Summary
Video games have long been about more than graphics orcombat mechanics. They’ve evolved into interactive storytelling tools where player decisions can ripple through the game world, shaping outcomes, characters, and entire narratives. Some games go beyond basic branching paths to explore nuanced moral choices, which can have complex consequences that challenge the player’s values and strategic thinking.
There have been some watershed titles that redefined how choice and consequence are handled in games. Each of them showcases a unique, sometimes disturbing approach to player agency, offeringunforgettable gaming experiencesshaped by the decisions made along the player’s journey.
Until Dawnis ahorror gamewhich follows the adventures of eight young people that have been trapped on a mountain. The gameplay involves exploration, but leans heavily on storytelling, almost like an interactive drama.
The game has a system that the developers termed the Butterfly Effect. Every choice the player makes is tracked by this system, even actions that may, at first, seem trivial in nature. The system is used to decide how the game progresses, and has a massive impact on the gameplay, from deciding which people live or die, to how relationships between characters pan out.Until Dawnplayers have to think about every choice, and balance short-term gains against long-term survival.
Rather than covering a single game, this entry covers the first three games in theMass Effectfranchise, colloquially known as theMass Effect Trilogy. Following the adventures of Commander Shepard, these three titles take the player on an incredible journey,with fantastic storytelling.
The choices that a player makes carry over to subsequent games, and have a major impact on how the plot develops, and the character arcs the player works through. TheseMass Effectgames did a fantastic job of portraying morally ambiguous choices. The player needs to choose from more than one option, none of which is perfect, in many scenarios. This leads to the game evolving, with the consequences of player agency having an impact across all three games in some cases.
Heavy Rainis a thriller that takes a heavily narrated approach to storytelling. The plot follows four separate characters, each of whom is connected in some way to the kidnapping of a child. The game uses interactive cutscenes and dialogue choices to shape the gameplay.
Each choice the player makes can impact the gameplay, such as causing the death of one of the characters. Choices are morally ambiguous, and once made, can have deep, unexpected, and even disturbing consequences. Incorporating decision-making touchpoints into a game that relies heavily on cinematics to tell the story was truly innovative.
Taking on the role of Max Caufield, a teenage girl, players find themselves able to wind back time.Life Is Strangeis set in a small town, and the game focuses on relationships and the personal stories of the people in the town.
Mature themes are tackled, such as loss, deteriorating mental health, and struggling to find an identity. Max can reverse time and change decisions, but only for a short time. This enables the player to explore the landscape of choices in the game, as they learn about Max and her emotions.
The Walking DeadTV show was wildly popular, with its gritty storytelling and deepcharacter development. So it comes as no surprise that the game of the same name made this list. Taking on the role of Lee Everett, the player tries to take care of a young girl, Clementine, during a zombie apocalypse.
The game has a way of making players care about the characters, and every choice they have to make could have serious consequences if not thought through. The game uses time-critical decisions, as well as branching dialogue, to change the shape of the relationships in the game. Many decisions require ethical and moral choices that are neither black nor white.
Disco Elysiumis a role-playing game with a bit of a twist. There isno combatin this game; instead, it relies on the internal dialogue and thoughts of the player (playing as a detective) to drive the narrative.
The player has social attributes including authority, logic, and empathy, which have a direct impact on their interaction with characters in the game. In turn, this can influence decisions. The choices the player makes shape their personality and view of the game world. Success isn’t always rewarded, and choices are often accompanied by philosophical questions. The result is a game where actions result in consequences that directly affect the player.
Playing as Geralt of Rivia, the player becomes a Witcher, a monster hunter that has managed to get themselves ensnared in political turmoil, which is making them question their own values.The Witcher 3implements the consequences of choice in a slick manner, integrating them seamlessly into the touchpoints within the game where the player must make a choice.
Choices are orally ambiguous most of the time, and what seemed like a good decision often turns out to have far-flung, unexpected consequences further down the line. The result is a game that keeps the player’s agency at its heart, but how that agency is used will have a deep impact on gameplay.
Don’t let the fact thatSpec Ops: The Lineis primarily a military-style shooter game deter players; it is far deeper than this. Without giving any spoilers, this game forces the player to make one of the toughest decisions, resulting in some of the most terrible consequences ever seen in gaming.
Indeed, the entire game seems to be sprinkled with moral traps, intended to stop the player dead, and make them consider the validity of all of their actions. Exploring the psychological impact of war on not only the enemy, but also the player, the game throws the consequences of actions into the player’s face in a jarring, almost shocking way at times. The result is a title that leaves the player feeling that agency is an illusion, and no matter what choices are made, fate has a way of playing out.
