The Power of Metaphor in Videogames.
Added 2025-03-17 15:44:26 +0000 UTC
Video games have always been more than just entertainment. They’re stories, challenges, and, often, mirrors that reflect our inner struggles, hopes, and fears. When I was playing Forspoken, I found myself in a moment where Frey was trapped in a simulation. The situation struck a nerve—it felt eerily similar to how I’ve been feeling in my own life. Stuck. Questioning. Looking for a way out.
In that moment, I decided to believe that this match was a metaphor for my worries. That if I could overcome it, I could overcome anything. It gave me a sense of purpose, a way to fight back against the overwhelming feelings I had been wrestling with. But as I played, I realized something important—while metaphors can be powerful, they can also become traps.
We often use metaphors to make sense of our lives. We frame our struggles as boss fights, our setbacks as side quests, our healing as a skill tree that we’re slowly leveling up. And that perspective can be helpful. It can turn pain into progress, make difficulties feel surmountable. But it can also create unnecessary pressure. If every obstacle is a test of our worth, if every hardship must be “overcome,” then we risk turning life into a never-ending battle.
The truth is, not everything needs to be fought or won. Not every moment is a challenge that defines us. Sometimes, a game is just a game. Sometimes, life is just life. And the power of metaphor is knowing when to use it—and when to let it go.
So, as I played through that Forspoken moment, I stopped seeing it as a test. Instead, I let it be what it was—a moment. An experience. And I realized that I don’t need to “win” life to live it.
That’s the real power of metaphor. It’s a tool, not a rule. And the more we learn to use it with intention, the more we can navigate our own stories with clarity, without feeling like we’re always trapped in a game we have to beat.
