Video games have been seen as both a blessing and a curse for this generation and generations prior. They have been seen as harmful weapons and have been seen as a way of escape for others. But that just shows how powerful games are and what they can do to people, they are able to show our true emotions. I’m afraid to say that there are "good" games and "bad" games because not all "bad" games like "Grand Theft Auto" and "Call of Duty" produce killers, and not all "good" games create good people.
There are many reasons for these accusations, but I believe the main reason is because games give us more freedom. Freedom from the rules of society, freedom from whatever we want to be liberated from. The open world design and the ability to personalize characters, allows for you to become whatever you want. Sometimes people may forget that there is a line between fantasy and reality, and this ignorance is what shows up on the news. However, this concept is perfect for me and many others because I get stressed out a lot in my life, I am going into my second year of college, and I need a way to relax and get my mind off of my daily life.
Role playing video games, otherwise known as "RPGs", are a genre of games where you take the role of a certain character and you must play as this character for the rest of the game. With this character, you can do numerous things in the world, such as fight monsters or farm crops for your village. There are so many things that you can do that you don’t have to "stick" to one job. There is still the story of the game to finish, but you don’t need to focus on the story all the time. You can take detours and gain more information about the world or other characters, and immerse yourself into the world more.
I’m currently playing a game called, “Tokyo Mirage Sessions”, an RPG where you are an idol in modern Japan and must fight against apparitions known as "mirages" to stop them from taking people’s "performa", which is an energy that entertainers have. Silly, I know, but that’s what makes it so good. It’s that uniqueness that allows the player to be a part of that world, and with its storyline and art, creates a new world in an already existing location. In this game, you meet new idols that work with you in your fight against the mirages, all of them showing different aspects of entertainers in Japan, such as singers, TV stars, and models. As you progress through the story, you learn more about each sub-industry and learn about the people themselves, which makes you care for them even more. These stories have been so intriguing that I’ve lost track of time and would forget to eat some days.
In a world where there is stress coming from every angle, you need to take a break to fix your mind on something else. A way to put yourself into a new world where a person can be someone different than who they were before while still learning new things about yourself. This is why everyone should play at least one RPG in their life, so they can experience something new without having to spend too much money, and to physically change themselves.