buzz past my ear. Death by pineapple prevented, but was it a god that saved me?
I walk the same route every day of the week when I take my son to school. Not long ago, on a surprisingly warm September morning, my brisk walk came to a sudden halt when heavy drops hit the pavement a few feet in front of me. Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam, hit. I checked myself. I checked my son. No bird shit had hit us. We were safe. Was this a god?
Years ago I brushed my teeth. This was nothing out of the ordinary, but what happened halfway through was pretty incredible. When brushing, as I always do, I got a bit carried away. The brush zooming in and out too quickly for me to fully control it, launched out of my reach and into the air. Where did it go to land? That’s right… in my head! It just sat there, perfectly balanced. Work of a god?
Like I said, I don’t believe in a god, but you have to agree that these amazing moments are really hard to explain rationally. In any case. Welcome to VG247’s Greatest Games of All Time Podcast: Ep.22 – The best game of gods that is not God of War.
Let us know what you think of the show, and if this is your first time listening to it, check back for previous episodes. If you have suggestions on topics, we’d love to hear them. 22 episodes in and let’s just say the ideas aren’t coming up fast. It’s likely that Jim would soon suggest something like “The best game a cat would ever look at and meow” and wouldn’t dismiss it right away.
“What is VG247’s Best Games Ever Podcast?” you ask as you ponder if you could deliberately throw a toothbrush and have it fall on your head. Anyway, this podcast, which is why you’re on this page, is essentially a 30-minute panel where people (me and a few others at VG247) decide on the best game in a specific category. That is all. It’s good. listen to it
We’ve got some details on the show’s content below (if you want to get a refresher before heading into the comments to make a wonderful and thoughtful post or if you don’t want to listen but want to know which games we picked), so if you want to avoid spoilers, Don’t overlook this fan-made creation of what Chris Bratt would look like if he were in God of War. (Support VG247’s friends, People Make Games, at patreon).
The best game of gods that is not God of War
This is the theme of the twenty-second episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever podcast. Here’s a rundown of who chose what.
Tom – Immortals Fenyx Rising
Enough with the “oh, it’s a Breath of the Wild clone” talk. Immortals Fenyx Rising is a great and fun adventure game that combines elements of Breath of the Wild’s open world design with God of War/combat action gameplay. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, it looks great, it has a lot of interesting things to do, and it deserves to be remembered more fondly than it is. It also features many gods.
Alex – Black and white
Okay, listen. This is definitely Alex speaking (Brummies!). Do not listen to anyone who tells you that black and white is not a classic. It is a game of gods where the whole concept is about believing in the existence of a god. It’s not seeing an AI wander around a house and use a microwave. This absolutely deserves to win. Up Birmingham FC!
Note: Alex called me angry, insisting that I publish his own notes in Black and White. They follow:
Black & White is the ultimate god game, not only because it’s one of the great gems of the ‘god game’ genre, but because it takes the title of the genre very seriously. This is not just a game of gods because you look at the world from a divine perspective: it is a game where you actually play as a god, where the currency needed to perform actions comes directly from the prayers of the humble people who worship. your. There are a lot of god games, but not a lot where contextually, literally, you’re a god.
It’s all classic Lionhead and more specifically Peter Molyneux of course. Brimming with ideas, a little hazy, a little raw, but with wild flashes of brilliance. It comes from an era when Lionhead was having a string of creative triumphs: a golden age before a seemingly inevitable downfall. But for me, it is, and always will be, the best god game.
Kelsey – The Sims 4
The Sims 4 is a game of gods, despite what Tom may think. You, the player, are an omnipotent being who can determine if your Sims will live happily ever after or just become peeping tom. Better yet, if someone isn’t cooperating, you can also find some creative ways to make your Sims miserable, or worse, get a visit from the Grim Reaper.
Check back in a week for another episode of VG247’s Best Games Ever podcast.
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