But it is the game that most captured what I needed in 2017 – a spirit of delight and simple, earnest heroism – and stood apart from so many of its competitors that offered a bleak or gritty reality. It’s not even my personal favorite game of recent months. With its colorful and playful art, whimsical tone, and boundless sense of joyful discovery, it’s a game that transports me back to why I fell in love with games in the first place. While it would be impossible to find any escape or panacea that wipes away every frustration the world throws at a person, Mario’s latest adventure does an admirable job of trying.
Super Mario Odyssey is a happiness pill, and a celebration of gaming in its purest incarnation.
