Mental Health in Video Games // HeavyEyed

*There are no story spoilers for Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice here, just early game visual ones*
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Depression in Games //
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Mental Health is something that mainstream media has been struggling to properly represent for the longest time, while things have been getting better on all fronts, leading the charge is video games. And with Ninja Theory's Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice we have seen a real and raw look at dealing with Psychosis, which has rocketed the games industry forward with great representation.
Scripting help from //
Chadunda
/ @chadundashow
Nikolai Boulton
/ @nickolaiboulton
Sleep Talk
/ sleep__talk
Songs Used //
Oxenfree OST - 7am
Bonus Points - Long Exposure
Given Names - Olaf
Handbook - Rose Gardens
Oxenfree OST - Lost

[@morbid1.]

sadly in most cases people do not treat mental illness like other things... if you say someone "I have cancer" they will get it instantly but when you're a man and you say "I have depression" people will respond "get over it" or " don't be a cry baby, be a man", which is devastating.

[@HeavyEyed]

Summed up over half my life, I hope these games will help give people an understanding of what the struggle is like.

[@linkenski]

Neurotyczny Kot depression is relentless if you're in it, but people who shut it down like that are people trying to suppress their own potential depression. Two depressed people can comfort each other but they will have the hardest time ever escaping together because it's such a mountain to climb eventually one will be closer to the surface than the other and then they will pull each other down from the fear of losing each other. this is why people will push depressed people away and vice versa. the hardest part of overcoming depression is the true loneliness that follows it where only the most helpful and compassionate yet stern individuals will be able to give you comfort along the way.

[@marika4836]

Apparently people actually used to give a similar response to cancer where there just wasn't a lot of empathy. I heard that people would treat it as if it were your own fault and you brought it upon yourself. Also interesting, there was this recent article in the NYTimes comparing depression to cancer and how similar the two illnesses are.

[@WritingOnGames]

YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT I THINK THIS IS VERY GOOD BUT I AM COMMENTING ANYWAY TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT

[@HeavyEyed]

You're a bloody gem Hamish

[@CaptainNnif]

As a game dev, I'm often shocked how relevant your videos are. I'm working on a horror RPG starring a teen girl with perpetual anxiety, paranoia, and PTSD. I want you to know that your video convinced me to keep her mental illness! I was worried people will relentlessly compare our game to Lisa: The Painful, but you've convinced me that the world need more accurate and uncomfortable representations of mental and emotional trauma.

[@HeavyEyed]

I'm so glad I could help you out with this and that sounds amazing! Please message me on twitter on something when you have stuff to show, would love to check that out!

[@13eaewe7m3thso]

tbh i never wanted to get rid of the voices in my head, i just wanted them to be a bit nicer, and accepting eachother as real, and as entities who could be friends, we ended up making a lot of emotional progress we wouldn't otherwise

[@KironVB]

The part where you can see in Senua's reflection (where she cuts her own head with the broken sword) , that she is in fact just talking to herself in a creepy voice, while the camera pans back at Senua and you see her mouth not moving at all, really reminds of a run-in with a homeless person in Sydney obviously suffering from a psychotic breakdown, it was literally just that, her violent and psychotic thoughts were coming out through her own voice (and in a creepy exorcist style voice exactly like Senua is doing), yet she thought it was some voice speaking to her and it wasn't just her mind and own mouth speaking. The game at that point for that moment really put me in the mind of what that person must have been experiencing.

[@HeavyEyed]

That moment is one of the ones where I had to step away, it was so god damn intense. The fact it resonated with something you've seen someone experience is scary and I feel for that person, and at the same time anecdotally proves how good the representation is in this game, thanks for sharing this story.

[@ehmaysi]

It's been nice to see developers portray mental illness in a way that's honest and real. Especially now with Hellblade and that "middle-market", which is hopefully a sign of things to come. Good stuff man, you've been knocking these out of the park

[@HeavyEyed]

Yeah I'm really, really hoping this is the beginning of something much bigger since Ninja Theory got involved. Thanks Mac, love you my dude.

[@NathanGatten]

While I disagree that representation in a game that's more AAA is more groundbreaking than representation in an indie game, it's always great to hear someone give a good game a needed signal boost, rather than just focusing on the bad games as others have done. And as others have said it's a wonderful thing to hear these personal stories that connects to these video games. The level of immersion ( and thus, relatability with the characters) that can be achieved in this medium is amazing. This developer is definitely one to keep an eye on.

[@HeavyEyed]

Oh - Genuinely I'm so sorry if it came across like I saying, it's more groundbreaking from a AAA / AA game, all I meant was I'm glad this conversation is taking place at higher levels for more people to experience.

[@razbuten]

I love you, brother.

[@HeavyEyed]

[@spectrelex3051]

[@Soundole]

I'm glad to hear your Patreon has been doing well, your thoughtful narration is a great model for game discussion on youtube.

[@HeavyEyed]

Thank you so much, that means a lot!

[@SticktheFigure]

So, first of all, please keep up the fantastic work. I'm sure pushing your way into the field of game/media analysis on youtube is a tough one but everything you've created has been wonderful. As for this video specifically I have a lot of feelings but not a lot of words so I'm gonna ramble just a teeny bit. As someone who struggles with this and that (as I suppose anyone does) the trend towards dealing with topics like mental health carefully and thoughtfully has been enlightening. Not only does having characters I can connect with help me become more invested in them, but it also allows me to step outside of my own life at times and see how things I do, as a result of who I am and the problems I have, can be harmful or misinterpreted at times as well. And from that, I can do whatever to help at least minimize any problems I cause for others. I guess what I'm getting at is media can be...therapeutic? Anyway yeah, seriously keep it up comrade.

[@HeavyEyed]

I completely agree with the sentiment that media gives us the opportunity to step outside of ourselves and see how our actions affect (effect?) others, it's such a good use of the mediums at hand.

[@stormiette]

Had never heard of this game, but I loved this video for making me aware. Games have definitely helped me through my own mental health struggles, and I really appreciate what you did here! Joseph Anderson sent me!

[@comickid528]

Props on another fantastic video man, love how you tie the personal into the technical every time

[@VZed]

I think video games have the unique opportunity to fully convey the power of the human experience even if that power is being powerless. I haven't played this game yet, but i'm definitely adding it to my list. It seems like an important perspective. Thanks for this.

[@averyp.2379]

thank you so much. i don't often comment on videos but this one touches a subject that matters to me very much personally (as someone with a host of mental illnesses of my own who cares about representation a lot) and i'm very glad you handled it the way you did. this video feels gentle and personal, in a way i'm not sure how to describe but i appreciate it. i've been eyeing hellblade: senua's sacrifice for a while but been wary of it; glad to hear it's good. will definitely give it a shot. thanks again.

[@HeavyEyed]

Thanks for your comment and I'm glad you thought I handled it well (seriously a massive concern of mine) and I could hit home on some points for you.

[@Hepyrian]

I'm so glad this video has been made. These struggles are not ones people should feel alienated by. I know mental health is a really difficult issue to talk about, but I'm glad you could do it so accurately. Thank you Mitch

[@HeavyEyed]

Thanks Sean, this video was hard for heaps of reasons but I'm glad I got it out there.

[@HappyMaskGamer]

I love this video, and I love you. Great job, man. We're not alone in this

[@HeavyEyed]

Love you Tylor.

[@kellielongatti4242]

Thank you so much for this video. I am an MSW researching video game therapy for my clients. I appreciate this incredibly heartfelt and informative video. Thank you for your work and obvious devotion to mental health.

[@MattyStoked]

Mitch, what a candid and personal response to both a game and subject which is rife with contention. Thank you for sharing this with us. x

[@lavransvalentin3695]

Great stuff, man. If you ever feel like what you're doing is pointless, know that it is not. Watching videos by you, snomaN, Mark Brown amongst others is uplifting and exciting in so many ways. Best of luck!

[@HeavyEyed]

Thank you so much.

[@cloney999]

This is a really solid turning point and it continues to push the needle. Also, as a fellow kiwi, Thank you for pushing live for tmo :)

[@HeavyEyed]

My friends run the Wellington Zeal chapter, also my flatmate works for them, so I've seen first hand the work they do for kids struggling, it was incredibly eye opening, had to help out somehow.

[@grankwastaken]

Just another great video, nice work man!

[@grankwastaken]

Thanks, i think this was my 1st heart on any video! :D

[@ACrazyShotgun]

Mitch, I think this is my favorite video of yours.

[@HeavyEyed]

Thank you, Austin!

[@CynicBlaze]

Fantastic video! I can relate to a lot of what you said, Hellblade was an experience I'll remember forever

[@PerrydactylShow]

Man, I love to hear you discuss ish you're passionate about.

[@ASMinor]

I am an avid #MentalHealthAwareness advocate and performer, and I love this so much. I travel the country trying to bring that awareness on stages, in classrooms, hospitals, and on my KZbin channel, so I get excited when I see other advocates. 💙❤

[@lukson981]

Cool thing about this game is that it turns one-off experiences that indie titles give, into full fledged story great video

[@gustavocastilho9106]

Awesome video :)

[@mervynjones9909]

Hugely frustrating to watch this post-release of the Medium, Bloober set us back quite a ways and I'm scared to see what the industry does with that game's success

[@felixweiler5892]

Good video! I hope you are doing better now

[@RoxasXIII]

The backlash on the permadeath was about it being a lie in the game. There is no permadeath in the game yet it tells you there is permadeath, that’s why people were upset. They wanted permadeath.

[@RMarsupial]

Hey, I hadn't heard of this game. Sounds good!

[@smotbutterman1127]

Midway did a pretty good job back in 2004 with The Suffering as well.

[@HeavyEyed]

Wow, you pulled that game out of the depths of my memories, completely forgot about it!

[@freestyleliving4145]

That game was badass remake please

[@LeoprosoLukewarm]

I like Ninja Theory is taking this way instead of making DmC but, I would like to know why you think Silent Hill games are outdated in this term of treating such topics. Games such as Shattered Memories not just bringing these themes in the narrative but also in gameplay more than Hellblade

[@username4570]

You visually reference Oxenfree a lot when talking about mental health. I played the game and never made that connection, I'd be interested to hear you talk about it

[@snomangaming]

:ok_hand:

[@HeavyEyed]

:eyes:

[@starcubey]

:thinking:

[@dizzt19]

I should look into why this kind of audio design makes me nauseous. That and the trailers looking more like cutscenes and QTEs made me quite sceptical. But yeah, I should probably try playing this at some point :)

[@TepidTacos]

What are the games around 3:14? The one with the cat and the one with the swordfighting?

[@HeavyEyed]

Night in the Woods and Stories: The Path of Destinies!

[@sadfaffsafd6153]

nice vid but what game is shown at 5:53 ?

[@ozaren5071]

awesome video

[@gunman5550531]

I hate to ask but who is Kit Taylor?

[@owlson8829]

you should have more subscribers. have my sub i rly like this video :)

[@RomainCourtois]

Very interesting

[@MiguelMorelli]

"leading the charge for (...) *are videogames" at 2:30 instead of *is videogames

[@MoonSpiritChannel]

I really need to play this game when I get the money. This game seems to have a very intriguing game mechanic, as I'd love to delve into the minds of the mentally ill. I hope that doesn't sound bad.

[@HeavyEyed]

I so highly recommend this game for it's gameplay / story and for an insight for those struggling.

[@stevebruh5019]

At 3:03, a "frontier of psychology" is the author?... No

[@564iwjh]

probably the name of a journal

[@ToriKo_]

AAGAHAGAHAG It's so hard not to watch any of these videos about the game because I want to play it first. Still have to watch Raycevick's too

[@HeavyEyed]

If it helps - there are no story spoilers (just a couple of mechanical things) and no footage after the first hour of the game, but I completely understand if you still wanna skip it.

[@ToriKo_]

HeavyEyed agahagagagga you replied!!! Don't worry I'm gonna watch all of these videos once I play Hellblade. You consistently make content I enjoy so no worries there.

[@ohio_dino]

3:08 what is that game?

[@arm866]

What game is that at 3:42?

[@HeavyEyed]

Its a little game called Robin. It's free on itch.io, highly recommend!

[@arm866]

Sweet. I'll go check it out. Thanks!

[@SianaGearz]

Hugs

[@linkenski]

a small nitpick I have is that you keep calling it "representation" as if that is what makes this so good. I have tremendous anxiety too so we're on the same page, but I've learned over the years that an aspect of emotional immaturity is the "life happens to me" or victimization of yourself whether it's self-conscious or not. I do not believe the greatness of Taxi Driver lies within its ability to portray a mentally Ill protagonist. I have not played this so I can't talk about it yet, but while the execution of portraying mental illness matters what really should matter the most is what it says with it, not just how much it "respects" people like you and me. I feel by saying that Hellblade is good at representing psychosis and anxiety you're telling me this is a good game solely because you can project your own feelings to it; that they're compatible but incidentally so. while the team used mental health expert they surely had a larger purpose with their craft than "let us represent and make justice for mentally ill people!". The message of Taxi Driver isn't " Look at this mentally ill person and how sorry you should feel for him" it's rather "we all have a person like Travis Bickle inside us and we've all *been there* but if we're not careful we may also end up taking his same path to darkness and suicidal lifestyle". I'm left with a lack of knowing what is supposedly constructive to people with anxiety about Hellblade. you mention games can be used as an escape with Starfox as a personal example. That's a good and positive example but what does hellblade offer in this regard besides simply patting you on the back and telling you to feel sorry for yourself as a person with similar problems as the protagonist? I don't think that kind of "representation" is healthy to our culture at all.

[@lululumpia]

you make a really great point. this kind of representation feels “good” only because it’s validating but... past that, how is it helping anyone? hmm

[@chrisossu2070]

It helps by virtue of telling someone suffering from these issues that they are not alone. To at least know that at least one other person has some understanding of what they are going through is a form of relief. It gives hope that there is at least one other person out there that they can discuss their problems with. There is no "one solution" that can be stated in the realm of mental illness because the brain is a complicated organ that scientists still are struggling to understand to this day, and as stated, mental illness affects people differently. At the moment, the major stepping block is giving those suffering from mental illness a form of representation that doesn't portray them as barely human.

[@13eaewe7m3thso]

it's good to be reminded you're not alone and that your life and problems matter, when ableist society can try so hard to make us feel different, there's no shame in being a victim

[@vorval96]

was that video supposed to raise the awareness of mentall illnesses in games or what? I'm missing the point

[@note4note804]

Theres so much conflating in this video. It keeps mixing the fantastic with the mundane and pretending that associating personal trauma with the fiction on screen is the same thing as the depiction being "good". Probably the worst part is your attempt to connect the mind bending psychosis of Senua with your personal anxiety. God forbid we have anyone making the argument that sanity mechanics are bad lest people in the real world assume every mentally ill person is one Lovecraftian spook from grand delusion. Didnt we start the video stating that video games don't cause a lack of empathy? So why are we then flipping the script and saying we must have realistic depictions of mental health in games that would never pretend to depict the reality of the mundane issues of anxiety and depression if not to insinuate that this lack of authenticity creates a lack of empathy for the mentally ill?

[@lavenderhuman]

What a great video! Hellblade was incredibly relatable for me, someone who also suffers from psychosis (though thankfully not as severe as Senua’s). The whole game was also really cathartic and I’m glad to see it getting the attention it deserves

[@ohio_dino]

4:02 what is that game?

[@gurglscum]

2:27 what is that game?

[@rianmulcahy7200]

Gurg night in the woods