5 RPGs That Dive Deep Into Addiction And How They Shape The Story

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Summary

  • Dragon Age Franchise tackles addiction through the use of Lyrium, a substance controlling magical powers. Focused on control by the Chantry.
  • Vampyr represents bloodlust and violence addiction, impacting gameplay & narrative. Player choices affect supernatural abilities & transformation.
  • Red Dead Redemption 2 portrays Reverend Swanson’s battle with alcoholism, offering a gritty depiction of addiction. Overcoming addiction maintains faith.

Artistic expressions like gaming have often delved into challenging themes that might be hard to discuss openly, such as abuse, mental health issues, extreme violence, and yes, even addiction to substances or emotions. These games serve as a refuge for people who can identify with characters facing similar challenges in their lives. It’s fascinating how gaming, as an artistic platform, manages to address complex issues like addiction.

The role-playing game (RPG) genre offers a platform for in-depth examination of various themes, including addiction, due to its lengthy playtimes and rich storylines embedded within each title. This article evaluates several RPGs that address diverse aspects of addiction, assessing their influence on the overall plot of each game and the quality of the games themselves.

5. Dragon Age Franchise

Lyrium Addiction Affects Many Templars

The Dragon Age series, a collection of high-fantasy games, is filled with magic, monsters, and politics in abundance. As the player progresses through each game, they witness the unfolding story of this world. A persistent theme throughout the series is the conflict between the Templars and Mages, where the former advocates for controlling magic use, while the latter fights for its free use. Interestingly, the Templars employ a substance called Lyrium to enhance an individual’s magical abilities, but this enhancement comes with an addictive effect.

As a devoted follower, I’ve come to realize that the Chantry, who wields power over the Templars, is the sole provider of Lyrium. This potent substance, once addictive, binds its victims in a cruel cycle of dependency. To satisfy their craving, these individuals are compelled to remain submissive, thereby maintaining their access to Lyrium. Although this aspect of addiction may not be overtly emphasized in the games, it subtly underpins the Chantry’s influence on our world, serving as one means by which they exert control.

4. Vampyr

Bloodlust As A Metaphor

In the game Vampyr, the portrayal of addiction leans towards the abstract, with the protagonist’s addiction being to blood and violence. Given that the player controls a vampire character, this thematic emphasis isn’t surprising. This theme permeates throughout the game, influencing both its mechanics and storyline. If a player opts for a non-violent approach, they experience significant penalties, essentially stunting their character’s growth as they cannot replenish their powers by feeding on anyone.

Should a player opt for the thirst for violence, they’ll uncover additional mystical powers, deepening their involvement in the vampire realm. Consequently, the player may convert others into vampires, perpetuating a vicious cycle of bloodshed and excess that mirrors how addiction can taint those close to the addict, symbolizing the corrupting power that addiction wields.

3. Red Dead Redemption 2

Mental Health Issues In The Wild West

In the game Red Dead Redemption 2, there are numerous activities players can engage in aside from violence, such as drinking, gambling, and intimate interactions. However, Arthur Morgan, the main character, is not the most accurate portrayal of addiction within the game. Instead, that title belongs to Reverend Swanson, a priest struggling with alcoholism who undergoes great torment to overcome his addiction in order to serve the gang more effectively.

Swanson serves as an authentic portrayal of addiction, revealing its ugly facets yet offering a hopeful conclusion for his character. He overcomes his addiction and keeps his faith intact throughout the process, even though he endures the grueling effects of withdrawal. Although he may not capture the limelight like Arthur’s story does, Swanson is a character that new players or those revisiting should take notice of.

2. Lisa: The Painful

A Child’s View On Addiction

Playing “Lisa: The Painful” is challenging to endorse due to its heavy, emotionally charged themes. Like other games in the series, “The Painful” explores a child’s harrowing journey away from an abusive home, where the abuser is an alcoholic father. This portrayal of addiction provides a raw, unsettling glimpse into the mindset of the protagonist and the motivations behind their actions, while also shedding light on the grim reality faced by many children in similar situations.

The element of addiction significantly shapes the narrative across all three games within this series, serving as a pivotal trigger for numerous events. Moreover, drug addiction is another recurring theme, where characters in the post-apocalyptic world develop an obsession with a substance named “joy” – an emotion-suppressing drug that eventually transforms users into grotesque creatures. The Lisa franchise tackles sensitive issues such as abuse, mental health struggles, and addiction in raw and unflinching ways, which may be distressing to some gamers; however, it provides a deeply impactful experience for those who can handle its intensity.

1. Disco Elysium

Fight Alcoholism And Crime Simultaneously

The last game mentioned is Disco Elysium, an engaging role-playing game that puts you in charge of Lieutenant Harrier Du Bois, commonly referred to as Harry, who finds himself with a hangover and amnesia, trying to make sense of his life, identity, and current situation while simultaneously investigating a murder. Being an alcoholic, this aspect significantly influences the beginning of his tale and impacts his interactions with numerous secondary characters.

Disco Elysium stands out as an extraordinary blend, with its storyline, mechanics, aesthetics, and soundtrack all uniquely crafted. The portrayal of addiction in the game is especially noteworthy, as it deeply impacts the player character’s journey, compelling them to conquer their addictions to restore their life and memories. Few games delve into this theme as skillfully as Disco Elysium does.

The game boasts multiple narrative threads that players can navigate based on their choices, creating a rich, immersive experience. These decisions carry weight, shaping the game world and story in meaningful ways, increasing the game’s replay value significantly.

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2025-05-06 05:41