How Good Are You Really?
For all the bluster about video games’ brain-rotting abilities, critics never mention the difficulty of tough choices. There are some seriously iconic titles out there preying on our morality—it’s not about having fun or playing cowboy dress-up; it’s about making decisions that sometimes don’t save anyone in the end. The hardest aspect is just how eye-opening they are, revealing things about our psyche we never thought to explore. With that, let’s dive into some of the worst choices you’ll ever have to make.
1. Papers, Please
Papers, Please requires a heck of a lot more than stamping passports. The morality system doesn’t follow your everyday good or evil; it focuses on the morally grey survival of you and your family. Everything has consequences, and it’s not as easy as you think to make the right call.
2. The Witcher 3
Alright, the choice is yours: end the king’s life and side with Dijkstra, providing a more stable North, or side with your allies and open a whole new can of worms. We know what you’re thinking: the power of friendship is the clear winner here. Well, not so fast—depending on who you choose, others are immediately put at risk.
BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Europe on Wikimedia
3. Far Cry 4
Isn’t it so great when you side with one person only to find out that they’re arguably as bad as the other? The worst part about Far Cry 4 isn’t making the choice; it’s about living with the rotten consequences, no matter which path you take.
4. Ghost Of Tsushima
Those who fight by the sword die by the sword—but maybe not, depending on your choices. Do you give Lord Shimura the death he always wanted, or do you embrace your new role as the Ghost and walk away? At least you’ll have some idyllic scenery to cushion the blow, though you probably won’t see it through your tears.
5. The Walking Dead
TWD is filled with difficult moral dilemmas, but our compass all but broke during season 2. You have Kenny, your loyal friend whose sanity (and reliability) is slowly spiralling, or Jane, the questionable cool girl who may or may not be manipulating your loyalty. Whichever route you take, it won’t be easy, and it’ll sit with you long after the credits roll.
6. Resident Evil 7: Biohazard
Okay, Mia, yes—technically, we should probably save you. After all, we fought our way through a decrepit demon house just for you. However, this whole thing is kind of your fault, and you did lie to us, and the only one not stabbing us with knives is Zoe. Decisions, decisions…and only one of them works out in the end.
7. Fable 2
We could talk about Fable 2 forever, but instead, we’ll just discuss the toughest moral choices. Sure, there’s the final decision at the end (we’d do anything to bring our faithful dog back), but people often gloss over the terrible choices you face during your first round in the Spire. You might just walk out of there with horns on your head.
myself (User:Piotrus) on Wikimedia
8. Vampyr
How important is XP to you? A better question is how far are you willing to go for self-preservation? Look, it ain’t easy being a vampire, and as much as you want to stuff your face with vermin and honor your morality, those fresh necks look more and more enticing. So, you quite literally pick your poison.
9. Detroit: Become Human
It’s probably better if we didn’t call this a Freedom March. No matter which choice you make, someone isn’t walking out of there alive, and it’s up to you to make the call. It’s easy to say you’d stand your ground, but the waters muddy when you see just what happens to disobedient androids.
KniBaron from Bangkok, Thailand on Wikimedia
10. Life is Strange
You know what, game? You’re right—life is strange, and the ability to control time doesn’t make it easier. We’re glossing over Arcadia Bay for this one and diving into an alternate universe: one where you literally make the final call about your best friend’s life. Fair warning: the screen gets blurry.
11. Frostpunk
When the weight of humanity rests on your shoulders, it’s harder than you think to save it. Oh sure, we’ve all wondered what playing God would look like, but as it turns out, deciding who lives and who doesn’t is best left to deities.
12. Far Cry 3
To join Citra, to not join Citra—no pressure, but do you have a knife to your girlfriend’s throat the whole time, so you might want to decide quickly. You can side with your friends and leave the island, or you can join the tribe and kiss your old life goodbye. (Spoiler alert, but choosing Citra isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.)
13. Disco Elysium
One of the joys of Disco Elysium is knowing that you aren’t exactly categorized into a kind of morality. The world has good guys and bad guys, yes, but it’s also full of moral issues at every turn. This game doesn’t shy away from any of them, and by the end, you might not feel like the same person.
14. This War of Mine
This War of Mine puts you in the driver’s seat of questionable decision-making. But when supplies are low and the greater good is at stake, do you start stealing? Do you refuse to help people? The game’s whole experience is one long moral choice, which isn’t any easier than one tough mission.
15. Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Look, sometimes you just have to burn down a village, okay? You do! What, you think you’re better than us? (Don’t answer that.) If you don’t do it, the whole siege is a lot harder and more lives are at stake, or so we’re led to believe. Choose to burn the village, however, and you have nightmares in and out of game.
16. Red Dead Redemption 2
We’re introduced to Anthony Foreman pretty early in the game. He stalks Tilly around Valentine, and just when you’ve forgotten about him, Susan and Arthur embark on a rescue mission several chapters later. Then you have a choice: spare him or end it there. Tilly has her two cents, but it’s up to you what happens.
Clastr Cloud Gaming on Unsplash
17. Baldur’s Gate 3
Hooray, you broke Orpheus out of his prison, and now you can face the Netherbrain…with some minor cosmetic changes. It’s bad enough that this guy was forced into eternal slumber, but now you have to choose what becomes of him, you, or even poor Karlach. The fate of Baldur’s Gate is in your palm, and it’s up to you to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Miguel Discart & Kiri Karma on Wikimedia
18. Spec Ops: The Line
Spec Ops doesn’t really offer a way out of this one, but that doesn’t make it any easier to stomach. Seasoned gamers know that of which we speak: the infamous white phosphorus scene. It looks like you’re surrounded by enemy forces, so to get yourself out of it, you have to choose whether to drop mortars. Yeah, well, you do, and you learn the horrors of war pretty quickly.
19. L.A. Noire
Who knew one golden butterfly would still make our skin crawl? To do right by the law, you sometimes need to push past your gut and dig a little deeper. But who goes to jail? The guy who did it or the guy who didn’t do it and still deserves to be in prison? It’s a dilemma, we tell you.
20. Beyond Two Souls
When you have the option for two lives, which is the best path forward? Do you go and live with your new friends and try to build a normal life, or do you abandon this plane for your twin brother? The choice isn’t about Jodie’s morality—it’s your own.
