On the third day, DSR/CBC talked about video games. With professional wrestling and music out of the way, we continue to bring suggestions for everybody as a team with yet another thing that brings people together.
Video games provide an escape that immerses you into something new, something different, and offers the ability to do so with your community in the process. Video games can offer a sense of catharsis, a sense of camaraderie, an ability to do things you otherwise might not be able to do.
What did our team choose as the games they wanted to recommend?
Jameus Mooney, Admin of Dirt Sheet Radio and Editor at Comic Book Clique.
Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight.
The last two days I’ve gone thorough into personal detail, and I no doubt will again in the coming days, but this is the one area of this project I struggled with primarily because I have so few options. I primarily play MLB The Show and Madden.
But one of my best friends recently bought this game and while I was at his house to watch Double or Nothing, he passed me a controller and said ‘let’s play.’ I love the Batman IP because the worldbuilding matches the internal trauma of the hero, a hero of which has no tangible power beyond his own humanity. As somebody who loves the Batman IP, exploring different worlds I’ve grown to love is so much fun. Take the Keaton Batman’s, and my favorite parts of this game are easily the Partyman sequence, as it truly broadens my mind, and the Michelle Pfeiffer Catwoman stuff. The Keaton Batman movies are an expressionists world that only Tim Burton could come up with where the world feels as though it’s built around Batman, unlike the Nolan Batman’s, and for the record, my favorite Batman film is Batman Begins because I love the worldbuilding so much, is a gloomy but realistic representation of a modernized world that Batman doesn’t inherently fit in.
It’s very much a game for the fans, but the fans of the IP will have an absolute blast with it.
Nick LaRocco, Admin of Dirt Sheet Radio.
Baldur’s Gate 3.
Few games have completely taken over my free time the way Baldur's Gate 3 has. I've poured hundreds of hours into it and still somehow find myself coming back for more. Part of that is because every playthrough feels like it’s a brand-new adventure. Whether you're playing as a noble hero, a morally gray opportunist, or a complete villain, the game embraces your choices instead of forcing you down a single path. It truly feels like your story, and that's something very few games have ever accomplished.
The sheer amount of content is staggering. Act I and Act II are so memorable that I find myself replaying them constantly, while Act III feels like an entire game on its own with just how much there is to discover. Even after multiple campaigns, I'm still stumbling across quests, dialogue, hidden locations, and character interactions I never knew existed. Every race, every class, and every decision opens the door to something new, making it incredibly difficult to experience everything the game has to offer.
The companions are another reason this game stands above the rest. Karlach has become my personal favorite, but every member of the party brings something unique to the adventure. I love mixing and matching who joins me each playthrough, and thanks to the incredible modding community, I've even been able to bring the whole gang along for the ride. Speaking of mods, the game's mod support has been phenomenal. From new races and classes to quality-of-life improvements and entirely new ways to play, the community has given Baldur's Gate 3 an incredible amount of longevity.
As a longtime Dungeons & Dragons fan, Baldur's Gate 3 also scratched an itch that tabletop games can't always satisfy. There isn't always a campaign waiting to be played, but this game captures so much of what makes D&D special. The freedom, creativity, roleplaying, and sense of discovery are all there. Better yet, it's inspired countless story ideas of my own along the way.
For me, Baldur's Gate 3 isn't just my favorite game of the 2020s. It's one of the greatest role-playing games ever made. Whether you're a lifelong D&D player or someone who's never rolled a d20 in your life, there's an adventure waiting for you. Just don't be surprised if you look at the clock and realize you've accidentally played for six hours straight.
Robert Acosta, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
God of War Ragnorak.
The God of War series is far and away my favorite gaming franchise. Uncharted and Spider-Man come close but pound for pound, I haven’t played a series that has gripped me nearly as hard. God of War 2018 is a perfect game to me and Ragnarok, being a bit of an end to at least part of the franchise, was tasked with a lot and it delivered.
It wasn’t just its ability to tie most, if not all, things from the 2018 game but really the entire history of Kratos into one game + DLC. The story of his emotional progress as a father and warrior is not one I thought I’d ever fully see and in some way is jarring to see, knowing what one knows about Kratos pre-Ragnarok. Gameplay is mostly unchanged from 2018, which is perfect because it was already smooth and made jumping in no pressure at all. Even better, the addition of a 3rd weapon (a frickin’ spear) was insane.
Getting to explore and re-explore the Nine Realms is, mostly, a load of fun. If Vanaheim decided to spontaneously combust however, I’d be OK with that. If you know, you know. All of the scenery in each realm is stunning - the first God of War game to be truly made for the PS5 and it really used that hardware to the best of its ability.
One of my favorite DLCs ever came from this game. I’ll briefly summarize that the Valhalla DLC is a “rougelite” mode where Kratos fights current and past enemies to seek clarity in his future by helping to process his past. Not for the faint of heart but seriously…it’s so good. I put so many hours into it and could easily pick it up at any time to put more in.
Ragnarok is a complete game and in general is just so easy to put an incredulous amount of hours into it while still having fun. I can’t recommend this game enough (though for the full effect, go back and play all of God of War).
Jhuvin Palaganas, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
I semi-gushed about it in my previous article about Xbox, and now I get to gush about this some more! Clair Obscur is a work of art that utilizes the video game medium to its fullest potential. The world cleverly implements painter/painting motifs that show up on, all puns intended, every part of the canvas. The music is memorable, emotional, and plays a pivotal part in the story. The gameplay takes the turn-based formula and makes it feel alive and fresh. Plus, it accomplishes the most difficult task for any game: it makes you care about the children characters.
Amanda Woods, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
Balatro.
Okay, in all honesty, I’ve never been that big of a video game person. For whatever reason, I’ve just never connected with the medium. And trust me I’ve tried. With that preface, if I had to pick one video game from the 2020s, it would be Balatro (yes, I found the game because of “Speedball” Mike Bailey’s gear at Double or Nothing 2025).
I’ve always been a fan of card games, so I liked the concept of creating poker hands that give you different points and having to meet a certain threshold to move on to the next round. I think also having different cards that are different modifiers and aspects of building the best deck you can for your given strategy in a run also makes the game compelling enough to continue to replay. The artistic style of the game also really stands out to me. It just has this fun retro vibe to it in both the art and music design that makes it feel like I should be playing it at an arcade rather than sitting at home on my couch. As well, I appreciate how every non-deck card looks and feels different from one another. When I’m not focusing on something from a narrative perspective, visual aesthetic is the first thing that I look at in determining if it’s something I would recommend. I find Balatro to be a very distinct game visually, especially for one so simple in premise.
I spend so much of my time in the narrative spaces, between watching films on a regular basis, previously as work and now once again for my own entertainment, or working on my own film-related endeavors. Sometimes I need a break and just want something to somewhat mindlessly do instead of going down an internet rabbit hole. Balatro is that thing for me to do and it requires a little more brain power than just mindlessly doing something else, which I enjoy. Bonus that it’s a game that my partner and I enjoy playing through together. It’s just a type of game that anyone of any age or preference can get behind to a certain extent, which honestly, is all I’m personally looking for in a video game.
Jenny Catlin, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
No video game recommendation, but a book recommendation (to give a little taste of what we have on day six).
I feel a little embarrassed to say that, unless we’re talking online crosswords, the last video game I played with any attention was ’90s-era Mortal Kombat. Since I can’t contribute here, I’ll sneak in one more book: Dead in Long Beach by Venita Blackburn (Macmillan 2024), because it’s my current favorite book about grief, and one of the primary characters plays a lot of video games, so at least it connects as to what makes video games important.
Andre Porter, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
Elden Ring.
Elden Ring is certainly the best video game of the decade! The massive open-world exploration without relying heavily on map markers, in addition to superior storytelling and lore by Hidetaka Miyazaki bring the contributions from George R.R. Martin to life. It can be challenging but rewarding in the end with a huge variety of weapons and builds for combat.
Sean Paul, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
Mafia, Definitive Edition.
A remake of the first Mafia game back in 2002, this game improved on everything from the original. The mechanics were simple, the characters were given more personality that made them likable and the story keeps you on your toes as you progress through it, showcasing that the Mafia life is a life that carries its own set of dangers.
Andy Chen, Admin of Dirt Sheet Radio and Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
Wrestling Empire.
I've been playing Wrestling Empire for about three or four years now. I love creating my own wrestlers and having them face legendary wrestlers in the game. Booking my own matches and seeing them turn out really well is also a lot of fun. The controls are smooth, and I highly recommend it to any wrestling fan.
Abel Loza, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
God of War: Ragnarok.
I'll be honest with you: out of all my hobbies, gaming is the one that has gone by the wayside as I've gotten older. I haven't been on top of my game (pun intended) since the mid-2010s, but there is one franchise I always play, regardless of how much time I have or don't have: God of War. So by that logic, God of War: Ragnarok is my game of the decade. I lose myself and immerse myself in that universe so easily. I'm a history major, so I'm a huge nerd for things like this. Not only that, but that game is beautiful to look at. The graphics are insane, and I'm glad it was the first game I played when I got my PS5.
Ryan Norton, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
Resident Evil: Requiem.
A very recent pick for me on this entry, but fully deserving of its selection. The excellent ninth game in an iconic franchise, Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem! Straight from the get go, this game does not hold back on the jump scares, but it’s not just that. There is magnificent voice acting from series newcomer, Grace Ashcroft, played by Angela Sant’Albano, who is this game’s dual protagonist, alongside series favourite Leon Kennedy. Back once again with his impeccable one liners and general greatness. In the ways Grace is portrayed shows one of the best depictions of genuine fear that I’ve ever seen in horror. I won’t spoil anything specifically but that scene where she experiences loss and the sheer intensity of her scream is flawless! If recent editions of this franchise were to your taste, you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to give this one a go!
Dustin Lee, Contributor at Comic Book Clique.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.
For video games I'd recommend The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. What impressed me most was the freedom it gives players to solve problems however they want. Instead of pushing you toward one solution it encourages creativity and experimentation making every adventure feel unique, be it if you're exploring, building, or simply getting distracted by something interesting in the world the game constantly rewards curiosity. It's the kind of experience that's easy to lose hours in because there's always something new to discover.
Jessica Roberts, Editor at Comic Book Clique.
South of Midnight.
Compulsion Games has been churning out banger after banger for over a decade. Their latest major release, South of Midnight, is a narrative-driven action-adventure game based in the US South. The player follows the protagonist, Hazel, as she faces the supernatural characters of the region’s myths and folklore. I was immediately enamored with the beautiful art style and kept captivated by the deep, authentic storyline that tackles themes like facing the past and healing generational traumas. The gameplay is just challenging enough to be compelling without becoming frustrating. I was going to pre-order this game no matter what because it was from Compulsion, but the art and the setting and the dialogue-driven narrative hooked me.
George Serrano, Founder of Comic Book Clique.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
I was absolutely blown away. I love all the Arkham games, the Insomniac Spider-Man games, and even the Lego games, but I have never been as shocked by my low expectations as I was with this. It has a tremendous story, a bunch of heart, and a bunch of humor. It does not rely on your understanding or likability of the MCU version; these are their own Guardians with a unique story and team dynamic. It also has, for my money, the best fictional band in music history: Star-Lord. The album they made for this fake band in a video game was incredible and makes the entire experience worth it. You make big choices, deal with big themes, and get fantastic action. When it comes to comic book games, this is the cream of the crop.
Jon Escudero, Founder and Owner of Dirt Sheet Radio, Editor at Comic Book Clique.
Dragon Ball Kakarot.
In many ways, a stealth remake of the Dragon Ball games I grew up playing on the game boy under my blanket when I was supposed to be asleep. This game is one of the very best retellings of Akira Toriyama's original manga. Instead of simply being a reproduction of the TV show, this game is an adaptation of the manga all its own and should to be experienced by all Dragon Ball fans.