This week’s State of Play gives me hope for non-violent video games

destructoid.com:

The Sony State of Play on Wednesday had to be one of the best we’ve seen in a long time, because that half-hour was chalked full of some really great titles we’ll be looking forward to in the coming months. From the gorgeous Resident Evil 4 remake they announced, to the immersive VR adventures, to genre-bending titles like Rollerdome and Eternights, it’s easy to see why PlayStation is killing it right now, despite the chip shortage situation. Of all the announcements, though, there are two non-violent games that really stuck out to me this time around: Season and Stray.

In a mix of action games, these were the only two titles that didn’t have combat mechanics on display. Gamers and developers alike have been asking for games that imagine ways for us to interact with the world other than just by killing things, and while some non-violent games have always existed to a certain extent, having two huge, beautiful, highly anticipated titles showcased in a major press conference is certainly a step in the right direction.

Season: A letter to the future features a character who, in the midst of a doomed land, decides to fight back not with a weapon, but by setting out to capture photographs, audio recordings, and interviews, to capture the true beauty of the world and pass them along to future generations. This might be me being saccharine again, but that’s one of the most moving descriptions of a game I might have ever heard, especially when it feels so timely right now.

Season looks existential and thoughtful in a way that reminds me of Spirited Away, and seeing it alongside heavy-hitters like Resident Evil, Final Fantasy, and Street Fighter makes me excited to see the new kinds of experiences players are open to these days.