World Immersion in Video Games and Beyond

Games with excellent world-building have always fascinated us from the narrative and visual standpoint. Finding immersive values in such games has been one of games’ biggest challenges and successes in the past few years, yet have these experiences of immersion gone beyond video games and pushed us to appreciate reality more?

Not so much, as things seem to be. The value we put on the beauty of video game worlds has not translated to how much we value the beauty of our reality.

Information and data from various environmental organizations like NASA, United Nations, and IMF have shown environmental neglect by people and corporations that global temperature has increased by about 1 degree Celsius since 1880, the average sea level by 190 mm since 1991, and global deforestation by 4 percent.

Is there a lack of environmental representation in games? And, do these things even matter? 

In this article, we go over a few games that showcase climate change events and how we respond to these tragedies as players in video games and living beings grounded in reality.

Change in Temperature 

Temperature changes happen on a day-to-day basis, but having the average temperature around the world change even by a decimal unit from one year to another is something we should fear for.

There are actually few games that show the effects of extreme temperature change, but there are enough to show minor inconveniences that one can imagine the damage it brings if these minute disturbances accumulate and escalate.

An example of a game that shows the effects of temperature change is Planet Zoo where you play as a zoo manager building an artificial habitat for various animals.

Planet Zoo has a weather and temperature mechanic that affects the comfort and welfare of animals in their shelter. Other than animals being affected, humans will also feel discomfort from unfavorable levels of temperature.

If you are interested in the game developers’ discussion over this mechanic, you can check their Developer Journal on the topic here.

While the game does not go so far as giving animals or humans the harsh consequences of extreme temperature, there are always real-world examples of such things.

According to Nicola Lacetera’s article named Impact of climate change on animal health and welfare, levels of heat that does not sit well with certain animal species will affect their metabolism, oxidation, and immune system which will most likely lead to death.

In a report by BBC last 18th of July this year, heatwaves occurred in the UK that forced Yorkshire Wildlife Park to temporarily close because their animals are extremely agitated and in need of care from the extreme heat.

Other international news sources like Vice and Reuters have also reported that thousands of cattle around the globe have recently died from heat stress and dehydration.

Rising Sea Levels

Another effect of climate change is rising sea levels due to ice caps melting and water thermal expansion. According to National Geographic, salt contamination, flooding, and tsunami vulnerability worsen when rising sea levels are left ignored and unattended.

The average sea level of the world has continuously risen at an alarming rate since 1993 as seen by NASA’s report.

Cities: Skylines and Tropico 5 are great examples of games that show the damages caused by tsunamis and floods, harming wildlife and human communities. Both games are city-building simulators where players have to manage resources such as money, electricity, and water supply while growing their community. 

In Tropico 5, a random scripted event can happen where a tsunami hits the player’s island which destroys various structures built by the player. 

In Cities: Skylines, the regular uprising of bodies of water from thermal expansion and moments of hightide or natural disasters like earthquakes and tsunamis destroy cities.

Even the news source Los Angeles Times has created an interactive game that shows the dangers and effects of unexpected levels of sea rise. 

All of these games challenge players to prepare for or recuperate from damages done by rising levels of seawater.

Oftentimes, people in low-lying areas are most affected as opposed to city residents. These events happen at such speed that the limited resources available and various social hindrances to ensuring safety make most players give up.

The reality, however, does not allow us to give up. Governments and various charitable organizations like local government units, non-governmental organizations, and even international foundations like United Nations, WWF, and Greenpeace will struggle and try their best to keep communities afloat. Lives and resources are not as expendable as they are in video games.

Loss of Life and Habitat

Finally, all climate change effects result in direct and indirect loss of life and habitat.

Changes in living situations such as food and water resource, temperature, reproduction rate, hibernation, and other factors affect humans and wildlife according to various research done since the 1930s when Guy Callendar discovered climate change.

Several animals have been listed as heavily affected by climate change by one of the largest international NGOs on wildlife called the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). According to WWF in 2015, elephants, pandas, gorillas, and polar bears are some of the most affected animals by climate change. As reported last year by UK’s National History Museum, Komodo Dragons have become endangered as rising sea levels threaten to submerge their habitat under water.

How have we come to this state of climate change despite video games showing us how much beauty and care we should give to nature?

One of the games we can look at that shows the acceleration of environmental destruction is, surprisingly, Red Dead Redemption 2.

While its main story revolves around the Van der Linde gang as they avoid the outlaws and lawmen, a central theme in Red Dead Redemption is the passing of times – the death of the Old Wild West, the birth of high society, and industrialization.

As time progresses along with technology, our greed has driven us to consume and destroy for the sake of creation. 

Various instances of uncontrolled deforestation, destructive mining, excessive hunting, and mass urbanization that result in the death, destruction, and displacement of both wildlife and humans in America are shown in the game.

The disappearance of old technology and ways of living is part of progress, yet to be misguided with accelerating the destruction of the world to achieve it is a dangerous mindset.

Climate Change sucks, we get it. So what?

So what? What is up? What is up is that we all live in the same world but do not have the same beliefs, capabilities, and circumstances.

Others will be easily affected by temperature changes in areas of extreme temperatures like the desert or snowy areas. Others will be more vulnerable to sea level changes such as those in low-lying areas beside rivers or seas than those in cities and high-altitude places. Some people can enjoy their lives despite these environmental changes, and some do not. Some people value wildlife, nature, and human welfare more than others, while some simply do not.

Even with the comparison of all these things, they should not even matter. The idea that the world is coming to an end faster than natural is alarming enough. Life, reality and its allure extend beyond us and our experiences. Just as most of us are narcissistic and selfish with the life and beauty we experience right now, life in the future is rightfully the same.

Reality should change for the better, especially as more of us play video games that inevitably reflect different aspects of the real world. Video games will always grasp reality, one way or another. What happens in the real world, will seep into video games through visual, auditory, or narrative concepts and designs.

So let us learn to appreciate and immerse ourselves in the real world as much as we do in the video game world. Let us make an effort to acknowledge, maintain, and restore the environment that makes all things beautiful.

If you want more video games that show the charms or plights of nature, or games that can help you appreciate the environment, then here are a few.

Abzu – An underwater exploration game where players delve into the sea to find what creatures that lurk beyond us.

Beyond Blue – Another underwater exploration game that has narrative tie-ins with the sea diving adventure.

Endling - Extinction is Forever – A narrative-driven game where the player takes control of a female fox trying to survive with her children.

Firewatch – A single-player narrative-driven game set in the wilderness of Wyoming in which at one point a wildfire breaks out in the forest.

Kingdom: Come Deliverance – An open-world RPG game set in 1403 with an immensely immersive environment, wildlife, and human NPCs.

Plasticity – an indie puzzle single-player game created by a bunch of students that show a future destroyed and filled with plastic.

Subnautica – Yet another underwater exploration game where base building and efficient resource management is key to progress and survival.

theHunter: Call of the Wild – A open-world hunting simulator game with realistic graphics and animal interactions.

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