I selected Sky: Children of The Light as my topic for Progression 2. Sky: Cotl is a video game made for mobile users and, just recently, brought to the Nintendo Switch. I selected this specific game because I loved everything about it. The gameplay, the music, the people who created it, and the plotline resonated with me and many of its players would agree. I called it 'art' because it had (and still has) a huge impact on me and others during the pandemic. I have 3 points I plan to use for this Paper:

Firstly, It is visually pleasing from its landscape, its storytelling, and its character design. It has a theme to stick to per area of the game. Each theme was connected to each other seamlessly, to emphasize the bigger picture of Sky: Cotl's narration. I was filled with awe in the little details of the game's designs and I became engaged in the story.  To sum up how the game tells their tale, they use wall paintings as well as these 'ghostly spirits' that reenact a memory of theirs in front of the player's eyes. Most times, It is thought that they are performing a kind of dance to provide what their past civilization's culture was like before they passed away.

Secondly, It brings people together in Sky: Cotl's virtual world. You can meet online players and interact with them throughout the game. I played this game 4 years ago and picked it up again because I missed the social interaction we use to have before the pandemic. In essence, Sky: Cotl made my life in 2020 (COVID times) a little easier to deal with. Some activities in the game force you to have friends to complete it. I have met new friends there, and I also compelled my current friends to play with me. It made a huge, positive impact on my mental and social health. 

Lastly, It is therapeutic most of the time. I say "most of the time" because the story gets progressively intense for a small game. However, after all of that, it becomes enjoyable once more. For example, your character can have cosmetics, play instruments, play with friends, and explore the world. The Background Music (BGM) makes you want to take in everything around you and relax every muscle in your body. The uses of warm and light colors are easy on the eyes. It is comparable to autumn fall aesthetics. What's more, Sky: Cotl updates every 5-7 months with newer things. Such as new places to traverse or new spirits to interact with. It is similar to Animal Crossing and other calming games.

Click. Click. Click.
"0 messages."

You turn your phone off. You turn it back on once more. You can't go out, or hang out with friends. For months, you have been isolated in your house. A sniffle, a sneeze, then a cough. There is way too much dust in the living room. You walk at a slow, zombified pace towards your bedroom.

Click. Click. Click.
You load up an old game. It's not that old, but you haven't touched it in a year. You close your eyes as nostalgic music fills your ears. Virtual birds chirp and soar from one side of the screen to the other. On the screen, you see your character and other players near it. They run around, they 'sing', they 'call'. You see a familiar name hovering over a player's head.

"Why are you still here?"
"I could ask you the same thing."

I am from hay-filled ceilings 

and hard concrete floors,

to floods, ‘Category 4’ typhoons, 

and volcanic eruptions 

from thin blankets with gritty bamboo bed frames

and from Filipino “tabos” to a clean WC.

I am also from soft fitted sheets

quiet, hollow days 

and only cold showers.

I am from sweet and creamy “halo-halo”

hand in hand with piping hot “taho”

 

I am from musical instruments and mushroom obsessions,

from radiant mahogany Sansas

to wispy glowings of fungi,

which ring out in sweet dejected longings.

I am from disappointments collided 

with high and higher standards

to organized and petty perfectionism.

and whose own caretaker said: “don’t ask for help”

to an anxious child
I am from an angry do-it-yourself mindset

from negative thoughts 

and all-nighters

to puffy eyes, sweaty hands, 

and unstable feelings

Influencing unbalanced routines. 

 

I am from noisy family birthday parties 

and heavy sighs.

the instigated headaches 

from gossips at the table 

to “why do you never talk?”

I am from the importance of respect 

and from echoed words: “don’t waste food”

I am from the long visits back to Philippines,

to brief chats with my father

and lasting I miss you’s

(though we never uttered a word).