An integral part of many a childhood, video games helped players develop more than hand-eye coordination. Many taught gamers about friendship, love and war.
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Yes, video games contain valuable life lessons that can stay with a person years after he shelves the discs. Here are nine games that imparted such wisdom.
Never has saving the world been a more frequent motif than in the Final Fantasy series. In the seventh title, players must save the world from Sephiroth (one of the most menacing video game villains ever designed) from becoming an all-powerful god. No one is saying you personally need to fight a murderous science experiment gone wrong. But the game teaches you the importance of taking a stand and fighting for the right reasons, even in the face of defeat. (Note: That doesn't include fighting with your teacher to cancel the midterm.)
Image: Nintendo
Whether it's powering through the many dungeons of Hyrule in a Legend of Zelda game or trying to complete an especially difficult assignment at work, you're not going to accomplish it all in one day. That's no reason to be discouraged, though — even Majora's Mask takes a full three days to complete. The key to getting through it all is to remain steadfast and keep moving forward, no matter the difficulty. Procrastination certainly doesn't help; it'll still be waiting right where you left off. If you're determined to make it through, there's the sweet satisfaction of accomplishment and personal growth awaiting you.
Working in a group can be hit or miss, but being on a team does have its benefits. When everyone fits into his role, like a writer, researcher and organizer (or a Pyro, Heavy and Demoman), tasks come easily and smoothly — no hurt egos or feelings. Sometimes the best teams come together from different walks of life, so don't be afraid to bring your cocky Scout and your experimental Medic even if it seems they won't work well together. If Team Fortess 2 has anything to teach, it's that even the motliest of crews can win the day when they work together toward a common goal.
There's nothing worse than being in denial — well, other than being stuck in a malevolent town full of monsters. Big issues don't go away on their own, and it's no fun going through life with them constantly hanging over your head. Silent Hill 2 protagonist James spends the majority of the game denying that he murdered his wife, and the town of Silent Hill feeds on his guilt and grief. Tackling the situation full on isn't always the easiest solution, but it's more effective than denying its existence and letting it slowly consume you. Try to move on and make amends.
Image: Rockstar
It's certainly one of the newest games on this list, but Grand Theft Auto V best encapsulates the lesson. In GTA V you can do almost anything: hang-glide, play tennis, go to the movies, even take artsy photos with a cameraphone. It's endless fun to sample all the activities. The big question is: Why not do these things outside, in the real world? Okay, don't rob a bank or steal cars, but scuba diving is way more fun when you're in actual water with real-life fishes, no matter how beautifully rendered the graphics.
You didn't just learn this lesson from Call of Duty, but rather from every single war and combat simulator and first-person shooter game ever produced — and maybe the Boy Scouts. Whether it's ammo and healing items or tissues and water, it's important to know what's necessary to get through the day — especially when you're down to your last granola bar and you've got a nine-hour bus trip ahead of you. Being well-prepared goes beyond supplies; it's vital to learn how to use your environment to your advantage, to find the best tool for the job ... and to hide your reserves of cheese puffs so your co-workers will never find them.
If the Mario franchise has taught us anything (other than Koopa kings really like to kidnap princesses), it's that you can do anything so long as you can try your best. Mario is a plumber by profession, yet he successfully navigates through several dungeons, defeats bosses and rescues the princess on a regular basis. That doesn't include when he plays soccer, drives go-karts, beats up other Nintendo characters and successfully trounces his friends at party mini-games. Take some risks and try new things, especially if you're in a rut. You never know: maybe you're better at golf than you realized.
Image: Flickr, Stephanie Vacher
This might seem like a strange lesson to take from Pac Man. After all, most people simply learn to avoid ghosts at all costs. Even more important is that in every level of Pac Man the ghosts move in particular patterns. It's a trick most seasoned arcade players have noticed. In the same way, the answer to a problem or situation may not be immediately obvious. It may take a lot of thinking or planning to achieve your desired result, but it will be well worth it in the end. Especially if you can beat those conniving ghosts.
In the real world and in gaming, you are forced to make difficult decisions. Most choices in video games are morally clear — one is the good choice, the other is villainous. Maybe you start a game deciding to act as either the hero or the bad guy, or maybe you let your mood decide, but most players aim for a specific type of ending. Fallout 2 doesn't work that way. Depending on the choices you make, who you kill and the quests you complete, there are 47 different endings you can achieve. Just like in real life, everything you do in gameplay has a consequence; so it's unwise to haphazardly make decisions about who to trust and what to prioritize. When you do make a decision, think through all the possible ramifications — you don't want to get the Bad Ending by mistake.
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Image: Flickr, Brian Moore