A number of Reddit users have been sharing stories of how the notoriously challenging catalog of games from Japanese developer FromSoftware has helped them to become better, more fully-rounded people. This year’s Activision-published stealth combat game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice has been central to the conversation, though games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne are also cited as having contributed to players learning skills like tolerance and discipline to apply in their real-world lives.
The Reddit thread, authored by u/jesus_lil_stinkr, asks whether others felt that they have benefited in tangible ways from playing Sekiro and difficult games of its ilk. They personally found that the experience made them more patient and better-equipped to handle stressful situations, noting that they now take pause to breathe deeply and think before “tackling a situation from a different angle.” As far as real-world applications go, it’s apparently already helped in dealing with their work and partner.
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The OP isn’t alone, however—not even close. User u/IonianTerrorist says that Sekiro “helped [them] develop actual will power,” motivating them to keep hitting the gym without getting “mad or irritated.” u/FruitSeller92 responded to say that they’d been impacted “not only physically, but mentally as well,” stating that with Sekiro‘s help they’ve learnt to “control [their] situation” by “controlling [their] emotions.”
Perhaps the most significant impact shared was that felt by u/Herald_of_Sin, who claims that From Software games help them to “be more mindful” about their abilities and “how to deal with problems [they] don’t understand.” Herald_of_Sin goes as far as to say that in “facing [their] fears” when playing Soulslike games, they’ve become “a lot less of a child” and more invested in their work, ultimately leading to them “growing as a person.”
“I am truly grateful,” they say as another user agrees “verbatim.” There’s also an air of excitement within the thread for the new FromSoftware game Elden Ring, or perhaps it could be referred to as a new self-help session in this context. Still, in an age where the mainstream media can be quick to blame video games for acts of violence, even in the absence of linking evidence, it’s great to see the positive impact which some titles are having on the lives of players.
