GameBanshee Forums

Brother None wrote:Water heals.

http://www.gamebanshee.com/forums/gameb ... post997545

My curiosity persists. Which game started that? Duke Nukem 3D? OK, not an RPG. The notion that water can heal wounds is kind of absurd. After drinking a few gallons the best you can hope for is that your wounds start leaking a bit.

Please don't tell me it was Deus Ex with the +1 point healing water fountains.

I don't think that it's a game that started it, but rather the various myths and legends about healing springs and cleansing water. It's a very strong imagine associated with water. In a lot of cultures, water is a symbol of life, which can be linked to healing.

GawainBS wrote:I don't think that it's a game that started it, but rather the various myths and legends about healing springs and cleansing water. It's a very strong imagine associated with water. In a lot of cultures, water is a symbol of life, which can be linked to healing.

He's correct. The Romans in particular were great ones for "taking the cure" and visiting healing baths. Numerous Roman towns, many of them now vanished or neglected, began on the sites of healing spas that were attended by all classes of people.

Ah, I didn't make that connection. It's pretty obvious now that you mention it. Thanks.

The idea where water restores your health? So far, I only know two games which used this idea, one is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the other one is a Japanese game for the PS2 which puts you in the shoes of an earthquake survivor (Not really to restore health but more like drinking water to prevent dehydration. Otherwise, you'd pass out). Not sure if this answers the question but I doubt either of those games popularised that idea.

DesR85 wrote:The idea where water restores your health? So far, I only know two games which used this idea, one is Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and the other one is a Japanese game for the PS2 which puts you in the shoes of an earthquake survivor (Not really to restore health but more like drinking water to prevent dehydration. Otherwise, you'd pass out). Not sure if this answers the question but I doubt either of those games popularised that idea.

From top of my head I could give the following examples:
Deus Ex, Duke Nukem 3D and Redneck Rampage (not water, but alcohol IIRC, not sure if the drinking healed, but at least eating did), Pathologic (vague memory, it has been a bit since I last played it)

And let's not forget to add Bethsoft's Fallout to that list.