Has a game ever...

[random_bars]

...made you feel bad about killing its enemies?

While I've felt a little twinge occasionally killing, for example, grunts in Halo, or some of the classes in TF2, before today I'd never really felt that bad. But earlier, in a game of Brutal Legend, I found myself actually feeling for the guys I was killing.

The guy I was against was using Ironheade and had a group of headbangers attacking one of my merch booths (the resource gathering buildings, if you haven't played it) and I flew over there and killed them. Now the characters in this game are always bursting with personality, but as I killed the last guy I heard him say "sorry about all the blood, guys" before collapsing, and I actually did feel pretty awful.

I mean, it's a game, but still, have you had any situations where a game had such good characterization that you actually felt bad about killing its enemies?

 

[The Red Spy]

I'm not sure about feeling 'bad', but I've become tired of killing enemies in some games. It's not out of repetition or boredom either, I just found that I simply didn't want to 'kill' any more.

Unless you count former NPC's who were neutral/allies, then turn on you after you accidentely attack one and leave with the choice: kill or be killed, in which case I usually have to decide whether to re-load a save, or continue on.

 

[MulticolorCharizard]

MGS3

Killing the boss was THE most difficult thing I ever did.

 

[manythings]

I can't really think of an "enemy" who compelled me to feel bad for them but if I encounter a mission in game where non-combatants are forced to attack me I usually try everything I can to incapacitate them because I just don't like the idea of killing someone that has no choice in the matter.

That being said every other fucker gets everything they deserve if they happen to be in my way by their own volition.

 

[pyrosaw]

Most Kirby enemies. Too cute too kill.

 

[random_bars]

Well thinking about it, I guess in my example it wasn't really the 'enemies' that I felt bad about but the heroes, since it was just a multiplayer battle and I was playing as the bad guy, so to speak. But still, even in games where you can play as the 'bad guy' I haven't actually felt bad about it before, if you catch my drift.

 

[Ryuo]

MGS3

Killing the boss was THE most difficult thing I ever did.

I would have to agree 100%
I've still not felt that way about a game scenario since.

 

[random_bars]

Actually, I've remembered another one - Andrew Ryan in Bioshock. But then again that wasn't exactly my choice - which I suppose made it all the worse.

 

[TriggerHappyAngel]

yes, Giygas in the game Earthbound... i felt pretty sorry for him after i learned his secret

 

[Jabberwock xeno]

The halo series, some of it is morally ambiguous.

Portal and biosock, of course too.

 

[_Janny_]

Erm, well, Andrew Ryan from Bioshock, if that qualifies. Also the cute little aliens from Halo: CE.

 

[Armored Prayer]

Near the very end of MW2 you come across the downed helicopter you just taken out. You then see one pilot slowly crawling away trying to recover, and then you then come across the other pilot who in a last ditch effort slowly pulls a gun at you. Unfortunately the gun is empty and the guy just lays there looking at you all hopeless.

Its the only time I really felt bad for my enemy.

 

[SplashyAxis]

Well usually if it's regular NPCs I'll gun them down without a second thought. In most games it's not like you have a choice, because you can't progress through the game otherwise.

I guess the best example I can give would be GTA 4, because you have a few occasions where you can either kill someone relevant to the main plot or let them live, and I would feel some degree of guilt for killing them when I have.

Spoiler

Except Playboy X. I didn't mind killing him. I don't know why I was given a choice between him or Dwayne, because to me it seemed fairly obvious which one deserved it more.

 

[Headsprouter]

The witch in Left 4 dead. First you're like: ''Awwwwwww!!!! She needs a hug!'' But then you sorta start to think: ''She needs a friggin' shotgun thats what she needs...''

 

[robinkom]

Dragon Force on Sega Saturn. When certain enemy commanders still insists on attacking me after I've killed all of their troops. By certain, I mean either the naive or adorable characters. They're so caught up in their own zealousness that I have no choice but to steamroll over them... thus I may feel bad.

Another one, though it they're not enemies per say, is killing townsfolk in the Fable games to amass Evil morale. Actually, in Fable III, I have a hard time being evil period... a lot of the bad choices in these games have always come down to just being an asshole, not really Evil.

MGS3

Killing the boss was THE most difficult thing I ever did.

I would have to agree 100%
I've still not felt that way about a game scenario since.

I must have been the only one to not really connect with The Boss character in MGS3. All I know is every time she reappeared, Snake was about to get his ass handed to him. My perception of the whole story is a tad off though. Knowing it's a prequel to everything to establish Big Boss and his backstory, I was concentrating on all of the references to future plots and always mulling over it in my head from beginning to end.

But still...

Spoiler

Having to actively pull the trigger yourself to finish off The Boss was pretty twisted and deep.

 

[Headsprouter]

The halo series, some of it is morally ambiguous.

Portal and biosock, of course too.

Let me guess, portal for knocking down those turrets(or is that just me?) and Bioshock for harvesting the little sisters....and the big daddies(or is that again, just me?).

 

[stygN]

In Morrowind and Oblivion I've felt bad sometimes. Like when you're killing that old lady in one of the later Dark Brotherhood quests..

And whenever I destroy my brother in Risk or kill him in CS.. But that's different I guess.

 

[Tupolev]

The halo series, some of it is morally ambiguous.

Perhaps a tad in HCE, where the grunts had well-executed absurd child surrogate behavior.

I guess you can (and should) also feel bad about killing the brutes in Halo 3, though, because it's basically a simulator for violently euthanizing the mentally challenged.

 

[GiantRaven]

Replaying Deus Ex after the first time makes me want to cut the NSF a lot of slack in the early part of the game.