Best Games That Let You Grow From Childhood To Hero

Key Takeaways

Games like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Assassin’s Creed 2 immerse players in childhood, developing characters over time.
Titles like The Sims 4, Fallout 3, and Fable offer simulations of various depth of growth from birth to adulthood.
Dragon Quest 5 and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time explore full lifetimes, emphasizing consequences and personal growth.

As someone who has spent countless hours immersed in the world of video games, I must say that the experiences offered by these four games truly stand out. Each one offers a unique perspective on the journey of life, from the innocence of childhood to the wisdom of adulthood.

One unique aspect that video games provide compared to other forms of media is the opportunity to immerse players in entirely different lives or worlds they wouldn’t normally encounter. Some games even simulate real-life experiences, such as being born into this new world and growing from infancy to adulthood. This allows players to revisit a significant period in everyone’s existence—childhood—that life inevitably takes away.

This feature enables the player to familiarize themselves with the controls in a more natural, intuitive way rather than thrusting them into the role of an experienced or potent character immediately. It additionally deepens the player’s engagement by making them experience a strong sense of belonging within the game world and fostering a powerful emotional attachment and affinity towards their character.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

From Tetherless Toddler To Heroic Hunter

In a world where advanced civilizations have crumbled and mechanical beasts roam freely, Aloy, who was born under enigmatic circumstances, is nurtured and eventually trained by Rost, an outcast. Players initially explore the game and learn key mechanics as they follow Aloy’s journey through her childhood.

Absolutely, the introduction doesn’t drag on. Instead, players watch as Aloy refines her abilities through a series of training sequences. Subsequently, they find themselves in charge of a well-equipped, experienced woman in a perilous world. This character is proficient in archery, parkour, and tracking, and the objective is to assist her in discovering her past.

Assassin’s Creed 2

From Roguish Youth To Master Assassin

Many devoted Assassin’s Creed players might recall this cloaked assassin primarily from his later years, but his tale unexpectedly begins much earlier. The Animus, a remarkable device within the Assassin’s Creed universe (particularly intriguing for virtual reality gaming aficionados), enables its users to re-live their ancestors’ experiences. For Desmond Miles, this translates into delving into the life of Ezio Auditore da Firenze from his birth in 1459.

In Assassin’s Creed 2, the narrative jumps ahead to when Ezio is 17 years old instead of following the story of a newborn baby as a free runner. While this might seem like a large leap in the timeline, the game primarily focuses on Ezio’s development from an immature and reckless youth into the seasoned and mature assassin that fans would later adore. This transformation is made even more engaging by the seamless voice acting progression from boyhood to manhood, skillfully performed by Roger Craig Smith.

The Sims 4

A Homely Simulation Of The Journey To Adulthood

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Although it doesn’t feature a dynamic, open-world environment like its previous version, The Sims 4, compensates for this with its intricate life-stage mechanics and multitude of customization possibilities. Additionally, due to car culture and super-suburban living, the majority of children in contemporary society spend their childhood within the boundaries of their homes.

Fallout 3

From Sheltered Child To Shell-Shocked Survivor

In the footsteps of the third epic opening sequences in video game lore, with the legendary voice of Ron Perlman echoing, I find myself born into a post-apocalyptic landscape in Fallout 3. My character’s journey begins with a dramatic entry into a nuclear wasteland. As the story unfolds, I guide my vault-dweller through significant life events, making crucial choices that shape who I become for the rest of this epic adventure.

In this perspective, players experience milestones such as learning to walk, standing up to bullies, and undergoing the amusingly disheartening Vault 101 vocational aptitude test known as the G.O.A.T. As characters venture out from the vault’s security, they encounter a world that pushes their survival abilities to the edge while shaping their character, ultimately leading them on a quest to find their in-game father figure.

Fable

Shaped By Every Little Life Decision

In the game titled “Fable“, the story starts with a character who initially lives peacefully in a picturesque village named Oakvale. However, their peaceful existence is abruptly disrupted by an unfortunate event, leading them on a journey filled with adventure. This early stage of the protagonist’s life represents innocence and sets up a moral dilemma: whether to react to the misfortune with cruelty or kindness. The game, “Fable“, is prepared to accommodate both choices, offering either a path towards evil or good.

In the course of the game, each decision the player takes, spanning from their character’s childhood to adulthood, significantly influences the hero’s looks, skills, and standing, highlighting the importance of personal development and its consequences. Although Fable and its subsequent versions didn’t quite meet every expectation (such as the player visibly aging in real-time), the transformation from a naive child to a renowned adult remains deeply meaningful and significant.

Dragon Quest 5: Hand Of The Heavenly Bride

A Lifetime Of Growth, Loss, And Legacy

The adventure of Dragon Quest 5 kicks off right from the protagonist’s birth, offering a new beginning for players as they choose their character’s name and embark on their journey. As players progress, they accompany Pankraz, the father figure, through his growing years, until the heartbreaking moment of his demise and the hero’s enslavement.

In a unique twist, Dragon Quest 5 doesn’t merely delve into one phase of life; it offers players an opportunity to experience a complete lifespan. As time unfolds in this game, the protagonist progresses from youth into adulthood, marries, and embarks on parenthood. While many games boast about being “epic,” few invest their narrative in the journey of maturation and intergenerational growth quite as skillfully as Dragon Quest 5, particularly in its title, Hand of the Heavenly Bride.

The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

A Lot Can Change In Seven Years

In contrast to numerous games that employ childhood as an introduction or starting point, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is exceptional because it makes players experience a parallel childhood for part of the game, later transitioning them into the adult world. However, the transformation from boyhood to manhood in Ocarina isn’t strictly sequential.

As a devoted admirer, I’d express it this way: Sometimes, the game takes a leap into the past to tackle a mystery or complete a task, altering the future in a minor yet significant manner. Yet, the extraordinary care taken by Ocarina to build a world teeming with childhood companions, patronizing grown-ups, and fantastical escapades is nothing less than enchanting, and this magical journey remains largely unrivaled, even in the present day.

2024-11-30 12:34