Being "Evil" In Games

In this video I am exploring the topic of how certain videogames and other games allow you to play as an evil character when it comes to story choices and the overall plot of a game, and how other games just let you say a few rude things and say those are the evil choices in a videogame...
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[@Jaymez2012]

I suppose it depends on your interpretation and the game in question. I think it's safe to say that most people equate 'evil' runs in games to 'kill everything' runs. I think that gives us a pretty good idea as to how boring being 'evil' in a lot of games tend to be. Games usually tend to reward you for doing 'good' things and always tend to punish you for doing 'bad' things. But I think we all know that this is extremely 'video gamey'. It's never really that black & white which is why people tend to just equate 'kill everything' runs as the 'evil' run when it could be so much more nuanced than that. Not that there's inherently anything wrong with making a clear distinction. That could actually be a good thing depending on the game if, say, the point is to be a propaganda piece and/or the MC's alignment isn't meant to be challenged. Making clear distinctions between good and evil can be helpful in those regards. With that said, The most compelling games are usually the one's that blur the line like that and make no real distinction between--or are not judgmental about--the choices it gives you, leaving it up to player to decide whether or not they're being 'good' or 'evil'. This why, for all its faults, blowing up Megaton in fallout 3 is such a memorable event to players. Given the context can you TRULY say that blowing up Megaton was 'good' or 'evil'? Some people may think its evil, some may think it'll serve a greater good. At the end of the day, the player still gets paid for doing it, but the fact that there's no definitive answer is the point. New Vegas basically took the idea of Megaton and made it the whole game, lol. If I can do inhumane and despicable things in a game and STILL be rewarded for it and/or meet people that can sympathize/empathize or are indifferent with the foul shit I'm doing in the game's world in a way that feels believable, then the very idea of being definitively 'good' or 'evil' takes a backseat to the pure intrigue doing those things creates.

[@MJ__Hernandez]

We have the winner of the comment section right here

[@SayMy_User_Name]

I think cyberpunk is a good example in letting u be “evil” in much more genuine and realistic ways.. it doesn’t let u just kill anyone and everyone, but it does let u be a dick in much more personal ways to the characters u meet, which, in my opinion, is much more difficult than just running around killing everyone.. especially when u consider just how damn realistic and well written the characters r in cyberpunk ..and all these choices will effect what endings u have access to, u can basically lock yourself out of every single ending except the arasaka one if ur an asshole to everyone

[@zetta-slow-gobbo]

Modern Bethesda feels like they are chickening out of any depth of character stories or real grit for the most wide, plain white bread appeal.

[@nagger8216]

Bethesda doesn't have actual writers, the same people writing the game are also the ones making it. So when you have a bunch of programmers writing the story.. it's probably not going to be good.

[@zetta-slow-gobbo]

@@nagger8216 Yikes

[@0o0ooo0o0oo0]

​@@nagger8216no durr theyre better at design and combat

[@nagger8216]

@@0o0ooo0o0oo0 Are they though? Are they really? And yeah, maybe that's why they should hire actual dedicated and professional writers instead of letting Emil the quest designer write the entire game for them. Like, if you expect Cyberpunk 2077 or Red Dead 2-esque writing and presentation in a Bethesda game then I've got a bridge to sell you, because it'll never happen until they get actual writers.

[@0o0ooo0o0oo0]

@@nagger8216 yes, really they made a really fun combat system and their creature designs are pretty cool, ppl play fallout 4 for hours to this day because of its fun and cool, obv everyone sees the writing mistakes but imo they do shine in some parts, I liked where they were going with nick valentines kellog possession thing, would've been cool and yeah that's what I've been saying, they need to hire writers who will make complete lore and build it around the world of fallout instead of fallout around the game

[@nick4754]

I actually prefer New Vegas's companion locking for some choices, it gives the characters a more realistic depiction of a person. Like for an example when arcade pulls a gun on you for activating the Helos one weapon. To me it doesn't make sense that someone like piper would just go alone with the player going with the institute

[@DeMello96]

Being evil in video games is killing an entire village for no reason in Minecraft. Good topic, MJ.

[@Vanderyn]

Sadly, most games relegate evil to "murderous madman." Like Fallout 3. Mass effect didn't let you be evil, just an asshole/selfish pragmatic. The best game for playing "evil" was Tyranny, where, ironically, you didn't have a choice. You had to be "evil", but you decided what kind of evil you were. Apathetic enforcer? Elitist slaver? Anarchist? Murdering psycho? It was up to you.

[@grayearly3116]

Facts it really sucks they didnt really land the ending, but i agree that its most definitely worth a playthrough

[@Vanderyn]

@@grayearly3116 The ending is fixed and expanded with latest patch and expansion. Highly recommend.

[@godzillazfriction]

this video is just so superficial & that will make it so that superficial Humans will comment within the subject matter of utilising contrived abstractions that is the synonymous dichotomy of 'gUd & eVeL' - and abiding by the polarized indoctrination based on a higher set of perceived standards, that gets determined in its absolute form of truth to what it should & shouldn't be as.

[@SomaTDW]

Oh surprises me, the game where being evil is called "RENEGADE" its not actual evil but being a ruthless war hero, also being a renegade its not only not evil, is not even being a jerk is like the name says being a RENEGADE, getting solutions by jumping hoops or accepting the suffering of some for the good of everyone, best reflected on ME2 and 3.

[@channel45853]

exactly, Shepard at their core is a hero, so having them a physco for no reason is against that character and bad for the game

[@Exotac]

Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is, far as I'm concerned, the standard for allowing you to be evil in an RPG. Multiple paths for good, for neutral, and for evil. How evil do you want to be? Do you want to just be a psychotic dick? Do you want to aim for the throne of hell? How about becoming the hivemind of a sentient swarm or insects and devouring all of life and creation? How about becoming the apex of undeath and forming an undead empire that will subjugate the world? Every single choice of which radically alters the way the game plays out in the same way the good and neutral options do.

[@AD3SPG]

Manhunt and hatred was such a dark tone.

[@Caannnnoonn]

I wish more games allowed you to just be deceitful and conniving. Most games' "evil" playthroughs consist of just killing everything and being a monster. It's more satisfying to be evil when nobody truly knows you're evil until it's too late.

[@channel45853]

true, i think murder hobo is an unsatisfying type of evil that barely anyone will engage with it's the reason why i think devs don't let you kill most npcs as most people aren't going to so why not put time in choices people will actually choose?

[@grayearly3116]

​@@channel45853 actually, especially in Bethesda games, you could continue rhe quest just fine with knowledge but they make the NPCs unkillable so you dont "rip the pages" out of their "great american novel". Its really just the ego of the head writer being upset that no one likes his stories. Not to mention they go way overboard with essential NPCs but thats a different topic

[@grayearly3116]

Also the "great american novel" thing is a real quote. The lead writer of Bethesda is genuinely that full of himself.

[@godzillazfriction]

this video is just so superficial & that will make it so that superficial Humans will comment within the subject matter of utilising contrived abstractions that is the synonymous dichotomy of 'gUd & eVeL' - and abiding by the polarized indoctrination based on a higher set of perceived standards, that gets determined in its absolute form of truth to what it should & shouldn't be as.

[@davidcastillo4141]

Infamous is another series that seemed a bit shallow with its evil choices.

[@Jakeyisdead]

For me i only play evil if the evil story is good a which it rarely is so good is the only option because its always treated as cannon

[@Captain_R1zen]

played as an evil dude in fable, did some weird stuff, I dont wanna address, but yeah it was fun.

[@ExeErdna]

Most games allow you to be bad not evil. Since bad is just ends up isolated then it never really comes up or you're really punished for it. EVIL is when you do something and even the bad people want to fight you.

[@FelipeMendes1999]

Yeah man and in Fallout 3 you can use the mesmetron to do even more f-up stuff, I remember reading people complaining about the Nuka World dlc because you can't be a morally good character if you want to complete the dlc.

[@N0TYALC]

Nuka World is just weird because you don’t really get much of a chance to be evil in the main game. It feels like evil playthroughs are kinda just relegated to the DLC.

[@Dimitri9511]

The whole idea about Mass Effect was basically this. More than being Evil the idea for a renegade was more of the kind of way to deal with a crimina you're still the good guy afterall. The whole idea at least during the first game was between a by the book space cop or a trigger happy dirty harry style space cop. But during the sequels is just Space Jesus or Space asshole.

[@OutisOne]

Undertale?

[@EteamProductions]

Being a genocidal Maniac doesn't mean you're evil A robot could be a genocidal Maniac without knowing it, an animal could so too Evil is more than just killing for the sake of it

[@OutisOne]

@@EteamProductions in my book, if you harm other people then you're evil

[@EteamProductions]

@@OutisOne Then literally any game where you harm an opponent makes you play as evil

[@mrstronk]

I feel like metro has a more unintentional evil to it. The "evil" bad ending is just artyom doing what he thought at the time was right as for the good ending, it's just the same but he actually listens to what someone has asked of him or he spares a surrendering soldier. Outer worlds too has alot of evil choices in it and it was refreshing to actually have the chance to just be a horrible character to the point where your companions can actually leave if they think you're fucked in the head which honestly is funny. What's clever is that all these games that implement a morality mechanic make the player naturally choose a good path. Fallout and the fable games are another one as an example where they literally have a reputation system where helping grants rewards and killing will get bounties put on your head and you literally become "kill on sight"

[@hidesan7794]

Prototype 1 and 2 were pretty good and infamous too

[@oliverman6168]

I have never since early nineties purchased a sports game due to simply being able to go outside and perform the activities,i play games that when performed in reality would be taboo. prohibited

[@garretwoeller7669]

Let me be the evil bastard honestly

[@thatoneguy8146]

The only two games that I know of that let me be truly be evil is fallout new Vegas and Kotor 2 you can literally be the phrase some men just want the world to burn

[@thatoneguy8146]

Actually I thought of another game. Dragon Age Origins

[@channel45853]

I don't think being able to kill anyone is an rpg choice I care about too much. Why do that instead of limiting the player on who they can kill, and with those npcs, give the player choices that more players will interact with?

[@khalilpontikes7293]

I've gotta disagree with you about the Brotherhood of Steel being evil, I'd say the Brotherhood is complicated but they don't really necessarily fit being good or evil.

[@MJ__Hernandez]

"Reliving" farmed goods from starving farmers and taking the energy source from rivit city by force to power the prydwen sounds evil to me

[@channel45853]

You need to know the distinction. While you being an evil murder hobo in Fallout New Vegas works for that game, it doesn't work for Mass Effect which is trying to tell a more cinematic and believable story with a character whom is heroic, they just aren't always nice.

[@doctorstrange7768]

I like to do multiple playthroughs evil good, ect. The funnest i ever had in fallout new vegas was PURE fucking evil, i'm talking the peak of evil lmao full evil, canibal, pure melee joined Cesar's legion

[@AkaUnagomi]

I'm pretty evil in rdr2 lol

[@MJ__Hernandez]

Who isn't lol

[@UncleTwoTimez]

Fallout universe, who hasn't roleplayed a psychopathic mass murderer who double and triple crosses anyone they can haha

[@nagger8216]

Me, because that sounds painfully boring.

[@godzillazfriction]

this video is just so superficial & that will make it so that superficial Humans will comment within the subject matter of utilising contrived abstractions that is the synonymous dichotomy of 'gUd & eVeL' - and abiding by the polarized indoctrination based on a higher set of perceived standards, that gets determined in its absolute form of truth to what it should & shouldn't be as.

[@alexvolkymore4676]

I like how this guy doesn't even mention Nuca-World DLC lol

[@MJ__Hernandez]

I didn't mention far Harbour either when mentioning fallout 4 I'm just talking about the main game

[@MattBradyrules]

Have you ever played red dead redemption or Baldurs gate? They both allow and even goad you into being an evil person, I feel like you just haven’t played enough games my G I’m plenty evil in the games I play 😂😂😂😂😂

[@MJ__Hernandez]

Red dead redemption allows you to be evil sure but that's just coming down to the honour system it doesn't affect the main game or ending And with Baldurs Gate I think I mentioned in the video so take another look at what I said lol

[@3liq868]

No.

[@Genghis_of_Swans]

Here before this blows up.

[@MJ__Hernandez]

Hopefully it does over 1k views already I'm very happy about it!!