There are plenty ofgames that let players control the bad guy, and more still in which the protagonists are best described as morally gray. From time to time though, there comes a game in which players take on the role of a more traditional hero, only to be made to feel like they’re the bad guy partway through their adventure.
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This could be the result of a decision that’s forced upon the player as part of the game’s narrative or a situation in which sacrificing innocent lives turns out to be the optimal strategy. These iconic games and franchises canmake players feel like they’re the real villainand leave them with feelings of guilt and regret when they look back on what they’ve done.
1Pikmin
On the surface,Pikminseems like a fairly innocuous puzzle platformer in which players must use the titular creatures in order to survive and gather enough spaceship parts to return home. The visuals are charming and the enemies are pretty inoffensive, yet the consequences of the player’s decisions are actually a lot more hard-hitting than they first seem to appear.
In order to overcome Bulborbs and the game’s other enemies,players must send their Pikmin into battle. Even with great numbers though, it’s pretty much inevitable that some of the Pikmin aren’t going to make it, with every one of their haunting little screams reminding players of this. Granted, for most players, their sacrifice is needed to escape the planet, but they do so with plenty of Pikmin blood on their hands.
2Mario
Pikminisn’t the only Nintendo franchise in which players are forced to sacrifice innocent creatures to help the main protagonist on their quest. In fact, it’s been an essential part of the Japanese giant’s flagshipMariofranchise for many years now, with players often having to send Yoshi to his doom in order to be able to jump just a little higher.
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Though Yoshis are an entire species of their own just like the little Pikmin, the way that they are portrayed throughout the series and the fact that they have their own line ofYoshispin-off gamesarguably makes having to sacrifice them feel a lot more impactful. What’s more, unlike the Pikmin, who choose to follow Olimar to their deaths, Yoshi seems to have very little say in the matter.
3Final Fantasy 7
Between Sephiroth trying to destroy the planet and Shinra draining its life force for profit, it’s very easy to forget thatAvalanche is actually a terrorist group. Sure, blowing up mako reactors may seem like the righteous thing to do given the circumstances, but it is also incredibly dangerous and could potentially have serious consequences for Midgar and those who reside there.
Players do eventually get a taste of the fear and panic that’s evoked by their actions though, with many Midgar residents shown to be both angry with and afraid of Avalanche and its members. Cloud’s demons and his connection with Sephiroth also lead to him doing some pretty questionable things throughoutFinal Fantasy 7, such as handing over the Black Materia to Sephiroth and almost attacking Aerith on multiple occasions.
4This War of Mine
It’s often said that war changes people; a concept that is thoroughly explored inThis War of Mine. Rather than examining how conflict affects those who are fighting on the front lines though, the series instead focuses on the lives of some of the innocent people who have been caught up in the crossfire and the difficult decisions that they find themselves faced with as they struggle to survive.
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Slamming the door shut in the faces of children who are seeking food or medicine can make players feel like the true villain of the piece, despite the fact that they are often onlydoing what they have to in order to survive. There may even be times when they need to steal from or even murder other survivors in order to acquire the food and provisions needed to keep themselves and their loved ones alive.
5Pokemon
Even the most skilled trainers make mistakes sometimes and these can have some pretty dire consequences for their Pokemon. Then there are the times whenPokemonplayers intentionally allow one of their Pokemon to take a hit so that they can use an item or setup move, despite knowing that the resulting attack will almost certainly lead to their partner getting knocked out.
Ultimately, however, even if players are somehow able to keep all of their Pokemon conscious throughout the entirety of their journey, there are some pretty big question marks surrounding the ethicality of battling Pokemon. It could even be argued thatcatching Pokemonis cruel too, as by doing so, players are taking them away from their homes, friends, and families.
6Shadow of the Colossus
When it comes to bosses, video games have typically conditioned players to believe that being big equates to being bad. With this in mind, players may at first feel as though they are doing the world a favor by taking down the towering Colossi inShadow of the Colossus. However, as the game goes on and more of the Colossi are slain, most players will likely begin to question their actions.
Though Wander’s quest is one that is driven by a powerful combination of love and grief and his intentions appear to be pure at first glance, it becomes increasingly difficult for players to justify his and their actions as the game goes on. Come the story’s climax, they can be under no illusions about the role that they played in the story, and this is made all the worse bythe game’s bittersweet ending.
