Wednesday's Child is Full of Woe: Depictions of Suffering in Games

I am a "Wednesday's Child". I have endured depression for the better part of my life, and therefore I am drawn to depictions of suffering.

Depicting suffering that arises from misfortune or the deaths of loved ones is a common theme in videogames. In this article I will go into four games that I feel depict suffering in sensitive and deeply moving ways.

1. To The Moon - This game is about two doctors' attempts to fulfil the last wish of a dying old man. The gorgeous piano-heavy music and the simple but evocative visuals transform an already moving story into something transcendent. I delve deeper into the game's mechanics and themes in this article. You can buy To The Moon here.
2. Persona 3 Portable - One of my favourite Persona games of all time (link contains a fairly minor late-game spoiler), mostly due to its moody, ominous atmosphere and the in-depth tackling of themes like terminal illness, family matters, suicide and apathy. You can buy Persona 3 Portable here.
3. Unrest - An unusual indie game that explores what it means to be a young girl in a society where arranged marriages are the norm, and how trying to fight against that norm can often lead to suffering many forms, e.g. social ostracisation and sexual harassment. The game also explores political upheaval and questions of faith, sometimes a little heavy-handedly, but mostly intelligently. You can buy Unrest here.
4. The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd - Last but not least, a game I recently reviewed, that covers  suffering so comprehensively that it sets a new bar for other games wishing to tackle it. I mean, what aspect of suffering ISN'T covered in this game? Let me count the ways: guilt, abandonment, sexual abuse, torture, implied child prostitution, military experimentation (even on minors!), trauma - the list goes on and on. However, none of these themes EVER feel forced - they all arise naturally from the characters' backstories and they are all explored with a deep, deep sense of compassion and humanity. I applaud Falcom for daring to tread where few others would dare to, and I applaud XSEED for their absolutely brilliant localisation of what will surely be viewed as a classic, must-play Japanese role-playing game. If you loved Trails in the Sky FC and SC, do yourself the favour of buying Trails in the Sky the 3rd here. You will NOT regret it.

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Walking A Mile In Another's Shoes

It is rare that I come across a game that actually encourages me to examine my own beliefs and principles, and challenges me with multiple perspectives on situations that I would probably never experience in real life.  Unrest is one such game.

From the start, I was put into the shoes of someone in a difficult situation - a peasant girl whose parents had arranged a marriage for her.  There were various ways of dealing with the expectations and attitudes of her parents, relatives and friends - violent, accepting, defiant or even sometimes light-hearted.  No single choice or approach was ever really pushed over the others, although violence carried more risks than the other approaches.

One thing that kept sticking out in certain dialogues and situations was the difficulty of deciding which approach or choice was the most appropriate.  Was it better to defiantly assert her individual rights and risk alienating her friends and/or family in the process?  Or was it wiser to simply accept her lot in life and sacrifice some of her individual freedoms and happiness?

Other characters, with equally challenging circumstances, were presented:  a priest working at a local temple in the city to feed his family, a Naga (snake-like mythical creature) diplomat sent to negotiate on behalf of their empire, a princess whose parents are murdered in a brutal coup, a mercenary working for the perpetrators of the coup.

Questions of faith, loyalty, economic status and racism/speciesism are raised.  The priest is faced with the challenge of whether to keep working at the temple even as uncomfortable questions regarding his superiors and their activities arise.  The Naga must deal with near-constant racism/speciesism and xenophobia directed at their species and empire.  The princess is forced to flee for her life and must decide how she will deal with the people who murdered her parents, as well as how to take back power.  The mercenary has to grapple with the knowledge of what he supported and what his employers have perpetrated in order to gain power.

There was no "perfect", neat, happy ending.  No triumphant fanfare or celebrations.  Only more uncertainty and unrest.

You can get Unrest from GOG.com here.