Videogame Choices That Made You Think

[Oneirius]

Let's face it, no matter how much the developers would like to talk about morality and choices and true conflict and stuff, in the end, most if it is going to be something like "destroy the evil superweapon" or "use the evil superweapon to become overlord of the universe". Worse, it may be one of those annoying childish choices that pretend to actually be interesting but are not. Say, a choice between helping the big dictator maintain order in the city or help the terro-"freedom fighters" start an uprising. It could have been an interesting and deep choice if it wasn't for the fact that all of the other characters will berate you and call you a jerk for picking the first one (The Revolution Will Not Be Vilified!). Morality meters make it even worse: they won't even try to make you think for yourself- picking one of the above choices will make a sign flash on your screen that says "Evil Points Earned!".

So, long story short, not many games present players with dramatic choices that are actually difficult and interesting, choices that make you think long and hard before and after you make them. Where the game truly gives you no help- no choice is clearly marked as "good" or "bad", and the rest of the cast have differing or no opinions. It's just you versus yourself.
vengeance. love. freedom. justice. power. What is it that you truly want the most?

Please tell me about such moments you have experienced in your life as a gamer. Tell me about the truly interesting choices that left you thinking... And of course, tell me what you did in the end

 

[MellowFellow]

One choice that I look back on as a choice I made too quickly was the choice you have to make on Legion's loyalty quest in ME2. You know the one where you have to decide between indoctrination or genocide.

 

[Hosker]

I thought a lot about blowing up Megaton in Fallout 3.
Also killing or saving a little sister in Bioshock.

 

[pretentiousname01]

ME2 seems to be a big culprit of this.

Mostly because the way the game takes all your past actions or inactions and translates them into the new game.

People like to replay it to get everything setup for the next game. Instead of just replaying it as an opposite character.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

well i've been playing through fallout 3 again, and im really enjoying it this time around, and

Spoiler: president stuff

im at the part where you meet the president, hes a machine, yadda yadda yadda, and i've been 90% good character throughout the game, but im at the choice now where A) i can tell him to go fuck himself and use the purifier to just purify the water, or B) use the altered virus to clean the water and purge all altered human life out there (ghouls/supermutants/etc..) or C)convince the president he needs to die

now my whole dilemma is..is option B really the bad option? i mean it would restore the world to its natural order, besides fawkes, all super mutants are basically anti human savages and same with ghouls, so would the world really be a better place with them there? (besides me lootin their corpses =] )

they potray option A to be the "good" option..but personally i would probably do option B in that instance

 

[Aerodynamic]

inFamous.

Spoiler

Trish or the doctors.

 

[AllLagNoFrag]

Besides the Mass Effects and common ones, I just wanna add one that probably wont be mentioned alot. The ending of the game Singularity where you choose the either the path of salvation, power or just total darkness (I think).

 

[pyrosaw]

well i've been playing through fallout 3 again, and im really enjoying it this time around, and

Spoiler: president stuff

im at the part where you meet the president, hes a machine, yadda yadda yadda, and i've been 90% good character throughout the game, but im at the choice now where A) i can tell him to go fuck himself and use the purifier to just purify the water, or B) use the altered virus to clean the water and purge all altered human life out there (ghouls/supermutants/etc..) or C)convince the president he needs to die

now my whole dilemma is..is option B really the bad option? i mean it would restore the world to its natural order, besides fawkes, all super mutants are basically anti human savages and same with ghouls, so would the world really be a better place with them there? (besides me lootin their corpses =] )

they potray option A to be the "good" option..but personally i would probably do option B in that instance

Wastelanders would die too.

 

[discordance]

EVERYONE would die. It's actually a pretty stupid idea.

The tough one in Fallout 3 was the Pitt. You know the one I mean.

 

[VeX1le]

inFamous.

Spoiler

Trish or the doctors.

Spoiler

she dies anyways

In DAO

Spoiler

To kill the kid at the castle or not. I chose to do the whole 2 hour long quest to save him.... damn prick better appreciate that

 

[Deathkingo]

There's this one really tough choice in Ar Tonelico 2 that actually made me put the controller down and think about it. Not going to say because it would ruin the impact of the choice for the people who haven't played it. You know...everyone...

 

[GrinningManiac]

Killing or sparing that Silver girl at the very start of Fallout 3

She's Moriarty's former callgirl or summin', but it was actually quite a hard choice, because I believed that she didn't steal drugs and stuff and I spared her. Then, wandering around her home, I find a crapload of Pyscho. I was so 'in-game' angry that she lied to me that I killed her.

If she'd just said "yes, I stole 'em...Moriarty's a bastard" I would have agreed and let her go. But she lied to me, and that annoyed me

 

[BENZOOKA]

I've encountered a whole lot of those in Fallout 3 and Dragon Age: Origins. I take that kind of choices seriously, and I do think about every one of them, especially if I know if it affects something, and I usually like to think that anyways.

 

[hittite]

One choice that I look back on as a choice I made too quickly was the choice you have to make on Legion's loyalty quest in ME2. You know the one where you have to decide between indoctrination or genocide.

You mean this one?
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/1974-Enriching-Lives

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

The last quest of The Pitt DLC, I mean both ways end up with the same result of the Troglodyte virus being cured. But if you side with the Slaves, and kill the Pitt Raiders and kidnap the baby then the slaves are free to live how they want yet aren't very fit for self governing, plus you've take a baby from it's parents and had it turned into a human science project. While siding with Ashur ensures the baby is safe and can actually live like a human, and the slaves will be freed, just not for a long time. :/

Also while not really a choice, I found the power struggle between John Henry Eden and General Autumn to be very thought provoking. E.G; While both are pretty evil for commandeering a private project that would benefit everyone. Eden is the only one that wants the FEV virus dumped into the water supply, Autumn just wants to activate it but have it limited to the people that can have it for free. Which is really makes you wonder, if killing Autumn for being Enclave was really the right thing to do?

 

[MellowFellow]

One choice that I look back on as a choice I made too quickly was the choice you have to make on Legion's loyalty quest in ME2. You know the one where you have to decide between indoctrination or genocide.

You mean this one?
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/1974-Enriching-Lives

Yep, that is the one, when I originally did I just chose the memory rewriting without thinking about it, I was really only thinking about allies for fighting the reapers.

 

[haddaway234]

I'd say most of the loyalty mission choices in ME2 really made me think a bit.