Game Reviews
The Subtlety of Healing in Sonic X Shadow Generations Review
24th February 2025.
by Corina Lazarenco
Sonic X Shadow generations is an action platform game developed by Sonic Team and published
by SEGA in 2024. The current game review will focus on lived experiences presented in Shadow’s
story, the second protagonist of the game.
To a large extent, Shadow the Hedgehog’s appeal among players is his cool demeanour and
tragic back-story. Appealing to fans, the current game revisits his origins while delving into an
exploration of him processing loss. While Sonic and friends get sucked into a timeless zone where
the present meets their past selves (classic Sonic and modern Sonic), Shadow, being in the same
timeless zone, meets the people he lost from his past.
While the impactful action, cool boss stages and fast-paced gameplay is the meat of the
game, the narrative is the glue completing it in a meaningful way, and – personally – bringing the
game to a new level. The story explores very well Shadow’s desire and desperation to save the
family he lost, Maria and Dr. Gerald Robotnik. He is at a moral crossway between saving them from
the tragedy and letting the time flow its natural way, at the risk of changing the future.
Throughout the game, and through reconnecting with his closest friend Maria, Shadow
learns to let go of his destructive anger while taking control of his actions. He re-contextualizes
Maria’s wish for everyone to be happy by continuing to fight for what is right. Shadow’s story in
Sonic X Shadow Generations allows the character to move on from the loss he experienced and sets
the stage for a healing journey.
Presenting Shadow’s lived experience in whole cannot be done without mentioning the easy
to skip material, both in-game and outside of the game. Dark Beginnings, an animated 15-minute
prequel to Shadow’s game story, available for preview on YouTube, introduces Shadow’s nightmares
and desire for closure for his loss. The game’s featured song, Without You, reinforces Shadow’s guilt
for not being able to protect those he lost and the pain of being alone. In-game optional dialogue
with NPCs presents Shadow’s confinement and trust in his close friends (Rouge the Bat and E-123
Omega), showcasing his support network that has not been explored much in previous instalments,
as Shadow is typically presented as an aloof and closed-off individual. All the optional material
allows the players to feel more compelled with the character story and emotions.
Other than the protagonist’s story, the game also explores, albeit less overtly, the lived
experiences of Maria, Shadow’s sister figure, and Gerald’s, Shadow’s creator. Through Gerald’s
journal entries and bits of NPC dialogue, players learn of Maria’s experience with an incurable
disease, most days leaving her weak and frail, and Gerald’s tragic quest to find a cure for the said
disease his granddaughter suffers from. The subtlety of the presentation and the emotional journey
both of these characters go through makes for compelling storytelling that is easy to digest, despite
the heavy themes. Both lived experiences contrast well with Shadow’s experience of loss by
completing his story in a meaningful way.
With the 2024 Fearless Year of Shadow, there is a lot of material about Shadow to engage with,
from animated bits, to movies, to games; all explore Shadow’s past in one way or another. Will the
next game instalments explore Shadow’s healing journey, despite the massive popularity of the
character stemming from his tragic past? Only the players can voice their desires.
Rating: 5/5
Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and
Series S
Disco Elysium Talks Mental Health
by Corina Lazarenco
Disco Elysium is a top-down role-playing game made by ZA/UM team. It delves into a wide array of
themes, from philosophy, politics and socioeconomic conditions, to mental health. Through the eyes
of detective Harrier “Harry” Du Bois, the player explores the city of Revachol and learns stories of its
unique inhabitants.
Instead of the usual skill tree, common for RPGs (e.g. Charisma (persuasiveness) and Strength (how
physically strong you are)), Disco Elysium lets the player level up character traits, as most of the
gameplay consists of navigating dialogue. Some skills are more intuitive, such as Empathy (putting
yourself in another’s shoes) and Reaction Speed (how fast you react), others are less, such as
Conceptualization (reflection about creative ideas) and Volition (determination to continue). The
unique ability tree enables the player to discover new character internal thoughts and dialogue
options, making each new gameplay unique.
Another interesting game mechanic allows the player to choose to internalize certain thoughts from
situations in order to progress quests. Unlike the skill tree, new thoughts are gained from quests and
character interactions, instead of leveling up. This mechanic not only allows the character to reflect
on quest take-aways and enrich the narrative experience, but also encourages the player to take a
break from certain quest lines and heavy themes and return to them later on.
These refreshing RPG game mechanics allow the player to explore mental health in its depth. With a
bag of life struggles, Harry suffers from alcohol use disorder and the game explores his struggle at its
roots through unkind internal monologues of cravings and different player choices that may or may
not lead the main character in a downward spiral. Harry being used only as an example, it is worth
mentioning that the game is excellent at exploring mental health and life baggage of other seemingly
unimportant characters.
The heavy narrative exploration of adult themes such as politics and mental health are made
approachable with humor and absurdity. The game does not shy away from inappropriate language
and “making the player look like a fool” through player’s decisions. In fact, odd or unusual decisions
are encouraged and can lead to creative solutions and deeper knowledge about characters.
Bridging complex themes that are not easy to digest through humor, Disco Elysium is an
unforgettable narrative experience that deserves a big thumbs-up recommendation.
Available on Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4 & 5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One & Xbox Series X/S
Spiritfarer
Dec. 2nd, 2024.
By Arkana Fuentes-Pilafidis
Spiritfarer is an aesthetically pleasing management sandbox style game created by Thunder Lotus Games. As captain of a ferry, Stella embarks on an adventure by helping trapped spirits reach the afterlife. The young woman must do so by building a boat accustomed to the needs of each and personally care for them. Indeed, the ferrymaster must cook, garden and socialize with her guests. In order to get the resources necessary for the upgrades of the boat, Stella must navigate to different islands and interact with a plethora of characters. On the islands, she will find spirits who will then follow her back to the boat.
Each spirit has a journey of their own that they must complete in order to leave for the afterlife. Furthermore, every spirit has its own preferences and a mood bar that shows how they are feeling. It is part of Stella’s job to keep that mood bar as high as possible. The spirits also have a respective mini game associated with them that allows the player to gain different resources for the builds.
Beside the gameplay, this game is particularly rich in its visual aesthetic. Indeed, depending on where one is navigating to, the horizon will change. For instance, when approaching an island, one slowly sees it behind the boat. Moreover, at times, what appears to be nighttime falls, the player realizes that it is in fact a solar eclipse happening. The visuals of it are astonishing and I surprised myself by taking a break from the gameplay to simply observe the stars in the sky while rocking to the peaceful music.
The music plays a major role in the enchantment of the game. The melody transports you into the game and creates a harmony within the gameplay.
Nonetheless, the repetitive tasks that must be done and the lack of clear destinations can be particularly distracting of the richness that this game can offer.
Overall, I recommend this game as it brings management games to a level I had never experienced before. Through the narratives that the spirits share, the player learns insightful morales and can allow one to reflect on their own experiences.
By Connie Guo
Spiritfarer, created by Thunder Lotus Games, is a satisfying game with elegantly designed stories and thought-provoking takeaway messages. You can play alone as the main character Stella, or as two people being Stella and Daffodil the cat, but one player is totally sufficient. Stella takes on the role of transporting spirits to afterlife. Throughout the game, Stella would invite spirits to her boat, interact with them with their backstories unfolding through conversations. It turns out that all the spirits knew Stella from the past. Eventually, Stella helped them get ready to move on to their final resting place. Overall, the narrative and gameplay feel smoothly merged.
The routine activities to perform are diverse and not operationally challenging, like fishing, collecting resources, cooking, gardening, building and upgrading boat, and navigating to new locations to pick up new spirits. The spirits are animals, and you will find that the game is big on creating memorable character designs and animal symbolism – the frog is funny, carefree, nature-loving and simple; while the deer is gentle, graceful, quiet, and has a more complex past. They also have different styles of coping, reconciliation and healing.
A novel and eye-catching design of Spiritfarer is its character mood checking interface. When you go into the character profile, there is a summary of what the character’s likes and dislikes are, a mood bar showing their overall emotional state, positive and negative events that were mood modifiers, and mood perks of what the character can bring when they are happy. This journaling form of mental health state portrayal is not only clear, but. Also generates a sense of achievement when you successfully uplift the characters’ mood.
Broadly, the game explores central themes of grief and loss, learning to say goodbye, healing, letting go, and leaving behind. Compassion, caregiving, beauty of simplicity and appreciation of everyday life are conveyed. Spiritfarer emphasizes that the focus should be on life’s journey, not just the destination. The game did a great job creating an immersive environment with unique art style and soothing music where you get to interact a lot with characters and delve into the emotional depth of personal paths. If I have to be critical, I would say the routine tasks can get repetitive and thus drag the pace to be relatively slow. And the interleaved storytelling of multiple characters, while rich and natural, can be challenging on player’s memory. However, this game is for sure one of its kind.
Rating: 4.5/5
Available on: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Xbox, PC, Mobile
Life Is Strange: True Colors
Nov. 18th, 2024.
by Di Ah Lim
Life Is Strange: True Colors (2021) is an emotional, narrative-led video game developed by Deck Nine and published by Square Enix. It is one of the games in Life Is Strange series. The main character is a young girl called Alex Chen. After being separated from her brother, Gabe, and living in various foster homes for several years, Alex moves to the small town of Haven Springs to reconnect with him. Gabe introduces her to the city and several characters like Ryan, a wildlife enthusiast; Steph, a free-spirited DJ. Tragedy strikes when Gabe dies in a mysterious accident, prompting Alex to use a “empathy” superpower, which she senses as colored “auras”, to feel, absorb, and manipulate others' emotions. Blue auras symbolize Sadness; Purple auras symbolize Fear; Red auras symbolize Anger; Gold auras symbolize Joy. Throughout the game, Alex communicates with other NPCs as she uncovers the truth behind Gabe’s death and her own identity. She is confronted by various choices that affect relationships and the narrative. Depending on the choices, there are multiple endings that reflect Alex’s growth, her relationships, and whether she uncovers the mystery.
Life Is Strange: True Colors is presented in vibrant graphics and emotionally charged storytelling that simulates scenes in real life. It covers several topics related to mental health: empathy, relationships, self-acceptance, conflict handling, anxiety, grief, and trauma. Alex’s trauma from the time in the foster care and family loss negatively impacts her sense of self-worth and belonging. Her experiences with abandonment, neglect, and social isolation makes her feel emotionally sensitive. Thus, her “empathy” power could be both gift and burden. The game emphasizes the role of friendship and community support in dealing with mental health struggles. Through her interactions, Alex learns to trust others and discover her self-acceptance. Moreover, different decisions Alex makes shows how individuals confront their fears and values in times of difficulties. Although the game doesn’t often offer perfect solutions, it gives a balanced view of realism and hope.
In conclusion, as an adventure game played from a third-person view, Life Is Strange: True Colors encourages players to reflect on their own emotional landscapes while promoting compassion and awareness. The difficulties and mental health issues we may face such as conflict handling, empathy, and relationships can be seen in the journey of Alex. When we develop The Road Ahead, we should approach mental health topics with care and avoid dramatization or stereotypes. Instead, we need to create an immersive, relatable experience that resonates with players by validating their feelings and emphasizing that mental health struggles are a normal, shared human experience.
Rating: 4.5/5
Available on: PC, Stadia, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Mental Health Representation in "Dumb Ways to Die"
Nov. 18th, 2024.
by: Anaïs Mortazavi Zadeh
“Dumb Ways to Die” was originally launched as a music video campaign by the Australian government to promote safety and raise awareness for suicidal thoughts near train tracks. Upon its release on YouTube in November 2012, the video quickly gained immense traction, which led to the creation of a mobile game version that I will be reviewing today.
Before diving into the positive and negative aspects of how this “serious” game handles mental health issues, it’s important to understand its style. The game is built around a series of fast-paced mini-games, where players collect points, coins, and various cartoon characters. Each character in the game is deceased, with backstories that tie into the “dumb ways to die” theme. For example, one character was eaten by a bear, another was used as target practice, and another stood too close to train tracks. These characters’ stories—though entertaining—stray significantly from the game’s original message about train safety. The mini-games themselves vary in difficulty, ranging from tasks like avoiding gunshots to simply “not pressing a red button.” As players progress, the mini-games repeat, but their speed increases exponentially to keep the gameplay engaging. Players are given three lives, offering some room for error before losing the game entirely.
Now, let's take a closer look at what the game does well and where it falls short in terms of mental health representation. Starting with the positives, the game excels at being simple and straightforward. Players are rarely bombarded with lengthy instructions or large blocks of text, which keeps the experience engaging. Additionally, the games and animations are lighthearted, humorous, and fun, making the experience enjoyable for players of all ages. The game also allows players to take breaks with mini-games that involve minimal interaction, such as the “don’t press the red button” challenge. This mechanic encourages a more relaxed pace. Furthermore, the repetition of the mini-games, combined with the three-life system, helps players learn quickly and adapt without feeling overly punished for mistakes.
However, despite these positive aspects, the game has significant shortcomings when it comes to representing mental health and staying true to its original purpose. The most glaring issue is how much the game diverges from its original goal of raising awareness about the serious issue of train-related accidents and safety. The inclusion of silly characters with outlandish deaths, the lack of railway safety-themed mini-games, and the overall focus on entertainment rather than education highlight a shift away from the campaign's original serious message. To make matters worse, years after the game's original release, the developers added a feature that allows players to collect coins and customize their characters. While rewards play a significant role in motivating players, these customizations serve no educational purpose. Instead, they appear to be a way to keep players hooked and addicted to the game, further diverting attention from its original goal of promoting safety awareness.
Ultimately, while the game succeeds in a few areas, such as being entertaining and easy to play, it falls short in terms of mental health representation and deviates from its initial purpose of raising awareness about serious safety issues. This raises an important question that I would like to conclude with: how can we strike a balance between entertainment and education in serious video games? Is it possible to successfully combine both elements without compromising the message?
Reviewing the Use of RPG Maker in Impostor Factory
by: Anaïs Mortazavi Zadeh
Originally released in 2021, Impostor Factory is the third and final game in the Sigmund Corp. Series which also includes To the Moon and Finding Paradise. Though the previous games in the series follow doctors who can wander through their patients’ minds, Impostor Factory is categorized as an adventure video game where players are tasked with solving a murder mystery. In particular, the game makes great use of RPG Maker and its features to allow players to experience different timelines and uncover details regarding the story. This review will provide a brief analysis of these design choices in order to assess the benefits of using RPG Maker when developing serious video games like The Road Ahead.
To begin, when looking at the overall design of the game, RPG Maker is used in a very strategic way to indicate differences in timelines to the audience. When Quincy, the main protagonist, enters a timeline set in the past, the developers make his character slightly translucent in order to indicate to the audience that this is different to the present day. On top of that, the developers use RPG Maker’s features to constantly present some of Quincy’s internal thoughts to the audience. These thoughts are differentiated with brackets to clarify what is being said out loud vs. internally. When looking at our development of The Road Ahead, this inner dialogue can be greatly helpful in ensuring players aren’t overwhelmed with too much information at the end of a memory. Having small bits of the characters’ internal thoughts expressed throughout the story will ensure that the audience is picking up on serious themes without taking away from the plot and the overall experience of the video game.
The only downside to this great use of RPG Maker when developing a game is that it can potentially be too text-based. Audiences may feel inclined to skip over bits of conversation if they find themselves to be reading constantly. Moreover, when looking at Quincy in the different timelines and memories of Impostor Factory, it is hard to differentiate whether he is purely witnessing them as a third-person or if he experiences them in a first-person perspective. It may be more effective for audiences to grasp the full effect of these memories if Quincy were to experience them himself, but it also runs the risk of being overly confusing as players try to keep up with different time-jumps. Nevertheless, as we go forward with our own development of The Road Ahead with RPG Maker, we must keep these factors in mind and learn from games like Impostor Factory. This will ensure that the proper balance of features is used to make our game as effective and fun as possible.
Game Review: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
June 10, 2024
by Connie Guo
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, a major installment in the Assassin’s Creed series, is an action-adventure, role-playing game. Its plot builds on the backstory of a historical tension between the Order of Assassins, who fight for peace and free will, and the Knights Templar, who desire peace through order and control. Each player can choose to play the role of Alexios or Kassandra, both are mercenaries on a quest for vengeance.
The gameplay revolves around taking on tasks to complete the story campaign. The player collects and steals resources, finds characters, combats for assassination or recruitment, engages in conversations to unfold the storyline. The player has the freedom of choosing between guided mode and exploration mode to get to designated locations. The player can explore the open world ancient Greece on foot or on horseback. Apart from horse, a golden eagle can also be called to help scout an area for enemies and objects.
To get inspiration for designing Ludic Mind Studio’s game The Road Ahead, a closer look was taken at the quest tracking aspect, which is how a game records and directs players to next missions. In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the quests to complete are marked on a comprehensive map with brief instructions like objectives and which character to talk to get further details. There are three categories of quests: Odyssey - main story, World and Characters - side quests, Bounties and Contracts - money-making tasks.
This game is definitely a classic in its series. It has absolutely beautiful scenery, lively sound effects, and clear quest tracking interface. The warrior-like costumes charmingly show muscle and power. It is a very choice-based game, you can choose which quests to take, whether to kill or recruit a person, how to handle a situation, which question to ask. They all will influence how the story proceeds. Additionally, the plot design takes on a realistic style. For example, your choices, even if out of a kind heart, following the storyline, might lead to bad consequences. Overall, this game is like a satisfying travel simulator, and is thus suitable for history lovers or people fascinated by ancient architecture. However, because there are hundreds of tasks, some players may find the game tedious and gradually getting repetitive, especially if this is not their first time playing an Assassin’s Creed game.
Rating: 4.5 / 5
Available on: PlayStation 4 / Windows / Xbox One
Quest tracking in Morrowind Review
10th June 2024.
by Corina Lazarenco
Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind is an open-world action role-playing game developed by Bethesda in 2002. Like its well-known successor, Skyrim, Morrowind immerses players in a captivating world, this time set in Vvardenfell, where they can seek their own adventures. However, Morrowind stands apart in its unique approach to exploration and quest tracking, which has earned it a lasting and beloved reputation among fans.
But first, what is quest tracking? It is a common game mechanic typically present in Role Playing Games that guide players through their quests using journals and dialogues. In Morrowind, quest tracking is minimal and subtle, often leaving new players feeling confused (at the lack of direct guidance), frustrated (due to effort required to complete quests) and eventually enchanted (for the game’s unique immersive experience). For 2024 players, this can evoke mixed feelings, but many come to appreciate the depth and realism it adds.
Personally, I bypassed the frustration stage by not actively pursuing quests in my first 10 hours of gameplay. Instead, I explored the world freely, which allowed me to get acclimated to the environment and rhythm of the game. This approach let me enjoy the essence of Morrowind from the beginning: getting lost in its world.
One of Morrowind's unique aspects is the organic discovery of quests, interesting NPCs, and stunning locations through exploration. This design encourages players to deeply engage with the game, aligning with Tolkien’s quote that "not all who wander are lost." Some elements complimenting the game design that contrast sharply with modern RPG conveniences include the lack of map waypoints and quest markers, instead requiring players to ask residents for directions, and those with low charisma might receive false or incomplete guidance. Essentially, Morrowind does not spoon-feed its players but invites them to discover its world organically.
While this review doesn't delve into the game's rich lore, it underscores Morrowind's unique appeal and its significant contribution to open-world RPG games, making it a very special game experience.
Rating: 4/5 Available on: PC (graphics mods highly recommended)/Xbox 360
Actual Sunlight Game Review
June 10th, 2024
by Arkana Fuentes-Pilafidis
Actual Sunlight was created by Will O’Neill using RPG Maker VX Ace. This platform allows for creators to make use of their creativity in creating a narrative. Through Actual Sunlight, the developers explore the themes of depression and unfulfilling work based upon the creator’s experience. Indeed, the game begins with the player waking up as a 30-year-old man named Evan Winter. Evan feels lonely, unloved and describes his life as a soul going through the motions unconsciously. He goes to his corporate job, buys video games, plays, eats junk food and goes to sleep. All that on repeat. Evan tries to go on about his days but is constantly challenged by dark thoughts.
This game proposes a powerful message to its audience: You are not alone. This simple phrase holds great power because it allows for a community of people who may feel disconnected to others or to their own life to feel a sense of belonging. Thereby, giving them enough hope to get the help they may need. Others may not feel that connection to the game but can gain a better understanding of how it may feel to be in the position of the main character.
Although simple in the design and the gaming mechanisms, we can learn a great deal from how the creator used RPG Maker. The way the maps are designed allows to set the mood of the narrative. Here, simplicity suited the themes explored. Moreover, the distinction between the plain interactions with the other characters opposed to the elaborate interactions with objects allowed to emphasize the character’s loneliness. Actual Sunlight sheds light on the experience of being depressed from a lived experience point of view. The rawness of the game allows for the player to put themselves in the character’ shoes and to have a glimpse of the reality of someone with depression. Finally, ending with a message of hope that it can get better.
Game Review: Baldur’s Gate 3
A Deep Dive into Narrative Complexity & Mental Health Representation
May 27, 2024
Written by Shannon Pagdon
Baldur’s Gate 3, a role-playing game developed by Larian Studios and originally released in 2020, offers an immersive and expansive experience. The game unfolds its narrative across three "Acts," each presenting unique stories, puzzles, side quests, and memorable environments. With an incredible amount of content, Baldur’s Gate 3 took six years and a team of 420 individuals to develop, totaling around 5.8 million hours of effort. The game’s depth is evident in its nearly limitless decision-making possibilities, dialogue options, and side quests, all contributing to long-term consequences and high replayability. One of the game's standout features is its adherence to the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook, introducing a layer of randomness to choices. Even if you attempt a particular action, the outcome isn't guaranteed. The story's trajectory varies significantly based on player choices, leading to an impressive array of potential endings. According to Larian Studios, there are at least 17,000 variations on the final ending, ensuring that each playthrough offers a unique experience.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is notable for its rich social commentary and nuanced portrayal of mental health struggles. Each companion character embarks on a personal journey, dealing with issues such as trauma, identity, sexual abuse, and stigma. The game’s portrayal of mental health is particularly poignant, with all main characters actively hearing voices throughout the narrative. This element adds depth to the storyline, making it a metaphor for navigating mental illness. The protagonist’s journey of making meaning from their struggles while fearing the loss of self echoes the experiences of many dealing with mental health issues. Of note, these issues are so well portrayed that they may be triggering to some players.
The game also mirrors real-life relationships. The protagonist can express empathy and support to characters, strengthening their bonds, or cause conflict and tension through a lack of support, sometimes leading to characters leaving the party. This dynamic adds another layer of depth, as the player's interactions can significantly impact their relationships with companions. Additionally, Baldur’s Gate 3 allows for unique identity exploration through 12 classes and 11 races, many companions being romanceable, and, of course, the robust character creation options. These features offer players a rich and personalized gaming experience, allowing them to explore different facets of their identity and relationships within the game world. The game's narrative and characters are crafted with such care that they resonate deeply with players. The time, energy, and love poured into Baldur’s Gate 3 become abundantly clear even after just one full playthrough. Each character's storyline and the overarching plot offer a profound exploration of mental health, making the game a significant achievement in representing these themes.
One review cannot adequately capture the breadth and depth of Baldur’s Gate 3. The game’s intricate design and emotional narratives reveal more layers with each playthrough, promising that there is always something new to discover. For those who appreciate complex storytelling and the exploration of mental health within gaming, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a masterpiece that invites multiple revisits.
Rating: 4.5/5 Available on: PC/Playstation/XBox
Game Review: “When The Darkness Comes”
April 29th 2024
by Yedda Lam
“When The Darkness Comes”, developed by indie creator Sirhaian, is a poignant exploration of mental health wrapped in the guise of a psychological horror game. Free on Steam, this title diverges from commercial gaming by focusing on impactful narrative and thematic depth rather than profit. This is not just a game, but a journey through abstract dreams and dark, thought-provoking nightmares. The game operates as a “walking simulator”, using straightforward controls to navigate through 14 chapters, each representing different aspects of depression, anxiety, and the pursuit of hope. As a player, you are led by a narrator—also the developer—who guides you through these surreal environments. His presence is a constant one, sometimes instructive, often reflective, enhancing the immersive experience. The narrative initially masquerades as comedic, but it quickly descends into darker territory, revealing its true intent—to depict the struggles of mental health issues. The game cleverly employs various elements such as glitches, dark color tones, and occasional jumpscares to maintain an unsettling atmosphere.
Here are some chapter highlights that were most impactful to me:
- Chapter 3 – Market: Designed to simulate social anxiety, this chapter intensifies as players navigate a crowded market where closeness to others triggers overwhelming whispers and a visual red alert, mimicking the panic and suffocation felt in social settings.
- Chapter 4 – Forest: Here, players encounter a woman who, regardless of the chosen dialogue, ultimately asks to be left alone, symbolizing rejection and the complex interplay of needing help yet pushing it away. She reappears throughout the game, inaccessible and asking for help, illustrating the trapped feelings of depression.
- Chapter 5 – Light: A path barely lit on the edges, where players must carefully navigate without falling, encapsulates the anxiety and fear of moving forward into the unknown, a metaphor for life's uncertain journeys.
- Chapter 6 – Poem: This chapter features a path illuminated with a poem, where the narrator's whispers add a chilling layer to the empty yet oppressive environment, representing the internal torment of depression despite outward simplicity.
- Chapter 10 – Breathe: Set in an aquarium, this chapter starkly juxtaposes encouraging reminders to breathe against a backdrop where a fish appears dead, critiquing common oversimplifications of mental health struggles.
- Chapter 11 – Dream: Initially peaceful, this chapter abruptly shifts into chaos, symbolizing the fragile peace that can be disrupted without warning, a common fear for those with anxiety
- Chapter 13 – Meaning: This chapter presents a stark existential query: "What is your purpose in life?" with choices like creation, fame, money, happiness, and knowledge. No matter the selection, a nihilistic message appears, reflecting the cynicism one may experience when facing mental health issues.
One of the game's most striking features is its multiple endings, influenced by the choices players make, echoing the game's broader theme of consequence and choice in the face of despair. The “Bad Ending”, for instance, presents a grim yet powerful message on the permanence of some decisions, offering a sobering reflection on the finality of certain actions in real life. Beyond its gameplay, "When The Darkness Comes" stands out for its accessibility and its artistic flair. However, it could benefit from providing more extensive mental health resources, considering its deep engagement with sensitive topics. This addition would support the game’s educational potential and its goal of aiding those who might see their struggles reflected in its chapters. Finally, “When The Darkness Comes” is a significant achievement in indie gaming, masterfully blending psychological horror with real-world issues. It challenges players not just to engage with a game, but to think deeply about life, choice, and mental health. This game is a must-play for those interested in seeing how video games can transcend entertainment to offer meaningful, life-affirming messages.
Child of Light Review by Arkana Fuentes - Pilafidis
Date: February 12th, 2024
Child of Light, a platform role-playing video game released by Ubisoft Montreal in 2014, introduces players to the captivating tale of Aurora, a young princess grappling with the loss of her sister and mother years prior. As her father falls ill, and the kingdom faces impending disaster, Aurora awakens in the mystical world of Lemuria, accompanied only by Igniculus. Together, they embark on a quest to restore balance, encountering puzzles, enemies, and allies that shape Aurora's journey.
In this emotionally resonant narrative, Child of Light explores the universal theme of coping with loss. Aurora, despite her youth, exhibits remarkable resilience, maintaining a positive outlook, self-belief, and fostering social support. The game not only reflects the challenges of dealing with trauma but also emphasizes the importance of seeking help and collaboration.
The script contributes to the game's unique charm, featuring poetic dialogues that convey metaphors and life lessons. Characters engage in conversations that add depth to the narrative, enhancing the overall storytelling experience.
A significant highlight is the music, with Aurora wielding a flute that plays a comforting melody, infusing optimism not only into the character but also resonating with the player. The game's overall musical composition further immerses players into the enchanting world of Lemuria.
Child of Light masterfully weaves together its story, script, music, and challenges, delivering a lesson on resilience without oversimplifying its complexities. The game acknowledges Aurora's genuine emotions in the face of loss while guiding her—and the player—along a healthy path of progression.
Rating: 4/5
Available on: Nintendo Switch / PC / Wii U / Xbox One / PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 3 / Xbox 360 /
Night in the Woods Game Review by Connie Guo
Date: February 12th, 2024
Night in the Woods is a 2D, narrative-based, beginner friendly, “point-and-click” genre game where the players can follow the characters’ personal journeys. The majority of the plot unfolds in the format of conversations. The story telling style is novel, and sometimes poetry-like. The artwork and music are beautiful and elegant. This game is an instant classic in terms of realistic mental health portrayal because it depicts socio-economically and politically serious subject matters that are sadness-evoking, and strikingly parallel to today’s societal context.
The main character Mae Borowski, a black cartoon cat, is a directionless 20-year-old college dropout who returns to her hometown, Possum Springs, as the game starts. Possum Springs is a small American rural city that has endured some tragic history and thus, people in the town are struggling with economic hardships. Upon arrival at hometown, with no hope of landing on a job, Mae embarks on continuous adventures with her childhood friends, Bea, Angus, and Gregg. They explore every corner of the city, stargaze at rooftop, walk along riverside, play bass together, chat about ghosts, and spend venturesome nights in the wood. As they reminiscences the good old past and discusses the uncertain future, their own mental illnesses unravel. The mental health conditions that the four of them have been suffering with include nightmare, anxiety, reality denial, dissociation and depersonalization, depression, and more. They are victims of the bigger environment where there is a general lack of opportunities, resources, and awareness. Their mental health issues mostly go undiagnosed or underdiagnosed.
The themes in Night in the Woods are still super relevant for today’s generation. The mental health and financial instability portrayed in the game parallels the mental health crisis and failing job market nowadays. Through the characters’ experiences, the game aims to convey that although there is no easy solution and no immediate cure, no one is alone.
Rating 4/5
Available on: PC, Mac, Linux, Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch
Gaming Against Stigma Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum by Anaïs Mortazavi Zadeh
Date: February 12th, 2024
Batman: Arkham Asylum is an action-adventure game that presents players with a third-person perspective on Batman’s journey through the Arkham Asylum facility. Originally developed by Rocksteady Studios and published by Eidos Interactive and Warner Bros. Interactive in 2009, the game uses impressive graphics and animation to present the famous comic book characters in a more dimensional and interactive way. However, despite these feats, the overall game design does a poor job in how it represents mental health institutions and patients of these facilities. This review will provide a brief analysis of these design choices and assess the negative impacts of them in order to avoid repeating them in newer games.
As mentioned previously, the story follows Batman as he traverses the different rooms and sections of Arkham Asylum. The Oxford Dictionary defines asylums as “institutions offering shelter and support to people who are mentally ill.” Though these days asylums are more commonly referred to as mental health institutions, these facilities all have one goal: to protect and welcome people who struggle with mental illnesses. However, in this game, Arkham Asylum is described as a “secure facility for the criminally insane.” This description falsely depicts asylums as places that house dangerous and criminal individuals. Furthermore, the actual design of the asylum misleads players into thinking these institutions are unsafe and scary. Upon entering, Batman is greeted with dark and dirty conditions. Most rooms have been abandoned, leaving nothing but blood stains on the walls and syringes all over the floors. Every security guard in the facility is armed with large weapons, making the space seem more like a prison or a battlefield. On top of that, the goal of the game is for Batman to fight all the patients of the asylum in order to escape it. This creates the false idea that these institutions are traps and that the goal is to flee them. These are just a few examples of how this game lacks accurate representation of mental health institutions.
Ultimately, this misrepresentation has detrimental effects on how players learn about people with mental illnesses. If players are consistently presented with false imagery that asylums host violent individuals, they may incorrectly conclude that people with mental illnesses are threatening and aggressive. This idea that they should be contained and separated from society is harmful and completely inaccurate, yet many video games continue to use this portrayal. Batman: Arkham Asylum is just one of many examples that we need to learn from to ensure that mental health and mental health institutions are more accurately depicted in future video games.
For graphics and animation, this game gets a rating of 4.5/5. However, when it comes to mental health representation, I would rate this game a 1/5.
Limbo – REVIEW BY DI AH LIM
January 8th, 2024
Limbo is a 2D side-scroller puzzle-platform video game published by Xbox Game Studios. It covers several topics related to mental health: phobia, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and trauma. The main character is a nameless boy who wakes up in a forest on the "edge of hell" and is searching for his sister. He is confronted by various creatures and traps as he explores the dangerous world. He successfully defeats a giant spider and a colony of boys who tried to kill him and gets rid of webs and cocoons. The forest gives way to a crumbling city, followed by industrial and flooded environments. Finally, the boy is thrown to the same place where the journey begins and meets his sister.
Limbo is presented in dark, greyscale graphics with lighting, film grain effects and minimal ambient sounds, creating a horror atmosphere. The player controls the boy to solve puzzles and traps throughout the game. The character has unlimited lives, which enables the player to find a solution after numerous attempts. In Limbo, the spider, rising water, and dark environment represent arachnophobia, fear of drowning and darkness respectively. The boy has trauma from the experience in the city and factory, as well as being bullied by other boys. No one helps the anxious, depressed, and lonely boy overcome fears and dangers. Despite the dark nature of the story, the ending of the reunion brings a glimmer of hope.
In conclusion, as a typical 2D puzzle-platform game, Limbo has a "trial and death" play style. It shows a portrayal of real life. The difficulties and mental health issues we may face such as bullying, depression, and loneliness can be seen in the journey of the boy.
Rating: 4.5/5
Available on: PC, Mac, Linux, Android, Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
Firewatch- REVIEW BY FILIP VASILESKI
January 8th, 2024
Firewatch, released in February of 2016, is an indie game developed by the studio Campo Santo. It is a short adventure game set in a national park, where your character is instructed to watch over the forest for any potential fires, hence the name “firewatch”. The portrayal of mental health in the game respects the dignity of people suffering from it in real life. Rather than stigmatizing mental illness, Firewatch incorporates themes such as dementia, addiction, isolation, paranoia, and etc. to create a humane environment for the player to experience. Addressing mental health in video games is a portal of opportunity for a huge community to familiarize themselves with serious struggles that anyone is susceptible to.
The game takes place during summertime in the national forest of Shoshone that’s located in the state of Wyoming. Henry, the protagonist we play as, enrolls as fire lookout, looking to get away from his late marriage problems. During his time there, the only person he interacts with is Delilah, his supervisor, using a walkie-talkie. The game mechanics emphasize exploring the environment as well as dialog options to communicate with Delilah. As their relationship grows into intimate and almost “natural” conversations, an unknown presence is lurking in the shadows – invasively eavesdropping on the pair’s daily conversations, keeping meticulous details of the individuals’ personal lives.
The player is exposed to the sad reality of mental illness right from the beginning of Firewatch. The game begins through a series a text to read that contextualize Henry’s situation. It tells the love story between him and Julia, his wife, who, in her forties, has developed an early onset of dementia. As the dementia progresses and her memory deteriorates, the relationship becomes chronically harder for Henry to cope with. As a result, he takes up drinking in an attempt to escape from the hardships of his marriage. The situation escalates to the point where Julia goes back to her parents because Henry’s addiction debilitates him from his responsibilities.
Another theme, one that’s prevalent all throughout the game is isolation. The 79 days Henry spends in Shoshone are in near complete isolation. For the most part, he doesn’t physically see anyone else, nor does he have any interaction besides long-distance communication with Delilah. He is stoic in managing his emotions for the majority of the plot, but fear and paranoia rapidly take over his rationality when the feeling of being observed creeps into his consciousness. We witness Henry going through episodes of panic attacks and acute stress as a consequence of how helpless he feels from his privacy being completely invaded. Loneliness may not in itself be the cause of Henry’s struggles, but it facilitates all the negative emotions he experiences.
Late in the story, Firewatch introduces us to Ned when we discover that he’s been the one stalking Henry and Delilah’s interactions. Ned is a broken individual who’s remained in the forest ever since his son, Brian, died there during a climbing accident. The reason he has been following Henry and Delilah so closely was to scare them away from discovering Brian’s body, which is still left untouched from the location of the accident. It is tragic and heartbreaking to see the guilt and grievance of a father who’s lost his son, and a testament to how respectful and realistic the game is at showcasing the sad aftermath of the event. Firewatch also considers how years of isolation may influence a man’s psyche. The same symptoms which emerge in Henry are long internalized in Ned. It is his fear and his paranoia which drives him to keep such a close eye on Henry and Delilah. He never shows himself and is constantly running away from the opportunity of interacting with humans again. By assessing his actions, we could speculate that Ned shows symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, chronic stress, and PTSD, as those run in-parallel with the way he behaves.
Beyond the plotline, the visual and audio elements of Firewatch are also relevant to the discussion of mental health. When Henry is out and about, carelessly exploring the forest and talking with Delilah, the beautiful art style and warming music of the game creates an anxiety-relieving, almost meditative experience for the player. Photography is one way the game encourages us to appreciate the forest of Shoshone, as you can photograph some incredible scenery while discovering the map. The Campo Santo studio make the most out of the open-world model of Firewatch by creating a scenic and diverse map which harvests a relaxing experience for the player.
Firewatch deserves applauds and praise for successfully combining a compelling and human story with a timeless art style and musical production. It elevates the standard for serious video games, as its portrayal of mental health is exemplary and pioneering in the gaming industry. The short length of under 5 hours makes it a small investment and an easy game to pick up and play. Firewatch is recommended for anyone who may be interested in a different experience of gaming, one where realism substitutes fiction, walkie-talkies substitute guns, and the tragic reality of mental health struggles substitutes insane asylums.
Mother 3 – REVIEW BY MICHAEL SERRAVALLE
July 21st 2021
Mother 3 is a top-down style Role-Playing Game published by Nintendo. The game covers a variety of complex issues such as grief, guilt and the conflict between man and nature. The story follows a young boy named Lucas. The happy-go-lucky community that Lucas lives in is changed dramatically due to the influence of an outside business. This sudden change in Lucas’ world culminates in a dramatic and tragic event in his life. This change in circumstances leaves Lucas dealing with his own feelings of grief and self-doubt in an environment he no longer recognizes. Together with his friends, Lucas embarks on a journey to confront this outside influence as well as come to terms with his new reality.
Despite the dark nature of the narrative, the story of Mother 3 is presented in a quirky and colorful manner. The game’s graphics are rendered in a pixel art style and the characters have cartoon-like designs. There are many surreal aspects to the in-game universe such as a talking frog that serves as a means to save the player’s progress in the game. The gameplay is a typical role-playing game. The player traverse around a top-down 2D environment, solving puzzles and following the narrative to progress through the game. When the player interacts with a hostile creature, the game transitions into a turn-based combat system. The playable characters in the game have a variety of their own abilities to help them fend off their foes.
All in all, Mother 3 presents an original interpretation of the Role-Playing genre with a vibrant cast of colorful characters and an emotionally driven story that seamlessly weaves in and out of being incredibly heartfelt to outright hilarious. Mother 3 proves to be a powerful exploration of grief, guilt and the destructive powers of modernization.
Rating: 5/5
Mother 3 was originally released on the Gameboy Advance in 2006.
To the Moon – REVIEW BY MICHAEL SERRAVALLE
July 15th 2021
To the Moon is a 2D top-down Role-Playing Game that covers a variety of topics. These topics include living with an autism spectrum disorder, memory loss, trauma and coming to terms with one’s own mortality. The game is set in the not-too-distant future where a new technology that allows one person to enter the mind of another person has been developed. In this setting, a company that specializes in the use of this technology uses it to alter or retrieve the memories of their customers in the interest of fulfilling the customer’s death wish. The customer in question is an elderly man named Johnny who is on his deathbed. The player plays as two technicians that have been dispatched to fulfill Johnny’s last request. The player will explore Johnny’s past starting from old age and working back to childhood in order to come to understand many aspects of Johnny’s mind and life.
To the Moon is a game accessible to new and veteran players alike. The game is presented as a top-down Role-Playing Game where the player controls characters in a 2D environment. The player is tasked with exploring the Johnny’s psyche. To the Moon stands out among Role Playing Games in that there are no encounters with monsters or any similar combat system. The game only relies on solving puzzles and the narrative to progress through the game. This interesting quality is what makes the game suitable for any player. The difficulty of the game is quite low and players can enjoy the game at their own place.
Through its unique approach to the Role-Playing Genre, To the Moon offers a fascinating narrative that takes the player through an adventure into the mind of man at death’s door. Challenging such difficult topics such as facing one’s mortality and dealing with regret, the player is met with a touching story that they are not likely to soon forget.
Rating 4/5
Available on: PC, Mac, Linux, Android and Nintendo Switch