8 Ways Video Games Make You A Better Person
5. They Promote Empathy & Understanding
The great, collective benefit of art in general is its capacity to amplify human empathy and understanding, to enhance our connection to the rest of the human race.
And that's no less true of video games than it is of, say, books or movies, especially in a modern era where gaming's storytelling and characterisation is becoming ever more fluid and complex.
Not all games are interested in exploring the human condition of course, but many are, and in turn provide an accessible platform for players to explore their feelings about a multitude of subjects.
The Last of Us franchise searingly tackles the impact of grief, while Papers, Please probes into the thorny politics of border control and immigration, and It Takes Two begs players to consider all sides of a messy relationship breakdown.
These are just a few examples, but they all marry outstanding gameplay with a clear desire to make the player identify with multiple points of view, and in turn help them develop nuanced thoughts and opinions on vast swaths of the human experience.