![]() Video games are often viewed as pillars of escapism, but the larger beauty of interactive storytelling is that it offers opportunities for deeper empathic connections. But, more importantly, Bissell’s novel, including the excerpt above, connected with a part of me that I did not yet acknowledge: my depression and my (sometimes subconscious) attempts to deal with it.Īll art forms can provide relief and insight to victims of mental illness (check out Matchbox Twenty’s “ Unwell,” Lars von Trier’s Melancholia, or Francisco Goya’s Black Paintings), but the immersive nature of video games provides something else: the opportunity for victims of mental illness to process their feelings in a safe, engaging environment and the opportunity for others to experience simulations of symptoms. The dim restaurant lights shielded me well enough from the gaggle of suburban families that surrounded me, so I hunched my back and unashamedly swallowed Bissell’s words. As a post-college, pre-career teacher wannabe, the 200-plus-page book about the artistry of video games perfectly quenched both my thirst for entertainment and my need to be perceived as an intellectual. I read those words years ago while eating subpar noodles in a building that used to be a Blockbuster Video. It was an extra life I am grateful to have it. I would be lying if I said Oblivion did not, in some ways, aggravate my depression, but it also gave me something with which to fill my days other than piranhic self-hatred. At the time I was residing in Rome on a highly coveted literary fellowship, surrounded by interesting and brilliant people, and quite naturally mired in a lagoon of depression more dreadfully lush than any before or since. Oblivion is less a game than a world that best rewards full citizenship, and for a while I lived there and claimed it. However, if you are interested in seeing an unusual and compelling psychological horror game, you should definitely give it a try.Links and videos of several indie games are posted below the article.Ĭonsider author Tom Bissell’s experience with The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion as described in his book, Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter: ![]() The game is simply a time-waster with a disturbing and depressing story. It is not very long, and it comes with very limited mechanics. Presentable Liberty is a strange narrative experience with minimal gameplay elements. But, these things are simply distractions and does not really do much but occupy your already limited map. Among the items are party poppers, a table, a spider, some posters, and a clock. You can also collect the items that the character sends you with their letters. Note that the result of these games does not affect the main story. You can use this console to play in-games minigames to pass the time between letters. You will, however, be given a GameBoy-like console about ten minutes into the game. With this, the rate of information inflow is fixed. This creates a feeling that you are helplessly trapped with not even a slight ray of hope.Īdditionally, the game does not include a mechanism for responding to the incoming letters. You will spend nearly the whole game confined within the prison cell. Unlike other adventure games, Presentable Liberty only allows for certain digital functions to occur, thereby creating parameters players must act within. These events will only add to your helplessness as you cannot do anything but wait for another letter to arrive. The conclusion of the game is that you will develop a bond with three of the characters, one of which will, unfortunately, die. More, these letters will also invoke various emotions that will somehow doubt your existence. They also keep you informed on the happenings outside the jail. Each letter gives you a backstory as to what has happened. ![]() The letters come from various characters, including Salvador, Charlotte, Dr. ![]()
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