Killing animals in game - how does it make you feel?

[adj_noun]

A chance to sing a reprise!



Doggy goes ruff
Sinks teeth into meat
My health drops to zero and the game's complete
I give a quick blink then my world
Is a Game Over Screeeeen

Look at this guy
His name is Earl
Majored in fine arts and sometimes paints squirrels
Found me snooping around and then thunk
Hatchet's in my braaaaaain

I've slain goombas and Koopas aplenty
I've ganked demons and spiders galore
Game's got zombie clods? I'll kill twenty.
'Cause who cares? No big deal! They'll spawn mooore!

If you're a dog made of binary
And you come at me, I'll remake Yeller
Walking around guided by...what's the term?
Code!

Goofing around, I don't get too far
Skills are required for jumping, strafing
Unless I'm using...what's that term?
God mode!

Don't care if they walk!
Don't care if they crawl!
Don't care if they howl, growl or bawl!
Wandering mobs, digital slobs
Points for my scooooore

 

[Doom_Bringer]

Cant do it

 

[Crayon]

You monster!

Click to shrink...

Okay so maybe it was for fun.

 

[AndrewGPK]

You remember that dog in Independence Day. He just quickly at the last minute into the tunnel and we all breathe a sigh of relief as the door closes. Hundreds of thousands of people were just incinerated outside the door, but thank god that dog is okay.

 

[ghostcrew]

I've been vegetarian for 15 years and I don't particularly care. I think I just got my award in RDR2 Online for killing 500 animals 👀

 

[DjDeathCool]

It's fantasy and doesn't really affect me.

However, I do have a bit of a fear of dogs. So, when they're used in horror games, it's usually too much for me. Seeing them in TLOU 2, kind of sealed the deal that I'm not going to play that game. Especially, considering how the first was already borderline too much... and the graphic violence and stuff? I really want to enjoy the story, though, so I'll probably buy the game and watch a play through like I did with Resident Evil 2.

 

[Phil's Empty Chair]

If they attack me, they die.

 

[ghibli99]

Doesn't affect me, unless it's a case where the animal is part of the storyline and there is an attachment/story element involved. But like in BOTW, they're just another target that gives me instant resources, or in other games XP, etc. I do have a friend who likes to "judge" me if he's watching me play a game and I take out an animal that wasn't doing anything to me... and even if they are hostile like the damn hippos in AC Origins, he still gives me a hard time. LOL

 

[data west]

I just assume people with an aversion to killing dogs never palyed Paperboy

 

[Caped Baldy]

If they are vicious or fantastical animals, it doesn't bother me. Kill em if they're in my way.

What I can't stand are games like Farcry that make it part of the gear upgrading system. Want to hold more cash? Gotta kill 4 pigs just minding their own business! It just adds a gross kind of grinding to an already grindy series.

 

[Khanimus]

I mean I would rather not. But if something is coming at me, i'm probably gonna fight back.

 

[diobrando74]

I literally love killing things in video games. Animals, vegetables and minerals. I'm only human, after all.

 

[Fredrik]

Hmm, maybe Naughty Dog is onto something here after all...
Roughly 80% are voting it's just pixels.

I'm still bummed out by their violence focus but if devs would focus on the emotional side of the killing of animals then people won't say "it's just pixels" just like they're not saying that when they're playing through the latest AAA story based exclusives.
I mean you don't go "it's just pixels" when you see bad things happening to the pixels named Aerith, Arthur, Ori, Ellie, right?

 

[Druffmaul]

It's definitely possible for me to get so immersed and lost in the moment that I very briefly feel something for one of my victims in a video game, whether it's a dog, a cat, a man, a woman, a little kid, whatever... but I quickly snap out of it. On the whole, I don't give a shit about pixels. People getting all worked up about "Oh noes, I will NEVER kill any of those poor sweet puppy doggos in TLOU2, that would break my heart!!!!!"..... give me a fucking break.

 

[balgajo]

The same as in real life. I feel nothing.

 

[TuMekeNZ]

It all depends on the context. If the animals are aggressive and out to kill me I'll deal to them. Hunting in games for food is also fine.
Just being able to kill them for the laughs, I don't do it.

 

[Sparks]

Don't mind that much. Although I did make my step-sister cry because I killed all the wolves in Metal Gear Solid 1.

 

[Xavi]

Some posts here are disturbing as hell

 

[Toaster05]

RIP the Last Of Us bunny.

 

[Fawz]

It's a game, so intent is more important than action to me. If it's not malicious and has a purpose (ie: self-defence, hunting, ect...) then it's fine.

 

[Mathieran]

If they attack me I will defend myself without remorse. I hate it when quests make me get animal skins though and I have to hunt passive animals.

 

[jroc74]

EA: "If it's in the game, it's in the game."

Click to shrink...

Lmao!!!

I give absolutely no fucks about it. Recent Tomb Raider, RDR, it's whatever for the animals.

I play GTA where I run over ppl coming him from work, might shoot a few just so I can kill some cops after getting wanted levels up.

I'm going to think twice about some animals? Please.

 

[Fredrik]

It's definitely possible for me to get so immersed and lost in the moment that I very briefly feel something for one of my victims in a video game, whether it's a dog, a cat, a man, a woman, a little kid, whatever... but I quickly snap out of it. On the whole, I don't give a shit about pixels.

Click to shrink...

Are you going with "I don't give a shit about pixels" regarding the story as well? Or is it just pixels when it comes to the killing?
I cried when I played through Brothers A Tale of Two Sons when seeing the story unfold for those poor pixels. :(

 

[Cyborg]

The same way killing humans makes me feel. No different at all.

They are pixels.

Click to shrink...

Indeed!

 

[SmittyWerbenManJensen]

Depends on the context and graphical nature of it. If it's a Silent Hill or Dark souls doggo, then idc. If it was something more realistic, then it would depend on the context and if it was a life or death situation in the game.

 

[theAllseeingEYE]

It depends on the context and execution in the game.

I have no problem slicing up bastard Ninja Doggos in Ninja Gaiden 2. If a vicious animal attacks me and threatens my life, I will defend myself.

Of course, if I am killing wild animals for game (Red Dead Redemption for example), it could be more emotionally divisive.

 

[babyzelda]

Really baffling, the replies in this thread. Like, of course they're pixels, but what does that have to do with your feelings? Why does the imagery even matter if it has so little effect? You might as well be playing Adventure on Atari or something even more abstract if that's the way you feel. Just click the icons on your desktop one at a time for that fps experience, and it runs at 120 frames per second!

 

[PSqueak]

I rarely play games where you get to kill random, normal ass animals, it's usually violent wild life attacking you or literally monsters.

Guess games like RDR and Breath of The Wild let you kill random animals, but i never went out of my way to do so, sometimes for the food in BotW tho.

 

[Fulminator]

its a video game

 

[Coinspinner]

Honestly I don't even like killing monsters sometimes, let alone realistic animals.

 

[julia crawford]

Bad and i don't want to do it.

Games need less killing in general.

 

[Druffmaul]

Are you going with "I don't give a shit about pixels" regarding the story as well? Or is it just pixels when it comes to the killing?
I cried when I played through Brothers A Tale of Two Sons when seeing the story unfold for those poor pixels. :(

Click to shrink...

If the dog is an actual character in the story, a key character's companion or something, then that might affect me a little differently. But no, I don't have a hard time compartmentalizing things like characters within a story that have at least a modicum of development to them vs. a random NPC who exists only to patrol an area and attack my avatar character if they detect it. I don't equate the dogs in TLOU2 with Snake's dog in MGSV. Joel, Ellie, Tommy, Tess, Marlene etc. are more than just pixels. Patrolling NPCs and their dogs are just pixels. Fuck 'em.

 

[MilesQ]

its a video game

Click to shrink...

Will you be able to kill a dog in VR?

 

[Gilver]

The only time I felt "something" killing an enemy in a game it was with the robots in Nier Automata but I stopped caring like 10 min later, but I felt bad for a second.

 

[giapel]

I draw the line where Zelda draws the line. Wild animals are fair game, dogs are untouchable, chicken are evil.

 

[carlosrox]

Only a game....IDGAF.

Real animals is another story though of course.

 

[AllMight1]

I cant even commit to MHW because of this

 

[McNum]

I've been shooting dogs since Wolfenstein 3D. The only problem I have with it is that they're a small fast-moving target to hit. Sometimes I miss. Then I get mauled. That is usually a problem.

Dogs are just a good skirmisher type enemy that can run into melee fast an mess you up. They're not much different than the Pinkie Demons from Doom in that regard.

 

[lvl 99 Pixel]

I draw the line where Zelda draws the line. Wild animals are fair game, dogs are untouchable, chicken are evil.

Click to shrink...

I can't kill mammals in Zelda unless they're trying to get me. Riding the deer like Ashitaka is one of the best things about that game, and the foxes are cute too. Lizards and fish/crabs can all die.

 

[El-Suave]

I evacuate spiders and make sure to step around the occasional ant when I see it. I have no problems killing or otherwise abusing animals in a game.
I would prefer to hunt in Far Cry for a bigger purse than to play a regular basic hunting game though.

 

[Not Spaceghost]

Dog enemies are usually the most evil and difficult to fight

 

[shuno]

kill the animals.

 

[dock]

I played more than 150 hours of Breath of the Wild and didn't kill a single wolf. There were some quests I couldn't complete because I wouldn't do it.

Anyone else avoid killing the animals in BotW?

 

[Deleted member 12009]

I don't really feel the urge to shoot and kill every animal I see in vidya, like ferals wandering the streets in Division or wildlife in other games, but if it attacks me then I don't really hesitate. Same for shooting anything, really. I don't just go out of my way to destroy and kill, even if it's just make believe.

Unless it's Dark Souls. Then everything has got to go.

 

[Fulminator]

Will you be able to kill a dog in VR?

Click to shrink...

good question

I wouldn't know unless I tried I guess

 

[dock]

Realy good, but not as good as killing Human characters.

Click to shrink...

Birds which fly into the horse are the most difficult challenge in the game.

 

[nbnt]

Nothing, just like killing "humans" in video games.

 

[KernelC]

depends on the sound design, if it's too realistic I cringe a bit and do what I have to do. If not, well they are just pixels, whatevs man.

 

[jett]

Nothing. They aren't real, in case you didn't know.

 

[Fredrik]

If the dog is an actual character in the story, another character's companion, then that might affect me a little differently. But no, I don't have a hard time compartmentalizing things like characters within a story that have at least a modicum of development to them vs. a random NPC who exists only to patrol an area and attack my avatar character if they detect it. I don't equate the dogs in TLOU2 with Snake's dog in MGSV.

Click to shrink...

It's still just pixels though, no?

I absolutely understand how you're thinking, I just don't buy the pixel excuse most are voting at. We've had tons of big threads about sick stuff, politically charged content, sexualization and weird designs etc etc that clearly gets people to feel something, but when it comes to killing dogs, women, even kids, then nothing apparently matters because then it's just pixels and it's not real so who cares? :P

Like I said earlier, maybe Naughty Dog is pulling all the right strings here. Gamers feeling like shit because of the brutal violence might be exactly what the gaming hobby needs. We're all incredibly desensitized.