What strange times we are living in. During the lockdown, many of us were forced to transition to a pretty much virtual world. Some of us had the privilege to be able to work from home. During the height of the lockdown, it was advised to avoid close contact with people outside of your household. For those of us who live alone, that meant an extended period of mind-destroying isolation.
I am blessed to be able to work from home. I often say this is the only good that came out of the pandemic for me. I shudder at the thought of isolation without work. I worried so much about those who could not work from home and were effectively laid off. Spending up to 6 weeks at home alone must have driven thousands of people to the edge of the cliff.
During this period, I began living in a virtual world. I did my work via remote connection to a virtual desktop. I participated in team meetings via virtual meeting software such as Teams or Webex. As of publication, I am still doing these things at home.
Outside of work, I socialized with friends via social media by way of text, voice, or video calls on KakaoTalk, Line, Facebook, or Instagram. I was entertained by virtual music festivals held online by Defected Records and many other outlets. I also found time to play video games.
When I look at my Steam gaming library, I see that all of my games are simulation games. I also have one adventure game which is like living in a virtual world. During the height of isolation, I found great joy driving transport trucks around Europe and the United States via simulation games. I also enjoyed driving trains throughout Europe, North America, and Asia.
Those games and the ability to socialize and work online enabled me to get through the isolation period while living in a virtual world.
Euro Truck Simulator enabled me to take virtual trips throughout Europe while performing the various tasks related to driving a transport truck. I was able to drive through Italy and board a ferry to Sardinia and continue my journey through the island to drop off the cargo. This is probably the most fun game I have ever played.
Anybody who knows me knows that I am a big rail fan. I absolutely love trains. While travelling throughout Asia, I like to spend my free time riding the trains. Japan is a country that I consider a mecca for trains. Trains quite literally hold that country together.
Train Sim World 2 by DoveTail Games is a visually stunning train simulation. Not only can you sit in the cab and drive trains, you may get up, walk around, and even interact by performing tasks such as adding fuel, operating switches, etc. You may also play as a rail fan taking photographs, riding trains, or just walking around the station or one of the sprawling yards.
Infinite Flight truly amazes me… this is a fully-fledged flight simulator made for mobile phones and tablets! Before playing this game, I knew nothing about how to fly an airplane. When I got into this game, I found myself reading their guides, forums, and watching videos from real pilots in order to learn how to fly.
This simulation has a large following from around the world. Many pilots actually use this application and are active in the forums. They have a live feature where players can either fly or operate Air Traffic Control.
Taking off is the easiest part of the flight, just like in real life. Landing is the most difficult. It took me quite some time to be able to successfully land an airplane in Infinite Flight. My first successful flight was with my favourite plane, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. I was playing this game pre-pandemic while at my bar after work on a quiet evening. I was so happy I just had to order another drink and tell my friends and staff.
Train Simulator 2020 is the original simulator also by DoveTail games. This tried and trusted simulator has a large online community who create several mods and custom routes from around the world. It may not be as visually stunning as Train Sim World, but it is a more well-rounded system, popular with the most die-hard train enthusiasts.
This franchise is known for its massive collection of add-on routes and locomotives of which there are over 500 on the Steam store. This does not include the hundreds if not thousands of downloadable content created by enthusiasts and third-party developers. I have amassed quite a collection of routes and locomotives over the two years I have been playing.
Conclusion
Although many of us felt isolated and lonely during the lockdown, I was able to enjoy a virtual life by playing these incredible games.
Games Played during Lockdown
Euro Truck Simulator
American Truck Simulator
Train Simulator
Train Sim World
Elder Scrolls
X-Plane
Infinite Flight