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

[MilesQ]

We're talking normal, not infected or any other fluff animals. As an example, dogs are an enemy type in Part 2 and you'll have the option to kill them, I Imagine it might even be necessary at certain points, but these are just your normal doggos so it raises a moral dilemma for some. How will you feel about putting an arrow in poor Archie's head?

 

[Fat4all]

break the borks

snuff that pup

 

[RockmanBN]

The same as humans. They're not real

 

[Kain]

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

 

[TissueBox]

Animals are fine... but cute, pretty, innocent, symbol-of-all-things-pure-and-easily-generalized-into-one-incorrigible-entity ones? OHO. HOHOHOHO. HAHAHAHA.

(I'm fine wid'it in general terms myself, but like with anybody, make them feel overtly abused and it's going to be a sucker punch...

In a game like TLOUPII -- and unfortunately for some -- the inspiration for this topic, that is very much the point!

And, taken as a whole... it is a little sour and miserable in a way. The game is an exercise in indulgently photorealistic action-violence. As Ebert himself sorta-worded it. But so was the first. Let's just hope there's a story told with as much gusto and attentiveness to the humanity behind the manslaughter.)

 

[danowat]

I don't care, it's just a series of 1's and 0's

 

[Van Bur3n]

You kind of do it all if the time in RDR2.

 

[Zippo]

I don't care, it's just a series of 1's and 0's

Click to shrink...

 

[Karlinel]

Besides a condescending "tis only pixels bro" or a whataboutism about the hordes of people you mow down, I'd say a feral animal attacking me, real of virtual, really has it coming.
Unprovoked killing of anything (including hunting) isn't something I enjoy.

 

[elenarie]

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

They are pixels.

 

[Linus815]

RDR 2 is the first game that felt like it portrayed animals getitng wounded in a very realistic way. It made me try a lot harder during hunting to make sure I get a clean shot.

I don't really mind killing them anyway, but most other games don't really go out their way to portray violence in a way that there could be an emotional response, since its so gamey.

 

[Dragon1893]

TLOU2 isn't the first game where you can kill dogs, hell, there are many games where you can kill all kinds of animals like Far Cry, why is this such an issue now?
I don't like doing it even if it's a game but it's not like you're supposed to feel good about it. Just stealth the parts that have dogs.

 

[Truly Gargantuan]

I feel nothing

 

[Queen Calanthe]

The same way killing humans makes me feel.

They are a digital creation if you cannot make a distinction from reality you should worry.

 

[Eumi]

Animal lives are less important than human lives, and video game characters aren't even alive in the first place, so next to nothing?

Unless there's some narrative emotional buildup. But I don't think that's what this thread is about.

 

[Letters]

I love doggos but I have no problem with it if they're proven assholes who will eat my character alive.

 

[Marble]

I kill them when they're hostile. When they're not and when the option is there, I pet them. Because of immersion reasons.

 

[Fallout-NL]

I think all of the TLOU2 replies going 'oh heavens I hope I won't have to harm any dogs in the game' were really fucking stupid. But whatever.

 

[Noppie]

I only really dislike the sound animals make when they get hurt or die. Otherwise, it's all a game.

 

[Edify]

Did I miss something in the OP because I don't know what "Part 2" is referring to.

 

[danowat]

Did I miss something in the OP because I don't know what "Part 2" is referring to.

Click to shrink...

TLOU

 

[Fat4all]

Did I miss something in the OP because I don't know what "Part 2" is referring to.

Click to shrink...

Breakin' Part 2: Electric Boogaloo

 

[Plasma]

If they attack me I'll kill them just like any other enemy in the game.

 

[Deleted member 41178]

I love animals but it's just a game and I wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

[Linus815]

TLOU2 isn't the first game where you can kill dogs, hell, there are many games where you can kill all kinds of animals like Far Cry, why is this such an issue now?
I don't like doing it even if it's a game but it's not like you're supposed to feel good about it. Just stealth the parts that have dogs.

Click to shrink...

because TLOU 2 portrays it a lot differently. Way more grounded. Its clear that TLOU 2 is going for ultra realistic violence. It's not just the dogs, its the humans too, but the dogs got a lot of focus in the last preview.

 

[RestEerie]

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

 

[Zolbrod]

We're talking normal, not infected or any other fluff animals. As an example, dogs are an enemy type in Part 2 and you'll have the option to kill them

Click to shrink...

I know what you're referring to, but you might want to clarify what game you're talking about here.

Personally, I really hate hurting domestic animals in games, unless they're super hostile.
When I played RDR for the first time, I fired at my horse because I was sure it would be invincible. Turns out it wasn't and I felt super bad about it, haha.

 

[Aztorian]

A virtual man's gotta eat.

 

[Fat4all]

A virtual man's gotta eat.

Click to shrink...

dog meat can be a little ruff

 

[batfax]

If it's a game that lets me, then they're on the "avoid harming" list. I also tend to avoid hurting/killing people if the game allows it. Completing Fallout: New Vegas, the Deus Ex games, or MGS without killing anyone is always a fun challenge.

Most games it's just another enemy type though, so it's kind of whatever.

 

[Aztorian]

dog meat can be a little ruff

Click to shrink...

My virtual man has had worse, trust me. Don't bork @ me.

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Kill the Animals!

It's sadistic. People donating money to charity for this kind of behavior is UNACCEPTABLE

 

[Glio]

It depends a lot on the realism of the game.

 

[CloudWolf]

It's just a game. I don't feel bad about killing humans in a game, I don't feel bad about killing animals in a game.

 

[Deleted member 7130]

Normally, I don't care. However, all I did was watch a couple of videos of monster hunter, and that did make me feel bad.

 

[Deleted member 17990]

I hate it because the death noise they make always gets me

 

[Deleted member 8593]

I've already written about how I feel increasingly alienated by realistic depictions of violence against humans and the same goes for animals, perhaps even more so. It's not that I can't discern digital animals from real animals but I'm finding it more and more difficult to deal with these things. There's something repugnant to me about wanting to emulate this kind of violence and putting the player in situations where they have to inflict pain onto animals. It adds nothing to my experience.

 

[VN1X]

It quenches my thirst for death and destruction. The more I kill the better I feel.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

It was coming right at me

 

[shinken]

Moral dilemma? What?! It's a game, it's not real, y'know. And it's trying to kill you in the game.
In real life though, I would never hurt an animal, unless it's trying to kill me.

 

[aevanhoe]

I don't like it at all, but I will do it if the game demands it. Just like in real life I would never hurt a dog, unless I was defending from their attack and my life depended on it.

It's part of the immersion. I hated the scene where they kill dogs in HBO's Chernobyl, but I still think it was a good scene to convey the atmosphere.

So, I'm kind of glad the game will make me uneasy because the game is about that. But will I feel bad? Yes. Even if it's just pixels.

 

[Fat4all]

It quenches my thirst for death and destruction. The more I kill the better I feel.

Click to shrink...

 

[Mozendo]

I only feel bad if they're non-aggressive/only get aggressive once you attack them.
It makes me feel bad when I have to repeatedly kill them for loot like the Mosswine in MHW

 

[PixelatedDonut]

KILL.MURDER.DIE

 

[Aizen-S-Kennedy]

 

[3bdelilah]

About the same as killing humans.

 

[Kokoro]

Depends on the context. If the animals are agressive or I need to kill them for a quest or an upgrade I will kill them without thinking about it. But I never kill them without a reason. And it's the same for humans or any enemy.

 

[Danielsan]

Depends on the in game context and realism. In general I do not like violence towards animals of any kind, but I have no issues shooting zombie dogs in Resident Evil, or kill wolves in The Witcher 3. If the animals are aggressive towards the player character then I usually don't think twice about it.

I think Red Dead Redemption 2 made killing a deer feel all too real, I did not enjoy that at all.

 

[Spyware]

I don't like when the violence gets too realistic and from what I've seen of TLoU P2 I would hate killing both humans and dogs. Not gonna buy that game.

In games like Beth Fallout or Far Cry, it's no different than killing the human enemies. There is no sense of realism.
I enjoy hunting as a side activity in games and even play actual hunting games like theHunter: CotW, so I have no problem killing "innocent" animals in games I guess, but I could basically just as well be shooting clay pidgeons in a nice environment. There's no real sense of killing an actual animal in those game, even tho CorW feels realistic in many other aspects.

 

[Darkonda]

I feel nothing and I like most animals. If the game gives me the option I got no problems playing renegade. I'm squeamish when it comes blood and violence in real life but unfazed to most of it in fiction.