026
OPINION
Emma Withington
Bloodborne delivershealthy lessonson takingrisks
GAMES LIKE
BLOODBORNE CAN BE
A BIG STEP FORWARD
IN HELPING PEOPLE
MANAGE ANXIETY.
G
aming has been a
powerful source of
escapism for many
people, and helps us cope
with a variety of difficult
situations. For me, my
go-to for pure escapist jollies was
always the Saints Row series – you
can vent your frustrations via a
wibbly-wobbly Dildo Bat! What’s
not to love?
Sometimes you need more than a
simple distraction – something you
can really sink your teeth into. But
why on earth would you choose a
Soulsborne title during a period of
severe anxiety like I did? After all, the
term ‘Soulsborne’ has arguably become
synonymous with ‘excruciating
difficulty’ and ‘a special kind of Hell.’
In reality, this isn’t the case. The
difference between a Soulsborne and
many modern mainstream titles is
that it forces you to forget what you
know and take a less guided approach.
While still a form of escapism,
Bloodborne is a silent teacher
unbeknown to the player, much
like its predecessors – it
provides us with
something we never
knew we needed, or
even wanted.
Bloodborne, in particular,
is a fascinating beast.
Bloodborne could be
considered the definition
of anxiety: it’s frenzied,
relentless, and a
constant battle. There’s
no time to celebrate
your achievements, as
the next hurdle to
overcome lies in waitaround the corner. You’re forced to
repeat certain trials over and over
again, in the hope that you will soon
be able to end the nightmare you are
trapped within. This doesn’t exactly
sound like the perfect antidote for the
anxiety sufferer – here you go, have a
30-hour-plus panic attack! However,
by playing through a visual
representation of your own mental
landscape, your mind will begin to
subconsciously wrap itself around
concepts that can be difficult to
broach in reality.FOG DOORS
With your hunter’s
minimal backstory, Bloodborne
quickly becomes a deeply
personal tale, in which
all consequences and
how you proceed
are basedentirely on your own inner monologue.
There’s no little helper in an earpiece
here! Taking risks, breaching
uncertainty, and accepting ‘failure’ is
not the ideal cocktail for reducing
anxiety, yet these are fundamental
aspects to address, usually via
traditional methods like CBT.
Through basic mechanics, from Echo
management (which risks are worth
taking and which battles worth
fighting?) to ‘YOU DIED’ (why do I
keep failing?) Bloodborne won’t give
up on you or loosen its grip. It
certainly won’t prepare you for what
lies in wait around each corner.
Accepting this and learning to adapt
is by far the biggest hurdle. There’s
nothing quite like finding that perfect
balance in the midst of chaos and
finally breaking through your internal
vicious cycle.
A problem with traditional therapy
is that it’s something you attempt to
make dedicated time for. The smallest
of weekly tasks can feel like a
monumental wall to climb, generating
extra anxiety in the process.
Conversely, you willingly make
something like Bloodborne a regular
part of your time, before you get a
chance to realise you’re doing exactly
what your mind needs.
Bloodborne is by no means a
definitive ‘cure’. (The Healing Church
certainly isn’t!) It’s not about coming
out the other side invincible, but
becoming equipped with the tools to
progress through your own Fog Doors.
It’s important to look at games that
have had a significant impact on us, as
these experiences could be a big step
in helping others do the same.
Games on prescription, please!WRITER BIO
You might be able to take the girl out of
Cainhurst, but you can’t take Cainhurst out of
the girl – trust us, we’ve tried! Emma
Withington is a renowned merch goblin and
professional press botherer, who submitted
to Sony at the tender age of four.