Ever since the early days of video games there have been numerous attempts to bring alcohol into the games. Here we take a look at games you can get drunk in and how it’s depicted across the years.
Although most games don’t really give you a good reason to get drunk; it’s often just a side mission or funny cut-scene. Some games actually try to incorporate uses for it. Whether that’s keeping the peasants happy or getting momentary stat boosts, games have found a reason to tip the bottle.
Sea of Thieves
What’s a pirate conquest without copious amounts of rum? In fact, in Sea of Thieves players can drink grog to their hearts content which effects almost every aspect of game play. Blurred vision, sloppy movement, and eventually vomiting. Even the individual tasks aboard the ship become harder like rowing or manning the canons.
Although there doesn’t seem to be any real benefit to drinking in Sea of Thieves, that doesn’t mean it’s not loads of fun. On one hand you have a stone-sober captain trying to steer the ship, and on the other you have a complete liability of a crew-mate haphazardly spilling his bucket of vomit around the ship.
Cyberpunk 2077
Unlike a lot of games on this list, Cyberpunk actually found a way to make alcohol useful in the video game world. In addition to the regular gamified effects of alcohol like decreasing movement and steadying rifle aim, Alcohol could also be used to influence people’s decisions in dialogue.
It’s no surprise that a game known for it’s edgy content would incorporate booze. However, what is surprising is the game actually allows you to turn down alcohol and insist on non-alcohol options. Overall the way Cyberpunk handles alcohol is one of the best depictions out there. So grab a Johnny Silverhand cocktail and get as drunk as whoever thought this game would port over to PS4.
Fable 2
In Fable 2 alcohol comes in many forms such as beer, wine and spirits. Different bars across the land have slightly different effects that mostly amount to the same thing. One or two drinks can help boost some stats, but drinking too many in close succession and you’ll become visibly impaired.
But why stop at just getting yourself drunk? You can share the experience with fellow villagers by going into your inventory and gifting bottles of booze to others. Fable 2 even incorporated a “Party Animal” achievement if you can successfully get 5 villagers drunk in under 3 minutes.
The Sims 4
Technically The Sims 4 isn’t a video game you can get drunk in since they don’t technically drink “alcohol”. They drink “juice” that makes them happy and then sick. Just like they don’t have sex, they have “woohoo!” and produce children. This thin veil seems to be enough to earn them a 13+ rating and keep it as a family title.
The effects of the drinks in the game are very mild. Typically it just makes your sim a little happier. The Sims 4 also released a bar-themed expansion called Get Together where players could meet up in bars and clubs to play bar games and get “juice”d.
Skyrim
Unfortunately Skyrim doesn’t allow you to get all drunk and woozy from drinking too much Nord Mead. The alcoholic beverages in the game simply function as fairly weak potions to buff your characters strength and lower their speed.
The true drunken adventure in Skyrim comes from a side quest called A Night to Remember. It all kicks off when the Dragonborn accepts a drinking game challenge. After a few quick drinks, the Dragonborn awakens in a trashed temple and must piece together what happened the night before. Which slowly unravels like a twisted medieval version of “The Hangover”.
Grand Theft Auto
In a series about car theft, drugs and violence, it’s no surprise that alcohol appears in most GTA games. Although it’s effects on game-play differ depending on which game you’re playing.
In GTA: San Andreas drinks are merely a preference depending on who you’re dating. In GTA 4 you can actually feel the effects, stumbling, slurring and eventually passing out. GTA 5 expands on this by having the bar tender cut off the player if he’s had a little too much. Although this can be avoided if you buy the bar, allowing you to get irresponsibly drunk and wake up in random locations.
Leisure Suit Larry (The Whole Series)
Leisure Suit Larry is an adult themed game series that can trace it’s roots all the way to the early 1980s. Making it one of the earliest depictions of drunkenness in video games. Known mostly for it’s sexual content, it’s no surprise that booze also makes a number of appearances.
From passed out drunks outside of strip clubs, to trying to sober up after a college party, Leisure Suit Larry has found many ways to incorporate alcohol throughout the years.
This War of Mine
One game that handles alcohol a little bit differently is This War of Mine. In this game players have to make difficult decisions in order to survive an ongoing war. Balancing their characters happiness and health is the key to making it out alive. This is where alcohol comes in.
In This War of Mine the survivors are capable of brewing their own moonshine. Moonshine can be used for trade value or to get one of the characters drunk. This usually makes them happier but also pretty useless until it wears off. (which sounds about right). There’s even a few characters in the game that will outright refuse alcohol since they are abstinent.
Watch Dogs
Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs handles drinking alcohol in a rather unique way. Drinking Games are used in Watch Dogs as a series of mini games scattered about different bars in the game. Typically they’re fairly simple mini-games where your characters vision slurs around the screen as you attempt to keep it together long enough to win the bet.
There’s a long history of drinking in video games. It’s always interesting to see how different game studios handle the effects of alcohol. From games that use booze as a mild health potion, to video games you can get drunk in, everyone seems to have a different idea of how it should be incorporated.