Sunset

Sunset is so different and so truly special that it shouldn't be compared to other video games and certainly not other video games about war. There are no guns, no bullets, no head shots, and no violence. It's not a perfect game by any measure -- it can be very, very sluggishly paced in some spots, where very little happens on some days, and then a ton can happen on others -- though how it's paced and how it handles as a game feels like the wrong way to approach thinking about this. This is like playing an interactive, very dense museum exhibit to learn about war and how cultures shift. As you see the books, the pieces of art, or the albums that flutter through this apartment, the titles and covers help you reflect on what it means for people to be willing to fight and die for what they believe.

There's a bit of a learning curve, of course. At first, you're likely to panic that you're not doing all your duties quickly enough, but as you start to get more used to the layout of the apartment, you can sit and write in your diary for the entire hour if you'd prefer. You can thumb through your boss' personal belongings and learn so much more about him and your character based on how she reacts -- or judges -- him. This is a world that feels alive, and it's upsetting to watch it be affected and damaged by the conflict playing out elsewhere in the same city. Windows get smashed. Sometimes you hear gunfire. It's interesting how much more effective a single, mostly abandoned apartment can be at telling the story of war than a soldier with a gun.