I, like many within my circle, have been playing Skyrim lately. Lots and lots. Seemingly endless amounts of tasks and adventures await at every moment. Breathtaking vistas. Moments of discovery. For those returning to the series, you may even run into a familiar face or two. I've noticed, though, that it is difficult being the "good guy". Between guild-related mishaps and trials, civil wars, and Daedric quests, you're bound to be put into a situation where you have to pick one of two options. And more than likely those options aren't simply black or white. The way all of these individual stories are woven together is something I wish everyone could experience. The game's narrative tries its best to open your eyes, make you look at what you do, and reflect on what your own nature has wrought. The good guys aren't necessarily doing good for everyone, now are they?
Spoilers. Lol.
I've run into many situations where I was forced to question my 'good' decisions. So, that guy you just killed for whatever reason you cooked up in your holy crusade? He wasn't going to hurt you. He would've changed the world for the better. He had children. A wife. A dog named Bentley. At one point in time I came across a thief in the middle of a town. While I chased him down and killed him for stealing two cups and a plate he was going to sell for a carrot or two, I accidentally killed a homeless woman. She ran right into my line of fire and took an arrow to the head.
Feeling sorry, I promptly accessed the cheat console and resurrected her. A few in-game days later I was approached by a courier with a note. In it, the woman's will. To me, she bequeathed a hefty sum of 10 gold.
At times, I feel somewhat stuck in the Gray Area. Do you want this powerful item? Kill your friend. You don't want to kill your friend? Kthxbai, no reward for you. Do you want the help of a relatively 'good' faction? Kill another 'good' character. Are you interested in a guild, but prefer to shy away from the harsh methods of the Brotherhood or the law breaking Thieves Guild? Join the honorable Companions, where you inevitably become a monstrous creature and rip apart those that defy you. Thankfully, I wasn't deterred much. Most of the 'darker' aspects of the game still rest within that area of gray. Most of the members of the Dark Brotherhood are vicious killers, but when they were introduced they had this atmosphere of comraderie I haven't seen in any other area of the game. They shared stories, made jokes, and gave me this impression that they trust and love one another like family. A functional family.
And they are supposed to be the evil characters.
Plenty of games have this approach with their storyline that lies on one end of the spectrum or another. Good. Bad. If you're between the two, you're considered neutral, but most of these games do anything to help you create your own definition for what any of the categories mean. The conversation wheel from Mass Effect places good, neutral, and bad responses in the same place. Again and again. Hit X to be good and kind. Hit B to be intimidating and evil. Instead of providing a moment for the player to stop, think, and react, it just holds back the delivery. Players learn to hit X again and again. Something may get lost in that. Value. Meaning. The more the conversation branches to support various approaches the better, even if illusory. Skyrim did that, I think. And I heart it.
Hit Y to care less.
I agree!
ReplyDeleteI think the majority of gamers will choose to be a good guy if the options are equal. If the options are not equal, they generally are weighted toward being good also having the best rewards. (like in Bioshock, etc).
I actually kind of like being a jerk in games, so I like that Skyrim made jerk options tempting and satisfying. This is as opposed to, say, the Fable series, where there's really no point in most of the evil interactions, because they aren't really tempting to me.