As GTA VI arrives, how 40 years of gaming helped me navigate love, fatherhood and loss
I had just named my planet Bragi when I got the call. It was Lewisham Hospital in south London. They suggested I come quickly. I paused my game and looked at my wife. “It’s Mum,” I said. It was four days before Christmas in 2018 and outside south London was suffering a torrential downpour. I couldn’t drive because I’d broken my ankle the week before, and so I sat in the back of the car as my wife…
In 2018, the loss of his wife during Christmas prompted the narrator to turn to video games for solace. He chose to play No Man's Sky, a game with infinite planets to explore, as a way to process his grief. The game's vastness mirrored the enormity of his sorrow, and he spent the next month naming planets, farming resources, and climbing mountains, finding beauty in the virtual world while he grieved for his mother.
This coping mechanism was not a surprise, as the narrator had been playing games since his childhood when he received a Commodore 64 for his 10th birthday. Games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and NHL 93 helped him fall in love with sports, while titles such as Deus Ex and The Last of Us brought him closer to his future wife, teaching him about patience, communication, and teamwork.
These experiences, forged through gaming, not only helped him navigate love, fatherhood, and loss but also solidified his commitment to his family.
Written by urgent.news from The National UAE's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
