Video games strive to simulate many aspects of real life. As such, a common pastime in these virtual worlds is drinking. Many titles let you consume copious quantities of alcohol. As a result, your in-game characters get hopelessly drunk. This sorry state can obviously lead to funny moments as you bumble over everything in sight. Unfortunately,it’s not all fun and games.
Drunkenness can also make the game harder to play. To make the virtual worlds more authentic, some developers manipulate the gameplay and feedback to be less intuitive. The simplest tasks become frustrating in their difficulty. You soon regret ever picking up the bottle. Then again, maybe it’s worth the momentary amusement.
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10 Red Dead Redemption
Saloons are a staple of the Old West, so both Red Dead Redemption games let you drink the day away at these establishments. Most towns and settlements have one available. All you have to do is walk in and order a shot. As long as you have the money, you can keep these shots coming. Be careful, though, as it can get you in trouble.
The townsfolk don’t take kindly to drunks. Consuming too much alcohol puts a woozy filter over your screen and causes you to stumble when walking. It can also affect your dialogue with random passersby. These factors might anger someone enough to challenge you to a duel. Needless to say, it’s hard to win a quick-draw showdown when you can’t see straight. Then again, you may black out from the booze before you encounter any of these problems.[1]
9 The Witcher
The mutated monster slayer is a cut above average humans, but he can still drink himself into a stupor. Throughout The Witcher series, Geralt can visit various inns and order a few rounds. Abusing that privilege results in a distorted screen and a wobbling walk. This usually isn’t all that dangerous. The townspeople aren’t keen to challenge a witcher, so the only threats are occasional thugs and thieves lurking in alleyways. However, their lack of skill is barely worth mentioning. As a result, drinking remains good, clean fun.
The first game even makes a sport out of it. Here, Geralt can enter drinking contests with both friends and strangers. Not only is this necessary for some quests, but winning yields potential rewards. Simply keep drinking until either your opponent gives up or Geralt passes out. You can even use the buzz to dull Geralt’s pain and make him deadlier in battle. You’ve got to love that witcher biology.[2]
8 Like a Dragon
These quirky titles thrive on goofy side stuff, so they practically encourage drunken antics. In the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) series, it’s easier than ever to access alcohol. Most convenience stores sell cheap booze for your inventory, but you can also order fancier drinks at higher-end joints like cabaret clubs. The pricier the drink, the more it raises your alcohol level. The screen may not filter or distort like other titles, but it’s still impossible to walk in a straight line. You could use that to your advantage, though.
Drunkenness may come in handy for fighting. Some character upgrades make it easier to build your Heat meter while drunk. This energy lets you execute devastating finishers to drain enemy health bars in seconds. Some characters have specialized Heat actions only available with high alcohol levels. Who wouldn’t want to be a drunken martial arts master? [3]
7 Grand Theft Auto
Considering they both come from the same developer, it figures that Grand Theft Auto handles drunkenness the same way as Red Dead. You go to a bar and order shots until you can’t see straight. Once again, both the screen and controls distort to a cartoonish degree, affecting your ability to function. However, this silly state of mind is arguably more dangerous in a modern cityscape than in a rustic western town.
That danger stems from simple navigation. To get anywhere in GTA, you have to drive. These vehicles don’t have the best handling to begin with, but they get exponentially worse with alcohol. Crashing at any speed can send you flying through the window or careening into an explosion. For that reason, you should drink at your peril.[4]
6 Bioshock
You normally have to buy booze in games. Bioshock is different, though. In this dystopian series, you can literally find alcohol lying around on the floor. These beverages are common pick-ups scattered around the rundown environments. Drinking them restores some of your health, but it also decreases your EVE energy, which powers your magic attacks. That’s not the only way it hinders you.
Consuming too many bottles blurs the screen. That’s nothing new, but it’s more detrimental here. Being a first-person shooter, Bioshock already limits your field of view. Factoring in this fuzzy filter makes it hard to get your bearings, let alone aim properly. As a result, you’re a lumbering target for the enemy hordes. Alcohol may keep you alive, but it also gets you killed.[5]
5 Assassin’s Creed
You’d think that alcohol would undermine these precise killers, but some Assassin’s Creed protagonists expand beyond being historical hitmen. In Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Edward Kenway can turn into a plastered pirate by drinking at a tavern. Most of the populated ports have these places, but you have to unlock them by brawling with the local bandits. Yes, the bar fight precedes the drinking.
That’s not the case in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Like The Witcher, this Viking title has numerous drinking contests throughout the world. As Eivor, you can race to finish your horn of mead first. Wagering silver coins can be an effective means of racking up your riches. The downside is that you then have to deal with the requisite wooziness and blurry screen. Again, you don’t expect such irresponsible behavior from supposed assassins, but maybe it helps them blend in.[6]
4 Dead Rising
A zombie apocalypse seems like an odd setting for drinking. That said, alcohol is among the best healing items in Dead Rising. These games mirror Bioshock in that drinks act as random pick-ups. The difference lies in the benefit, as the Dead Rising bottles restore a whopping five bars of health. You can bounce back from the brink of death and return to perfect working order with a few sips. Suffice it to say, the stuff is strong.
Sadly, that strength also means a more potent downside. Drinking too many bottles at once can cause you to stop and vomit. The episode only lasts a few seconds, but that brief delay can be a death sentence. You must constantly evade huge hordes of zombies. Some of these creatures can surprise you with their speed and lethality, so you can’t afford to waste precious time puking. If you do, these undead pests will overtake and overwhelm you.[7]
3 Mass Effect 2
The Mass Effect galaxy has a plethora of exotic aliens, and they all have their preferred brews. You can sample these mixtures at most of the urban hub areas like the Citadel and Omega. Best of all is the bargain; alcohol only costs a few galactic credits. Like any good thing, though, you can easily have too much of it.
That concept comes alive in Mass Effect 2. On top of the usual slurred words, getting drunk can lead to special interactions. For instance, having too many drinks in the Afterlife club causes you to black out and wake up next to Aria—the cutthroat owner. Closer to home, after retrieving the requested brandy for your ship’s doctor, you can sloppily reminisce with her about the old days. The characters are the strongest part of Mass Effect, so a few friendly drinks are worth the hangover. [8]
2 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Like many great RPGs, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has a slew of stats determining how you interact with the world. Alcohol can affect these stats in novel ways with a quick visit to the tavern. Drunkenness operates on a meter; consuming alcohol fills said meter. Below the halfway point, drinks can boost your Speech, Vitality, and Charisma stats by up to two points. It’s after that point that problems arise.
Going beyond the halfway point makes you more of a nuisance. Alcohol now decreases the aforementioned stats. In addition, you have to deal with a hangover, which hinders other traits like Agility, Strength, and Conspicuousness. Basically, drink in moderation. That’s healthy advice for both the game and real life. You don’t want to be the town drunk.[9]
1 Baldur’s Gate 3
Here’s another hardcore RPG where being drunk amounts to a status effect. Baldur’s Gate 3 has no shortage of alcohol—with a cacophony of wine, rum, beer, and tonic available. You find them in taverns, inns, and camps, where they can be useful for bonding with your party. Beware of indulging too heavily, however.
In portraying drunkenness, Baldur’s Gate 3 opts for less visual flair and more practical handicapping. This status effect hinders you both in and out of combat. First, it drains your Charisma level, decreasing your dialogue options and preventing you from coming out on top during conversations. Second, it lowers your Dexterity. This stat affects how often your projectile attacks hit their targets and how well you can withstand physical blows. The smallest difference can drastically alter how quests and battles unfold, so you naturally want these aspects to be as high as possible. Why jeopardize that by acting like a drunkard? [10]