Summary
- Dragon Age Franchise tackles addiction through the use of Lyrium, a substance controlling magical powers. Focused on control by the Chantry.
- Vampyr represents bloodlust and violence addiction, impacting gameplay & narrative. Player choices affect supernatural abilities & transformation.
- Red Dead Redemption 2 portrays Reverend Swanson's battle with alcoholism, offering a gritty depiction of addiction. Overcoming addiction maintains faith.
Gaming has a history of tackling hard-to-broach topics, as is the case with most forms of art. From abuse to mental health, to extreme violence, gaming as an art form is a medium in which many find solace for the struggles in their lives, seeing themselves in characters dealing with similar situations. Addiction is no different; many games tackle addiction to various substances and feelings.
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The RPG genre is one that is able to explore this concept in depth, thanks to the often long runtimes and deep stories housed within each game. This article looks at some RPGs that tackle different forms of addiction and ranks them based on how impactful these addictions are on the overall narrative of each game, as well as just how good each game is.
5 Dragon Age Franchise
Lyrium Addiction Affects Many Templars
Dragon Age: Origins
- Released
- November 3, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
The Dragon Age franchise is a high-fantasy series with magic, monsters, and a whole lot of politics, with the player following the development of the world throughout the events of all four games. Throughout the series, there is an ongoing war between the Templars and the Mages, fighting over the free-use or controlled doctrine of magic. The Templars, in particular, utilize a substance known as Lyrium to boost the magical powers of an individual, which causes an addictive high.
This is used as a form of control, as the Chantry (the order that controls the Templars) is the only one able to provide Lyrium, forcing those who get addicted to it to remain obedient to continue to get their fix. While this theme of addiction is not a major one in the games, it does feature in the background of the world and lays the foundations for one form of control the Chantry has over the world.
4 Vampyr
Bloodlust As A Metaphor
Vampyr
- Released
- June 5, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Vampyr's representation of addiction is somewhat more nebulous, being an addiction to blood and violence. This is unsurprising, given the player character being a vampire, but it is a major element of the game as a whole, from gameplay to narrative. If the player chooses to avoid killing innocent people, they are heavily penalized, almost entirely unable to level up as their character is unable to draw strength from anyone.
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If the player does choose to indulge in the bloodlust, they can unlock more supernatural abilities, delving further into the world of the vampire. In turn, the player can transform others into vampires, perpetuating the cycle of bloodshed and gluttony that they were forced into, reflecting the corrupting influence that addiction can have on those surrounding the addicted.
3 Red Dead Redemption 2
Mental Health Issues In The Wild West
Red Dead Redemption 2
- Released
- October 26, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Red Dead Redemption 2 houses many vices for players to indulge in, from drinking to gambling to intimate activities, all outside of the violence the characters are prone to. Despite this, Arthur Morgan, the player character, is not the best depiction of addiction in the game. That title goes to Reverend Swanson, an alcoholic priest who goes through hell to kick his addiction to focus on the betterment of the gang.
Swanson is a great depiction of addiction, showing the ugly nature of addiction, while also having a happy ending for the character. He beats his addiction and maintains his faith through it all, despite the horrific symptoms he inevitably goes through during withdrawal. While he will not be the focus for many, especially with how powerful Arthur's story is, Swanson is a character worth paying attention to for any new players or in a replay.
2 Lisa: The Painful
A Child's View On Addiction
LISA: The Painful
- Released
- December 15, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Lisa: The Painful is a difficult game to recommend, dealing with some very painful subject matter. As with the other Lisa games, The Painful deals with a child escaping from an abusive household, the perpetrator of said abuse being an alcoholic father. This view of addiction is hard to watch, giving the player an insight into the mindset of the player character and the reasons for their actions, but also an uncomfortable view into the horrible situation many children find themselves in.
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This addiction is a huge part of the game, being the catalyst for many of the events of all three games. However, there is also the theme of drug addiction, with many of the characters of the post-apocalypse becoming addicted to an emotion-negating drug known as "joy," which eventually mutates them into grotesque monsters. The entire Lisa franchise deals with depictions of abuse, mental health issues, and addiction in very explicit ways that may disturb some players, but it is worth it for those who can stomach it.
1 Disco Elysium
Fight Alcoholism And Crime Simultaneously
Disco Elysium
- Released
- October 15, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
- Developer(s)
- ZA/UM
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Stadia
The final game on this list is Disco Elysium, a fantastic text-heavy RPG in which the player takes control of Lieutenant Harrier Du Bois, known as Harry, as he wakes up with a hangover and amnesia, struggling to piece together his life, identity, and situation, while also solving a murder investigation. Harry is an alcoholic, which plays directly into the opening moments of his story and affects his relationship with many of the secondary characters seen throughout.
Disco Elysium is a truly unique beast, from its narrative to its gameplay, visual design, and soundtrack, and its depiction of addiction merely adds to this. It is rare to find games in which the player character is so directly affected by addiction in this way, forced to overcome it to piece their life and memory back together, and the way this game handles it is masterful. The game has several branching narrative paths which allow a player to explore the world and narrative in their way, making decisions that truly matter, and offering the game a great level of replayability.
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