Sometimes, to make a good video game, developers have to push the boundaries. Players don’t mind jumping on Goombas and squishing them in the Mario games, but if players had to do that to humans in another game, it might create more controversy. Sometimes a little controversy is okay as long as the message is clear.
Best Games That Let You Be The Hero Or The Villain
Whether they want to be the world-saving hero, or tear the world apart ass the terrifying villain, these games give players the option to do both.
Even when the message isn’t exactly well-thought-out, players don’t mind being evil if the gameplay is fun. In the following games, players have to compromise their values as humans to get through them. These games go to some dark places, and sometimes it’s the only way to stay powered up.
Click or tap on the games that match the category
Manhunt
Kill Or Be Killed
Manhunt might be Rockstar’s most controversial game, or at least it’s certainly up there in terms of its concept. Players get trapped on an island and have to escape a mad director who is filming a snuff movie, sending killers after players in each mission. It’s a stealth-forward game with players having little in the way of fighting back beyond small objects that can be used to kill enemies.
Using a bag to choke somebody out, for example. The way everything is depicted is vile, and even though graphically it doesn’t look so cutting edge now, Manhunt will probably make players feel uneasy.
Palworld
Catching Servants
There are certainly problems with Palworld that also reach other monster-catching games like the Pokemon series. Players are to catch the monsters, Pals, in balls, to either make them fight alongside them in battle, use them as weapons in battle, or ride them in some circumstances for exploration purposes.
Pals can also be assigned tasks at camp, and if they aren’t doing well health-wise or players are tired of them, then they can cook up Pals and feed them to the group. Also, the most buckwild mechanic allows players to catch humans in balls. All of these things add up to some of the wildest gameplay in a monster-catching game imaginable, and players just have to remember that these are just digital critters and to get ahead, they need to use them effectively.
Cult Of The Lamb
For The Good Of The Flock
Cult of the Lamb can be summarized as Animal Crossing with a cult-like mentality and a roguelike background. Betrayed by the gods, a new god beckons the sheep protagonist to gather a new flock. Only then can they gain enough power to challenge the old gods. Players can do this by going into dungeons, gathering materials to build up their village, and rescuing villagers from their doomed fate.
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Rescued villagers can all be given assignments to keep everything in shape, but the wild thing here is that sacrifices must occasionally be made. Villagers can be sacrificed to get bonuses, and all followers will generally approve of these decisions to kill others or even to eat them. This is not the Animal Crossing Nintendo would make, and as dark as things get, it is still fun pretending to be a cute cult leader.
Fallout: New Vegas
Morality Means Nothing In The Apocalypse
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Drugs
- Genre(s)
- RPG
The great thing about Fallout: New Vegas is that players can decide what type of hero they want to be. They’ll wake up after getting shot, with the only goal being to discover who did it. It’s a revenge quest, but thanks to the karma system, players can decide to be a benevolent resident in the Nevada wasteland, or they can choose to be evil.
No matter what path players take, it will be unique to them with tons of quests and factions to side with. As this is the post-apocalypse, it might make more sense to be a Mad Max type and not care for anyone, as resources are scarce, which may conflict with how players really feel, but it will make the game easier to be a villain of sorts.
Silent Hill f
Damaging Yourself And Town
Silent Hill f has one of the most unhinged campaigns in a Silent Hill game since Silent Hill 2, and it even goes beyond what James did in that game. Set in a small village, Ebisugaoka, in 1960s Japan, Hinako goes on a journey with her friends to escape a plague that is befalling the town.
Killing monsters is one thing, even if it is gruesome, that any player can get behind, but the other things Hinako does to her friends are a bit more unrelated. To say Hinako changes throughout the game’s story would be an understatement, both physically and emotionally. Those who played it understand, but going into it too much would spoil things. Let’s just say no one will be able to look at Japanese masks the same again.
Destroy All Humans
Evil Alien Conquerors
Destroy All Humans, the 2020 remaster/remake, is a good example that allows players to be directly evil as an alien invader. Crypto was sent to Earth during the 1950s to take it over, starting with a country bumpkin town. Players can take their spaceship and destroy towns and farmland with lasers.
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They can also blast humans with various alien weaponry to turn them into dust or extract their brains through telepathy. In a game like Mortal Kombat, this brain removal technique could be gruesome, but the overall tone is silly, and the art style is more cartoony. This means that players may not be as averse to taking over Earth in Destroy All Humans as much since it isn’t so bloody, but everyone has their limits regardless of tone.
Prototype
Mr. Tentacles
Prototype takes place in New York City, where an experimental human, Alex Mercer, breaks free of a facility. With nano technology, he’s able to become more superhuman, including the ability to run up walls, punch tanks without regret, or grow his limbs into various weapons like blades.
Players can absorb anyone on the street and take their essence for healing purposes and as a disguise to hide from pursuers. It’s an important process to live and stay hidden, but killing innocents could make players feel lousy. They’ll feel less as they take down hundreds of soldiers, bio mutants, and vehicles, though, in one of the best examples of a superhero game that will truly make players feel overpowered and in control.
Schedule 1
The Evils Of Dealing Drugs
Schedule 1 is all about selling drugs in all forms, and players will start simply with weed. They’ll find buyers, be tasked with making different strains, and have to keep a low profile from the police. The bigger the operation gets, the more addictive drugs they can start manufacturing in the lab.
It’s these types of drugs that will make players feel hesitant about what they’re doing. Sure, they will be making a lot of money, and people will be happy in the process, but because buyers get addicted, they also become dependent on the drugs. It’s a vicious cycle that a lot of people can relate to, but business is business after all.
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