Moral dilemmas are nothing new and video games have been discussed before Grand Theft Auto even existed. Which characters to rescue, which factions to team up with, who to betray, and who to stay loyal to are just some of the tough decisions players must make. Sometimes there are consequences to violence, sometimes not so much.
Then there are the games that roundly reward the player for killing innocent NPCs. Often times, the decision to kill NPCs also has some sort of negative consequence, but occasionally the player receives generous rewards and zero punishment for their random violence. In imaginary worlds where the player is not bound by the law or other restrictions, things can derail quite easily. Here are some games where the player is rewarded for killing innocent NPCs.
5 vampire
Vampires are some of the most morally complicated characters in fiction. Saddled with immortality that is both a blessing and a curse, they must navigate worlds to which they no longer really belong, often determining the fate of the surrounding mortals with impunity. vampire explores this trope in a beautiful way, placing the lives of countless civilians in the undead hands of the player.
With the Spanish flu ravaging London, things look bleak before a vampire takes to the streets. Players who resist their vampire temptation to eat will face a much tougher road than those who give in to their murderous instincts. Draining NPCs of their last drop of blood makes them faster in combat and drains the blood more easily. While it gives the player the bad ending, killing innocent NPCs makes the game itself much easier and arguably more fun.
4 Trover saves the universe
Trover saves the universe was created by Justin Roiland, one of the creators behind Rick and Morty, so players need to know right away what kind of world they are entering. To call the game weird would be an incredible understatement, as this fourth wall-breaking story does everything it can to mess with the player and make them laugh.
although Rick and Morty is sometimes extremely violent, Trover saves the universe is not. In any case, you don’t have to. The main character is an essentially decent person who just wants to save his dogs, so murder isn’t the first thing on his mind. Players who decide to kill an NPC will receive the “You didn’t have to do that” achievement. If the player goes one step further and kills every NPC in the game, he will receive a second achievement ‘Worst Guest Ever’. While an achievement might not be as cool a reward as a fancy new weapon or cosmetic, it’s nice to see a game not only inviting players for their needless bad behavior, but also rewarding them for it, not once but twice .
3 Notorious
Superhero stories are almost always power fantasies of some sort. Part of their appeal is seeing life-sized characters use their impossible powers to change the world as they see fit. Notorious is an action RPG in which the player takes on the role of a superhero or supervillain depending on their disposition. Players who take a beating in combat have two options: escape long enough to rest or find a nearby civilian and kill them to recover faster.
When the player reaches full Infamy, his power even receives an enhanced form that grants him temporary invulnerability, rewards players for their series of unnecessary kills, and allows them to deflate future NPCs even more effectively. It’s a satisfying and really useful mechanic, which makes it appealing even to players who didn’t necessarily intend to take the bad route. The higher the pile of bodies, the more powerful Cole becomes as he blazes a path of destruction through the city.
2 Assassin blood money
the star of Assassin blood money is the protagonist of the series Agent 47, an emotionless assassin of unparalleled stealth and precision. The franchise is known for the many ways players can choose to direct their targets and any bodyguards that stand in their way. Choking, gunfire, stabbing and explosions are just a few of the ways Agent 47 can take out his targets.
The only way to be rewarded with the “47 Kills” achievement is to kill exactly 47 NPCs at a certain level: no more, no less. The catch is that missions have only three or four actual objectives. The remaining 40 or so kills must be other NPCs who are not guilty of anything other than being near a serial killer with an extremely specific mission. To get this feat, the player must wade through innocent blood for nothing but an feat, which at least is in keeping with Agent 47’s killer-for-hire mentality.
1 Fallout 3
Even players who are okay with killing innocent NPCs in some circumstances may not be able to do so in other situations. If the killing is too gruesome or only yields a small reward, some players will pass it on and value the NPC’s life more than whatever the player would receive for taking it. Despite the huge mismatch between crime and pay in some games, there will always be players pushing the button.
There are few better examples than Megaton City in fallout 3. The city is built around an undetonated atomic bomb and the player is given three choices: ignore the bomb and let the city continue as usual, disarm the bomb and save the civilians from a possible catastrophe, or detonate the bomb, killing everyone in Megaton . City, but appeasing the cocky millionaire whose balcony view was obscured by the city.
Players who detonate the bomb will receive a chic tower suite in exchange for the death of an entire city. It’s probably the case that most players just want to see the bomb go off and not be so concerned about the suite in the first place, but either way, Megaton City stands as a testament to the player’s choice, for better or for worse. evil.
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