Bit of an explanation as to what prompted me to make this post: I recently played through Sniper Ghost Warrior: Contracts 1 and 2 and I just felt off. I’ve slaughtered hundreds of innocents for my amusement in games like Fallout and TES, I play through No Russian with a grin, but for some reason, I refrain from killing bad guys in SGW? The first one has you hunt down Russian oligarchs and war criminals, while the second one is about Middle Eastern terrorists and this is the game where I feel bad about killing? There’s just something about the soldiers talking about their daily problems like making no money, uncomfortable boots and sweating too much, or showing eachother pictures of their dogs, not to mention the absolute horror when you’ve got a knife against their throat or when they find a body. I hope this isn’t weird, but I’ve never experienced remorse for killing a video game enemy, and I’ve played a lot of different games. I’d like to hear about your experiences, and which games do a good job humanising common enemies, the concept intrigues me.
Op you’ve touched on why war fucks people up so bad. These are people who are just living, even when we see their actions as fucked up and heinous. A lot of times they are there because they were told to be and while it doesn’t justify their actions once you humanize someone killing them has a rippling impact on your psyche.
They have family people waiting for them to return and you snuffed it out.
It’s why we dehumanize our enemies killing humans goes against our very nature but we do it because sometimes it must be done.
“It was Sam’s first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it much. He was glad that he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the man’s name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would rather have stayed there in peace.”
Yep ill never forget my bro rushing home from school with a whole story about how bosnian serbs were the craziest monsters on the planet that should all be killed on sight.
“Your father is one”
My father is the a very calm compassionate guy.