To promote their #StayHomeAndPlay campaign, Square Enix released a Steam bundle containing four massive JRPG titles that will keep even the most hardcore players busy during quarantine. Most people in the United States and many countries around the world have been quarantined at home for around two months, forced to stay home to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. In the midst of this, ill-advised protests aimed towards prematurely reopening the country will inevitably exacerbate the problem, prolonging the already-lengthy quarantine period. Video games have become a great way to the time while waiting for the chaos to subside, and Square Enix is looking to make things a little easier for players dealing with shelter-in-place and social distancing mandates.
The massive publisher recently launched their #StayHomeAndPlay campaign, encouraging people to stay inside and play video games, even when the warm weather is tempting the short-sighted and foolhardy to go outside and intermingle with unwitting carriers of the deadly virus.
Now, Square Enix is launching the next step in the campaign, releasing a temporary bundle on Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, Chrono Trigger, and Oninaki. All of Square Enix's revenue from these sales will go to charities and food banks in North America and Europe.
For players who feel they don't have enough games to play, this bundle should keep them busy for the foreseeable future. Final Fantasy XII is one of the longest titles in the series, rivaling the scale and grandeur of MMORPG titles like Final Fantasy XIV, while Dragon Quest XI is a righteous throwback to the old days of level grinding and aimlessly exploring a massive world, knowing a new adventure inevitably lies just around the next corner. The third title from Tokyo RPG Factory, Oninaki didn't have the same level of hype as I Am Setsuna or Lost Sphear, but nonetheless has a dedicated following for its unique story and complex battle system.
It's been nearly two months since most Americans went into quarantine. Despite the optimistic projections from some sources, most experts believe the shelter-in-place rules will continue well into the Summer months, and possibly even later. Whatever the case may be, video games have evolved from a fun distraction to a crucial lifeline in these troubled times. It sounds antithetical to common wisdom, but encouraging young people to stay inside and play video games will go a long way towards saving lives in the coming months.
Source: Steam
