Articles
Choice in Games
Another game is Mass Effect ,
in which the entire story of the
game can change based upon
your choice, such as who lives
and who dies is up to you. In
saying that the ending of Mass
Effect 3 is not good, and that
shows that when choices aren’t
done well and in the case of
Mass Effect 3 the only choice
was what is your favourite
colour (if you have played
the end you will know what I
mean). I can’t speak about the
specific choices too much as
that will enter spoiler territory,
but there is one aspect I can
talk about: the moral aspect.
A lot of choices in games have a
moral aspect attached, such as
a bar or a point system, and this
removes some of the tension.
Something giving you paragon
points shows you did what is
going to be considered morally
right, so it isn’t grey--it is totally
black and white. So instead
of it being thoughtful you can
tell what is right and wrong
as the choices are black and
white. Also when the paragon
or renegade points give you
access to more choices you
have to go full paragon or full
renegade. There is no choice to
go down the middle; you have
to go high road or low road.
Whereas The Witcher 2:
Assassins of Kings is less
morally clear cut as the
entire game is in that
grey area, there is no choice
that is super good or super
evil. For example, would you
rather take the side of a racist
murderer or a different racist
murderer? Witcher 2 is much
closer to Game of Thrones
which makes all characters sort
Issue 58 • August 2014
of greyish, although sometimes
there are just objectively evil
and objectively good. It is this
grey area where both debate
and immersion come from.
All real moral choices have
multiple sides and multiple
arguments for both and that
is reflected in the game.
There is also more than just the
story choice; there is also the
choice in every game which is
how you play. When you shoot,
when you jump or when you
walk and many other actions
are choices that you make.
These choices are integral to
the entire gaming experience.
Choices are what create a
game, they are like walkers in
The Walking Dead TV shownecessary for anything to
happen. While choices can be
over simplified into separate
bars or meters, in general I
like them in games, especially
when they are integral to
the gameplay or story like in
The Last Federation or the
Mass Effect series. Games
and choices go together like
stabbings and Glasgow. I
see choices as what makes
gameplay gameplay and it can
be what makes a good story
better and more immersive.
17 • GameOn Magazine