Determination: Essays About Video Games and Us | Page 39

for interpretation on the player ’ s side ; they either did something good , or something bad . The shortcomings of this system are perhaps most apparent in Fallout 3 ’ s ending . To reach the game ’ s conclusion , the player is given a final binary choice : sacrifice yourself or walk away . Completely neglecting the player ’ s actions up to that point , the story is reduced to a final choice . Following this choice is a brief cutscene in which the player ’ s choices over the course of the game are weighed against each other . The narrator describes the nature of those choices as either good or bad depending on your overall karma level .
Fallout 3 is a shining example of what most games with choices lack : a fulfilling sense of morality . Consider Red Dead Redemption and its equally binary honor system , or Mass Effect ’ s Paragon and Renegade scores . Regardless of the title , these “ morality meters ” are all guilty of rendering morality into an unfeeling statistic that takes emphasis away from consequence — what truly gives moral weight to a choice . Recently , titles such as Telltale Game ’ s The Walking Dead and Dontnod Entertainment ’ s Life is Strange have tried to emphasize morality by employing dynamic stories that , in theory , are meant to adapt according to each choice the player makes . Yet in practice , these games succumb to many of the aforementioned flaws explored in Fallout 3 . Both The Walking Dead and Life is Strange culminate with the player making a difficult binary choice that disregards any and all prior choices made by the player , resulting in a lack of narrative fulfillment .
It ’ s not just these few games , though . Video games in general aren ’ t well-equipped to convey a strong sense of morality . Unlike film and television creators , video games developers do not have full , unadulterated control over the entertainment experience . Video games have the added element of the player , who can manipulate a game world in unpredictable ways . This often results in narratives and choices painted in broad , uncompelling strokes . Considering the inherent element of interactivity , perhaps it is impossible for games to achieve a strong sense of morality . Though if any title has come close , it is undoubtedly Toby Fox ’ s Undertale .
Undertale succeeds in establishing a strong moral texture by giving every encounter narrative and moral weight . Each battle with a monster in the game offers the player a choice : show mercy or attack ( and kill ). While this might sound identical to the the binary choices presented in Fallout 3 , it is anything but . Showing mercy is never established outright as a “ good ” choice , nor does killing the game ’ s monsters feel unequivocally “ evil .” Both approaches pose difficulties for the player , as the game tests their capacity for violence . Where Undertale truly shines is in attributing meaningful consequences to whatever route the the player takes ; every encounter impacts the game world . Even killing a seemingly insignificant Froggit of Ice Cap will alter how future interactions play out . Whereas Fallout 3 ’ s karma system seems to be a mechanic predominantly removed from narrative , Undertale ’ s choices are directly linked to the game ’ s
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“ Regardless of the title , these “ morality meters ” are all guilty of rendering morality into an unfeeling statistic that takes emphasis away from consequence — what truly gives moral weight to a choice .”