What makes these needless or gratuitous? It seems to just be any games with violence against animals
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Games with needless, excessive depictions of violence to animals. (Spoiler tag, add to the list)
- Thread starter Nabbit
- Start date
I don't know if this counts, but in Bioshock there's an audio log with Dr. Suchong and a test subject where you can hear...
Dr. Suchong order the test subject to break a puppy's neck via the "Would you kindly?" command. You can hear the snap and puppy yelp.
I think if the sequel retains the whole survival aspect, the hunting will remain in the game, but I do hope they don't make it mandatory for any part of the game.
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It's just based on posts from myself and others ITT. I recognize some may not see them as gratuitous, it's a personal judgment call. I made separate lists in the OP. But really the intention of this thread is if someone wants to avoid games with violence in animals.
Out of curiosity, would Horizon: Zero Dawn count? The "animals" are robots, sure, but they act and behave pretty much exactly like the creatures they were based on. It bothered me attacking the deers, for example, since I remember them letting out pretty realistic cries. Been a while since I played it though.
Also I wouldn't call it needless, since it is very much intentional to set the dark tone of the game and it's pretty restrained, but Final Fantasy Type-0 opens with the death of a Chocobo and its rider.
Also I wouldn't call it needless, since it is very much intentional to set the dark tone of the game and it's pretty restrained, but Final Fantasy Type-0 opens with the death of a Chocobo and its rider.
I think the point is that for many, any violence against animals is distressing and unnecessary. No harm in making note of games with that, so those who are affected by something like this know what to avoid.
Call me over sensitive but this is the reason why I stopped playing after a couple of hours.
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I'll put both in the second list. I suspect most of us significantly bothered by this will avoid games on both lists.
Edit: A New Beginning I don't think you're being over sensitive. If it affected you, it affected you. LMK if you think the game should be on the first list and I'll do so.
Thank you, you put it much better. That's exactly what I was trying to say. Off topic, but hope you are enjoying your Zelda series playthrough, BTW. If you get to play TFH it's a lot of fun with two other players.
Dont apply too much real life logic to games. Those things happens because of game mechanics. They aren't hunting simulations etc.
If you get pelt from every single wolf as example that quest becomes too easy. If you reduce amount of wolfes to make quest harder, it becomes more boring because now you are travelling and finding them, instead of taking action and killing them.
RDR2 hunting is pretty good actually. You need to track animals, use right baits and guns/ammo.
No problem at all! I hope this thread is helpful
For Zelda, I sort of stopped a few hours into Twilight Princess. Maybe it's because I played them all back to back so quickly or maybe TP is just really not that good, but I was burned out hard. I'll return to finish it, and then play Skyward Sword (and the handheld games) soon though.
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I understand what you're saying. I think it's in the eye of the beholder really. As laxu indicated in their post on page 1, some players feel that the game mechanics being set up based on hunting are problematic reasons to begin with.
As a heads-up I'd recommend linking the individual posts in the OP so people can get the proper context for the reasons why certain things are mentioned. It's not too bad now with under two pages to read, but in the future I could see it being handy!
Is Tomb Raider 1 gratuitous?
I know that she really didn't have to travel to the areas that she did, but all the enemies I encountered attack you without provocation (other than the already fact that I guess she chose to go to those places).
Yeah i understand if some people don't like that mechanic or killing animals is too sensitive for them.
The grubs are alive though. By bouncing on the eldergrub you can still hear them being alive in the belly. This is all part of the next phase for the grubs to turn into:
Moths. Seer is the last known Moth in Hallownest. The moths worshipped The Radiance, and The Pale King wanted none of that. The Pale King tasked The Collector to gather all the grubs and put them in jars (hence why you can find a map of where they all are after you defeat The Collector. With more Moths defying The Radiance (Seer mentions this in dialogue) and Grubs locked up, The Radiance started to lose many followers. Only a handful would remember her. When the infection started seeping out of the Black Egg, The Radiance was able to control every single being infected. The Grubs being locked up in Glass jars are immune.
To conclude all this, once reached their final stage a new Moth Tribe can develop. And if you look at the Grubberfly's Elegy Charm (The one you get after saving all the grubs), you'll notice the Grub on it has wings. Very similar wings to those of The Radiance.
To conclude all this, once reached their final stage a new Moth Tribe can develop. And if you look at the Grubberfly's Elegy Charm (The one you get after saving all the grubs), you'll notice the Grub on it has wings. Very similar wings to those of The Radiance.
This is how I and many others see it. The Grubs are never killed.
Waking through games killing everything you see to get bits isn't fun though, it's boring as hell. Even taking away the ethics thing it's just poor design. If you can't do it properly leave it out.
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Yep, I was slightly concerned that might happen. Zelda burnout is real for me too, even as a big fan of the series. I love Skyward though so I hope you enjoy that one a lot. TP is good IMO, especially the dungeons, but doesn't have for me the most appealing setting or art design, and some of the main quest has pacing issues. Probably my least fave 3D Zelda overall. Anyway, won't hurt to mix it up and wait till you're craving some Zelda to get back to it.
Edit: Rotobit good idea, thanks. I'm just going to add a disclaimer to search the thread for any game a person wants more info on. That should have a similar effect.
Guido Krijt I understand that's the fan consensus and I can see the reasoning behind it, but IMO the initial shock value or grossness of that moment was gratuitous. I respect you see it differently.
Im not sure if God of War means God of War 4 or God of War 1 but you can probably put the entire series down
Max, how do you feel about overtly "comical" violence? For example, in the sheep herding missions in Mario Odyssey:
You can punt or hit the sheep with your hat to send them flying in a very exaggerated, "cartoony" fashion.
does it have to be player violence?
In Sekiro the
In Sekiro the
bull with the fire on it set against the player who has to kill it is a pretty horrible situation for an animal to be in.
Depends who plays it. I have no problem killing animals for quests, good, supplies etc in games.
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Tbh I didn't love that either but it's so cartoony it didn't bother me much. I would say the LM3 thing mentioned bothered me slightly more. And the Monster Boy pig quest where you collect foods and put yourself in a cooking pot bothered me more. But I stuck with both of those games and overall enjoyed them a lot. For me those are more minor issues.
Nope, it doesn't need to be player violence. At least two of the examples of the OP are not the result of player actions.
I hated this about Life is Strange 2. Honestly pissed me off because it didn't really add anything to the story or characters.
Can't see it anything else than a game mechanic and it doesn't make people attack animals in real life.
Tbh I really rather we have VR hunting simulators than having people hunting real animals.
Tbh I really rather we have VR hunting simulators than having people hunting real animals.
Yeah that's true, I can enjoy Spiderman or Crackdown for ages just diving around the buildings so I'm not one to judge.
I wholeheartedly disagree with the assertion that Wolf2 was being gratuitous. When machinegames are being gratuitous, they let you know. The moment in question was part of a running theme in the story about parenthood, masculinity and empathy. And in a game that glorifies brutally murdering people in various creative and invasive ways, you absolutely need to showcase the differences between the targets and your character.
Still hard to watch, I will grant you.
I'm a huge animal lover and hate to see them abused in video games. But I think some of the inclusions in the original post seem a bit extreme.
Including a game like Super Mario Odyssey in a thread about animal violence seems a bit over the top.
Including a game like Super Mario Odyssey in a thread about animal violence seems a bit over the top.
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I understand what you mean. I think SMO is a bit of a stretch but since it was mentioned in a post I included it. If you're curious about the reasons for the other games, please search the thread for the related posts. Some of the unlikely inclusions had legitimate reasons behind them also. (But I included the mild list for the most mild offenses.)
The only case of animal violence in any game I could think of that was questionable was Wolf 2. The themes mentioned above by Calvinien are certainly there, but it doesn't change that they used the cheapest and oldest trick in the book in the opening moments of the game just to have a "shocking" watercooler moment, came off entirely manipulative and unnecessarily cruel.
Despite what I said, I hope people add to this thread. People should be able to avoid games with content they find questionable.
I feel like the Fable series matches some of criteria. You get a Dog in Fable II and it can get killed / beat up. Also the chicken kicking :P
Early in Overlord II, the player (as the titular overlord) is tasked with slaughtering several baby seals... by sending your minions to beat them to death with clubs (i.e. how baby seals are actually slaughtered for their fur in real life). The point of the game is, of course, that you're an evil, human-slaughtering Overlord, but we found this rather distasteful and not particularly humorous, so we dropped the game.
Smash Bros: The Duck Hunt Dog and Duck are combatants
Resident Evil Series: Zombie dogs
Castlevania series: Panther/bats/frogs/wolves
Sega Bass Fishing
Any Hunting game
Any ARPG: Rats/wolves
Resident Evil Series: Zombie dogs
Castlevania series: Panther/bats/frogs/wolves
Sega Bass Fishing
Any Hunting game
Any ARPG: Rats/wolves
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In Far Cry 5 there is sidemission where you :
- Grind animals using a tractor with a front-blade while they are alive.
- Burn a bull alive while its in the middle of mating.
I'd add Minecraft to the "mild" list considering how young some of the playerbase is. It's specifically the sounds animals make when you attack them that some people may find disturbing.
The original Last of Us have a hunting segment, including following a blood trail from a wounded animal.
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Take a peek at the related post. The animal(s) in Hog Wild being roasted on a spit with bugs flying around them is a bit grisly for Crash otherwise. It's a YMMV kinda situation I think.
Doom? I thought the rabbit got off lightly considering the fate of pretty much all other life on Earth by the end of the game.
Edit: actually i take it back, didn't read the "needless depiction". that part in rule of rose is fundamental to the story
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While I don't think several of the games on the list have gratuitous or needless violence towards animals, that dog bullshit in Life is Strange 2 made me drop the game and not come back. Disgusting and cheap.
Man, and I was just about to start playing it again now that all the episodes are out. It's not that I wouldn't be able to handle it it's just if that is what they have to resort to for drama so early on then what does that say for later episodes?