No choice
I’ve always been fascinated by guns. Rather, I’ve always been fascinated by video games containing guns. Perhaps that’s the macho side of my personality, which usually lends itself towards less masculine tendencies at times.
Anyway, guns. Right. Games that allow one to shoot a virtual target are quite interesting. I’ve had moments where I clear a room of digital baddies and it feels good. I feel like an unstoppable force. And that’s a good feeling. However, the thought of holding a real gun frightens me.
Most gun games don’t allow you to be frightened. You are given a gun and the game points at a group of representations of humans, and says “kill”. Sometimes, though, if you’re lucky, you do get a choice. The game puts a gun in your hand, points at a single man, and says “choose”.
I never planned on being changed by a video game. Can you plan on an altering event like that? Seems sort of silly to even try. However, I chose to play a game because all I knew was that it was good.
You are Ethan Mars, father of two, then one, then maybe zero. You are asked the question that’s been running through my mind ever since I played the game: “How far will you go to save someone you love?”
Would you drive the wrong way against traffic? Would you crawl through broken glass? Would you kill a man? Would you cut off a finger? Would you kill yourself?
Choices in video games don’t come often or with many consequences. You’re given a choice between one path or the other and it may affect the closing cutscene. If you mess up too much, you’ll just roll back to the nearest checkpoint and you can try again and again and again until your companion finally leaves and you put a bullet between the eyes of your nemesis.
Heavy Rain doesn’t give you that luxury. If you mess up and one of the characters gets murdered by a deranged criminal or the like, they’re just…gone.
The story goes on without them. And so do you.
Your son is gone and if you mess up, he’ll stay gone forever and you’ll probably go to jail, the scapegoat for another man’s crime.
You can end up killing everyone that loves or trusts you, if you’re not careful. And the game goes on.
Moral choices are a trend in “serious” games, currently. You’re given a chance between right and wrong. But, usually it’s very clear. You can save the town and win their respect or destroy it and gain wealth beyond your normal ability. That’s normally the choice.
What do you choose when you’re told to kill a man or your son will die? What do you choose when you find out the man has children and you realize you’re no better than the evil you’re opposing?
I’m a Father, too, but, I have no choice.
Ethan was wrong, as he pulled the trigger on a man he never knew. He had a choice. He had a million choices.