Open-world games are one of the best places to experience the fight between good and evil. Rather than being presented with a single perspective, players can instead venture out and learn about every character's backstory, opinion, and motivation within the universe. Sometimes, games will try to paint the player as a heroic force on a noble quest to save the world, while in others, they are given the chance to chart their own path, whether it be for good or evil. However, in a few cases, the player is actually treated like a villain just for existing in the world, either right from the start or after they make certain decisions that alter others percieve them.
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In many cases, this is done by creating an ambiguous character with a grey morality, as they often need to cause some harm to reach the good at the end of the tunnel. Alternatively, the player can fully lean into the evil side of things, continuing to wreak havoc and cause as much damage as possible, taking on the role of the villain that was bestowed upon them. Whatever the reason and origin, it is a very interesting dynamic to be painted in such a negative light, particularly if the player is only trying to be a positive force in the world, rather than a purely evil one.
Prototype
Not Exactly A Superhero
- Civilians and soldiers react to Alex Mercer with fear.
- Progress is tied to destruction.
Prototype is probably the best example of how to create a protagonist who couldn't be further from a hero. Alex Mercer is not misunderstood or morally gray; he's an unstoppable bioweapon tearing Manhattan apart from the moment his powers emerge. Civilians flee on sight, the military treats Mercer as a top-priority target, and the city itself becomes increasingly hostile as players continue to cause endless mayhem.
The world itself feeds directly into this idea, allowing players to scale skyscrapers and leap down from above to destroy virtually anything in their way, leading to a widespread perception of villainy by the rest of the city. Even the story leans into the evil aspects of the character, never truly redeeming the player's actions and maintaining the perception of evil from start to finish. Mercer is even cast as the villain in Prototype 2.
Dying Light 2
Feared More Than Trusted
- You are openly distrusted by most characters.
- Resentment from entire zones depending on your choices.
While Dying Light 2 positions Aiden as a potential hero, the world rarely treats him as one. His supernatural abilities, violent tendencies, and immunity to infection make him unsettling to nearly everyone he meets, with NPCs frequently reacting with fear or outright hostility.
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As choices stack up, entire districts can turn against the player depending on who benefits from their actions, creating a unique dynamic where even allies might still appear suspicious. With survival at the forefront for many characters, it is much easier to treat the player as a potential enemy than risk dying, which leads to multiple situations where trust becomes a bigger enemy than the monsters themselves.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Outlaws In A Lawful World
- Arthur is framed as the bad guy by many.
- The law is constantly at odds.
Red Dead Redemption 2 tells Arthur Morgan's story, largely about his existence in a world that is actively moving past him. No matter how honorable the player acts, society increasingly treats them as a dangerous relic that's doomed to fail. Lawmen hunt him relentlessly, and towns grow increasingly hostile, making it feel as though the entire world is slowly closing in on the player from the moment they set foot into it.
The brilliance lies in how the game never lets the player forget their criminal identity. Even kindness feels temporary, often overshadowed by harsher realities, and no matter how much good the player tries to offer, there is still a sentiment of hatred that is impossible to escape, much like the fate of Arthur himself.
Watch Dogs
On The Run From Start To Finish
- The media portrays Aiden as a domestic terrorist.
- Civilian panic during the action escalates matters.
Aiden in Watch Dogs is the modern equivalent of a villain on the run, as no matter how far into the game players are, they will always be seen in a deeply negative light. The city is full of people who are constantly on edge and afraid, primarily driven by the media presenting Aiden as a genuine terrorist to be avoided. Despite any attempts to perform some good deeds, there is no way to fully remove the villainous tag placed on their head.
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From a gameplay perspective, this fear actually makes a lot of sense, as it is virtually impossible to complete missions or roam through the world without causing some harm to a defenseless civilian. Hacking the world may be the only way forward, but the cost to the innocent people on the outskirts turns that nobility into fear without any way of undoing what is done.
InFAMOUS
A Slow Descent Into Corruption
- A morality system that ties into public perception.
- Even good paths come with backlash.
InFAMOUS is one of the few open-world games that explicitly tracks how villainous the player becomes. Cole MacGrath’s powers terrify the population, and public perception shifts dramatically based on player choice, whether they go down the path of good or become the villain they are viewed as.
Even heroic paths don’t erase that fear, as civilians still flinch and soldiers still shoot on sight, ensuring that no matter how good they may be, the player remains the enemy. It becomes less about their intentions and more about how their power is perceived as a potential weapon for evil, even if they never use it as such.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Treated Like A Monster Rather Than A Savior
- Open insults by NPCs, right to Geralt's face.
- Quests are defined by moral ambiguity.
In The Witcher 3, Geralt saves lives constantly, yet the world rarely thanks or changes its view on him. Witchers are feared, insulted, and distrusted at every turn, and the world's characters aren't afraid to show their views, constantly berating and clearly demonstrating their opinion that, despite their uses, the hunters are no better than the monsters they hunt.
This concept remains constant throughout the game. Even when Geralt does the right thing, the outcomes are often grim and far from the vision of true heroism. He might not be a traditional anti-hero, but the world certainly seems to think of Geralt as far more of a problem or a scourge than a savior who is out to rid the world of evil.
Cyberpunk 2077
Causing Problems For Everyone In Night City
- V is little more than expendable muscle for Fixers.
- Corporations treat V as a major threat.
Cyberpunk 2077 is already a game full of deeply questionable morals, and the player's place in the world is just as grey as anyone else's. No matter where they place their allegiance, V will always be seen as bad in some way, whether as an actual issue for the corporations, or an expendable tool for the Fixers.
The quests also reinforce a lot of the more ambiguous moral choices, never leading to a single good outcome without some costs along the way. V is never the noble hero of the story; rather, they're just another person looking to make a name for themselves, without any regard for the people who may suffer for standing in their way.
Fallout: New Vegas
The Most Dangerous Factor In The Wasteland
- Reputation ties into perception.
- Neutrality can be more problematic than allegiance
Fallout: New Vegas is one of the best examples of how NPC perception can change drastically over the course of a single campaign. Because there are so many factions at odds with one another, one group may see the player as a valuable asset, while another may see pure evil in the flesh.
More interestingly, if players choose a more neutral route, there is a possibility that their lack of allegiance will actually be seen as more of a threat than if they sided with the enemy. Because of how fragile the world and the relationships within it are, it is safer to assume that people are always looking to cause trouble than to blindly trust them outright and get backstabbed later on, leading to a widespread perception of hatred for those outside of specific ideological camps.
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