There are a lot of reasons we each choose to pick up and play video games, be it to escape, because we refuse to read, to hit the pause button, or maybe to compete. For me, it’s the chance to go outside myself and do things I can’t do on a daily basis. From being a professional athlete to picking up a hooker and stealing a car, games offer you the opportunity to be someone else, if only for a minute.

Inevitably for most of us, what we wanted to be when we grew up doesn’t quite coincide with our adult lives. When I was little, I had aspirations of becoming an astronaut and a professional baseball player. While I did have a shot at the latter before blowing out my knee, I can still strap on the virtual cleats in many of the MLB games that have come out through the years. Because of my fondness for the sport, it’s still a way for me to live out my dreams on a daily basis without actually being on the field.

What this really allows, however, is permission to act in ways society and laws prevent you from doing otherwise. Want to shoot someone in the head in any multitude of shooters? Want to steal a cop car and run over everyone in sight in Grand Theft Auto? Want to work your way up through the mafia in The Godfather? How about becoming an Italian plumber who jumps on the heads of weird creatures? In video games, you have all of these opportunities and more.

I’m an avid golfer, but I’m not filthy rich. As such, I won’t get to play at all the courses the pros step foot onto, but there’s a video game for that. I’ve walked Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill. Tiger Woods PGA Tour gives you the true feeling that you’re there. I’ve also wanted to know what it’s like to be a UFC fighter, but I have no desire to get kicking in the face. Video games there to the rescue again. For me that’s what it’s all about. I get to live out my fantasies and ambitions through a controller by stepping into the shoes of the character I’m controlling. No other medium can give you that same feeling.

[Why We Game is a weekly feature from Loot Ninja discussing the various reasons we each have for playing video games. If you have a reason you want to see covered, let us know.]