Tag: inFamous

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More Thoughts on a More Complex Form of Moral Choice in Video Games

I felt I needed to pick up on a thread regarding video game morality and clarify some things from last week’s PopMatters column. For some reason when I was expressing my love for the complexity in a moral choice in The Wolf Among Us against the normal bland good/evil dichotomy, it was confused for me saying that it was great that that one dichotomy was replace with a law/chaos dichotomy and that was somehow commendable. Especially when I said that this particular choice went against the grain of how we think of law vs. | more

Eric Swain Game Essays, Recent Posts

The Morality of inFamous

Probably the most talked about part of inFamous is the moral choice mechanic. The idea is to split the choice between good and evil options, which can be interesting, but the criticism has been leveled at how it is handled. Reasoning in later choices makes less and less sense as you continue on. The options in the early choices are both justified, while later ones seem to prove that you have a problem with rational thought (if you choose the evil route that is). | more

Eric Swain Game Essays, Recent Posts

The Propaganda of inFamous

(*minor spoilers*) While the story of inFamous is told through the standard methods of cutscenes, found messages and calls from allies and mission handlers, it adds aftermath commentary. In the form of propaganda, the game provides story related and world building feedback on your actions. The messages only relate to the main story missions, so the words don't change, but the effect they have on you as the player as you relate to your in-game character is different. | more

Eric Swain Game Essays, Recent Posts

The Milieu of inFamous

I would place the introduction of inFamous as one of the better opening levels in open world gaming. I say this because it sets the stage to not just for the game, but also more importantly for the milieu. Milieu is the French word for environment or setting, but it means more in literary theory and in stories where it is about creating an evocative setting as much or more so than characters, it is treated as a major character. It becomes as important if not more important than those whom the story follows. | more