If video games have ever been accused of disconnecting players from reality, let that notion be dispelled by the tale of Reddit user u/tidyckilla, who attributed his late-night Starfield binge for saving his family’s life.
The emotional weight of this story punctuates the atmosphere much like the passion-filled debate swirling around the Early Access of Starfield, which has gamers divided on its quality, especially when it comes to its New Game Plus mode.
Starfield’s earlier launch for a handful – well, more like hundreds of thousands on Steam alone – allowed eager explorers to delve into its expansive universe. But it’s not the mixed reviews or the slow start that some players lament that we’re focusing on here. It’s an incident that demonstrates, in an almost surreal manner, the potential impact a video game can have on the real world.
Starfield saved me and my family’s life
byu/tidyckilla inStarfield
On August 31, amidst the cries of disgruntled players and jubilant explorers, u/tidyckilla chose to stay up to experience Starfield’s cosmos. Around 2:26 in the morning, he heard an explosion and it wasn’t in-game. The noise came from his downstairs neighbor’s apartment. Upon opening his door, he saw flames rising up the stairwell towards his residence. What ensued was a frantic rush as he got his wife and cat to safety, escaping the inferno with only minor burns.
While this story could have been a horrifying account of loss, it turned into a moment where Starfield morphed a simple game to a life-saving engagement. Tidyckilla believes that had he been asleep, they would’ve all died of smoke inhalation. In fact, the fire was spreading so rapidly that smoke detectors would have likely been of little use. Tidyckilla recalls that the smoke alarm only went off when his wife opened the door to escape. Even then, it was almost too late; they had to “feel their way out” through the blinding smoke and a wall of fire coming up the stairs.
Notably, the supposed reason for this quick-spreading fire was as shocking as it was tragic: an accidental light-up near oxygen tanks by a woman living in the apartment below, resulting in an explosion and the subsequent blaze. While the event was harrowing, tidyckilla, his family, and even their Xbox, are now safe in a hotel, where he continues to explore the virtual universe.
The story quickly drew reactions from the Starfield community, with some commenters playfully reminding tidyckilla that he now had a lifetime pass to stay up late gaming.
On a more somber note, Bethesda has already shown its capacity for embedding real-life stories into its digital canvas. Six months ago, a fan named Alex Hay, who was terminally ill with lung cancer, posted that he would probably not live long enough to play Starfield. To honor him, Bethesda included a note from Alex for all explorers to find in the game, a touching tribute that now joins this incredible tale of life-saving late-night gaming. In addition to this, Bethesda appears to have hired a known modder to help tidy up Starfield and make it more immersive.
As for tidyckilla, he and his Xbox are safely stationed at a hotel, where he assures everyone that his spacefaring journey remain uninterrupted. When asked about the status of his gaming setup amidst all the chaos, he humorously affirmed that the game and console survived, and that he’s “currently playing in the hotel,” courtesy of the game’s auto-save feature.
So, the next time someone says video games are a waste of time or create an unhealthy detachment from reality, maybe mention that in some rare but remarkable cases, they can literally be a lifesaver.
From heartwarming tributes to miraculous real-world impacts, Starfield’s universe is as unpredictably expansive as we’d hoped, even if that unpredictability extends into the realm of life and death.
