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

[Druffmaul]

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.

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I thought I explained my position pretty well. Everything falls on a spectrum and it's all about context. Random person or dog in the real world gets brutally murdered- I feel physically ill. Key character in a movie or video game gets brutally murdered- I might feel emotionally distressed, depending on how invested I am. Random NPC/dog in a video game gets brutally murdered in game play... the developers are going to have to perform superhuman feats of manipulative design if they expect me to feel anything. I'm just not that cheap of a date, sorry. Feel free to continue trying to shame for failing to feel sorry for NPC patrol pixels. But if TLOU2 can make me genuinely bad about killing a pixel dog, then hey, my hat will be off to the fine folks at ND.

EDIT: And I see others in the thread talking about they only kill animals that attack them, not ambient animals that are just chilling and minding their own business. Same here, I don't go around slaughtering every organism in every game I play just because I can. Just saying I don't feel bad for killing an NPC attack dog before it succeeds in tearing my avatar's throat out.

 

[RPGamer]

Human pixels > animal pixels. I'm more concered about human pixels. But in the end they are all just pixels. I don't like extremely brutal games in the most cases (i needed some time to adapt to the brutallity in AC Odyssey for example), but i will give TloU 2 a chance.

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.

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Some people make a distinction between brutality in games and sexualization etc. saying the latter has a bigger impact on behaviour in reality.

 

[ThreepQuest64]

It depends, if the animal attacks be damn sure I'll destroy it. If it doesn't then I'll leave it alone.

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This.

In Far Cry 3 for example I couldn't bring myself to kill those felines (was is Tigers? quite some time ago) because I love these animals so much and support animal welfare groups for those specific cats. So I rather miss out on some materials.

Killing goons is fine, though. Much more in our planet of those than Sumatran tigers.

 

[Zippo]

..makes me feel really good

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It cries and never fucking stops

The little shit deserves it

 

[boontobias]

TLoUII is looking to be this generation's Manhunt. In wacky games like GTA or Fallout I kill away. But I cant do it in torture porn games

 

[Cyclonesweep]

It honestly all depends on intent really.
I don't like killing innocents or bystanders in games. Human or animals.
Like I hated hunting in Far Cry for "equipment". I ended up being okay with it when the animals attacked me, but innocent creatures just minding their own business? Nah.

 

[Chris Metal]

 

[Master Alucard]

no problem with anything ingame, it's all fictional

 

[FinalStageBoss]

It's a videogame. I don't care what I'm killing tbh.

 

[delete12345]

In Xenoblade Chronicles 2, there is a side quest where you let an animal grow. You're allowed to kill the animal at any point in time, and the game autosaves if you do.

The potential...

 

[Captain of Outer Space]

It's largely dependent on the game itself. I'm not really a fan of killing animals when they're not doing anything wrong and it's not a game based on hunting animals. It was something that kept me from playing much of the old Tomb Raider games where the animals are hanging out before you invade their territory and have to kill them for defending themselves.

 

[Adder7806]

I hate killing animals in games. Wish there was other ways to craft a bigger wallet.

 

[unknownspectator]

I must break them.

 

[AuroraMusisAmica]

I'm not going to go out of my way to kill those pixelated pooches (or other animated animals, fictional fishes, or electronic equines), but I won't sweat it if I'm forced into that gaming situation (whether they're enemies in a fantasy adventure, hunting trophies at the local arcade, or cows you "accidentally" run over in Cruis'n USA).

In most gaming scnerios, leave me alone, and I'll let you be.*

*unless you have loot. Then God help you.

 

[CountAntonio]

I don't care unless it's Sif.

 

[mario_O]

we've been shooting hoomans for decades now in videogames; the debate about killing vicious doggos, that are attacking us, in pixel format, seems very silly. then we complain about right wingers complaining about the new left postmodernism non-sense.

 

[TheRulingRing]

Rather shoot animals than humans.

 

[Unleash the Flutes]

Nah, killing dogs or any other animals doesn't bother me, the same goes for fully adult humans. I'm not indifferent towards all video game violence though, it all depends on the context, although I would have a real big issue with the potential to harm kids in a game, in any context; to me that's a line that should never be crossed. Dogs on the other hand are fair game for the most part, as long as its done right.

 

[KORNdog]

Feel kinda bad about it if I kill a random dog in GTAV. Won't care if they're actively trying to end me like last of us 2.

 

[nib95]

I care far less about killing dangerous dogs or animals than I do humans. But irrespective of all that, if in a game you're trying to kill me, you're going to go, even if I may or may not feel a tad bad about it depending on the circumstances.

Hell, I'm happy hunting animals in games like Red Dead Redemption, Breath of the Wild or Tomb Raider too. I need those supplies and it's only a game lol.

 

[Firefly]

Context is everything here. If a game builds some connection between an animal and the player and we have to kill that said animal, I'd feel shitty for doing it. Sometimes you feel bad for the antagonist so its no different in this case. Has little to do with whether I killed an animal or a human.

In Part 2 its an enemy type and we just might end up killing enough of them that I'd actively take them out first if it means the fights will go down easier. Doesn't matter to me if a person calls them out using names. That person is also my enemy. Giving them tom dick or harry names doesn't really make a difference.

 

[Arcsurvivor]

If there is excessive blood and animal cruelty is involved, then I think it should be toned down or adjusted. If it is pixel animal and protagonist just jumping on it, then its not a big deal for me.

 

[kimbaka]

I don't feel bad about killing anything that is hostile towards me. I'd feel bad about killing harmless dogs though, even if they are just pixels.

 

[lowhighkang_LHK]

It doesn't bother me. Hate to make it so simple of an argument but it's not real. And doesn't make me somehow not care about animals in real life.

 

[ShinyKyurem]

It makes me feel the same as killing humans in games, aka nothing because it's not real.

 

[psynergyadept]

Like the poll option said "It ain't that serious fam, they are only pixels"

 

[Aexact]

So it's agreed that these video game animals can easily be dispatched because they aren't real but TLOU 2 seems like it's attempting to make things look closer to real than usual. All those graphics and motion capture and AI scripting are trying to add to the atmosphere, not all video game dogs are created equal.

Of course, once the illusion falls apart and it's all game mechanics, there's no turning back. I felt really bad about shooting a fox in BOTW that was just minding its own business but then I realized you can sell animal meat for a pretty penny. It ain't sociopathy! Just abstracting the idea of a fox as an object to earn money.

I wonder if this is a concerning, not as a video games cause violence but how people perceive people who play video games are unfazed by violence.

Like. Once my friend and I were at a restaurant and I told him he really mistreats his dogs and he said why, cause I never play or walk them and just make them do contests? I saw the waitress give us the side eye. We were talking about Nintendogs.

 

[Deleted member 49319]

As a cat owner I have killed way too many cats in GTAV.

 

[noyram23]

Hurts my digital heart, I sometime even cry pixel tears

 

[AcademicSaucer]

 

[Trice]

I don't really care. It's a video game. The more creative ways I can kill/maim things, the better.

 

[Happy Puppy]

*reads dog's loot table*

*Casts fireball*

I need that 1 xp.

 

[SupremeWu]

I literally refused to have a dog companion in Fallout 3 until I found out there's a glitch to make Dogmeat invincible, is my response.

 

[Era of not Yakuza]

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[Dogenzaka]

Killing dog enemies makes me feel bad and I try my best not to do it.

 

[TheGhost]

I don't care about killing animals in games.

But dogs? That's a different animal, so I try not to play games that have dogs getting killed.

 

[Cyanity]

Gimme them skins, yo. I need to upgrade my bags

 

[Nome]

I don't do it unless it's needed for progression (e.g. Ubi games).
It's not really part of my power fantasy.

 

[headspawn]

I've been curb stomping on turtles for like 30+ years now, it's just videogames.

 

[TheUnseenTheUnheard]

Honestly I think it depends on the game. If it's brutal like in Far Cry New Dawn then yeah no thanks.

 

[ArjanN]

I feel the it's just a game /pixels reponses are kinda...dumb. Yes, obviously everything in a video game / movie / comic etc isnt real but it can obviously still get somewhat of a reaction out of you. If a game like TLOU2 didn't affect you at all, there'd be no point in even playing it, because the entire thing is clearly built upon playing off your emotions.

Animal violence specifically doesn't really affect me that much though, for me it's basically the same as in real life in that if an animal attacks me, it's fair game.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

I always feel bad when a game has me kill animals for like hides and meat and stuff (Assassin's Creed, etc).

 

[Radrigal]

Killing animals are pretty meh. But killing an animal companion whom you've traveled and built up a relationship with hits me right in the feels.

Most badass animals you could fight were in Farcry Primal. Those badgers gonna fuck you up. No remorse when killing those little shits.

 

[Verano]

what if it was a zombie doggo tho?

 

[Alexhex]

I almost cried once when herbivores got in the middle of the crossfire in monster hunter

 

[Psychonaut]

If an animal is hostile toward me or I need to kill them in order to complete some progression metric, then I'll do the job. I would really rather not be forced to deal with that, though.

 

[HardRojo]

Depends on the game. Stuff like AC III, the first RDR and now TLoU Part II, I don't really mind because it's part of the tone of the game, but if it's a game where it doesn't make sense and I'd look like a total asshole for kicking an innocent animal, then yeah, I won't do it.

 

[Deleted member 12833]

I dont see why I'd feel any worse killing pixel dogs over pixel humans

Actually, I might say you have some issues if it does.

 

[Madison]

when they are realistic then it feels weird. The dog scene in Walking Dead was p disturbing. I dont care about fighting some turtle in Mega Man or smth like that bc its a lot more cartoony. I always hated killing people in God of War as well, what happens to Poseidon"s daughter is incredibly uncomfortable and it might be the most disgusting thing to ever happen in that franchise.

 

[spman2099]

I am happy to kill human enemies. Gleeful, even. However, it bums me out killing animals. If I can avoid it, I will.

I always hated killing people in God of War as well, what happens to Poseidon"s daughter is incredibly uncomfortable and it might be the most disgusting thing to ever happen in that franchise.

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That is because that game is gross and tacky. Thank god they rebooted the God of War series, as those games are pathetic in how edgy they are. They are like something an angry, socially ostracized teenager would think up.