Bioware, until Mass Effect Andromeda, engaged in this frequently. It is not uncommon in games that track your moral decisions with a visible meter to place an incentive at each end. Before I analyze what I think works in Prey however, let’s establish where other systems fall short.įirstly, let’s talk about why I believe morality meters don’t lead to meaningful decision making by a player: incentives. This is not the only framework for morality in games, and I believe that Arkane’s design ethos represents a particularly strong case study for the effectiveness of morality that is systemic, yet still not gamified. However, despite their popularity and prevalence, the way these decisions are placed mechanically often hurts their narrative and meta-textual impact. ![]() If you’re ‘good’ enough, an extra reward or powerful weapon may be unlocked that would otherwise be out of your grasp, or vice versa for embracing your darker side. These often relate to sliders or statistics placing your character on a binary scale between good and evil, and are often tied to extrinsic motivations for the player. A wide array of titles take advantage of this, most commonly RPGs, where a player character will engage in moments of decision-making that shape not only the player but the world around them. Games, by nature of their interactivity, have the ability to address moral choice far more directly compared to other narrative mediums. I greatly enjoyed these games, and in particular found their approach to player morality to strike a powerful chord with me. ![]() As part of the recent Bethesda acquisition by Xbox I’ve recently played both Dishonored titles (2012, 2016), and despite playing it previously - I returned to and finished Prey (2017). ![]() With Xbox Game Pass, the end of my undergraduate degree, and a global pandemic - I’ve finally found the time to sit and work through some modern classics. Spoiler warning for: Prey (2017), BioShock (2007)Īfter years of watching my backlog grow, I’ve finally started tackling games I’ve wanted to play but haven’t had the time or access to.
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