What is it about "dying" as a video-game character that leaves us feeling so invigorated, so alive? Winston Churchill — who never played a video game in his life — may have left us a clue when he wrote in 1898, "Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result." It's this ability to cheat death that attracts many of us to "the adrenaline-pumping sensations provided by video games," says Maria Bustillos at Kotaku. And don't forget about video games' "ecstasy of reincarnation. They bring us through death, and to the other side." The best new video games, says Bustillos, actually allow us to recreate the timeless thrill of near-mythic immortality. Here, an excerpt:
GAME OVER used to be a much costlier affair. In the 8-bit days, death meant losing all your character's attributes, all his jewels, coins, weapons, and experiences. It was in some ways like real-life death (or maybe the Buddhist version of it). You were forced to start over absolutely, from nothing...
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