Open-world games like 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' improve mental health
A survey of more than 600 graduate students found that open-world games, including '
Journal of Medical Internet Research - Open-World Games' Affordance of Cognitive Escapism, Relaxation, and Mental Well-Being Among Postgraduate Students: Mixed Methods Study
https://www.jmir.org/2024/1/e63760
Open-World Games Like Zelda Can Boost Your Mental Health, Study Says : ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/open-world-games-like-zelda-can-boost-your-mental-health-study-says
Based on previous research showing that games help relieve stress, Imperial College London's Ailyn Anto and her colleagues conducted a study on the hypothesis that open-world games that 'provide an engaging yet pressure-free experience' could help people escape reality and improve their mental health.
The survey participants were 609 graduate students with an average age of 23.19 years old. Ant and his colleagues defined 'open world' as 'a game with a large, explorable environment in which the player has minimal restrictions and can freely move and manipulate the game world.' Using Nintendo's 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' as an example, they hypothesized that open world games, which allow players to walk around the world at their own pace and choose their own routes and things to do, help players experience a sense of immersion and freedom.
The survey results showed that the high level of immersion leads to a psychological state of being detached from the stresses of the real world, and that playing open-world games increases people's sense of happiness.
Specifically, a high percentage of people answered 'yes' to questions such as 'does playing open world games give me a sense of satisfaction,' 'makes me feel relaxed,' 'helps me escape from everyday problems,' and 'helps me forget the worries and anxieties of life?'
Ant and his team also conducted in-depth interviews with some of the people, and received responses such as, 'I enjoyed the experience of being able to freely decide my own route, which is unique to open-world games,' 'I love the anticipation of not knowing what's around the corner and the surprise that fulfills that anticipation,' and 'Through trial and error, I grew as a person - in patience, self-discipline, kindness, friendship. So, I grew not only as Link, but as a warrior.'
Based on these results, Ant and his colleagues stated, 'This indicates that the escapism offered by open-world games contributes significantly to the well-being of graduate students. Open-world games provide a sense of immersion, relaxation, and relaxation, making them a valuable tool for improving mental health.'
In addition, 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild' is sold at Amazon.co.jp for 6218 yen including tax.
The sequel, 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,' costs 6,545 yen including tax.
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