Articles
Choice in Games
Choice in Games
Thomas helps to shed some light on the subject of choice within
videogames, showing examples and making some suggestions.
By Thomas Imrie
G
ames in some way
or another revolve
around the idea of
choice--be it Mass Effect’s story
elements or in something less
obviously choice driven, such
as choosing when to shoot in
Call of Duty. This is the main
divide between games and any
other medium. While these
choices may not affect the
way a game will end or what
happens to the characters, it is
what makes games a game.
For example, if we look at The
Last Federation, it is a game
where you play as an outer
space Hydra (I know, badass
isn’t it). Your species were a
bunch of space dicks, limiting
the other species’ science
and not allowing them into
space, so one day the rest of
the species get together and
launch a moon into your planet
killing all of your race. Apart
from you. So now you must
try and create a federation so
no one else becomes a tyrant.
This is where the choices come
in as you can choose who you
give tech to. Do you help the
aggressive race, and let them
into the federation early so
you can have a police force?
Or do you help the pacifist and
save the war people for last?
This is where the game gets
its replayability from all the
choices you didn’t make. If it
was just a combat driven game
it wouldn’t be even nearly as
interesting. These choices both
moral and logical are what
makes this game unique, well
that and the space Hydra.
Issue 58 • August 2014
16 • GameOn Magazine