Video games have evolved heavily from the early days of Pong. Back then, the most pressing issues gamers had to face was whether or not they should use that Warp Whistle straight away, or wait until the next world. And just how the hell do you fight Shin Akuma anyway?
Now however, the entire medium has changed. While games still exist of the simple plumber and his distressed damsel, they aren’t nearly as widespread.
Instead, video games focus on death, destruction, mental health and real world allegories to tell their stories.
As such, there are a few games out there that go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to representation of important subjects. These pillars of the artform help to elevate it beyond clichés, and strive to make video games stand out on the wider scale as a medium to be taken seriously.
Whether right or wrong, all of these games in some way tackle issues of a taboo nature – things that have only recently started to be explored to the best of their ability, and they all stand head and shoulders above the rest.
