Summary
There is a popular myth that playing video games causes people (especially kids) to become violent. Supposedly, killing in a video game will incite people to kill in real life. This is, of course, completely untrue. It is a story that has been perpetuated mainly by conservative groups, and it is really no different from the moral panic that led to the Motion Picture Production Code in the 1930s. While there may be some interesting discourse to be had regarding the role of violence in video games and how it is portrayed, there is no evidence that it can lead to violence.
Contrary to what this narrative would suggest, some games actuallyencouragenon-violence or at least encourage the player to avoid killing as much as possible. Games like these will often make a point of putting the player in a situation where, at least some of the time,they will technically have options, but it is often more practical (if sometimes difficult) to avoid killing. The simplest way to set up such a game is to introduce a morality system, and a common way to structure such a mechanic is to have consequences for murder while rewarding players who seek out non-lethal solutions.
BioShock, the classic shooter from Ken Levine, features its fair share of action. The protagonist, Jack, has to kill a lot of mutated enemies that can barely be described as human. But the game gained notoriety for one particular mechanic: the moral choice regarding Little Sisters. Jack regularly needs to getADAM, a gene-altering substancethat gives him his powers, and the most reliable sources are mutated children known as “Little Sisters.” The thing is, this also acts as a test of character for Jack (and, by extension, the player). Each time a Little Sister is encountered, Jack has two options. He can harvest them, getting huge amounts of ADAM and killing the girl in the process, or he can save them, getting less ADAM but turning the Little Sister human again with the promise of a later reward. It’s like a cruel version of the marshmallow test.
While harvesting Little Sisters grants lots of ADAM and allows Jack to get power more quickly, saving the sisters really pays off. The care packages Dr. Tenenbaum sends him include supplies that can be life-saving and unique plasmids that are otherwise unobtainable.
Arkane Studios' popularseries of stealth gamestakes place in a very cynical world full of unpleasant people, many of whom have no qualms with getting their hands dirty and committing murder to get what they want. One interesting detail in all four campaigns (and imitated by many subsequent games) is an option to rise above their level.Dishonoredrelies on what’s known as the “chaos system,” which impacts the story based on how many people the player kills or avoids killing. The curious thing is, while going the non-lethal route is sometimes more difficult, it is often morepractical. The player is often outnumbered, and evading or distracting guards is more efficient than trying to take them head on. This is especially true in the first game, where every corpse leads to more trouble with plague rats.
Interestingly, each of the targets the player has to deal with only have to be “neutralized” - not neccessarily killed. While killing them is faster, and some of the more “ethical” options could be argued to beworse, taking a less obvious non-lethal approach can lead to unexpected rewards, often in the form of useful items. InDishonored 2,the player can actually miss out on some valuable allies by taking the lethal path.
Funnily enough, for something that started asa mod forSkyrimof all things and relocated to Ancient Rome of all settings, Modern Storyteller’sThe Forgotten Cityis actually designed to discourage violence. Killing will set off the “Golden Rule” that turns everyone into Golden Statues, forcing the player to reset the Groundhog Day loop, so it doesn’t even accomplish anything. There’s only one character who can be killed without the risk of encountering this problem, and that isn’t so much an act of killing him as it is an act of tricking him into killing himself. The one ending that can be unlocked by committing a murder is arguably thedarkest ending in the game, as it dooms every major character except the protagonist. In fact, some of the main objectives actually involvesavinglives, with one being centered on preventing two suicides. Even the closest things to bosses in this game are dealt with through philosophical discussion rather than combat.
Figuring out how to save the city offers the best ending, but it is also helpful for progression. Being able to prevent the deaths of its residents (and a worse fate if the Golden Rule is triggered) offers the player opportunities to explore new areas and gather more information, allowing them to further investigate the mysteries of the city and uncover its secrets.
Curiously, for a series that explores thedangerous relationship between militarism and capitalism, Hideo Kojima’s popularMetal Gear Solidseries has always favored stealth over direct combat (with the exception of some boss fights). Despite the wide range of weapons available to players, any fan of the series will tell newcomers that their best friend should almost always be a simple tranquilizer gun. Non-lethal attacks are consistently shown as the quietest and most practical way of moving forward.
Kojima’s last entry,The Phantom Pain, kicks things up a notch. Venom Snake has lethal and non-lethal options, but a major part of the game is recruiting allies for his crew, something that is easier to accomplish when he goes for the non-lethal approach. Taking people alive means more manpower for his army. This is also reflected in an odd design choice. At the start of the game, Snake barely survives an explosion that leaves a piece of shrapnel embedded into his skull. This wound changes size depending on his actions. Killing more people will result in the shrapnel growing bigger until it starts to resemble a horn, whereas more reliance on non-lethal tactics will make it smaller and look more realistic.
AlthoughMetro Exodustakes place ina post-apocalyptic Russiawhere social order has collapsed, the third entry to the popularMetroseries is fond of exploring themes about human nature. Artyom can be portrayed as the best or worst of humanity, depending on player actions. Throughout each chapter of the game, he encounters various characters and has options for how to deal with them.
Although evasion can be difficult, it can make things easier for the player in the long term as it earns favor with the locals. Going the violent route can be a bit costly. Killing too much can actually cost Artyom some of his allies, while avoiding it tends to lead to the best possible outcomes for the story.
Undertale, the popular indie game, is notorious for featuring choices that affect the gameplay experience. The player makes decisions that affect how the story plays out, with a particular emphasis being placed on whether they choose to kill or spare defeated enemies. This much is pretty straightforward, but the game is also infamous for punishing overly violent players with the “genocide route” (aka killingeveryone).
If players take this path,Undertalewill go out of its way to be as frustrating as possible for them. If they somehow make it through the grueling experience, they still have to face a nearly-impossible boss fight with fan favorite character Sans, who is usually an ally in every other path. Sans will spend the whole fight trolling the player, calling them out for their actions while simultaneouslybreaking the game’s established combat rulesjust to be really annoying.
