Since I’ve been quite quiet on the article side of things here, I thought I’d try to start back up this year by covering an idea I’ve had for a bit, but haven’t discussed or expanded upon until this point. (And that may or may not make it onto the actual podcast this season.) Nevertheless I’d like to go into what I’ve come to term as junk food games. Not ones based upon such properties (although those certainly exist, anyone remember Cool Spot, Chester Cheetah: Too Cool to Fool or Yo Noid?) but titles that exist and serve to satisfy a shorter-lived craving. Games that don’t require excessive commitment, but that can and do hit a certain spot and leave you full but not bloated.     

By and large the titles that get the most attention usually remain the gourmet/premier entrées. An intimidating gauntlet of impressively arrayed main courses ala Red Dead Redemption, Fallout, Mass Effect, God of War, Witcher or [insert similar AAA open-world/massive RPG here.] Then you’ve got another category I coined– the buffet games, i.e. pick pretty much any Ubisoft title or facsimile thereof (Mad Max comes to mind.) These can be satisfying for what they offer as well; a large (sometimes overwhelming) assortment of a broad range of elements, some of which you may or may not find appealing. Finally you’ve also got the side snacks as it were, titles such as Goat Simulator, My Friend Pedro, Untitled Goose Game, and I Am Bread (rather aptly titled for my purposes.) Not quite complete combo meals, instead more like tasty finger food in game form.  

Still, I think there can be drawn a clear delineation or at least a set grouping to attach the label of junk food to the kinds of games I have in mind. I almost was tempted to call them mindless/dumb fun, but I dislike those terms as they seem much more dismissive, and my argument is that there is a definite and welcome place for these titles without necessarily having a negative connotation. Many are rather naturally the hallmark and purview of scrappy mid-tier developers with clear ambition, often working within a limited scope and budget constraints.

Perhaps a proper definition would serve us best at this point. For the kind of junk food games I’m thinking of, I mean those that don’t pretend to be anything but sheer entertainment; the burger, fries, and soda of the industry. They are made without ‘AAA’ money and staff, are smaller in scale/scope/length, and are intended less as heavily narrative/character focused (although they are not entirely devoid of those either.) More often than not though, the action/gameplay is at the forefront while the story sort of floats on top, or maybe more aptly functions as the dipping sauce. A good recognizable example of which might be something like the Just Cause series, though there are a number of others that lie in the sphere.  

In particular I would point to The Zombie Army Trilogy DLC/Expansions and specifically the 2020 standalone Zombie Army 4: Dead War as exemplifying the junk food classification. Indeed Dead War was the initial catalyst/impetus for this very topic. To me it is the quintessential junk food title. Having played most of the Sniper Elite titles previously and generally enjoying them, I was sold on the premise of an alt WW2 setting with, what else, Nazi zombies. Admittedly the idea in and of itself is by no means original, but it means the game can comfortably embrace the established tropes while utilizing its engine and assets to provide an engaging and entertaining experience. It’s good for soloing as well as geared with a Left 4 Dead style co-op experience in mind, and it all really clicks.

I recall a specific instance in Dead War when, following an intense wave battle scenario and before moving onto the next stage, an NPC radioed my character and delivered the line, “Hey, don’t forget to kill Hitler!” Yes, thank you, that is literally the central conceit here. Neither I nor I believe my PC avatar was ever in danger of neglecting to accomplish that vital goal. But you see, that’s why it’s the epitome of a junk food game! It’s such a ridiculous and even throwaway inclusion, but yet it totally fits for the game overall. It’s every perfectly serviceable 3^rd Person Action/Shooter ever, with Nazi zombies. Of course it would have such an interaction. Within the confines of its own context, there is no other better moment to encapsulate it. I laughed both along with and at it, and went onto the next level eager to consume more.

Another strong contender for junk food game poster child would be Terminator: Resistance. Described by a number of outlets (who gave it the time of day to review) as “surprisingly decent,” it takes a very familiar framework and wraps it around utilitarian FPS/RPG-lite mechanics topped with franchise references/connections. A number of fans even consider it cannon, as well as a much better successor than the latter films. I personally had an excellent time with Resistance, and it snuck into my Mid-Tier/Solid list on Top Games last year. It didn’t overstay its welcome and delivered on pretty much every front it set out to. Definitely worthwhile, especially so since I snagged it on discount. Recently it was revealed Resistance did well enough to garner an enhanced edition, coming later in March this year, and I fully salute that.

There are a few others to mention to check out when you’re feeling in the junk food mood: Maneater is yet more great fodder (and also had a generational upgrade version.) It has a pretty unique hook, marketing itself as a “ShaRkPG” and features Chris Parnell doing a fantastic version of his trademark straight-man deadpanning absurd situations shtick. Finally, the latest junk food title I enjoyed as of date of writing is Werewolf: Earthblood (and more on that in an article to come.) Based on the World of Darkness tabletop setting, it plays like a stripped down Batman: Arkham style 3^rd person stealth/beat ‘em up, in which you winnow down rooms of guards, then inevitably flip out and morph into the titular creature, tearing the remaining mobs of enemies to shreds. Gratifying as hell and I give it the official stamp of solid sustenance.

Certainly there are a slew of other titles that can easily fall into the junk food group (drop some in the comments if you’re so inclined.) My point is that it should be the case this category thrives and these games should be given their due for what they deliver. Sure, you might forget about the ‘meal’ in short order, but you probably won’t be able to deny it was delicious while you were devouring it. Until next time, happy munching my friends.  

-Scott Thurlow