By Sam Coles:
Video games have a great outlet for various emotions, such
as anger, happiness and of course sadness. I have gone through a lot of dark
times throughout my life and there are a select few games that I like to go to
when I’m in the shadow of sadness oppressing me. They take me away from the
darkness and take me on an adventure which can cheer me up or give me a new
outlook on a narrative.
The types of games that I generally play when I’m feeling
low are RPG’s which the top ones I liked to play are Oblivion, Dragon Age and The
Witcher 2. The reason why I like to play these games when I’m feeling low is
because they are mystical worlds I can visit and make an impact in, where when
I switch off the console those worlds are still moving even when I have left
them. Oblivion is the main game I go to when I feel the weight of sadness
burdening me, as it has a beautiful world to explore, with awe inspiring
landscapes and architecture coupled with the relaxing musical score by the
music genius that is Jeremy Soule. This world feels like a home town, but in
video game form where I know all the locals whether they are friend or foe, I
can drink with them, talk to them or buy goods from them, Oblivion never fails
to make me smile when I’m in that dark place.
2013 was when I first experienced pain with a close family
member, who was going through mental illness, which had an impact on me as I
spent a lot of time with said member. The game at the time that helped me was
The Witcher 2 as it was somewhat fresh on the Xbox 360, being able to step into
the shoes of Geralt of Riva slaying monsters made me feel important as if I
were helping people. The Witcher 2 at the time got me back into reading books,
which helped me escape and expand my knowledge about the Northern Realms and
the Empire of Nilfguard. The Witcher 2 gave me a lot of confidence and
encouraged me to help others that are in need so I helped my family member by
taking him to the doctor alongside his friend.
Back in 2014 before I even created this blog, I was
reviewing for a website at the time I was reviewing the Thief reboot on the
360. I was playing it one night with my laptop open and I heard a faint ping
from my Facebook, it was a message from my friend giving the bad news that a
close friend of mine had passed away. I dropped the controller in shock before
a tear could even be shed, until the uncontrollable shower of tears rain down
from my ducts. The next day I attended the funeral and was very quiet and
isolated for about a week or two, there was a certain game that I played which
I got a better understanding for the character’s pain and that game was none
other than Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Now I know what you’re probably thinking, MGS 3? That’s a
light hearted game to a certain extent and yes that is true in some parts but
it has some hard hitting moments such as the betrayal and the death of The Boss.
The death of The Boss was the moment that hit me hard after my friend’s passing
as I could really feel for Big Boss’s loss at the end as he morns the loss of
his close friend and mentor. The end of the game as he stands over her tomb
stone is extremely powerful and that made me cry all over again. This isn’t a
bad thing, as I can relate with the character more as I have gone through a
similar situation.
I just wanted to do a small post about this because I know
you can go through dark times in your life, but video games can really help,
but don’t substitute them for help from friends and family members as they come
first before anything.
I really loved this post, Sam. You did a great job with it. This is one of my favorite things about games. How we can escape into a different world for a while... It's really good!
ReplyDeleteThank you! There certain games that I have developed more of an understanding due to certain events in my life.
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