Ep 72: Morality Systems

Morality Systems

This week, we discuss morality systems in games: from the simplest, binary choices in Bioshock, to the non-linear, complex, and unpredictable branches of Detroit: Become Human, morality systems have been a tool used by game developers for ages to evoke emotion, create disparate narratives, and make their players feel like paragons of virtue and heartless villains.

Do you go for the morally-bankrupt, but often rewarding, options, or are you “Lawful Good”, choosing your own moral compass, or even an idealized moral compass, when faced with difficult in-game choices?

Send us an email with your thoughts, and if you have any suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them! overthinkinggamespodcast@gmail.com

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Theme music is copyright free and from: https://www.youtube.com/@Pixverses

Chapters

• 0:00 Intro
• 2:48 What we've been playing this week
• 3:23 Brett: Silksong
• 3:43 Brett: Chess
• 6:16 Seth: Touching Grass
• 7:30 Seth: Borderlands 4
• 8:47 Katie:Night Call
• 12:31 Katie: Monster Train
• 15:41 Topic: Morality Systems
• 17:01 What are our favourite games with morality systems?
• 17:17 Brett:Star Wars: KOTOR, Prey (2017)
• 18:02 Katie: Mass Effect, Dishonoured, Disco Elysium, Pentiment
• 21:21 Seth:Fallout: New Vegas, Baldur's Gate 3
• 27:54 How do you play around morality systems?
• 28:40 Dungeons and Dragons and playing as yourself in-game
• 32:55 Missing out on content by not making "bad" choices
• 34:23 Binary "good vs. evil" choices (Bioshock)
• 40:15 Nuance in morality systems that break away from binary decisions
• 46:04 Making choices in games that conflict with your own morals
• 46:58 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
• 49:17 It Takes Two
• 52:12 What games would benefit from a morality system?
• 52:43 Life is Strange
• 56:26 Warhammer: Space Marine 1 & 2 & Dark Souls