What Video Games Have Taught Me

Video games have an almost magic ability to relieve stress, make us laugh and even hit us hard in the feels. The memorable ones are emotional roller coasters. They test a player's decision making skills, putting pressure on their moral compass. With all the hours of entertainment video games have offered, there are those that stick with you. Long after the conclusion of such powerful games like The Last of Us and Final Fantasy VII (to name a few) have us replaying those powerful yet painful moments over and over again.

This may sound cheesy yet a good handful of special titles I've played have taught me many lessons in my life.

Yup. No shame in that.

I believe its the interactivity of the games, the engaging experience that pulls players in to the story, creating such strong bonds between gamer and game. The following titles did just that for me. I found it tough to exclude some titles that remain floating within my mind; I aimed for the ones where decisions felt real, choices were paramount and the moral of the story left me damn near breathless.

Oh almost forgot...ahem.... SPOILERS AHEAD!! SUCH SPOILERS!! SUCH SPOILED SPOILERS!!

Alright let us continue.

Final Fantasy VII

• Lesson learned: You are not your past...

For those that have yet to complete this storied tale, you're doing yourself a disservice. As a young gamer at 14, I played through the most amazing gaming experience ever. I'd known for years the Final Fantasy Series was known for heart-wrenching and heart lifting moments in their games. They aim to make the player feel. Mission accomplished *tear*.

What made this title special was the cold-hearted, stoic protagonist, Cloud. What seemed like a hardened soldier jaded with the world turned out to be so much more; he was a little boy who was hurt by a mentor, lost his good friend and had everyone he cared about in his small village massacred by a mad man with a huge sword.

Damn, you Sephiroth!

And even after going through so much pain and loss (here's where it gets sappy, folks) he was still able to open his heart to an innocent soul, Aerith. Having had little to no real childhood, abandoned as a little girl, poked and prodded by scientists, kept under close surveillance, she racked up several horrid experiences. Yet after suffering a similar path of pain and misery herself, she was able to see life as a glass half full.  She chose to live a better life based on a positive outlook for the future. This is one lesson I learned while playing the story mode: you are not your past. 

We all go through tough times, some worse than others. There are two ways to deal with it: learn from it or let it conquer you. Cloud went with the former and was taught how to think and live more positively even when experiencing pain. Although the death of Aerith caused Cloud to rage something serious, her memory still lived on within his heart. (I told you this was going to get sappy).

The Last of Us

• Lesson learned: Hurt people, hurt people...

First off. I just need to do this. 

*Gives standing ovation*

Now that that's out of the way. I'll continue on.

This game was quite the masterpiece. It had everything: fast paced action sequences, interesting characters, detailed set pieces, incredible backstories and pathos for major and minor characters and feels. So. Many. Feels. Yet not so much to make it feel like a cheap soap opera. These somber moments were peppered in at the right time, building to a perfect crescendo with a very satisfying and tear-jerking payoff.

In one scene, one of my favorites in the game, we see main characters Joel and Ellie having an intense argument about whether to continue or halt their increasingly dangerous journey together. It is obvious to those playing that each character has a hidden message they want to convey until one finally reveals not only her truth but his as well:

We all have experienced pain before: loss of a job, ending a relationship or a death in the family. This scene is very relatable on so many levels. Recalling that pain I've felt in my life, this taught me something I'll never forget: hurt people, hurt people. 

Vulnerability and emotion is scary. That, we know all too well. Yet, when a person barricades themselves behind titanium walls of fear, they poison their hearts with sadness and leave the person they care for feeling dejected. Although Ellie was the victim of such a cold, verbal attack, I felt for Joel. He lost his daughter in the most tragic way imaginable. He was afraid to let anyone else in for fear of history repeating itself.

As the story progressed, Joel was able to open up and become more of a father figure to Ellie, something she has wanted since losing her best friend to a clicker invasion years prior. In the end, both Ellie and Joel, who carried so much pain for years, were able to heal each other. (Awwwwww)

SOMA

• Lesson learned: Fool me once shame one you, fool me twice...?

And the best indie game of 2015 (in my humble opinion) goes to... SOMA! Was it really that hard to decide? Many who have played this intense and eerily mind-bending title will attest to this praise. To this day, months after reaching the end credits I debate with friends about the choices that were made. Trust me, you will be juggling such complex conclusions long after finishing this game.

The protagonist, Simon, has suffered head trauma from a devastating car crash. Coincidentally, he's a prime candidate for an experimental brain transfer procedure. After years of migranes and dizziness, he was desperate to try something to heal his mind. Enter the brain imaging procedure. (what a brave, brave man) Unbeknownst to him, he finds himself transported from his town to a strange, dark room; at first it seemed like some Star Trek space magic. We soon come to find out he was one of many humans who experimented in digital brain imaging.

A female computer program named Catherine, aka Simon's guide through the story convinces him that this is the most effective way to reach The Ark; it is a place where heaven meets Earth and the human race lives on in happiness and bliss. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Given Earth is dying from the impact of a comet, not to mention the impending infection of a cyber creation gone rogue called the WAU, The Ark is the only way to safety. Yet it is not what it seems...

A scene near the middle of the game, one that haunted me during the final moments and foreshadowed the end still gives me chills. Skip to 3:55 and feel them goosebumps all over again:

After putting some of the puzzles together (and after running like hell, playing hide and go seek with terrifying monstrosities around the space ship), I was taught a very harsh lesson: fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...?

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I was fooled. Just like the first two Simons were when they allowed their brains to be imaged into a new body. The promises of worthy sacrifice and preserving something for the future of the human race was a lie yet again...or was it? 

Catherine, like Simon, are copies of their human counterparts converted into memory data on computers. Just a bunch of 0s and 1s. They imitate how they feel humans would act in this situation. Simon just so happened to be the pawn this time around. To quote Patricia Briggs:

"People will do amazing things to ensure their survival."

Our tragic hero finds out he was led down the rabbit hole only to be left there for dead. The last scene plays out similar to the one above. My first thought. "What a damn liar!! Just like how we fooled that one dude to recover material for the suit....ooooooh! Nevermind..." 

You were shown what would happen, told what would happen and asked many times if you were ready to "sacrifice" to ensure humanity's living legacy. Denial and curiosity blinded Simon, just like it blinded us from the truth. Well played.

Bioshock Infinite

• Lesson learned: Never give up

• Bonus lesson: Its never too late to redeem yourself

A game I have personally touted as the best game experience has so many lessons and hidden messages, it was tough to just pick one. Knowing the creator, Kevin Levine, I knew I was in for some crazy twist ending. In Bioshock, my mind along with other's were blown wide open upon discovering we weren't playing the game; the game was playing us! 

*mind blown*

In the next iteration (Bioshock 2 never happened) the twist was just as surprising. Yet before I get ahead of myself, I have to talk about what made the game truly shine: the characters, story and dialog. One word: powerful. I found myself hanging on every word, soaking in every scene. Yet one scene in particular left me scratching my head until I finally understood it's significance:

I wondered why so many coin tosses were tallied and came up heads? Why did these two eccentric characters follow me everywhere? Why won't they stop speaking in riddles?! 

I know, I know. It's mysterious and cryptic. Levine, you freaking genius you.

Upon completing this amazing title, our hero Booker demonstrated to me something motivational: never give up.

This man traveled through time rifts again and again (thanks to the Lutece Twins) to save his daughter Anna whom he sold to pay off his mounting debts. In order to redeem himself, he went on a seemingly never-ending and always dangerous journey to bring her back. Even though he failed countless number of times, he never quit. He may have lost one hundred plus times, yet it took just one win to bring him his little girl back. 

Which gives us a bonus lesson to be learned: it's never too late to redeem yourself. Maybe you got caught up in the wrong crowd or built excessive gambling debts like Booker. In any case, if there's a will, there is a way to improve your life and become a better person. There will be mistakes made and failures a plenty on your way to self improvement. Just remember, failure is part of the process.

Conclusion 

What games have had a huge impact on your life? Let us know in the comment section below. As you do that, I'll be over here replaying these games...anyone have a box of tissues handy?


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Violence With A Purpose

Violence in video games...I know. So revolutionary right? It seems like we revisit this topic time and time again like it were clockwork. Conservative types and parental units fear they turn precious youth into psychopathic, brainless murder machines. We gamers are hardly that dramatic. Let's face it. We're used to it.

And when I say "it" I am referring to both the gruesome nature of the game of choice and the constant criticism of our entertainment. Is it a bad thing? Is it terrible that we rush to our local game stores, preorder and wait in line during a midnight launch of Bloodborne knowing of the content prior to the experience? If I were to answer the question it would be a no. Actually, a "hell no!" There are several reasons mature titles are enjoyed by us all. 

Look at this painting below:

What do you see? Those with a myopic view will simply state "that painting is violent! Outrage!" Broaden your view, if you will. Take in the colors, the shading, the intricate detail and story this piece delivers to the viewer. That, in a nutshell, is the point I am trying to make here. Gamers see more than just the blood and gore and violence of the game; the predictable mass will parody one another's opinion and simply repeat the same simple statement, calling for bans and fines and censorship. 

Take the newest game to spark such controversy: Hatred. For those that don't know the game I am referring to, go ahead and Google it. I'll wait....ok fine. Here's a trailer of this polarizing title below. Warning...this video is very graphic:

Just to give a little background, let's take a step back and briefly explain the story of Hatred: A man is on a mission to kill everyone. Yup. That's it. It's not to save his wife from a kidnapper. It's not to enact revenge on a longtime foe. He just wants to kill. Everyone. Period. After this piece hit the interwebs, the floodgates burst open and soon everyone had an opinion. I'm sure you can guess who was for and against such an intense, dark game.

Scanning through the comments on forums and YouTube, it wasn't to my surprise that several people came out in droves to support the game. Many were excited something like this was created. But why? A man kills innocents and the boys in blue who's job it is to protect and serve the people. My answer is this: gamers live to protect the games they love. 

It wasn't too long ago that the Grand Theft Auto series fell into the same boat. With the famous line of "a game that depicts the violence against hookers women in games" went viral. Female groups, politicians and everyone in between began to voice strong opinions to remove the game from store shelves. Some were successful (Oh, Australia...tsk tsk tsk). However, it was the infamous "Hot Coffee" mini game gave San Andreas most of its negative press. It became the only GTA game to receive an AO rating. 

Since its June 1st release, all eyes have been on Hatred. The ESRB didn't hesitate to slap the AO rating on this one. And they are correct in doing so. Let me explain...I believe in freedom of expression. I played and still enjoy the Gears of War series, Mortal Kombat, Grand Theft Auto, Bioshock Infinite, Hotline Miami and The Last of Us. All have their fair share of violent content. Yet there is a big difference between these games mentioned and Hatred: the premise, story and characters.

I love games that have incredible dialogue, unforgettable characters and are story driven. The violence within takes a backseat to a world that plays with your emotions and makes you think about decisions you make. Hatred does not have any of that. Hatred is a game with a violent premise, story, character and environment (You "execute" innocent victims to regain health, for Pete's sake!). No pathos or ethos. No underdog or antihero sentiment. Just a game that wants to take the first amendment and stretch it as far as it possibly can.

Pardon my French, but this pisses me off.

And this is what the creators want. They want people up in arms for and against this title. It puts the spotlight on them; this creates a name for them. Yet this is the very thing that gives "violent video games" a bad name. Without answering the "why" for a character to carry out such sickening acts on unarmed innocent AI who beg for their lives, more crap gets shoveled on top of the gaming community. Having said that, if people want to pick this up and play it, do it. No one should stop those of age from wanting to enjoy this game.

I'll give you an example:

I hate mushrooms on pretty much everything. You name it. I hate them. A man, let's call him Jim (sorry to the Jims who read this) enjoys them on his pizza. Just because I think they are disgusting does not give me the right to slap the pizza out of his hand. It's his choice to eat it. "Protecting" him from the mushrooms he loves does him no good. Those that deny others from enjoying something they love for their own self righteous reasons are wrong. 

Will I play this game? Of course not. As I mentioned earlier in this post, it fails to meet my interest of an epic story, character development and sincere emotional string tugging. Its just a brute slaughtering folks for fun. The main appeal of the game is on shock value alone. Attacking civilians that are ill equipped to defend themselves is morbid in my eyes. Not my cup of tea. 

As I write this, the game is being enjoyed by thousands of gamers everywhere. For those that do, I just have this to say: please game responsibly. I do not ask that you share my opinions. I'm just a gamer defending what, at times, can't (or shouldn't) be defended.