If games were dreams, what would they mean?

Call of Duty 4
Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung taught that dreams of war indicated a battle between the dreamer's unconscious and conscious minds. Perhaps the dream may indicate that you are being overly aggressive or you are not being assertive enough. And, just as dreaming of war indicates a spiritual, moral, emotional or physical battle, dreaming of bombs may symbolize conflict exploding if it's not addressed and dealt with. Perhaps an emotion, such as anger, may be approaching an explosive level.

The nuclear bomb going off in CoD4 would suggest feelings of helplessness, being threatened and loss of control. There may be feelings of great hostility and rage to the point of being destructive. Alternatively, it may be indicative of a desire to wipe out some aspect of yourself. It may also be an indication that something crucial and precious to you has ended and important changes are about to occur. Hmm... maybe like moving away from the WWII scenario after so long?

Shadow of the Colossus
An encounter with a giant indicates a great struggle between you and your opponents (very true of the game). This may prove to be a major and overwhelming obstacle for you to overcome (true again). Alternatively, a giant may be symbolic of an issue or feeling that is dominating you (again true - just look at your loved one's death that drives you all the while).

The dream-like similarities don't end there. Riding a horse in a dream is said to mean that you will achieve success through underhanded means and that you lack integrity. Anyone who has finished Shadow of the Colossus will understand how close to the bone that is. Finally, a black or dark horse "signifies mystery, wildness, and the unknown. You may be taking a chance or gamble at some unknown area. It may even represent occult forces." Dude, you said it all.

Justin Towell

Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.

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