Games where empathy isn’t always easy

[StaceyPowers]

What are some games where you had to work at empathizing with/understanding the characters? It took me a while to empathize with a lot of the characters in The Outer Worlds (more the NPCs at large—shipmates were pretty easy) due to how indoctrinated they are.

 

[Heatman]

In some games, it's difficult while in some, it's not that too hard. Just like what happens whenever I take on the evil path in playing either Skyrim or Fallout which makes me feel bad seeing the NPC's in pain especially when I know they don't really deserve the pain they are being put through because of my acts and decisions. 

[Justin11]

xD, who cares? that's video game, I don't have much empathy at NPCs that got hit from my character's flying bullet. Because, the more I feel pained or emotional for them the closer my death in the game. 

[Heatman]

1 hour ago, Justin11 said:

xD, who cares? that's video game, I don't have much empathy at NPCs that got hit from my character's flying bullet. Because, the more I feel pained or emotional for them the closer my death in the game. 

With some games, it's that painful to deal with. Take for instance, if you had played Spec Ops : The Line and with the use of white phosphorus to kill innocent women and children, that's very sad seeing that unfold. 

[Withywarlock]

Strangely it's games where being evil is encouraged, like Overlord or Naughty Bear (never thought I'd reference that any time soon). Either the evil characters are less evil than the heroes such as in Overlord, or they're unable to walk the line between cartoon evil and pretentiousness and either fall into one or get staggered between them. Even when you're faced with difficult choices it's often in games where you don't really see the NPCs for very long, if at all, such as in FrostPunk (child labour? What children?) or Papers, Please (where neither my customers nor family are particularly emotionally gripping characters). I think Hatred may be the only game that could make me do that just because it's so shocking, but I'm not about to buy that because twin-stick shooters aren't really my sort of thing.

In any other game, especially when I'm given the option to go stealthily or can otherwise avoid conflict I empathise greatly with the plights of NPCs. If I can refuse a reward I'll often do so gladly because they need it more than I do, and I often wonder about those poor, poor bandits charging headlong into the lv.256 juggernaut who can pause time to bind their wounds by eating cheese.

[Justin11]

1 hour ago, Heatman said:

With some games, it's that painful to deal with. Take for instance, if you had played Spec Ops : The Line and with the use of white phosphorus to kill innocent women and children, that's very sad seeing that unfold. 

I never played spec ops before,  so, I wouldn't know how that saga played out. But it will be splendid to play the game and get to see the cutscene where the phosphorus was used to kill NPCs. 

[Heatman]

2 hours ago, Justin11 said:

I never played spec ops before,  so, I wouldn't know how that saga played out. But it will be splendid to play the game and get to see the cutscene where the phosphorus was used to kill NPCs. 

That's the horrifying scene of the use of white phosphorus to kills innocent women and children in the game. If that doesn't invoke empathy in anyone, I wouldn't know what else would. 

 

[Justin11]

8 hours ago, Heatman said:

That's the horrifying scene of the use of white phosphorus to kills innocent women and children in the game. If that doesn't invoke empathy in anyone, I wouldn't know what else would. 

 

Thanks, I watched the session, where the white phosphorus was applied in the game. And NPCs were affected too. Kinda emotional, and very much realistic. I nearly thought i was watching a hollywood movie xD. 

[Empire]

12 hours ago, Heatman said:

That's the horrifying scene of the use of white phosphorus to kills innocent women and children in the game. If that doesn't invoke empathy in anyone, I wouldn't know what else would. 

 

This game is such a product of its time, in world where everyone was bumping out call of Duty’s and making you mow down endless people without batting an eye, this game tricks you beautifuly into playing its game, and you make the same choices as walker and make the same excuses as him too. You don’t even stop to think until someone else has already suffered. I’m glad I experienced this without spoilers all those years ago. And that many people are aware of its genius.

[Heatman]

3 hours ago, Empire said:

This game is such a product of its time, in world where everyone was bumping out call of Duty’s and making you mow down endless people without batting an eye, this game tricks you beautifuly into playing its game, and you make the same choices as walker and make the same excuses as him too. You don’t even stop to think until someone else has already suffered. I’m glad I experienced this without spoilers all those years ago. And that many people are aware of its genius.

No matter how horrible that scenario makes me feel when playing Spec Ops : The Line, it doesn’t change the fact that it offers a solid gameplay which I'd rate better any of the new Call of Duty franchise even the Vanguard release. I think I should repeat the game again maybe by next month. 

[Clasher]

Mass effect 3 with the mass destruction and death of so many civilians even the emotional moments that involved the journey with commander Shepard and the group of heroes In the end , your eyes could get heavy with empathy playing that video game.

[Heatman]

12 minutes ago, Clasher said:

Mass effect 3 with the mass destruction and death of so many civilians even the emotional moments that involved the journey with commander Shepard and the group of heroes In the end , your eyes could get heavy with empathy playing that video game.

The level of destruction caused by Reapers in Mass Effect can't be taken lightly as well. At one point, it was very hard for me to take that I took some time off the game before getting back into it. The time out really helped build up the psychological strength to deal with the game. 

[Clasher]

Just now, Heatman said:

The level of destruction caused by Reapers in Mass Effect can't be taken lightly as well. At one point, it was very hard for me to take that I took some time off the game before getting back into it. The time out really helped build up the psychological strength to deal with the game. 

I don't get affected by whatever is going on in a video game but when I Played mass effect 3 I actually did feel some level of empathy which increased my zeal to complete the game and bring an end to all the death and subsequently save what's left of mankind in that video game.

[Gonassis]

I haven't played many games where empathy is invoked, maybe in a game like life is strange I remember thinking philosophically about some of the characters choices and burdens. 🤔

 

On 7/18/2022 at 7:01 PM, Empire said:

This game is such a product of its time, in world where everyone was bumping out call of Duty’s and making you mow down endless people without batting an eye, this game tricks you beautifuly into playing its game, and you make the same choices as walker and make the same excuses as him too. You don’t even stop to think until someone else has already suffered. I’m glad I experienced this without spoilers all those years ago. And that many people are aware of its genius.

Reminds me of the infamous "no rusian" CoD mission and all the controversy and uproar it caused.

I think I'm not gonna spoil myself too much from what you've already said here and add this game to my wishlist, thanks. 😉

looks like a very good game/movie-like story in my opinion.

[runswithspatulas]

and here i felt stupid for feeling bad about pick pocketing the AIs in skyrim. lol!

i can't do stuff like that phosphorous thing...i'd quit the game and delete it if i had to do that. i don't like killing animals in games. games like fortnite and splatoon the violence is cartoon violence. it's easier for me to accept. i still don't like hurting animals in games. i play minecraft in peaceful/creative mode. a gamer friend of mine plays tomb raider and i can't watch. i mod his stream but i can't watch when he plays that game. certain games just bother me and i won't watch or play them. i've been having some heart problems so i gave up my skyrim and all my shooter games because they cause too much anxiety. i've never really been into violent games but during the pandemic for a while they scratched an itch that needed scratching. i don't know that i'll ever be interested in the survival mode on minecraft. i just like cozy games mostly. the most chaotic game i have right now is my fall guys. lmao!