Tales of The Abyss… Where you literally have to watch a genuine not that great a person struggle with his actions as he journeys to become his best self. He stumbles, he falters, slips up, and doubts himself, but he was never alone in his journey to prove to those around him that he could change for the better.
100% agree with this. That said, I never beat this game and am DYING for them to give it the remaster/rerelease treatment. Feels like a matter of time given the steady cadence we've seen over the years.
Here before people start complaining that empathy is political and therefore a bad thing 😅 But seriously, this is a great idea for a video. I think JRPGs are a really good genre for this since so many of them deal with things like classism and racism.
@@CysmaWinheim But I feel like those kinds of villains are actually the most interesting, because you can understand their motivations. For example, one of my favourite characters is Fou Lu in Breath of Fire IV. He's not a great person, but you also come to understand why he is the way that he is, and why he would want to do these things. With good writing, even if you disagree with their methods and by no means want to enable or justify them, villains can also teach empathy. Most villains weren't just born evil, they were made that way.
I don’t think the issue is the topic itself but instead the timing of the topic. These videos were released very close to the US election, whether it be a coincidence or not.
Metaphor Re:Fantazio - the party constantly points out they are there to help anyone in need, no matter race, religion, or even how they feel about the party and in doing so winning the hearts and minds of the populace as a whole
And yet Metaphor expected us to sympathize, and thus feel sorry for, the one truly responsible for the kidnapping plot in the second town. NO, that person was just a hypocrite and a monster. And for all their prep about helping races, they are pretty blind to how the big church is scummy af (especially towards minor races) when they tunnel visioned on just one of the main antagonists.
I'd argue they try to impose the wrong kind of empathy lessons. Why should we care more about the culprit of the Maritia kidnapping case (the real one) as opposed to all the victims that had their families ruined? It's like Akechi all over again...
Knocked it out of the park again. It would have been easier for you to ignore those comments. I'm glad you addressed them in such an emotionally mature way.
You're doing the lord's work, Branden. JRPG's are a huge pillar to what made me an empathetic person. It surprises me when there are people who are JRPG fans and are unempathetic, because almost every JRPG teaches it to some degree. Might I also suggest Lost Odyssey. Through the Thousand Years of Dream, Kaim learns to empathize with mortals. You, the player, also learn to feel a ton of empathy for Kaim for all the levels of loss he's experienced over a thousand years.
@JustTheGems it's definitely worth it! I'm planning on committing to a full playthrough of it soon. I always get to a certain point and stop for whatever reason. But the Thousand Years of Dreams portions you unlock will make you laugh, and cry and smile, and then ugly cry. It's amazing. If the first one doesn't destroy you, you are truly a sociopath.
I appreciate that you aren’t afraid to be a bit more thoughtful about this silly thing we love. As a person who tends to be a bit of a loner because of the tendencies of some of our peers I’m glad to see someone grapple with it a bit, even if it’s been a bit uncomfortable for you.
The first JRPG with a story who hit me up really hard it was Tales of Symphonia. In my early highschool there was not a lot of POC, so the concept of "racism" was quite new to me. I'm pretty sure that because of this game, I did not let myself be influenced by bullies to intimidate other.
I love this follow up to your previous video Brandon. Keep up the amazing work and spreading the love! I'm a little surprised that Harvestella didn't make the list. That game had so much heart.
Love you babe! Great topic. In a world where so many are quick to blame video games for encouraging violence and anti-social behavior it’s nice to see someone point out some positive things people can learn from them.
You've gotta talk about Final Fantasy 9. I thought, for sure, it would be in your list. The main character, Zidane, is a mischiveous rapscalion thief with a heart of gold, but- it never tarnishes. Throughout the whole typical JRPG quest of fighting rats to eventually fighting a god, Zidane is a constant example of radical empathy. And a bit girl-crazy, but mostly radical empathy, even towards the big bad evil guy, even after the terrible things they do, Zidane will choose compassion and empathy and mercy over anti-hero grim-dark retribution and revenge. He's actually pretty inspiring. He's right up there with the indefatiguable optimism shown by Superman, Shantae, and The Tick.
Now THIS is a topic I could spend all day discussing and you brought up some *stellar* entries. Really appreciate Rebirth's mention too, because that's what makes its tragic narrative work so well. Oddly enough, it's actually a trope normally reserved for romantic couples in second books when authors are like "uh, well, they already like each other so let's just have them be the world's worst communicators to cause tension instead", but here it's done RIGHT. As for what games came to mind from my own repertoire? Persona 4: Anyone's self-acceptance arc could apply, but Kanji's in particular sticks out bc of how deeply layered and nuanced it is. Pokemon GSC: The rival learning to treat his Pokemon with kindness? Gets me every time. Tales of Berseria: Eleanor rejecting everything she's known and loved to side with the very people she hunted tugs on all the heartstrings. Kingdom Hearts: ...'nuff said.
I like the recent Ys series for this. I love how the different characters come to care for each other as you learn more and more of their backstory. It teaches that you can never judge by outward appearances, and if you care for someone, you stick by them during hard times. It is what made me love the series, and I'm slowly but surely collecting the games.
The mana games are always heartwarming in their own way, Trials of Mana also developed the characters to fight for a greater good and not only their goal. I'll add some modern examples, like Harvestella, literally all the side quests are optional so it's up to you if you want to help, but the major moment of "being in other people shoes" is at the late game with all the truth about Aria's people, and even why you were the way you were (MC), because it was needed someone that could understand the two sides and show mercy and kindness to both. Or u can be a genoc1dde haha. Another example is the new SaGa 2 remake, you can solve situations in many ways or decide to not solve the problems and watch the consequences. You can let an entire town being burned by lava, or a kingdom fall; or you can chase a beautiful mermaid and forgive about your empire entirely 😂
It can be a challenge to try and be there for people. The fact that anyone tries at all means that there’s a chance someone will feel better on the other end of it all. Or at the very least, not feel alone. I love how this is a knee jerk response video to your prior one. A video essay with examples and lessons that these games can give you if you look just beyond a button prompt. The hard part for empathetic people is making sure they save some of that energy for themselves and knowing when they’re out of their depth with what issue is in front of them. Again, great video and you’re still a good egg. 👍
Thanks man. You're right, too, that taking care of yourself is especially important if you're particularly empathic, because caring CAN be really draining.
It always warms my heart to see someone praise Legend of Heroes series. I’m still new the the Trails community but it’s already one of my favorite series of all time. I’ve made it to Cold Steel 2 and it’s been wonderful
Had to get Trails in there. I love how Van isn't trying to win any battles with the power of friendship though.
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I loved this video so much, as it opens up a new way to look at these games and find a reason to try them without spoiling too much of each of their stories. Now I absolutely have to check out Visions of Mana!
Omg yes! It's been a long time since I've played the OG Nier, but even in Automata, just that whole ending sequence is a great example of being willing to help someone else at your own expense!
Thanks so much, Branden! 💙 There will probably be the usual assortment of unpleasant comments, but at least for now, you've got about a 40% like/watch ratio. That's absolutely insane for this platform! It may be thematically simple, but I'll never get tired of FF4. Cecil's journey, his *choice* to become a Paladin after seeing how much misery he and the Red Wings caused, and forgiving Kain and Golbez were meaningful to me as a kid, and hit even harder as a grown person. Modern Persona also has a throughline of empathy, despite the occasional missteps that the team has made.
Very good call on FF4, even for such an early game with a relatively "simple" story (compared to nowadays at least), it still hits hard with those themes for sure.
Given that most JRPGs are party based, usually with character development, it only makes sense there’s a thread of empathy. Chained Echoes is fantastic in this regard. Such different characters and all very distinct personalities and motives, conflicts, that it really fits here with pretty much every character. There’s a moment of understanding/empathy for all of them. The ending also hits really hard where it can be wholesome for most characters and challenging to accept/empathize for a couple.
I'll admit, that juicy SFC Tales of Phantasia box was the first thing that my brain noticed in your video. Followed by Pippin's mask, of all things. And I do agree that compassion, responsibility and emotional maturity are all important topic to discuss from time to time, no matter what some cognitively unfortunate individuals say. For their sake, too.
Tales of Vesperia. amazing game first of all. a lot of it has to do with the conflict between Yuri and Flynn. Yuri is a criminal who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Flynn is a knight serving in the corrupt royal guard trying to clean up a corrupt entity from the inside. The respect they have for one another is refreshing and they both extend empathy to people others would be quick to judge and keep distance from.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a great game which shows how someone's worldview can change when you give others a chance. Sometimes we live in a vacuum and that vacuum can twist and distort reality. It also does a great job of exploring the limited time we have on this planet (or that planet). Time is shorter than you think and we never have enough of it. Also, great job. Love the unique videos lately.
The Dwarven Vows from Tales of Symphonia will make you a better person. That game is a journey of hardship and kindness. Well worth playing if you’re interested in empathy and want to be a better person. Dwarven vow no. 134 compassion benefits all men!
Also any persona game but especially Persona 5 as a great choice for a game about not only noticing what others are going through but doing something about it. ❤
Yup, I can 100% relate to this. I can credit FF2 & FF3 (US SNES) for the games that helped to teach me more advance emotional concepts than just simple anger and sadness. With these more complex emotions came the feeling of empathy - *really* feeling for not just the good guys, but also the bad guys, and understanding their overall motivations for what they do. Even with something like FF3 (now easily referred to as FF6) where Kafka is clearly the bad guy, we've got the other side of the spectrum with the Trails series, where the bad guy(s) are almost always very nuanced with complex motivations that often span beyond the game currently being played.
OMG Branden you have got to play BoF IV. Its themes play exactly to this topic and also show just how, depending on one's circumstances, it's easy to end up disillusioned and bitter. The game itself is great, the pixel art is amazing and the story is top tier, so I really cannot recommend this enough. Great video topic btw and screw the chuds on the other one.
Great video... certainly one can choose to have the protagonist in Persona 3-5 show empathy toward the other characters. I am not sure if a JRPG can help someone that lacks empathy though.
Empathy, the textbook definition, is a great thing for everyone to practice. Unfortunately, I think that people overstep the line of empathy and bridge into enabling people. When it comes to empathy, it's important to understand someone's strife but not to admire it.
Exactly, and empathic people have to make sure to take care of themselves too, it's possible to go too far down the rabbit hole and make yourself miserable, which isn't helping anyone.
I loved this concept-thank you. For me this stuff is really brought home and is at the core of the story of the Trails in the Sky trilogy, and is especially impactful in the first two games. There’s one quote from Estelle near the end of Sky SC that is the most earnestly pro-social, humanist thing I’ve ever seen/heard in any medium, without feeling forced or lecturey-just incredible stuff Have not played most of those games and am looking fwd to them, thanks again for the recs
Final Fantasy XIV is made of empathy; Shadowbringers + Endwalker is literally about everyone coming together to defeat nihilistic despair. Does take a long time to get there, tho!
I personally don't always understand why people do things or what they are feeling but I usually try to view it as everyone have a bubble of values and habits the walk around in and they are all different. So instead of trying to make people adjust to your personal bubble, try to understand what the other persons bubble is and adjust to that. For example I have a friend that are always late and sometimes might not show up at all. The solution was to plan acording to this, for example if they do show up we buy and cook the dinner together. If they didn't no money was missspent. I used a similar approach to others like this.
Another game that I feel does empathy pretty well is xenoblade chronicles 3. Highly recommend the game if you haven’t played but start with 1 and 2, that’s important. 😊
To be fair, none of these recommendations are JRPG's, or even arguably RPG's, but they are story driven games with more puzzle elements than hardcore reflex skill based gameplay =P I would say "To the Moon" is a good game for empathy. It's a story about researchers using a machine to enter a dying mans memories and help him have memories of achieving his dream: to go to the moon, before passing. A touching story. "Brothers - A tale of two Sons" is also a game about finding solice in your brother while loosing everything. It's a game where both brothers a steered with each thumbstick, so getting around can be a bit awkward at times, but I loved it. The story is about 2 boys, one teenager on the cusps of manhood and a preteen just entering puberty (or so it seems to me) finding their way in the world after loosing their mother and their father has become gravely ill. It shows you the empathy the fellow villagers have for the boys only goes so far, and they need to rely on each other, and then they meet some kind strangers on their way that go out of their way to help them. "It takes Two", A great game to play with a friend or a loved one. This si a game about two parents on the brink of divorce, and through magical wishing on their daughters part, the become toys and need to cooperate to turn back to humans again. On that adventure, they get reconnected and start to slowly talk things out. I don't remember if they ended up staying together or not in the end, but they did get to spend time learning about each others challenges, and help reconsile their difference. "Spiritfarer", A game about helping souls cross over. You help some with letting go of grief, others of anxiety, and yet others are only lingering to teach you about plants in a kind and grandmotherly way. It's just such a nice atmospheric game, and it also supports 32:9 Ultra-ultrawide, it it glorious =P "Venba" A game about being an Indian immigrant family in an uncaring western nation, and about family, love, loss, and great indian food. "A short hike" A game about getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life and eventually reconnect with the people and the wilderness. A sweet and short game I think everyone should play. Bonus game: "Night In the Woods" I haven't gotten around to playing it yet, but have heard this is a really good game about connections and friendship, about loneliness and belonging.
Baffling that people could think kindness and empathy is political. Politics did not invent kindness, and if you think kindness isn't something your political veiws support, then you may want to consider if you are actually one of the good guys
One of the things I've always struggled with as a game story-line is the idea of self-sacrifice for the greater good. Since I haven't played visions of mana, let's take another game that has that theme: FF 10, and the path of the summoner. Unlike Visions of Mana, in FF 10, the summoner defeating Sin isn't technically needed for the world to keep going, but the summoners are Spira's hope: they are the way for a better future to happen, a world where the cycle with Sin is broken. One of the problems I have is that self-sacrifice for the greater good is almost always treated as a bad thing in games, there's always some deep, dark secret behind it, someone using the well-intentioned sacrifices of good people for their own evil ends (in FF 10, it was Yevon). This is a relatively modern perspective. For most of human history, self-sacrifice of the individual for the good of the greater community was seen as the greatest possible good a person could achieve. It's no coincidence it's the bedrock of just about all human religious imagery, going back eons. I think it shows a lack of empathy to toss away all those millennia of history because we're all so sure we know better today. That drive to self-sacrifice and that this was considered an extremely noble thing, helped generations of people to solve the single problem that most plagues humans in the modern world: a complete lack of purpose. I like the nuance with which FF 10 handles this theme, because ending the cycle of Sin won't require Yuna to sacrifice her life, but it will require a sacrifice. In a moment of story-telling that I can only describe as Trails-like, FF 10 told you this the entire time, from the very beginning: Tidus' name is never spoken aloud because Tidus is the only party member whose name you can change. All other party members have fixed names. The only other characters whose names you can change are the Aeons, therefore, defeating Sin for good, and allowing the Fayth to wake up will result in an inevitable sacrifice. I like the fact that FF 10 doesn't allow everyone to live to get the ending that is best for the most people. This is an extremely well-time and relevant video, we just went through one of the most empathy killing exercises in our modern world: an election. We need to heal from that.
I really appreciate these videos while maybe not agreeing on some of the games for anxiety (I disagree with the Trails/Ys since so anxiety inducing on the missable). :) Thanks While I know you are on here more, I did just subscribe to your patreon. Great content. I wonder about Tales of Symphonia or Tales of Arise as well as Persona (3 and 5) though Persona 2 is a lot.
I was going to say Trails as well. The villains want to end the world and the team is hesitant to take them out. Anyone who’s played the Cold Steel arc knows what I’m talking about. That’s not really a spoiler. That’s every video game, isn’t it?
I played FF7 in 97 when I was 15 and yes the story was great beat it a couple times through but the first jrpg I fully absorbed with ranges of emotions was breath of fire 3
If you continue making videos like these you WILL become the expert of self care, empathy and just being a decent human. Anyway, Final fantasy is a really good series for this subject. 13 has the whole Sazh understanding what Vanille did, same with Hope vs Snow. Also in 6, the game as a whole demands empathy from the player to understand that people can be so different, come from different backgrounds and believe in different things, and yet we all deserve love and a place in this world.
Wait a minute, after my context I will talk about video games! Personally, I am able to have empathy as much for people who voted Democrat as others who voted Republican. For example, I can very well understand a Democrat who works in the public service, who considers that his life has improved after Trump left office and who does not want to lose his job because he has a family to support. I can also understand a Republican who considers that his life has deteriorated over the last four years, who also has a family, and who thinks that with Russia we must negotiate a peace rather than create an escalation that could lead us to a point of no return. I could just as well vote for one side as the other personally, because I am not a partisan. Moreover, politically, I believe that being too partisan for a party (as if it were a simple hockey team) can harm empathy, at least for those who are different from us. Because if it's easy to be empathetic towards people who are like us, true empathy is the ability to be empathetic towards those who are different from us. In this sense, I would say that the character of Wakka in Final Fantasy X, with the progression of his ideas when he discovers that everything he was taught was not accurate, or that of General Leo in Final Fantasy VI are examples of empathy that speak to me a lot. Changing perspective and putting yourself in THE OTHER'S shoes, without necessarily agreeing with everything, is what empathy is for me. When you began your last video before this one, you said something like 'there are people who are happy with the election result, others who don't care that much and people who are really unhappy with this'. You didn't say 'these one who voted for Republicans are bad people, these one who voted Democrats are good people'. For me, empathy is also what you did (even if you probably have your own political views) and for that reason you deserves all our respect.
Great video man! Since you touched on politics in your comments, don't let the 'keep politics out of video games' crowd deter you from making videos on the topic should you want to. I'm confident you would handle it well and I would look forward to it!
The intro threw me for a loop, what wizardy was that?! My memory is hazy but I would also loosely say Final Fantasy XIII helps teach empathy too based one some things that happen between the characters. Also, there's a couple parts in Legend of Dragoon that cover this as well..... namely in the 4th disc.....
Uh, no. My beef isn't about being told I needed to care about a group of people. It's how out of touch you were using that very thing people were upset about to use as a narrative device for your anti-anxiety video. I'm certain if what happened early November turned out different, that video wouldn't have any reason to be uploaded.
@@JustTheGems I know I'm different from others. I can relate and understand them, but not hypocrites. Not the people who push hard to be empathetic while at the same time gaslighting us into believing that everyone else is the problem. Like, how dare we not like games such as Dustborn, Forspoken, Dragon Age the Veilguard, or Concord, because they were made with a modern audience in mind. And let's pretend Stellar Blade's EVE was always popular and well-loved now despite all the articles slamming it for being sexist. Empathy is something that comes naturally and is a two-way street. Modern games are losing sight of that because consulting groups keep pushing for what they want and believe rather than what gamers want. They want EVERYONE to like the same thing rather than build a core audience. And whenever we don't? Those creators and devs cry on social media and insult the gamers who don't like their failing product.
@@charlescaulkins8306 I think you have some valid points when it comes to censorship, it's a bit strange to me how companies are feeling like they have to change a warrior's outfit because of the West. (Like, we had bikini-clad warriors in the 80s. It was weird, and didn't seem the most realistic in terms of protection from attacks, but you know, whatever.) Some things do seem like an overreaction. But that's not to say that those issues don't matter to ANYONE. I assume you don't mean me when you talk about people gaslighting, since I was really just talking about anxiety. And yeah, absolutely, I used a real-life event as the frame of reference for that idea. I don't see a problem with that. If alluding to the fact that "an election happened, and some people are happy, but some people are worried!" is political, then, like... we're in big trouble. At that point, we're talking about making basic, unbiased references to reality as being divisive. That's nuts to me.
@@JustTheGems In 2020, did throngs of people who voted one way spend days feeling sorry for themselves when the last election happened and Biden was our new president? No, they grumbled and tried to make the most of it. They moved on. They knew things sucked but life is about ups and downs anyway. But in both 2016 and 2024, people suddenly needed safe spaces and days off. They were convinced the sky was falling because voting didn't go their way, even though in the last decade, things were BETTER from 2016 to 2020 than 2020 to 2024. Politics has no place in discussion period because people can't agree to disagree anymore. There is always friction between the left and the right and for good reason. Entire friendships and family ties have ended because of such opinions. PEOPLE HAVE DISOWNED AND/OR MINECRAFTED FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE OF TDS. You want to practice empathy? Understand that some topics are absolutely taboo to talk about.
New viewer here. We're 2:40 into the video and you've already asked me to sub, like and comment before offering me ANY content or discussing the title of the video. It's very off-putting.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Tales of The Abyss…
Where you literally have to watch a genuine not that great a person struggle with his actions as he journeys to become his best self. He stumbles, he falters, slips up, and doubts himself, but he was never alone in his journey to prove to those around him that he could change for the better.
I just got a Quest 3. I need to finally get around to that game. I never got around to playing it years ago, when I instead went with Rogue Galaxy...
100% agree with this. That said, I never beat this game and am DYING for them to give it the remaster/rerelease treatment. Feels like a matter of time given the steady cadence we've seen over the years.
Here before people start complaining that empathy is political and therefore a bad thing 😅 But seriously, this is a great idea for a video. I think JRPGs are a really good genre for this since so many of them deal with things like classism and racism.
Very much agreed
There's a caveat: "The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Case in point, the motive of the villain in Tales of Symphonia? To end racism.
@@CysmaWinheim But I feel like those kinds of villains are actually the most interesting, because you can understand their motivations. For example, one of my favourite characters is Fou Lu in Breath of Fire IV. He's not a great person, but you also come to understand why he is the way that he is, and why he would want to do these things.
With good writing, even if you disagree with their methods and by no means want to enable or justify them, villains can also teach empathy. Most villains weren't just born evil, they were made that way.
@@CysmaWinheimYet their method is extreme. That's also kinda the plot of Dragon Age Inquisition and Veilguard.
I don’t think the issue is the topic itself but instead the timing of the topic. These videos were released very close to the US election, whether it be a coincidence or not.
My dude I cannot accurately say how awesome it is to see videos like this and the anxiety video. It’s a great new perspective on games. Keep it up!
Metaphor Re:Fantazio - the party constantly points out they are there to help anyone in need, no matter race, religion, or even how they feel about the party and in doing so winning the hearts and minds of the populace as a whole
I was just thinking of this! 🙌🏻
And yet Metaphor expected us to sympathize, and thus feel sorry for, the one truly responsible for the kidnapping plot in the second town. NO, that person was just a hypocrite and a monster. And for all their prep about helping races, they are pretty blind to how the big church is scummy af (especially towards minor races) when they tunnel visioned on just one of the main antagonists.
Sadly Atlus refuses to do female main characters because Incel Fanbase
It’s pretty eye opening and super empathic considering what’s going on in the world recently
I'd argue they try to impose the wrong kind of empathy lessons. Why should we care more about the culprit of the Maritia kidnapping case (the real one) as opposed to all the victims that had their families ruined? It's like Akechi all over again...
Knocked it out of the park again. It would have been easier for you to ignore those comments. I'm glad you addressed them in such an emotionally mature way.
You're doing the lord's work, Branden. JRPG's are a huge pillar to what made me an empathetic person. It surprises me when there are people who are JRPG fans and are unempathetic, because almost every JRPG teaches it to some degree. Might I also suggest Lost Odyssey. Through the Thousand Years of Dream, Kaim learns to empathize with mortals. You, the player, also learn to feel a ton of empathy for Kaim for all the levels of loss he's experienced over a thousand years.
Oh man, that really makes me want to finally play that game even more!
@JustTheGems it's definitely worth it! I'm planning on committing to a full playthrough of it soon. I always get to a certain point and stop for whatever reason. But the Thousand Years of Dreams portions you unlock will make you laugh, and cry and smile, and then ugly cry. It's amazing. If the first one doesn't destroy you, you are truly a sociopath.
I appreciate that you aren’t afraid to be a bit more thoughtful about this silly thing we love. As a person who tends to be a bit of a loner because of the tendencies of some of our peers I’m glad to see someone grapple with it a bit, even if it’s been a bit uncomfortable for you.
The first JRPG with a story who hit me up really hard it was Tales of Symphonia. In my early highschool there was not a lot of POC, so the concept of "racism" was quite new to me. I'm pretty sure that because of this game, I did not let myself be influenced by bullies to intimidate other.
I love this follow up to your previous video Brandon. Keep up the amazing work and spreading the love! I'm a little surprised that Harvestella didn't make the list. That game had so much heart.
Love you babe! Great topic. In a world where so many are quick to blame video games for encouraging violence and anti-social behavior it’s nice to see someone point out some positive things people can learn from them.
You've gotta talk about Final Fantasy 9. I thought, for sure, it would be in your list. The main character, Zidane, is a mischiveous rapscalion thief with a heart of gold, but- it never tarnishes. Throughout the whole typical JRPG quest of fighting rats to eventually fighting a god, Zidane is a constant example of radical empathy. And a bit girl-crazy, but mostly radical empathy, even towards the big bad evil guy, even after the terrible things they do, Zidane will choose compassion and empathy and mercy over anti-hero grim-dark retribution and revenge. He's actually pretty inspiring. He's right up there with the indefatiguable optimism shown by Superman, Shantae, and The Tick.
Loved this video man, always a perfect mixture of genuine laugh out loud quips, genuine passion, and thoughtful analysis. Appreciate you!
Another fantastic video. I really like your recent videos and I think it shows the positive impact this hobby can have on people!
That means a lot, thank you so much!
Now THIS is a topic I could spend all day discussing and you brought up some *stellar* entries. Really appreciate Rebirth's mention too, because that's what makes its tragic narrative work so well. Oddly enough, it's actually a trope normally reserved for romantic couples in second books when authors are like "uh, well, they already like each other so let's just have them be the world's worst communicators to cause tension instead", but here it's done RIGHT. As for what games came to mind from my own repertoire?
Persona 4: Anyone's self-acceptance arc could apply, but Kanji's in particular sticks out bc of how deeply layered and nuanced it is.
Pokemon GSC: The rival learning to treat his Pokemon with kindness? Gets me every time.
Tales of Berseria: Eleanor rejecting everything she's known and loved to side with the very people she hunted tugs on all the heartstrings.
Kingdom Hearts: ...'nuff said.
Hey man, just wanted to say that this was a really great idea for a video like this. You did great, nice work!
Fantastic video which I will likely reference in the future!
I'm so happy to hear it!
Recently I started to realize people who play JRPGs do tend to have better empathy.
I like the recent Ys series for this. I love how the different characters come to care for each other as you learn more and more of their backstory. It teaches that you can never judge by outward appearances, and if you care for someone, you stick by them during hard times. It is what made me love the series, and I'm slowly but surely collecting the games.
The mana games are always heartwarming in their own way, Trials of Mana also developed the characters to fight for a greater good and not only their goal.
I'll add some modern examples, like Harvestella, literally all the side quests are optional so it's up to you if you want to help, but the major moment of "being in other people shoes" is at the late game with all the truth about Aria's people, and even why you were the way you were (MC), because it was needed someone that could understand the two sides and show mercy and kindness to both.
Or u can be a genoc1dde haha.
Another example is the new SaGa 2 remake, you can solve situations in many ways or decide to not solve the problems and watch the consequences. You can let an entire town being burned by lava, or a kingdom fall; or you can chase a beautiful mermaid and forgive about your empire entirely 😂
It can be a challenge to try and be there for people. The fact that anyone tries at all means that there’s a chance someone will feel better on the other end of it all. Or at the very least, not feel alone.
I love how this is a knee jerk response video to your prior one. A video essay with examples and lessons that these games can give you if you look just beyond a button prompt. The hard part for empathetic people is making sure they save some of that energy for themselves and knowing when they’re out of their depth with what issue is in front of them.
Again, great video and you’re still a good egg. 👍
Thanks man. You're right, too, that taking care of yourself is especially important if you're particularly empathic, because caring CAN be really draining.
This is a really great video dude! Love this one! Keep up the good work!
Very well done. Great insights and practical application. Nice job!
This was fantastic!!! Really neat topic, Branden!!! :)
Thanks Paige! 😁
Bro this video is beautiful. Pls keep making content like this
It always warms my heart to see someone praise Legend of Heroes series. I’m still new the the Trails community but it’s already one of my favorite series of all time. I’ve made it to Cold Steel 2 and it’s been wonderful
Had to get Trails in there. I love how Van isn't trying to win any battles with the power of friendship though.
I loved this video so much, as it opens up a new way to look at these games and find a reason to try them without spoiling too much of each of their stories. Now I absolutely have to check out Visions of Mana!
Omg yes! It's been a long time since I've played the OG Nier, but even in Automata, just that whole ending sequence is a great example of being willing to help someone else at your own expense!
Thanks so much, Branden! 💙
There will probably be the usual assortment of unpleasant comments, but at least for now, you've got about a 40% like/watch ratio. That's absolutely insane for this platform!
It may be thematically simple, but I'll never get tired of FF4. Cecil's journey, his *choice* to become a Paladin after seeing how much misery he and the Red Wings caused, and forgiving Kain and Golbez were meaningful to me as a kid, and hit even harder as a grown person.
Modern Persona also has a throughline of empathy, despite the occasional missteps that the team has made.
Very good call on FF4, even for such an early game with a relatively "simple" story (compared to nowadays at least), it still hits hard with those themes for sure.
Tales of Vesperia, Tales of Arise, Grandia 2, and Legend of Dragoon are the few I can think of off the top of my head.
Given that most JRPGs are party based, usually with character development, it only makes sense there’s a thread of empathy. Chained Echoes is fantastic in this regard. Such different characters and all very distinct personalities and motives, conflicts, that it really fits here with pretty much every character. There’s a moment of understanding/empathy for all of them. The ending also hits really hard where it can be wholesome for most characters and challenging to accept/empathize for a couple.
I'll admit, that juicy SFC Tales of Phantasia box was the first thing that my brain noticed in your video. Followed by Pippin's mask, of all things. And I do agree that compassion, responsibility and emotional maturity are all important topic to discuss from time to time, no matter what some cognitively unfortunate individuals say. For their sake, too.
Tales of Vesperia. amazing game first of all. a lot of it has to do with the conflict between Yuri and Flynn. Yuri is a criminal who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Flynn is a knight serving in the corrupt royal guard trying to clean up a corrupt entity from the inside. The respect they have for one another is refreshing and they both extend empathy to people others would be quick to judge and keep distance from.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a great game which shows how someone's worldview can change when you give others a chance. Sometimes we live in a vacuum and that vacuum can twist and distort reality. It also does a great job of exploring the limited time we have on this planet (or that planet). Time is shorter than you think and we never have enough of it.
Also, great job. Love the unique videos lately.
Thank you! And yeah, I agree, XB3 is a great one for this
I was going to say, yeah! If you still believe in good and evil, play Xenoblade 3! (You will be cured of it!)
The Dwarven Vows from Tales of Symphonia will make you a better person. That game is a journey of hardship and kindness. Well worth playing if you’re interested in empathy and want to be a better person. Dwarven vow no. 134 compassion benefits all men!
JRPGs teach empathy... now if you'll excuse me I need to kill thousands of creatures and beings so I can level grind for a bit 😂
lol I guess it's not a perfect system is it
Also any persona game but especially Persona 5 as a great choice for a game about not only noticing what others are going through but doing something about it. ❤
Yup, I can 100% relate to this. I can credit FF2 & FF3 (US SNES) for the games that helped to teach me more advance emotional concepts than just simple anger and sadness. With these more complex emotions came the feeling of empathy - *really* feeling for not just the good guys, but also the bad guys, and understanding their overall motivations for what they do. Even with something like FF3 (now easily referred to as FF6) where Kafka is clearly the bad guy, we've got the other side of the spectrum with the Trails series, where the bad guy(s) are almost always very nuanced with complex motivations that often span beyond the game currently being played.
I love your videos! So glad I follow you!❤
I appreciate it!
OMG Branden you have got to play BoF IV. Its themes play exactly to this topic and also show just how, depending on one's circumstances, it's easy to end up disillusioned and bitter. The game itself is great, the pixel art is amazing and the story is top tier, so I really cannot recommend this enough.
Great video topic btw and screw the chuds on the other one.
Great video... certainly one can choose to have the protagonist in Persona 3-5 show empathy toward the other characters. I am not sure if a JRPG can help someone that lacks empathy though.
Empathy, the textbook definition, is a great thing for everyone to practice. Unfortunately, I think that people overstep the line of empathy and bridge into enabling people. When it comes to empathy, it's important to understand someone's strife but not to admire it.
Exactly, and empathic people have to make sure to take care of themselves too, it's possible to go too far down the rabbit hole and make yourself miserable, which isn't helping anyone.
I loved this concept-thank you. For me this stuff is really brought home and is at the core of the story of the Trails in the Sky trilogy, and is especially impactful in the first two games. There’s one quote from Estelle near the end of Sky SC that is the most earnestly pro-social, humanist thing I’ve ever seen/heard in any medium, without feeling forced or lecturey-just incredible stuff
Have not played most of those games and am looking fwd to them, thanks again for the recs
I have always said
If it wasn't for Final Fantasy 4 on SNES I would be dead or in jail
Cecil saved me
Final Fantasy XIV is made of empathy; Shadowbringers + Endwalker is literally about everyone coming together to defeat nihilistic despair. Does take a long time to get there, tho!
I personally don't always understand why people do things or what they are feeling but I usually try to view it as everyone have a bubble of values and habits the walk around in and they are all different. So instead of trying to make people adjust to your personal bubble, try to understand what the other persons bubble is and adjust to that.
For example I have a friend that are always late and sometimes might not show up at all.
The solution was to plan acording to this, for example if they do show up we buy and cook the dinner together. If they didn't no money was missspent.
I used a similar approach to others like this.
Your beard teaches me empathy.
The beard is the finest source of empathic power.
@@JustTheGems lol...I am not a beard fan but have never been able to convince my hubby (of 33 years) to stay clean shaven.
Persona 3 and 4 taught me to be more social and making new friends.
Another game that I feel does empathy pretty well is xenoblade chronicles 3. Highly recommend the game if you haven’t played but start with 1 and 2, that’s important. 😊
Yes, very good call, I think there's a lot to be said for empathy in the Xeno series in general too.
Positive comment here to counteract the evil. Keep up the great work. Massive thumbs up for you, mate! 👍
What's the evil? Genuinely wondering.
I watched the entire video upside down just cuz 🙂
Lol
To be fair, none of these recommendations are JRPG's, or even arguably RPG's, but they are story driven games with more puzzle elements than hardcore reflex skill based gameplay =P
I would say "To the Moon" is a good game for empathy. It's a story about researchers using a machine to enter a dying mans memories and help him have memories of achieving his dream: to go to the moon, before passing. A touching story.
"Brothers - A tale of two Sons" is also a game about finding solice in your brother while loosing everything. It's a game where both brothers a steered with each thumbstick, so getting around can be a bit awkward at times, but I loved it. The story is about 2 boys, one teenager on the cusps of manhood and a preteen just entering puberty (or so it seems to me) finding their way in the world after loosing their mother and their father has become gravely ill. It shows you the empathy the fellow villagers have for the boys only goes so far, and they need to rely on each other, and then they meet some kind strangers on their way that go out of their way to help them.
"It takes Two", A great game to play with a friend or a loved one. This si a game about two parents on the brink of divorce, and through magical wishing on their daughters part, the become toys and need to cooperate to turn back to humans again. On that adventure, they get reconnected and start to slowly talk things out. I don't remember if they ended up staying together or not in the end, but they did get to spend time learning about each others challenges, and help reconsile their difference.
"Spiritfarer", A game about helping souls cross over. You help some with letting go of grief, others of anxiety, and yet others are only lingering to teach you about plants in a kind and grandmotherly way. It's just such a nice atmospheric game, and it also supports 32:9 Ultra-ultrawide, it it glorious =P
"Venba" A game about being an Indian immigrant family in an uncaring western nation, and about family, love, loss, and great indian food.
"A short hike" A game about getting away from the hustle and bustle of city life and eventually reconnect with the people and the wilderness. A sweet and short game I think everyone should play.
Bonus game: "Night In the Woods" I haven't gotten around to playing it yet, but have heard this is a really good game about connections and friendship, about loneliness and belonging.
Fantastic examples, thank you! I'm into those types of games too, I could definitely do an entire second video focused on story games
@@JustTheGems I would love to see that =)
Baffling that people could think kindness and empathy is political. Politics did not invent kindness, and if you think kindness isn't something your political veiws support, then you may want to consider if you are actually one of the good guys
One of the things I've always struggled with as a game story-line is the idea of self-sacrifice for the greater good. Since I haven't played visions of mana, let's take another game that has that theme: FF 10, and the path of the summoner. Unlike Visions of Mana, in FF 10, the summoner defeating Sin isn't technically needed for the world to keep going, but the summoners are Spira's hope: they are the way for a better future to happen, a world where the cycle with Sin is broken. One of the problems I have is that self-sacrifice for the greater good is almost always treated as a bad thing in games, there's always some deep, dark secret behind it, someone using the well-intentioned sacrifices of good people for their own evil ends (in FF 10, it was Yevon). This is a relatively modern perspective. For most of human history, self-sacrifice of the individual for the good of the greater community was seen as the greatest possible good a person could achieve. It's no coincidence it's the bedrock of just about all human religious imagery, going back eons. I think it shows a lack of empathy to toss away all those millennia of history because we're all so sure we know better today. That drive to self-sacrifice and that this was considered an extremely noble thing, helped generations of people to solve the single problem that most plagues humans in the modern world: a complete lack of purpose.
I like the nuance with which FF 10 handles this theme, because ending the cycle of Sin won't require Yuna to sacrifice her life, but it will require a sacrifice. In a moment of story-telling that I can only describe as Trails-like, FF 10 told you this the entire time, from the very beginning: Tidus' name is never spoken aloud because Tidus is the only party member whose name you can change. All other party members have fixed names. The only other characters whose names you can change are the Aeons, therefore, defeating Sin for good, and allowing the Fayth to wake up will result in an inevitable sacrifice. I like the fact that FF 10 doesn't allow everyone to live to get the ending that is best for the most people.
This is an extremely well-time and relevant video, we just went through one of the most empathy killing exercises in our modern world: an election. We need to heal from that.
Undertale is the ultimate empathy gauge. If you're friends didn't like the pacifist run then its time to get new friends lol😅
Lovely video! Thank you so much for it.
I would also suggest Metaphor Refantazio and the Like A Dragon with Ichiban ❤
I really appreciate these videos while maybe not agreeing on some of the games for anxiety (I disagree with the Trails/Ys since so anxiety inducing on the missable). :) Thanks
While I know you are on here more, I did just subscribe to your patreon. Great content.
I wonder about Tales of Symphonia or Tales of Arise as well as Persona (3 and 5) though Persona 2 is a lot.
Hey Branden, what you don't judge us, but you are a god, no? lol thanks for the video, that was fun subject!
I was going to say Trails as well. The villains want to end the world and the team is hesitant to take them out. Anyone who’s played the Cold Steel arc knows what I’m talking about. That’s not really a spoiler. That’s every video game, isn’t it?
I played FF7 in 97 when I was 15 and yes the story was great beat it a couple times through but the first jrpg I fully absorbed with ranges of emotions was breath of fire 3
If you continue making videos like these you WILL become the expert of self care, empathy and just being a decent human.
Anyway, Final fantasy is a really good series for this subject. 13 has the whole Sazh understanding what Vanille did, same with Hope vs Snow.
Also in 6, the game as a whole demands empathy from the player to understand that people can be so different, come from different backgrounds and believe in different things, and yet we all deserve love and a place in this world.
Oh yeah, good call! 13 actually has quite a bit, I hadn't thought about it in quite some time
Wait a minute, after my context I will talk about video games!
Personally, I am able to have empathy as much for people who voted Democrat as others who voted Republican. For example, I can very well understand a Democrat who works in the public service, who considers that his life has improved after Trump left office and who does not want to lose his job because he has a family to support. I can also understand a Republican who considers that his life has deteriorated over the last four years, who also has a family, and who thinks that with Russia we must negotiate a peace rather than create an escalation that could lead us to a point of no return.
I could just as well vote for one side as the other personally, because I am not a partisan. Moreover, politically, I believe that being too partisan for a party (as if it were a simple hockey team) can harm empathy, at least for those who are different from us. Because if it's easy to be empathetic towards people who are like us, true empathy is the ability to be empathetic towards those who are different from us.
In this sense, I would say that the character of Wakka in Final Fantasy X, with the progression of his ideas when he discovers that everything he was taught was not accurate, or that of General Leo in Final Fantasy VI are examples of empathy that speak to me a lot. Changing perspective and putting yourself in THE OTHER'S shoes, without necessarily agreeing with everything, is what empathy is for me.
When you began your last video before this one, you said something like 'there are people who are happy with the election result, others who don't care that much and people who are really unhappy with this'. You didn't say 'these one who voted for Republicans are bad people, these one who voted Democrats are good people'. For me, empathy is also what you did (even if you probably have your own political views) and for that reason you deserves all our respect.
Great video man! Since you touched on politics in your comments, don't let the 'keep politics out of video games' crowd deter you from making videos on the topic should you want to. I'm confident you would handle it well and I would look forward to it!
The intro threw me for a loop, what wizardy was that?! My memory is hazy but I would also loosely say Final Fantasy XIII helps teach empathy too based one some things that happen between the characters. Also, there's a couple parts in Legend of Dragoon that cover this as well..... namely in the 4th disc.....
Do they though? Pretty sure just today I slaughtered about four thousand squirrels in Ys lol.
Hahaha
Cool 👍
Uh, no. My beef isn't about being told I needed to care about a group of people. It's how out of touch you were using that very thing people were upset about to use as a narrative device for your anti-anxiety video. I'm certain if what happened early November turned out different, that video wouldn't have any reason to be uploaded.
Why do you think that? Do you not care about people who believe differently than you? And do you think everyone is like you in that case?
@@JustTheGems I know I'm different from others. I can relate and understand them, but not hypocrites. Not the people who push hard to be empathetic while at the same time gaslighting us into believing that everyone else is the problem. Like, how dare we not like games such as Dustborn, Forspoken, Dragon Age the Veilguard, or Concord, because they were made with a modern audience in mind. And let's pretend Stellar Blade's EVE was always popular and well-loved now despite all the articles slamming it for being sexist.
Empathy is something that comes naturally and is a two-way street. Modern games are losing sight of that because consulting groups keep pushing for what they want and believe rather than what gamers want. They want EVERYONE to like the same thing rather than build a core audience. And whenever we don't? Those creators and devs cry on social media and insult the gamers who don't like their failing product.
@@charlescaulkins8306 I think you have some valid points when it comes to censorship, it's a bit strange to me how companies are feeling like they have to change a warrior's outfit because of the West. (Like, we had bikini-clad warriors in the 80s. It was weird, and didn't seem the most realistic in terms of protection from attacks, but you know, whatever.) Some things do seem like an overreaction. But that's not to say that those issues don't matter to ANYONE.
I assume you don't mean me when you talk about people gaslighting, since I was really just talking about anxiety. And yeah, absolutely, I used a real-life event as the frame of reference for that idea. I don't see a problem with that. If alluding to the fact that "an election happened, and some people are happy, but some people are worried!" is political, then, like... we're in big trouble. At that point, we're talking about making basic, unbiased references to reality as being divisive. That's nuts to me.
@@JustTheGems In 2020, did throngs of people who voted one way spend days feeling sorry for themselves when the last election happened and Biden was our new president? No, they grumbled and tried to make the most of it. They moved on. They knew things sucked but life is about ups and downs anyway.
But in both 2016 and 2024, people suddenly needed safe spaces and days off. They were convinced the sky was falling because voting didn't go their way, even though in the last decade, things were BETTER from 2016 to 2020 than 2020 to 2024.
Politics has no place in discussion period because people can't agree to disagree anymore. There is always friction between the left and the right and for good reason. Entire friendships and family ties have ended because of such opinions. PEOPLE HAVE DISOWNED AND/OR MINECRAFTED FAMILY MEMBERS BECAUSE OF TDS.
You want to practice empathy? Understand that some topics are absolutely taboo to talk about.
most of you become Incels that hate any game staring a Woman
New viewer here. We're 2:40 into the video and you've already asked me to sub, like and comment before offering me ANY content or discussing the title of the video. It's very off-putting.
Sorry? I feel like that's really common.