#isolation – Story Quest Decoded

Article by R.D.

Many games have focused on elements of isolation or quarantine. Alien: Isolation focused on being alone in space (with a xenomorph). Far Cry 5 zeroed in on a community where prepping for doomsday led to social isolation (and eventually nuclear holocaust). Being able to accomplish tasks on your own in a video game has always been a self-exploratory journey of strength and determination. However, in the upcoming weeks, we might see a different reason for setting out on our own in light of more than just a journey of self-discovery.

Coronovirus is sweeping the nation at the moment and nearly everyone has been affected by it in some way or another. The most common predicament is quarantine and isolation, or keeping yourself away from sick people or away from healthy people, depending on existing symptoms or conditions.

*The crushing loneliness of Death Stranding should be different from your quarantine…Also, don’t go delivering mail while sick.*

Quarantine vs. Isolation

First, we need to get our definitions straight. As defined by LifeHacker, quarantine is for people who might have the disease or who have been instructed to stay home and monitor whatever symptoms that they may be exhibiting.

Isolation is when someone has the disease and has isolated themselves or are isolated in a hospital.

Let’s say you are one of the few without the disease but you’re struggling with going through every day life with a world that seems to be crushing down around you. Here’s a gamplan inspired by…well…games.

Step One: Stocking Up

I’m sure you’ve all seen the toilet paper video. If not, watch it. This craziness happens every year in the south but instead of toilet paper, it’s typically bottles of water. When it comes to stocking up or prepping, customers in your local Walmart act more like the starving monkeys in Thailand than people.

You don’t need a million rolls of toilet paper, nor do you need a bunker full of supplies for the apocalypse. Preparing for a possible future quarantine just means that you won’t have trouble staying home for a few days.

When I first heard about coronovirus in early Febuary, I slowly began to stock up on canned foods and some paper products. I made sure that all of our meds were up to date and we had some medications that we hadn’t stocked up on before (antacids, etc). By doing this seemingly crazy act, I have avoided most of the insanity of shopping at the moment.

If you can, stock up on a few canned goods and granola bars, but be careful on OVERSTOCKING. This is where things get tricky. Depending on your household, you are probably not going to need 10 packages of toilet paper. If you are going to horde, do it in small doses so you are not exposing others to possible starvation. LifeHacker continues by saying “You don’t need a million rolls of toilet paper, nor do you need a bunker full of supplies for the apocalypse. Preparing for a possible future quarantine just means that you won’t have trouble staying home for a few days.” So everyone. Needs. to. Remain. Calm.

*Wryd? Just chillin’ in the attic with my corn doll. wby?*

I grew up with the survival young-adult novel Hatchet and Little House on the Prairie. My great-grandmother survived the Great Depression. She washed out Ziploc bags and gardened and canned food in her later years. Nothing ever went to waste. Preservation and preparedness should be key elements of American self-reliance.

While not everyone has the means to, stocking up (easy on hording…I don’t like the word) has always been a part of being American. Preparing for the future is okay, as long as you aren’t denying others food or resources in the store that you are good on for the time being.

Headgear, bro

The CDC says that if you believe you have the virus, to “Wear a facemask when sick: Put on a facemask before you enter the facility. These steps will help the healthcare provider’s office to keep other people in the office or waiting room from getting infected or exposed.” Seems appropriate. Except…

*Christmas photos are going to be lit this year.*

Face masks are sold out at most places. The insanity surrounding their sale has been unexpected, but we should have expected it. While coronovirus is airborne, many experts suggest by covering your mouth, not touching your mouth and face, spending more time at home, we can slow the spread of the virus to help hospitals and medical facilities prepare for future cases.

While you could go with you standard face mask (if you were lucky enough to buy one), you can always get creative with it. For some inspiration, you can turn to some of your favorite games.

One Reddit user, u/HeyItsAppie, created this Black Persian outfit in Assassins Creed Origins. What better way to do a grocery store run than dressed like an ancient warrior?

Or maybe take an old school approach with a Mortal Kombat cosplay mask like this one from SpicyPandaCreations.

Maybe these are too subtle. You want to protect your ENTIRE face from this virus. For that, perhaps you’d like to don a Yalung mask from Far Cry 4?

*Just because they belonged to a serial killer, doesn’t mean it’s not an option!*

And who can forget some of the best-known masks in the gaming world: Borderlands!

*I can’t guarantee your bank won’t call the cops when you go in for a withdrawal.*

In Honor of the latest event in For Honor, how about a decorative and functional For Honor face mask? Perfect for a crusade OR raid!

*Walk the dog or reclaim Constantinople? I’ll decide when I go outside.*

Distancing Yourself

Think of Logan or Wolverine. Think of the Witcher. Think of all those game and movie characters who know that they don’t belong around people. Channel that angst and energy and get ready to stay in your house. For awhile.

If you are sick, the CDC says “Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.” If you aren’t sick but perhaps live in a more populated area, it’s best to settle in and cut your outside time short. While some experts are saying you can still go out as long as you are more than six feet away from others, many are not taking the chance and are foregoing outings altogether.

*How I imagine the stores during the epidemic. Also, I still have nightmares of Alien: Isolation.*

So you don’t want to risk it out there in the world, prepare for some monastic isolation in your self-imposed quarantine. In the meantime, you can play video games, visit the library and check out a few books (before they close the library), purchase a good book or two on Kindle (I’ve got several articles of suggestions on the homepage), or take up some new hobby.

Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.

Even if your level of risk is low, it’s important to be considerate of those around you who may be more at risk like children or the elderly. If you live alone or with a roommate, just set up your PC or console and buckle down for the long run with that game that you’ve been meaning to finish but were never able to find the time.

If you have a lot of time on your hands and you haven’t played them already, the Assassins Creed games are enormous and will consume a lot of time as you play through battles, stories, and costume changes. Other longer games include:

Witcher 3
Skyrim
Final Fantasy XIV
Persona 5
Red Dead Redemption 2
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

If you really crave human interaction, try:

World of Warcraft
Destiny
Monster Hunter
Fortnite
Apex Legends
Minecraft
Borderlands

But Seriously

We’re all hoping this passes over soon. But in the meantime…

Wash hands for 20 seconds with soap (duh)
Cover mouth when you cough
If you think you may be sick with coronovirus, call the doctor’s office or hospital BEFORE you go.
Alert healthcare officials and limit exposure to those around you.
If you aren’t sick but are are worried about yourself or others, limit your time in crowded areas if possible (optional but encouraged)
Be prepared to stay at home for awhile.

Photo credits: Doomsday picture: Getty, cover photo: https://aplaguetale.fandom.com/wiki/M%C3%A9lie, Death Stranding: https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2019/11/04/death-stranding-post-apocalyptic-postman, For Honor: https://forhonor.fandom.com/wiki/Lawbringer?file=Lawbringer.png, Alien Isolation: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mxBNZ, Soup scene: https://gamerant.com/red-dead-online-how-to-gain-weight/, kit in hazmat: https://knowyourmeme.com/photos/1723169-hazmat-suit-edits

I used to want to be an astronaut. Going through that phase all children do, I relished the idea of floating, traveling to distant galaxies, and getting the smug pleasure from watching peoples’ faces when I told them I was an astronaut.

I think everyone grows out of this phase. It happened when I was in middle school and realized I was really bad at math. So I would never touch the stars and see aliens. Oh well. Certain games can sell you the experience with more plot and less aeronautic training.

Alien: Isolation came out in 2014 and I’ve always wondered why I didn’t play it sooner. It got a few bad reviews (who trusts these anymore anyway?) and cost too much (for me at the time) so I let it slide through my fingers. Until this past week.

The game is so much more than I could’ve imagined. Playing as Amanda Ripley, you embark on a mission to Svestapol where you hope to recover the equivalent of the “black box” from the doomed space station, the Nostromo. The Nostromo, carrying Ellen Ripley (Amanda’s mother) was the setting for the events of the original Alien movie. In this universe, that was fifteen years ago. Amanda, desperate for closure, is eager to discover what happened to her mother. On her journey within the space station Svestapol, she encounters the infamous xenomorph, rogue androids, and the wild inhabitants of a space station in decline. All of these factors contribute to a horrifying environment of consistent fear with the added threats of outer space.

Death has been my constant companion during the entirety of my game experience with Alien: Isolation. The xenomorph that has haunted our dreams is quiet and nearly impossible to detect with the equipment Amanda acquires. But the combination of death, space, and aliens is larger than simply the Alien franchise. The most frightening aspect is the actual isolation and the science behind it.

The Psychological Fear of Isolation

In 2014, The Guardian published an article discussing the effects of space travel on the human body. To the surprise of most people outside of NASA, the public was exposed to the possibility of their friendly neighborhood astronaut experiencing mind-altering hallucinations, eye flashes due to cosmic radiation, and depression due to the isolating factor of being in cramped space compartments.

Astronauts also miss home in a sensory way (the smell of grass, the sight of a sunny day, the feel of their feet on the ground). When those familiar experiences are taken away, it impacts a person’s motivation. Over extended periods of time, it can even affect the ability to make decisions.
NASA’s Human Research Program

The evidence for erratic behaviors and incidents in space is not new. When the Russians were experimenting with space travel in 1976, one particular bad smell grounded an entire Soyuz-21 Russian mission. The cosmonauts complained of a horrific smell in the space station and took the appropriate actions to assess whether a potentially fatal leak had occurred. There was no leak. And NASA concluded that there probably wasn’t a smell either. Psychological issues and anxiety plagued the cosmonauts prior to the “smell” perhaps influencing their decision to abandon ship. So what caused this incident?

Space+Brain=Potential Chaos

NASA scientists are only beginning to learn about the effects of space on the brain. One assessment is that the lack of gravity effects how the brain operates. This can become increasingly problematic when you factor in isolation social environments, anxiety of being away from others, the lack of earthly sensory details like smells and tastes, and the cohesion of a crew who may all be experiencing the symptoms listed above.

When you’re isolated, and can’t get home or talk to your family, how long can you stay positive?
NASA’s Human Research Program

Another case of human isolation studies comes from an event that occurred in the winter of 1956. When a member of an Arctic exploration team began to suffer from extreme paranoid schizophrenia, the entire expedition was placed on hold as he threatened the lives of those around him to the point that they had him confined. Being in an isolated environment like the Arctic, surrounded by mostly strangers in extreme weather conditions was likely the cause of the mental decline that resulted to a member of the team being strapped to a mattress to contain his ravings. With evacuation being impossible, sedation was the only answer. The real question is what would happen in an environment so far from earth?

Bill Paloski, Ph.D., Director of NASA’s Human Research Program (HRP), states that the stresses of space are hugely influential on the success of future space missions. How long can you stay motivated and positive in a confined space? How long can you stay civilized with a group of pre-selected strangers like those working on current space missions or those seen in the Alien movies? Because mental health is so indicative of the quality of life for nearly everyone on a mission, it’s no wonder so many studies are trying to determine how healthy we can remain while in space. These factors alone contribute a great deal of stress to Amanda’s already precarious situations.

Isolating the Brain

Overall, knowing the intimate details of mental health while in orbit was critical to comprehending the “gravity” of isolation in Alien: Isolation. Wandering through corridors for hours without seeing someone led to intense feelings of loneliness. Helpful friends are devoured soon after helping you. Most characters you know will most likely perish in front of you. The intensity of the game play, the sensation of sliding through slim compartments with no breathing room, and the hollow plot driven aspect of Amanda’s seeming-doomed search for the last remnant of her mother made for a maddening gaming experience.

If you haven’t played Alien: Isolation yet, it will be available on Nintendo Switch sometime later this year. Good luck surviving the bone-crushing, asphyxiating, hallucinogenic terrors of being trapped in deep space. Alone…unless you want to count a hungry xenomorph.

Tag: #isolation

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