There are so many things to love about video games. The ability to jump into the shoes of any character and explore vast new worlds gives players a temporary escape from their day-to-day lives. However, there are downsides to this hobby. Video games are usually played indoors, so those who spend most of their time gaming do not get much sunlight. Also, manufacturing video games and consoles requires a ton of resources. Nintendo has made game systems with a combined weight of over five thousand times that of the Statue of Liberty, and then some.
While the video game industry can have a detrimental effect on the environment, it can also help to open up players’ eyes to its beauty. They can give players a chance to experience the serenity of the natural world, and maybe even encourage them to go outside, experience it for themselves, and take care of it. Here are some of the best video games to help players appreciate nature.
7 In Okami, Restore Beauty To A Corrupted Land.
The now-defunct Clover Studios’ Okami puts players in the paws of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess of Shinto mythology, in the form of a white wolf. Armed with the power of the celestial brush, players must take on the minions of the multi-headed demon, Orochi, whose forces have shrouded the land in inky darkness.
The sacredness of the natural world is front and center in Okami. The vivid colors and the woodblock print-inspired art style accentuate the serenity of the forests, rivers, and valleys. Each zone has its own sacred tree, which, when restored with the celestial brush, brings color and life back to the surrounding land. Players can even take the time to do side activities, like fishing and feeding woodland critters. In combat, it is not only possible to slash opponents with the brush, but also to paint enough happy little trees to make Bob Ross proud.
6 In Beyond Good and Evil, See Life Through The Lens of A Camera.
Ubisoft veteran Michel Ancel brought players the world of Beyond Good and Evil in 2003. As Jade, players join the underground rebel network IRIS to uncover a conspiracy within the Alpha Sections, the military organization claiming to be the defenders of planet Hillys in the war against the sinister alien forces known as the Dom’z.
The primary tool that Jade uses for her work is her camera, which is used not only for investigative journalism, but also to document Hillys’s wildlife. Her main source of income is the photos she takes for the planet’s science center, in order to maintain a record of the creatures impacted by the ongoing war. The life players will document includes marine species, giant space whales, and even the smallest flies. This mechanic encourages players to stop and take notice of all the activity that exists around them, even in the vents of a military bunker.
5 Life is A Delicate Balance Of Give And Take in Valley.
Blue Isle Studios’ Valley puts players in the role of a researcher in the Rocky Mountains on the hunt for the legendary “life seed,” which is said to be the source of infinite sustainable energy. Throughout the protagonist’s journey, they will use a mech suit, letting them run around at the speed of sound and jump to extraordinary heights.
Running up and down hills and through forests alongside deer and other creatures is a thrill. The graphics are not only beautiful, but the music elevates the serenity of the experience. The mech suit allows players to revive dead life, and absorb energy from the surroundings to power it. If the player dies, energy from the environment will automatically revive them, but the player’s surroundings only have so much to give. If the player abuses their powers, they will lose revivals, so one must be cautious about how much they give and take. The gameplay is a metaphor for the delicate balance of the ecosystem, in which, if something is taken, it must be given back, and if more than what is needed is taken, everything starts falling apart.
4 Alba is on a Quest to Save a Nature Reserve
In Alba: A Wildlife Adventure, while on vacation at her grandparents’ home on a small Mediterranean island, Alba learns that the mayor is planning on building a modern hotel on top of the island’s nature reservation. Now Alba is on a quest to save it.
She does this by gathering petition signatures from the island’s residents. These are earned through carrying out various tasks, including utilizing a smartphone app in order to photograph and identify the various birds and animals present on the island. It’s a heartwarming, wholesome adventure about making a difference in one’s community. It is easy to just wander around and see what animals one can find. The only problem is that players can't pet the adorable cat.
3 Endless Ocean: Blue World Explores The Seas.
Endless Ocean: Blue World for the Wii allows players to take on the role of an amateur diver for L & L Diving Services, helmed by Captain Jean-Eric Luvier in the quest to uncover the secrets of a lost civilization hidden in the ocean. The game’s journey will take players to bodies of water around the world with colorful, friendly, and sometimes strange and potentially hostile marine life.
This is a game that allows players to go about at one’s own pace. They can feed the sea creatures, photograph them, and even hitch a ride with a friendly dolphin. Players will also be able to take on conservation initiatives, like populating an aquarium, giving guided tours, and planting a coral bed to attract aquatic species. With a soothing orchestral score and beautiful visuals, players will be left awestruck by the beauty awaiting them, and maybe think twice about tossing their trash in the water.
2 Spore Highlights Biodiversity and the Struggle for Survival
Will Wright and the now-defunct Maxis Studios’ Spore take players to an alien world through the long journey of a species fighting for survival. Starting as a single-celled organism, players eat, interact with other species, and evolve to sentience.
Saying the creatures of Spore are diverse is an understatement. The alien life comes in a myriad of shapes, sizes, and colors. The customization tools allow players to create virtually any creatures that can be imagined, including creatures from existing properties. Playing through the game is a reminder that the animals in the universe are just trying to get through life day by day, just like any human is.
1 Minecraft Teams Up With The WWF (not that kind).
There isn’t a need to explain Minecraft, because even those who don't play video games know what it is. Players are a character made of blocks, they run around randomly-generated worlds made of other blocks, gather blocks, fight monsters made of blocks that want to kill the block guy/girl. It’s all very cut and dry.
Minecraft has had many updates over the years, including introducing new mobs and blocks, but some of the more interesting updates have utilized Minecraft as a tool for ecological activism. In partnership with the World Wildlife Foundation, new mobs such as pandas and bees have been released to help players better appreciate and understand the creatures with whom the human race shares its world. The bee mob even adds new mechanics to the game, which include the ability to collect honey from beehives.