What if we had an infinite emotional sandbox at our disposal?
A place where we could play out scenarios and explore our emotional consciousness without facing any consequences — to better understand love, betrayal, grief, boredom, hate, obsession or peace.
This might sound like an episode of “Black Mirror,” but we actually have access to this sandbox right at our fingertips.
Rarely have video games been seen as an art form or as a medium meant to be evocative. The games I grew up playing were designed for entertainment, testing dexterity and precision. They rarely featured comprehensive narratives or complex character development.
Don’t get me wrong, I had loads of fun playing those games and look back fondly on them. But as much as I love Mario, he often only elicited blind rage — particularly when he was virtually useless without his magic mushrooms.
Yet, even without a concrete emotional connection to the characters we play, our immediate reactions are often: “I can’t make this jump,” “What am I supposed to do” or “I don’t want to die.”
Instantly, we take accountability for the character and subconsciously enter their headspace and psychology. No other medium can establish such an immediate first-person connection with an on-screen protagonist.
Unfortunately, this connection often goes unacknowledged, as mainstream video games rarely incorporate evocative narrative elements to exercise it on an emotional level.
However, in the past decade, there has been a shift in the video game industry — one that leverages the storytelling benefits of this medium while making games mechanically simpler and more accessible.
With games such as “The Last of Us,” “God of War,” “Detroit: Become Human,”“Life is Strange” and “Red Dead Redemption 2” to name a few, the medium demands emotional intelligence rather than just motor skills.
For example, the second installment of “The Last of Us” immerses players in the headspace of a character experiencing extreme grief, obsession and rage. The game effectively connects the player and protagonist psychologically, to the extent that many players struggled to finish it due to its emotional demands.
In my experience, there were numerous times when I had to put down the controller, overwhelmed by fury or heartbreak when I disagreed with the protagonist’s choices but had to follow them to progress the story.
In this consequence-free space, I learned about the different ways of processing grief at an intimate level and faced in-game consequences for actions I would otherwise never take.
While this is a rather jaded example of the emotional experience video games can provide, many games offer equally impactful moments of positive emotions, such as excitement, happiness or even peace.
Like “The Last of Us Part II,” many video games offer profoundly intimate and insightful experiences exploring various aspects of the human condition.
Whether it’s succumbing to grief and seeking revenge for a loved one, reclaiming your humanity in a journey to spread your wife’s ashes with your son, or discovering what it means to be human as artificial intelligence, video games can produce authentic and powerful emotions through stories we would otherwise be unable to live.
In a way, the player is exposed to experiences they otherwise would not have.
Unlike in the early days of their inception, video games now provide representation for a vast amount of communities and demographics.
For example, games that explore stories from diverse cultural backgrounds or those that feature characters with disabilities allow players to experience perspectives outside their own. Not to mention, video games have had some of the best LGBTQ+ representation in recent years.
As technology continues to advance, the emotional depth that video games can achieve will only increase, making them an even more powerful tool for understanding ourselves and each other.
Ultimately, video games are a fun, creative and entertaining experience. Despite the stereotypical view of them as “brain rot” activities, video games can provide constructive escapism.
The interactivity inherent in the medium allows for a personalized emotional journey, something passive media simply cannot replicate.
By engaging with these stories and their characters’ emotions, we develop a greater understanding of our own emotional responses. This potential for self-discovery transforms gaming from mere entertainment into a profound tool for emotional exploration.
