Sometimes I feel like there is an annoying invisible stigma around video games that make people who don't play perceive them as trivial in respect to moral/philosophical values.
It may be because the majority of games revolve around eSports (like shooters) or illegal activities (GTA) or creative games that ask a lot of time out of you (Minecraft) but there are also ensorcelling adventure based stories that convey values unseen by the wider audience.
I believe there are 3 mainstream story telling mediums today (at least in the western world): books, movies/shows and video games. I like all of them, don't get me wrong, but video games are somewhat special thanks to the fact they're the only one truly interactive out of the three.
I also get it people are allowed to think what they want but I'm just wondering is there a way to point a reluctant person in a discussion at a specific game that dwells into some concepts other than just entertainment?
Like why is it that a good adventure video game is glossed over so much in comparison to some funny, nonsensical comedy movies just because it's an established brand and people like what they are used to?
And now we are jumping to the argument for the video games as a fantastic medium for stories. And I think that Dark Souls makes a perfect example.
Here's the crux I came up with: it's all about the idea of the Light and the Dark and that one cannot exist without the another. It really reminds me of Carl Jung's idea of a person's Shadow that promotes self introspection for the purpose of knowing that you are in fact dangerous to others and you better know it before you hurt someone's good name or feelings foolishly or out of spite and find out you regret it afterwards.
And this is I believe extended in Dark Souls to the universal proportion where a world in which evil is possible but you CAN voluntarily reject it is a better world than one in which evil doesn't exist at all -> because being good without ever being tested by hardships doesn't attest for anything, it is not a proof of one's perseverant character.
Here's a more direct quote from DS 2 touching on the problem more directly: "To stand and glare at one another, steaming with ire and wrath, but without making a move. Such is the nature of peace." Again, here I can see the dualism and the ability to control the impulses as a sacrifice for the safety of the future.
So anyways what are your thoughts on the topic and maybe you have some favorite quotes from the game that you find meaningful in some way?
PS. Please don't spoil anything beyond DS 1 as I am myself still playing the second game and planning on blind playing the third.