3 Games That Depict Natural Disasters

Over time, the connections between video game stories and real life have become stronger, with many reflecting the real world rather than letting players momentarily escape it. Of course, games like League of Legends still offer this type of escape, but then there are games like The Stanley Parable, which reflect the mundaneness of working in an office every day. Several games also depict natural disasters, which are increasing worldwide. Today’s article will explore three of these games.

#1: Raw Danger

Raw Danger is a 2006 video game released for PlayStation 2. It is a sequel to Disaster Report, and the game follows six characters trying to escape a flooding city caused by torrential rains. Every character must use creative survival skills to make it through the game, and they have to try to find shelter and food. The resources they use to find these things are up to them. This isn’t any different than what we do in a real-life natural disaster, where people pack emergency kits with food and sheltering equipment like tents in the event of an emergency.

According to ExpressVPN’s article on what to pack when a crisis hits, people also pack tech tools like data storage devices, phones and accessories, and chargers such as power banks and universal adapters in these situations. You never know when a crisis will hit or what type of disaster it will be (hence why you have to pack so many different things in your emergency kit), and this lack of uncertainty is reflected in Raw Danger. Every chapter has a different storyline, and you don't know what it's going to be until you move forward in the game.

#2: Battlefield 6

Released in 2021, Battlefield 6 is part of the Battlefield series by Electronic Arts that previously entered in the eSports sector. Even though the game received mixed reviews, with many commenting on different technical issues, the game does a good job of depicting various natural disasters. Some events that take place in the game include floods, tornados, and volcanic eruptions. Many of these disasters even have the power to destroy entire buildings in the game, which reflects the unfortunate and devastating reality of natural disasters in the world. According to US News, there were several floods and landslides that destroyed entire communities in 2021.

#3: Cities: Skylines

Cities: Skyline is a 2015 city-building game published by Paradox Interactive. The game features numerous natural disasters, including thunderstorms, forest fires, sinkholes, earthquakes, and tornadoes. Again, this city simulation game does an accurate job of representing all of the potential crises’ that can hit cities, towns, and countries in the modern world. For example, in May 2021, a giant sinkhole swallowed an entire farm in Mexico, as per Real Clear Science.

Giant sinkhole at Mexico farm swallows family home#Prime9newspic.twitter.com/4Zc1YHrxpr

Some people like to play games that allow them to escape reality, while others prefer playing games that reflect the world they live in, which is why a city-building game like Cities: Skyline is so popular. To cater to this audience, games now include a range of natural disasters in the stories, such as floods, earthquakes, and sinkholes. Hopefully, by seeing these disasters play out in a fictional way, players will spend more time considering what they would do if they ever found themselves in a situation like this in real life.