Pandora's Mighty Soldiers

So I was frolicking around in the field outside of Whiterun one lovely Rain’s Hand day, picking wildflowers and slaying bandits in the brisk Skyrim air. I had just equipped my Imperial Boots of Lifting to counteract the ridiculous amount of alchemy ingredients I had been scavenging when suddenly the winds and the music changed and a dragon descended, perching on the derelict ruins of a castle. The dragon proceeded to cook my goose and I suddenly found myself back in Riverwood where I had originally set out nearly three hours prior. Three hours of experience leveling, open-world questing, and ingredient collecting gone in one flame-breathed instant all because I did not stop and save.

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Life Lesson #1: Save Often

My grandfather was a professional photographer and as a result my childhood was photo-documented into a catalogue that would make the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery jealous. As a kid, I hated having to momentarily freeze while ripping open Christmas presents or how my cheeks burned with embarrassment as I was forced to pose for the first day of school. But as I look back through those tomes of memories, I am unbelievably grateful. Stopping and saving, or ‘taking a picture’ as some might call it, is incredibly important. Pictures make memories immortal. There’s nothing worse than thinking back on good times and having the sweet taste of reminiscence soured by wishing you had saved the memory.

Anyone who ever played Sonic 3 will remember the Carnival Night Zone not only for its techno-carnival synthesized melody, but because of The Barrel of Doom.

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For those who aren’t familiar,The Barrel of Doom stopped a lot of sonic fans in their tracks because it seemed an impossible obstacle to overcome. In reality, the solution was quite simple, but this rotating rampart was likely the instigator behind the earliest forms of rage quit. So what could this possibly teach you about life? 

Life Lesson #2 The Princess Is Always In Another Castle, Until She Isn’t

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When presented with an obstacle in a video game there is a measure of reassurance that the challenge is surmountable. Game designers are not in the habit of creating unwinnable scenarios – that would make for a pretty crappy game. No matter how many times you may fling yourself through a portal only to sink into a pool of toxic goo, you, the player, know that there is a way to win. Unfortunately, life does not perfectly mirror the game world in this regard and sometimes life does design unwinnable scenarios. However, the majority of life’s challenges can be overcome with persistence and the occasional guidebook.

I used to be adamantly opposed to using strategy guides or message boards as a means to get around in-game difficulties. To me, asking for help was borderline cheating since the point of the game is for you to do the work in order to reap the rewards. Getting a tip just seemed like the easy way out. However, I’ve since come around to accept that asking for help can be a legitimate strategy, especially when the alternative to requesting assistance is walking away like I did with Sonic 3.

Life Lesson #3 It Is Okay To Ask For Help
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Compare the Sonic example to a relationship or a school subject. No relationship is without its difficulties and most people do not excel in every academic subject. If once you start down the dark path, that is to say that you choose to give up rather than ask for help, forever will it dominate your destiny. However, if you choose to consult with someone about relationship issues or take the initiative to set up a study group or find a tutor, you are not only more likely to sail through troubled waters unscathed, but also develop and strengthen your ability to navigate future swells.

Video games are a sensory experience. When playing Halo, I’ve got one eye on the screen and one on my radar, my ears are perked for the sound of a gravity lift or the panting of a player using sprint, and my ability to experience tactile sensation guides my character through a myriad of maps and alerts me when I’m taking damage. Now if only they could invent taste or smell-o-vision! Regardless, when we game we focus the most prominent of our sensory abilities in order to make it through that zombie-filled carnival or not get chain-sawed in the face. As gamers, we appreciate that insane amount of time that goes into creating these immersive environments and by doing the same in the world around us can certainly learn to appreciate life more.

Life Lesson #4 Stop, Appreciate, and

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Listen

One night, I was playing Skyrim at 2 o’clock in the morning when I just happened to glance up. I thought, “Holy. Crap.” I’m still not sure how I had played as long as I had without noticing just how beautiful the star-studded sky was in this game. Afterward, I felt the need to go outside and look at the sky myself. So I climbed the stairs to the roof deck of my apartment and, well, I saw one star, although it might have been a plane. The DC area is not known for its stargazing. Regardless, the glow of the moon back-lighting the clouds, the rustle of the autumn wind through the dry leaves, and even the occasional screeching of tires created an amazing sensory experience that I had never really appreciated before.

Stories have been told of a mythical confection concocted from unbridled hopes, impossible dreams and layered with swaths of butter cream joy. Not simply delicious, but also non-fat and crammed with as much nutrients as a potato. You are told that if you work hard, persist, defy the odds, and emerge victorious, this fanciful fare will be your prize. 

But there is something we all know…

Life Lesson #5: The Cake Is a Lie

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If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. There is a lot of fake cake out there and it is important that we are able to recognize when, in fact, the cake is a lie. From the Nigerian Prince who claims to be holding your massive inheritance, to everyday chain emails that contain devastating viruses, being able to distinguish the too-good-to-be-true from the truth is a life lesson best learned through observation rather than experience.
So how about you? What life lessons have you learned from playing video games?

Written by PMS Goosechecka. Goosechecka is a member of the PMS|H2O Editorial Team and the Content and Community Manager at GrifballHub.com. You can follow her on Twitter!