Caution: Major spoilers for Persona 4
Have you ever read a novel, watched a movie, or played a game in which a scene or event perhaps hit too close to home? Sometimes it can be incredibly terrifying when you find yourself relating to a fictional character's personal traumas
or emotional problems. Has this ever happened to any of you?
I've been playing a lot of Persona 4, and on several occasions have found myself identifying with all of the characters in various ways. How often does one find him or herself identifying with characters in a video game? In most cases, the protagonists in RPGs are not characters that can be easily identified with, thanks to their extraordinary situations. While there are traits we can relate to, most of us can readily say that we have not been faced with life or death situations on a regular basis. Sure, the stories and events have the ability to tug at our heartstrings, but how frequently have you found yourself reading or listening to a character's predicament and realizing that it reflects your own personal life experiences?
Very seldom do video games hit close to home, but when they do, it has such a profound effect that describing it is difficult. Why? Because like books and film, we are reminded of the fact that video games are a piece of media and that they are not real life. However, if the game is able to tell a compelling tale, it's very easy to become very involved in a world that does not reflect the real world. But, what happens when you play a game in which there is a semblance of the contemporary world, and the characters you are granted with are struggling with real world problems and situations?
Perhaps this is why people love Persona 4's story so much. This is a game where the characters are personable enough to relate to, and players find themselves growing concerned for. When the characters enter the television world, they are forced to confront pieces of themselves that they have been trying to hide in the real world. What makes this an even more intriguing concept is that their true selves are what make you fall in love, sympathize and relate with the ensemble cast. Their feelings of hate, jealousy, confusion, mourning, lust, and envy are all emotions that people relate to, but are hidden in the core of most people's inner being.
A perfect example is when Yukiko is confronted with a "shadow", her true self. The shadow explains that Yukiko is jealous regarding many qualities of Chie, such as her carefree spirit, her ability to relate to guys, and the fact that Chie is unafraid to be herself. Yukiko's true self demands acceptance, because it wants Yukiko to understand that there are parts of ourselves we resent, ignore, or hide, yet are still very much a part of who we are. Yukiko's shadow wants to escape from a life of inheritance, but degrades the idea of Yukiko's desire for a prince on a white horse to come and rescue her, stating that she will never be able to stand on her own with such an expectation. Yukiko's weakness is that she is too scared to make a change in her life, because what she fears is failure.
Her fears and desires are, of course, completely justified. But I couldn't stop feeling sorry for Yukiko. Perhaps this is because I saw a shade of myself in her struggles - something I didn't want to admit that I could relate to.
While I was playing the game, I came to the realization that I could completely relate with how Yukiko's shadow was feeling, especially considering that many of my friends have left their hometowns to start new lives, while here I am struggling to escape from the place in which I'm trapped. Although I recognized Yukiko's true feelings, I found myself rather speechless at the game's approach on handling a tough subject matter. The game has the ability to express even the hardest of truths that eventually we as people must come to accept at some stage in our lives. Accepting parts of ourselves, no matter how malicious or dark they may be, is vital in understanding one's self. As the game attempts to point out, these feelings are something that cannot be ignored and will manifest in mysterious or dangerous ways. Facing the hard truth is never easy, but it takes recognizing that truth in someone or something else to make you reflect about who you are, and question ways to improve yourself.
So, how often has playing a video game made you reflect on your own personal life and well being? Have you, dear readers, ever experienced a moment where a game has had the ability to hit too close to home?
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