History Main / HealThyself

* In ''VideoGame/MissionImpossibleKonami'', you can find first-aid kits scattered among the levels that restore one agent to full health. Since each agent has his own health bar, it's a common strategy to swap out an agent who's heavily injured until you can find a first aid kit to replenish their health by switching back.

* ''VideoGame/ShadowsOfDoubt'' has the possibility of negative status effects as part in the course of your investigations. These can range from merely miserable effects such as Cold (shivering and interrupts HP regeneration), Wet (more likely to slip while running thereby hurting yourself), or Smelly (stinky and more likely to be caught sneaking) to genuinely dangerous possibilities like Bleeding (lose HP), Bruised (interrupts HP regeneration), or Broken Leg (can't sprint and interrupts HP regeneration). While you ''can'' wait for these injuries to go away over time, it takes a while, and you're better off just finding a medical vending machine and buying splints, bandages, and painkillers to solve the problem sooner. While expensive, this beats bleeding out in the street and waking up in the hospital owing a quarter of your life savings in medical fees.

** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard'' and its sequel, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil8Village'', are particularly ludicrous since herbs are now made into a HealthPotion... that Ethan uses by pouring onto his hand. [[spoiler: ''Village'' reveals that Ethan was killed instead of knocked out by [[TheHeavy Jack Baker]] and revived by [[TheCorruption the Mold]]. Thus, the medicine doesn't actually heal Ethan, it instead feeds the Mold inside Ethan's body that then gives him a HealingFactor.]]

* In ''VideoGame/{{Vietcong}}'', the player is usually equipped with a medikit (otherwise he can find one himself). And for some bizarre reason, you can't use it on any of your teammate. The UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 version of ''Purple Haze'' advises the player to only use it when his health is less than 50%.

* The ''Franchise/JamesBond'' game ''VideoGame/DoubleOhSevenFromRussiaWithLove'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube uses the armor version. James can pick up random bulletproof vests that wear out as he gets shot. However, once the meter for the vest runs out, the damage goes straight to your health.

*** Sheva! Here let me stab you with some adrenaline, that should make you forget the fact you've been impaled with a spear.

** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] somewhat in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3'', where while you do use herbs and random items to heal yourself, you can get helpful information from your radio medic explaining exactly how it works. Also, wounds require logical actions to heal them. For example, a deep cut requires you to apply a styptic to stop the bleeding, disinfectant to prevent infection, a suture to sew it up, and a bandage to cover it all. However, you can receive multiple injuries in the same area and heal them each time, without suffering any lingering side effects other than cosmetic damage, and the items can be applied in any order.

** In ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4'' healing is mostly a matter of [[HyperactiveMetabolism eating and drinking]] or having a high psyche meter, which will allow you to slowly heal automatically. There are also some tunes on your [[ProductPlacement iPod]] that allow you to heal more quickly using the latter method.

When video game characters get shot, slashed, burned etc., they can usually count on finding a box of medical supplies or similar, with which they can instantly restore their health. Even back up to one hundred percent, which presumably means all cuts and bruises are completely gone. They don't even seem to need to apply the medication, or even open the package -- as soon as they pick it up, their health is improved. Imagine that. In fantasy they usually have the character eat special fruits or partake of elixirs and say AWizardDidIt. In sci-fi, the character will shoot up with {{Nanomachines}} and say [[MagicFromTechnology pretty much the same thing]].

See also HeartContainer and HealingPotion, and beware of the PoisonMushroom. Compare TheMedic and HealingHands, which are people and abilities that heal others, and can possibly heal themselves. This trope is just about one person, being able to heal themselves ''only'', in a way that's not automatic HealingFactor.

** Depending on your point of view, this is justified or handwaved by the mention that the nanomachines in augmented agents are designed to promote incredibly fast healing, by metabolizing food and medical supplies quickly for rapid health regeneration. Or, in the case of booze, squashing the effects of strong alcohol consumption into the space of a few seconds.

** To elaborate, one of the prolonged healing sequences involves ''shoving a knife into your wound and digging out the bullets''. Some other ways to "heal" yourself involve twisting a dislocated wrist back into place, using a wad of matches to cauterize a wound, pulling an ''iron bar out of your stomach,'' and much, much more...
*** Parodied in ''VideoGame/FarCry3BloodDragon'': one of the self-healing animations involve the use of a blowtorch to fix your robotic arm, while another involves using a hand-squeezer exercise spring ''really'' fast.
* Gordon Freeman in ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' gains back lost health by plugging his hazard suit into health and energy recharging stations scattered around the levels. The suit is designed to use energy to protect from hazards, such as hardening the armor plating in response to gunfire, but regardless of the energy level, the suit can dispense morphine or apply some kind of basic first aid in response to injuries. This is all just a {{Handwave}} in the end, though: Freeman, like most video game and TV heroes, is MadeOfIron.
** [[http://www.hlcomic.com/index.php?date=2005-09-07 Spoofed]] in the ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}'', where medkits are capable of not only healing everything and anything, but also instantly removing any blood stains from clothing. They are also Eco-Friendly and will [[EverythingFades instantly and completely biodegrade upon use]].

** [[VideoGame/Left4Dead2 The sequel]] tosses in adrenaline shots, which only recovers 25 points of temp-health, but for a short time, your survivor runs faster (even if their health is in the red), can't be slowed down by zombies, and can do many actions at a quicker rate (healing, revive, etc.). The only side effect is you get tunnel vision and the sounds become mono.
*** The shot is better used on a healthy survivor rather than an injured one, as the 25 temporary health can act as a buffer while the healthy player revives/heals an injured one in the heat of battle. Most people just use it as a weak pain pill alternative, however.

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando'' has no medkits. Instead, it has fixed emplacements that infuse bacta to the commandos, healing them in a short time. Given the almost magical healing abilities of Bacta in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe, this is not actually ''completely'' insane. However, should a squadmate's health reach zero, they'll just drop down and moan occasionally, whereupon all that's needed to revive them and give them half their health back is a zap from a defibrillator-like device. The player character can "die" in this way as well, and call on a squadmate to be revived. This gives rise to an interesting technique for the few areas of the game where bacta is rare: if a squadmate's health is less than half, one can shoot said squadmate until he "dies". When revived, he'll have more health than before. A player whose own character has less than half health can even toss a thermal detonator at his feet, "die", call on a squadmate to be revived and enjoy the same benefit.
*** "Hostile Commando!" Yeah, your mates don't really like you shooting them.
** It is slightly hand waved by a single mention of a "Bacta processing implant"; this doesn't explain how [[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Kyle Katarn]], [[VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII Mara Jade]], [[VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy Jaden Korr]], [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Revan]] or [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords the Jedi Exile]] instantly heal with med kits (the last two even predate widespread use of bacta -- and its predecessor, kolto, was rare even when it was the primary healing agent).
* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', if there's no Medic or Dispenser handy, better make a run for the nearest health kit.
** Or, if you're a Medic with the Kritzkrieg, just taunt and take a big 'ol puff of the fumes. Although he also has automatically regenerating health.

* In the ''[[VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D Wolfenstein]]'' and ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' games, there are big white boxes with red plus signs on them which instantly heal you. What's more, the ''Wolfenstein'' hero has HyperactiveMetabolism and can heal up by eating all the food left around without slowing down in the slightest. Its modernised remake, ''Return to Castle Wolfenstein'', is equally guilty, despite being more realistic in other ways.
** Beyond dog-food, if you had really low health in the original, you could also drink blood from the floor with a nice slurping sound. {{Squick}}.
** In the Xbox Live rerelease, the plus signs have been changed to respectively hearts (in ''[=Wolf3D=]'') and red-and-white pills (in ''Doom''), due to the aforementioned Red Cross trademark restrictions.
** The original Apple II game ''VideoGame/CastleWolfenstein'' had a OneHitpointWonder protagonist, but the sequel ''VideoGame/BeyondCastleWolfenstein'' had a dose of realism in that getting shot actually caused you to limp and slow down, and that application of a first-aid kit to restore your agility took several seconds of inaction.
** As for ''Doom'', it's implied the pickups have small doses of SuperSerum (though that puts it in the territory of InstantSedation). [[SuperStrength Berserk Packs]] drop the "implied" part, instantly bringing you up to 100% health from any amount below -- even right at the brink of death with a single hitpoint -- and make you strong enough to tear zombies and imps apart with one punch for the rest of the level. Soulspheres and Megaspheres (which respectively add 100 health, up to 200, and give you the full 200 health ''and'' armor) are more justified since they're black magic.

** Of course, when Ents and Trolls reach this point, they're pretty much about to die, so it's more of a last "screw you" to your opponents than a sound tactical choice.

* ''Franchise/MassEffect'' has medi-gel, a nearly magical substance that can heal just about any traumatic injury. In true ''Franchise/MassEffect'' fashion, the [[EncyclopediaExposita Codex]] helpfully explains that medi-gel doesn't actually ''cure'' you, it just stops the bleeding and provides enough medication to keep you going during the mission. The actual healing is stated to take place offscreen when you return to the ship's medbay. It's even noted that medi-gel is technically ''illegal'' under Citadel bioengineering laws; it's just so useful that the law never cracks down on it.

* The movie ''Film/{{Wanted}}'' has the assassins healing pretty much any damage with some white healing goo.

* In the original ''VideoGame/{{Gungrave}}'', the only way that Grave can recover his hit points is to expend 1 gauge of demolition shot power ("Recover Life Now"), as there are no items that can be picked up in the game. Presumably he's absorbing the collected beats to regenerate his health and shield (and the shield "heals" and protects him in the sense that his HealingFactor allows him to shrug off most damage except for big attacks). In the second game, your character's health is restored by some amount that depends on how much damage you caused when using a demolition shot -- the higher the Jackpot bonus, the more hit points are recovered.

* In ''VideoGame/Left4Dead'' has an interesting take on healing. Simply being hit will slowly lead to the charecter moving more slowly. Get incapacitated, and promptly revived however, and now you'll both move slowly and bleed health. Pain pills offer temporary health boost that slowly degrades. Using health kits has an animation of the character bandaging themselves or someone else and (almost) all their wounds are instantly healed. Get incapacitated too many times without healing, you'll be near death, with all color drained from your view, and the next time you get knocked down before healing ''will'' kill you.

** Other classes can heal themselves by damaging or killing enemies with certain weapons or attacking a target soaked in the Scouts Mad Milk or with one of the Soldiers banners active.

* The RPG ''Exile'' (or ''XZR'' in Japan) uses various forms of drugs as healing items. It's possible to overdose and die from too much "healing".

[[folder:Machinima]]
* ''Machinima/RedVsBlue'' lampshades this with the fight sequence in ''Revelation'', Chapter 10. After Tucker slices open a giant crate hurtling towards the gang, its contents (dozens of med packs) spill out on Sarge and bury him.
--> '''Sarge''': Rrr, what happened? I feel defeated, yet inexplicably rejuvenated!
** In the next episode, Grif can be seen applying one of these kits directly to his balls after a series of repeated [[GroinAttack Groin Attacks]].
[[/folder]]

* In ''VideoGame/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'', acorns were the healing items.

* The title characters of ''VideoGame/{{Killer 7}}'' use the blood of their enemies to heal their own wounds. Given their nature, this is possibly the most sensible entry on this list.
** It's got to be the right ''kind'' of blood, though.

* ''VideoGame/GuildWars'' partially subverts this trope in that there are no items in game that provide healing. Each class has ways to regenerate health (of varying degrees of practicality), and neither attacking nor taking damage for a certain period of time will cause health to regenerate automatically (this is actually a game mechanic that certain builds plan for, as enemies have the same options). Some of the more interesting versions of healing include:

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'' subverts this as it utilizes a relatively simplistic system. If You happen to walk over a medic point, it slowly regenerates your health at a stable rate. This is also partially subverted in that your characters are protected by line shields that mitigate damage so you don't take visible injuries.
* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', bandages heal everything. Ripped tendons, cracked skulls... ''everything.'' And apparently, [[ArtisticLicenseMedicine silk bandages help more than linen ones.]]
** FridgeLogic: With all that cloth, why can't anyone make a tourniquet to stop the bleed effects?

* ''VideoGame/{{Prototype}}'' subverts this nicely. Since your character is capable of absorbing genetic materials from anyone, medkits are... people. Down on health? Grab someone by the neck, smash their head in, absorb their body into your own, and voila, you're healed!
** Although this is down to your 'health' bar not actually measuring your health. Rather, it's a display of your current ''mass''(or rather biomass), hence ''Critical Mass'' when you over-fill it.
** Similarly, ''VideoGame/InFamous'' has all your powers based on electricity, so anything that runs on power can be used as a medkit.
*** Including people!

See also HeartContainer and HealingPotion, and beware of the PoisonMushroom. Compare TheMedic and HealingHands.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Battlefield}} 2'', the medic class can revive critically wounded teammates [[MagicalDefibrillator by simply applying a defibrillator to any part of the body]] (even the limbs), which instantly restores them to full health.
** The semi-sequel ''Battlefield 2142'' also features the magic defibrillator, able to revive anyone regardless of any number of headshots by a .50 cal sniper rifle, RDX charges, or knives to the face. A lot of the meta-game behind the BF series involves finding ways to [[KilledOffForReal permanently kill]] your foes (consequently making the Engineer the most deadly class with his insta-kill rockets). Of course it is semi-justified with the defibrillator merely supercharging the soldier's personal nanobots which patches him up to full health.
** In both games, it's much quicker to kill and revive your teammate, rather than wait for the medkit to do its thing (or even return to your kit if you've already left one somewhere). There are quite a few situations where the choice between avoiding a teamkill and saving precious seconds is a sane one.
** The magical defibrillators also return for ''VideoGame/BattlefieldBadCompany 2'', ''VideoGame/Battlefield3'' and ''[[VideoGame/Battlefield4 4]]'', with the same instant-revival capabilities (though some deaths, like explosives or taking shots to the head are now instantly and permanently fatal, requiring a respawn instead of reviving). The first ''Bad Company'', the second's ''Vietnam'' DLC, ''[[VideoGame/BattlefieldHardline Hardline]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/Battlefield1 1]]'' go for various syringes that have the same effect of instant revival.

* In ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'', Link can visit a dedicated healers (such as a fairy fountain) to get his health back, but he also self-heals by finding hearts from defeated enemies or chopping down tall grass, or drinking healing potions.

* In ''VideoGame/EnterTheMatrix'' just like in ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' you can either walk/run over a green health-pack, or just stand around until the health-meter fills itself back up.

* ''VideoGame/BloodlineChampions'' has an ability available for all players called the Bloodline Medallion to heal. However, it takes a long time to finish and is interrupted upon contact from enemy effects or damage.

* In the ''[[VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D Wolfenstein]]'' and ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' games, there are big white boxes with red plus signs on them which instantly heal you. What's more, the ''Wolfenstein'' hero has HyperactiveMetabolism and can heal up by eating all the food left around without slowing down in the slightest. Its modernised remake, ''Return to Castle Wolfenstein'', is equally guilty, despite being more realistic in other ways.
** Beyond dog-food, if you had really low health in the original, you could also drink blood from the floor with a nice slurping sound. {{Squick}}.
** In the Xbox Live rerelease, the plus signs have been changed to respectively hearts (in ''[=Wolf3D=]'') and red-and-white pills (in ''Doom''), due to the aforementioned Red Cross trademark restrictions.
** The original Apple II game ''VideoGame/CastleWolfenstein'' had a OneHitpointWonder protagonist, but the sequel ''VideoGame/BeyondCastleWolfenstein'' had a dose of realism in that getting shot actually caused you to limp and slow down, and that application of a first-aid kit to restore your agility took several seconds of inaction.
** As for ''Doom'', it's implied the pickups have small doses of SuperSerum (though that puts it in the territory of InstantSedation). [[SuperStrength Berserk Packs]] drop the "implied" part, instantly bringing you up to 100% health from any amount below - even right at the brink of death with a single hitpoint - and make you strong enough to tear zombies and imps apart with one punch for the rest of the level. Soulspheres and Megaspheres (which respectively add 100 health, up to 200, and give you the full 200 health ''and'' armor) are more justified since they're black magic.
* ''VideoGame/KillingFloor'' has the syringe that can be used on both yourself and teammates. Interestingly, in the first game, when playing online it's more effective when used on teammates than on yourself; while they are infinite-use with a gradually-recharging percentage, it takes the full 100% to heal yourself for 20 hit points, while using it on a teammate only uses up 50% for the same amount of healing. Conversely, in solo offline play using it on yourself heals 50 points.
* In ''VideoGame/DeusEx'', the protagonist has separate health levels for arms, legs, torso and head. If the torso or head health reaches 0%, he dies. If both legs are "killed", he falls down to waist level but can still move about using any remaining arms.
** Depending on your point of view, this is justified or handwaved by the mention that the nanomachines in augmented agents are designed to promote incredibly fast healing, by metabolizing food and medical supplies quickly for rapid health regeneration. Or, in the case of booze, squashing the effects of strong alcohol consumption into the space of a few seconds.
* Gordon Freeman in ''VideoGame/HalfLife'' gains back lost health by plugging his hazard suit into health and energy recharging stations scattered around the levels. The suit is designed to use energy to protect from hazards, such as hardening the armor plating in response to gunfire, but regardless of the energy level, the suit can dispense morphine or apply some kind of basic first aid in response to injuries. This is all just a {{Handwave}} in the end, though: Freeman, like most video game and TV heroes, is MadeOfIron.
** [[http://www.hlcomic.com/index.php?date=2005-09-07 Spoofed]] in the ''VideoGame/HalfLife2'' webcomic ''Webcomic/{{Concerned}}'', where medkits are capable of not only healing everything and anything, but also instantly removing any blood stains from clothing. They are also Eco-Friendly and will [[EverythingFades instantly and completely biodegrade upon use]].
* In the ''VideoGame/RainbowSix'' series, as might be expected from its devotion to realism, there's no healing during a mission. If a character is wounded, but survives, it could be months of in-game time before he's back in action, if he comes back at all. This forces you to use second-stringers as your character and his team-mates.
** With the exception of the ''Rainbow Six: Vegas'' games, where if you die, you die, but if your teammates die, then they must be revived with, apparently, a massive dose of adrenaline in a syringe. There's a limit on how much you can do this, depending on difficulty and how often you do so - teammates downed too often in too short a period, especially on Realistic difficulty, eventually will just die and send you back to the last checkpoint - but, so long as you're within that limit, there's no risk of heart attack or death from blood loss from overuse of whatever's in those syringes even if you pump them full of it three times in under a minute.
** ''VideoGame/RainbowSixSiege'' finally allows for healing, but only by way of very specific Operator gadgets. The GIGN Defender Doc has a healing-dart pistol as his gadget, which heals anyone hit by it - including himself [[HoistByHisOwnPetard or even Attackers]] - for 40 health, including overcharging their health above the maximum 100%, though this overcharge decays at a rate of one hit point per second until it goes back down to 100. The later CBRN Attacker Finka has the "Adrenal Surge" ability, which when active, gives all the players on her team various buffs for 20 seconds, including a boost of 20 extra health for its duration with the same sort of overcharge as with Doc (though it disappears right away when the boost ends, rather than slowly decaying during its effects).[[note]]The end of the boost also only takes away health if you're still above what you had before the boost was activated; e.g., if you're boosted from 50 to 70 health, then take 18 damage, you'll only lose 2 hit points to go back down to 50 when the boost ends.[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/StarWarsRepublicCommando'' has no medkits. Instead, it has fixed emplacements that infuse bacta to the commandos, healing them in a short time. Given the almost magical healing abilities of Bacta in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' universe, this is not actually ''completely'' insane. However, should a squadmate's health reach zero, they'll just drop down and moan occasionally, whereupon all that's needed to revive them and give them half their health back is a zap from a defibrillator-like device. The player character can "die" in this way as well, and call on a squadmate to be revived. This gives rise to an interesting technique for the few areas of the game where bacta is rare: if a squadmate's health is less than half, one can shoot said squadmate until he "dies". When revived, he'll have more health than before. A player whose own character has less than half health can even toss a thermal detonator at his feet, "die", call on a squadmate to be revived and enjoy the same benefit.
*** "Hostile Commando!" Yeah, your mates don't really like you shooting them.
** It is slightly hand waved by a single mention of a "Bacta processing implant"; this doesn't explain how [[VideoGame/DarkForcesSaga Kyle Katarn]], [[VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII Mara Jade]], [[VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy Jaden Korr]], [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Revan]] or [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublicIITheSithLords the Jedi Exile]] instantly heal with med kits (the last two even predate widespread use of bacta - and its predecessor, kolto, was rare even when it was the primary healing agent).
* ''VideoGame/AmericasArmy'' averts this trope; players who are shot in the game bleed for a certain amount of time, effectively draining their hit points bit by bit. As your health decreases from Green (Full/Near Full) to Yellow (Moderately Hurt) to Red (Near Death), you run progressively slower and are less accurate. Medics can only stop your bleeding, and there is no way to restore health once lost.
* Averted in ''VideoGame/DayOfDefeat'', where wounds cannot be healed at all. You can bandage yourself, but this only stops you from bleeding to death.
* In ''VideoGame/MedalOfHonorAirborne'' the player can "round up" their health to the next quarter by resting, but still require medkits to heal beyond that.

* ''VideoGame/AlphaPrime'', like ''Half-Life'', features both medkits and health dispensers. When you approach a medkit (or any item you can pick up), it flies toward you and instantly restores health. The health dispensers seem to pump out some sort of red fluid. On the eponymous asteroid's surface, there are also [[OxygenMeter oxygen dispensers]].
* In ''VideoGame/TeamFortress2'', if there's no Medic or Dispenser handy, better make a run for the nearest health kit.
** Or, if you're a Medic with the Kritzkrieg, just taunt and take a big 'ol puff of the fumes. Although he also has automatically regenerating health.
** And if you're a Heavy, you have a wide range of consumable "sandviches" for that purpose as well, though the tradeoff here is that you don't have a [[RangedEmergencyWeapon shotgun]] handy for if you run yourself out of ammo for your Minigun.
** Other classes can heal themselves by damaging or killing enemies with certain weapons or attacking a target soaked in the Scouts Mad Milk or with one of the Soldiers banners active.

* A number of characters in ''VideoGame/{{Overwatch}}'' have some ability or another for healing themselves, such as [[TransformingMecha Bastion's]] ''Self-Repair'' or [[FatBastard Roadhog's]] ''Take a Breather.'' However, [[OldSoldier Soldier: 76]] is the only non-support character that can heal teammates, and not without a lengthy cooldown.
* In ''Videogame/{{Tribes}} 2'', every player has a single-use medkit that they can use by pressing a button, giving them a small boost to their health, and it can be looted from dead players if they haven't used theirs. Players can also take a Repair Pack, a MagicTool HealingShiv that can repair any equipment or players - including the user - and only has a minor drain on your regenerating JumpJetPack energy, making it a favored tool for the "[[GoddamnedBats Annoying Bastard]]" playstyle that skirts around the enemy base, provoking the defenders into a chase before scrambling away via RocketJump, healing themselves in the process.
* Classic ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' has this, in contrast to the RegeneratingHealth ''2'' and onwards have used. The original game and its expansion had the then-standard system of differently-sized health kits, with tiny red [[HyperactiveMetabolism chocolate tins]] healing 10 health, larger green medical boxes healing 25 and large bags filled with supplies returning 50. The console game ''Finest Hour'' uses a slightly different system, with only medium-size kits that are instantly used on pickup, and large kits that you can pick up and carry around to use on yourself or on teammates (since GameplayAllyImmortality isn't in play for important [=NPCs=] this time), while ''Call of Duty 2: Big Red One'' reuses the original three sizes of medkits, only changing how the health bar is presented (divided into four blocks, with a small kit returning half of a block, medium giving a full block, and large healing two blocks).

* ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' usually has HyperactiveMetabolism for its healing, as its recovery items are food and drink. The one exception is the full-recover item called Ointment in the game--more specifically, Hua Tuo's Ointment, described in [[Literature/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms the source material]] as a kind of miracle balm. Pick up some of this and your ancient Chinese hero is good to go, even from the brink of death--it grants both full health ''and'' a full ManaMeter, which also powers your LimitBreak.

* In ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'', bandages heal everything. Ripped tendons, cracked skulls... ''everything.'' And apparently, [[ArtisticLicenseMedicine silk bandages help more than linen ones.]]
** FridgeLogic: With all that cloth, why can't anyone make a tourniquet to stop the bleed effects?
* ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing'' takes this to a deliberately ridiculous level for humour. Its many, many status effects invariably wear off over time. While this makes some sense in terms of the effects of a spell, or the effects of a potion, or having a song stuck on your head, or being in a certain emotional state, or having a disease, other things aren't so realistic. Your character is capable of shrugging off ''being exfoliated into a skeleton'' in only a few turns, for starters, and the caption for the status effect 'Missing Fingers' is:
-->Some of your fingers are gone. It really hurts, and they're going to take a little while to grow back.
** Though you can [[http://kol.coldfront.net/thekolwiki/index.php/Missing_Kidney lose your kidney]] indefinitely (until you can get a spare).
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'' subverts this as it utilizes a relatively simplistic system. If You happen to walk over a medic point, it slowly regenerates your health at a stable rate. This is also partially subverted in that your characters are protected by line shields that mitigate damage so you don't take visible injuries.

* ''VideoGame/BattlestarGalacticaOnline'' has Damage Control Packs for when you need a pick-me-up and can't escape battle to let the RegeneratingHealth kick in.

* In ''VideoGame/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'', acorns were the healing items.
* In ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin'', you healed by eating fish, or by finding a healing clam. (You just had to watch that you didn't accidentally hit an evil clam that'd drain you more).
* In ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'', both Gunvolt and Copen can use healing skills on themselves in addition to finding health pickups from either killing certain enemies to just lying around. With Copen, it's just the tech in his suit working to repair his injuries. For Gunvolt, it's explained as his [[ShockAndAwe lightning powers]] stimulating his body's natural healing processes.

* A somewhat odd (but explainable) example of the corollary is found in the ''{{Battle for Middle-Earth}}'' games, in which Ents and Trolls actually become ''better'' as they receive more damage. Ents move faster, as being damaged makes them "hasty", while Trolls go berserk and do lots of damage to all nearby units - including allies.

* The RPG ''Exile'' (or ''XZR'' in Japan) uses various forms of drugs as healing items. It's possible to overdose and die from too much "healing".
* In the ''VideoGame/PaperMario'' series, Mario enters a danger status at 5 or less HP, and a Peril status at 1 HP. Mario begins panting in battle, and outside them if in Peril. Nonetheless, Mario still controls the same, and some of the badges requires him to be in these status in order to work. This can create a setup where you can purposely lower your max HP to 5 in order to always have the danger badges' powerups in effect.

* In ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'', in a Mage Guild quest, there is literally a chest labeled "HealThyself," which [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin contains potions]].
* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfDragoon'''s "[[DefendCommand Guard]]" command [[HealThyself restores a portion of the character's HP]] every time it is used in battle, making it a viable healing method during the game's many {{Random Encounter}}s.

* In ''Videogame/DarkSouls'', the Chosen Undead can chug some Estus for a quick refill of health. The Flask can be upgraded to have more uses and greater healing power. ''Videogame/DarkSoulsII'' reduces the efficiency of Estus (the animation speed is now dependent on a stat) but adds more healing items with their own advantages and disadvantages.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Miitopia}}'', snacks, this game's take on HealingPotion, can only be consumed by the holder (unless the Cadge quirk activates).

* Generally speaking, in the ''VideoGame/MetalGear'' series, healing is primarily achieved through a HyperactiveMetabolism - namely, eating rations or other food. For ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'', it adds a touch of realism by having your rations freeze if you stay in cold areas for too long, rendering them inedible until they thaw out; the only way to prevent frozen rations or to thaw them out requires you to equip the rations, which is implied that you're holding them to your body so your body heat would melt the ice.

* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'' is particularly bad for this, suggesting that you can heal yourself just by using a random green herb you ground up. Though it's unclear if you're applying it to the wound, [[HyperactiveMetabolism eating the herbs]], or as many fans jokingly say, rolling it in a joint and smoking it. It's not as if it's armor either, as you are clearly seen getting impaled, cut, burnt, or thrown into walls by the enemies. Once their health is below a certain point, a character will move slower and clutch their stomach, but this is the extent of the character's "injuries". ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil2'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis'' notably have the characters barely able to move when they're on dying status, making them an easy target to whatever is trying to kill them.
** Apparently, they're sprayed onto the body, per ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil5''.
*** Sheva! Here let me stab you with some adrenaline, that should make you forget the fact you've been impaled with a spear.
* Conversely, ''Franchise/SilentHill'' games feature more mundane healing items, like health drinks, first aid kits, ampoules and the occasional energy drinks to boost stamina. Rather than reflect the character's health through body language, the screen usually grows more distorted the more damage they take.
* ''VideoGame/SkinwalkerHunt'': You can heal from damage taken either by [[HyperactiveMetabolism eating food]], or from a Medkit.
* In ''VideoGame/HauntingGround'', Fiona can consume camomile and lavender to replenish her health and stamina respectively, and can replenish both by drinking tap water, provided no enemies are looking. She can also heal [[CanineCompanion Hewie]] by feeding him beef and chicken jerky.
* In ''VideoGame/RuleOfRose'', Jennifer heals by munching on sweets: anything from lollipops and candy to scones, shortbread and minced pie. She can also heal [[CanineCompanion Brown]] by feeding him anything from bones to steak.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Kuon}}'', characters heal utilizing "dust" and "elixirs", though if they're not under attack they can just as easily go into meditation mode for free until they're restored to full health.

* ''VideoGame/{{Penumbra}}'' has painkillers. FlavorText suggests that they just make possible for Philip to ignore his injuries, but in practice they work like this.
* The ''Prometheus'' in ''VideoGame/ProjectFirestart'' has single-use first aid kits on the walls next to certain elevators. The medical lab also has a walk-in regeneration machine.
* In ''VideoGame/{{Unturned}}'', you heal with medical supplies found around PEI. The supplies vary from make-shift rag bandages that recover a tiny amount of health to full medkits that restore half your health, reduce sickness, and cures the bleeding and broken leg debuffs. Unlike most games, there is an animation when your heal yourself, like applying bandages to your arm or giving a morphine shot.

* ''VideoGame/RawFootage'': If you grab a medkit, you can heal damage done to you.

* ''VideoGame/MaxPayne'' has an interesting take on this trope: instead of healing himself, Max just downs painkillers by the fistful, the effects of which to a while to fully set in. While this is a somewhat more realistic take in the short run -- people certainly can ignore a few bullet wounds if you give them enough amphetamines -- before too long it becomes clear that by now he ought to be too bullet-riddled and drug-addled to stand.
** His clothing for much of the first game does look baggy enough that he might conceivably be wearing a ballistic vest with a trauma plate. (After all, he ''does'' keep his HyperspaceArsenal under his jacket.) All the same, one wonders how much time he spent between the first and second games being treated for broken ribs, internal bleeding and the effects of a colossal painkiller overdose.
** On the other hand, Max Payne is one of a few action games that reinforce the notion that the main character actually survives just because he is incredibly lucky (and, of course, skilled and resourceful). The perfect walkthrough implied by the story means that Max hardly ever gets wounded, but instead dodges all that is thrown at him – sometimes wondering aloud how did he managed to survive every subsequent encounter.
** Also note that story-wise, with plot progression Max is getting always more and more mangled. In second game this lead to the point where he was ''hospitalised'' after second act. The paramedic clearly stated that he's alive by combination of dumb luck and sheer willpower - the painkillers only made the rescue effort ''harder'' because of intoxication.
** Unlike most games, painkillers don't work immediately (except in ''3''). Instead, they do about ten percent of their total healing instantly, with the remainder happening slowly over the next few seconds. Healing in the middle of a gunfight generally won't work unless you take several painkillers at once or are really good at dodging bullets, such as with the games' LeapAndFire mechanic.
* ''VideoGame/{{Oni}}'''s health items, hyposprays, serve a dual purpose. If used when Konoko is close to full health, it will rise above 100%, and trigger a "super mode". It lasts until her health is ''reduced'' to full, over time or by damage. Otherwise, the health gain is delayed (can be interrupted, making it dangerous to use in combat).

* In the ''VideoGame/{{Crusader}}'' series of games, the Silencer can instantly heal even the most severe wounds with a medkit (of which he can carry up to ten at a time), though he might need more than one. Not even bringing up the question of how he can do this with his arms full of gun and the kits in his backpack, the game's lit explains that the medikits are more lifesavers than they are actual medicine, just something to keep the soldier alive and out of shock until better treatment can be found, and that there may be nasty side effects of prolonged or overuse. It's entirely possible [[SuperSoldier Silencers]] are genetically engineered to take full advantage of them without side effects, but the game makes no mention of ''that''...
** And then there's the medical booths, which are kind of like the opposite of [[{{WesternAnimation/Futurama}} suicide booths]].

* In ''VideoGame/{{Infernal}}'', the protagonist is able to replenish his health by eating the souls of dead people. The game doesn't go into detail about what this means for the dead people, although it's to be presumed they'd rather it didn't happen. Once or twice, the game sets up situations where he could do with a health boost and there are a few cowering non-combatants conveniently nearby — it's up to the player whether he kills them for the health boost or soldiers on.
* In VideoGame/BadDayLA The protagonist heals himself and others with gauze.

** The "realism" aspect goes out the window in the second game, where all the same rules apply - ''but underwater''. For example, apparently having your ''skull'' ruptured does not, in fact, mean your ''diving helmet'' is no longer air-tight - [[BatmanCanBreatheInSpace or does it?]]
** In the rebooted games VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown and VideoGame/XCOM2, there are a number of ways to instantly heal soldiers on the battlefield--however, while the soldier can be healed to full effectiveness, the healing is strictly temporary. After the mission ends, the surviving soldier needs to recover from every point of damage suffered (that wasn't [[BodyArmorAsHitPoints stopped by armor]]), whether or not the wounds were healed during the mission.
* The game ''VideoGame/JaggedAlliance 2'' features a fairly realistic injury system. Characters will take hits first to their armor, reducing its effectiveness in future battles. They will then take the hit to their health. This will show up on the health bar as a yellow area. When they are healed in the field, this will be covered up in pink, to show that it is bandaged, but will be lost more quickly next time they are hit, potentially causing them to start bleeding. Characters must be healed on the world map to remove the pink and turn it to the default red, a process which takes time ''and'' a consumable "medical kit" item that RandomlyDrops rather rarely and has to be bought. In addition, characters have a stamina bar, making it possible for characters to faint or collapse in the field, requiring immediate medical attention and stamina-recovering water. Furthermore, being hit drains not only health but also stamina, so even if a character survives with only minor injuries, the stamina drain will give them an action point penalty, significantly reducing their combat effectiveness, if not knock them out outright.
* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' games [[NoSelfBuffs don't allow healing spells to be cast on the user]], but ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' introduced the Live to Serve skill, which restores the user's own HP by the same amount whenever they heal an ally.