Video games, as an engaging medium, offer players a distinctive sense of agency that often surpasses that of traditional storytelling formats. Players’ skill levels can influence gameplay duration, while significant narrative choices can lead to divergent storylines and endings. However, there exists a nuanced form of player involvement where the game creates an illusion of choice, despite the reality of predetermined outcomes.
This phenomenon can arise in various ways, either through gameplay or narrative techniques, and serves multiple purposes: from plot twists to complex storytelling, or even to instill a sense of dread. While this trope can be executed poorly, several games manage to navigate it effectively, creating a compelling experience. This article highlights a selection of titles that exemplify this intriguing aspect of gaming.
Note: Spoilers will be discussed for the games mentioned below.
9 BioShock Infinite
Constants and Variables
While the original BioShock hints at player manipulation through subconscious commands, it still allows for agency, particularly in interactions with the Little Sisters. In contrast, BioShock Infinite explicitly emphasizes its restricted narrative. Throughout this game, players encounter binary choices that seemingly influence the story, such as deciding heads or tails for the Luteces or choosing a gift for Elizabeth.
Though I anticipated varied outcomes on my first playthrough, the game ultimately leads to a singular conclusion. Some may find this frustrating, but I appreciated how it illustrated the tragic nature of the Luteces’ efforts to save Elizabeth, underscoring the concept of constants and variables within the narrative.
8 NieR: Automata
Mutually-Assured Suffering
True to Yoko Taro’s style, NieR: Automata interweaves dense themes of futility within its narrative. The game portrays a relentless conflict between Androids and Machines, reflecting a bleak cycle of violence. It subtly explores its characters’ lack of agency, particularly through the character of 2B, whose real designation as an executioner belies her role in the story.
Despite the illusion of choice, the game’s climax forces the outcomes of 9S and A2 into inevitability, leaving players grappling with the notion of futility in their decisions as the cycle perpetuates once more.
7 Pokémon Scarlet & Violet
“You! Me! Rivals! Yes?!”
Promoted as the first truly non-linear Pokémon experience, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet succeeded in providing an open-world gameplay format. However, its narrative structure fell short. Players find themselves coerced into participating in various questlines by relentless friends, including Nemona, Arven, and Penny.
No matter how often you attempt to decline, they will persistently push, undermining the freedom typically associated with open-ended exploration. While players can tackle objectives in any order, the overarching story demands completion, limiting genuine agency.
6 A Hat in Time
Everyone Finds A Reason To Be A Jerk
In A Hat in Time, the player experiences the frustrations of childhood as adult characters dismiss the young protagonist. This dynamic humorously plays out in various scenarios where choices are thrust upon Hat Kid without her consent.
For instance, the notorious Snatcher forces her to sign a contract, and during a pivotal confrontation, the outcome remains unchanged regardless of the player’s input, as both parties attempt to eliminate her. Ultimately, Hat Kid turns the tables, defying Snatcher’s expectations and reclaiming her agency in a hilarious twist.
5 Half-Life 2
On G-Man’s Payroll
Unlike its predecessor, Half-Life 2 refrains from offering traditional binary choices. Instead, it portrays protagonist Gordon Freeman as a mere pawn in G-Man’s schemes. The game’s conclusion sees G-Man reassert his control over Gordon’s fate, illustrating that the player’s actions serve G-Man’s overarching agenda rather than granting them true autonomy.
4 Spec Ops: The Line
All You Had To Do Was Stop
Released during a period predominantly occupied by typical military shooters, Spec Ops: The Line breaks conventional narratives by delivering a disturbing critique of blind obedience. The infamous white phosphorous scene emphasizes the futility of choice amidst chaos, forcing players to confront the harsh consequences of their decisions.
While various endings may exist, none offer hope or redemption, underscoring the absence of meaningful choice in the face of tragic circumstances.
3 Doki Doki Literature Club
Just Monika
As a genre built around player choice, dating sims often seem to prioritize decision-making. However, Doki Doki Literature Club skillfully subverts this expectation. Players may make choices to pursue characters like Sayori or Yuri, yet the ultimate fate remains unchanged as Monika, the self-aware character, manipulates events to achieve her goals.
This chilling twist reveals the true horror of her situation, as she wrests control from the player, highlighting the disparity between perceived choice and actual agency.
2 Zero Time Dilemma
Every Timeline Is Canon
The Zero Escape series is renowned for its branching narratives, and Zero Time Dilemma certainly offers various choices. However, it cleverly manipulates the concept of choice by integrating a requirement to explore all timelines to fully comprehend the story.
The initial decision to flip a coin sets the stage for an intricate plot where every narrative branch must be explored, effectively nullifying any sense of real choice, as players are compelled to revisit paths regardless of their initial decisions.
1 South Park: The Stick of Truth
It’s Their Game, Not Yours
Playing South Park: The Stick of Truth resembles the frustrating experience of childhood make-believe with an overbearing playmate. You quickly discover that your choices matter little in this narrative constructed by the imaginative minds of children. For instance, irrespective of the name you choose for your character, Cartman will irreverently reduce it to “d-bag.”
The plot largely remains on a fixed course, occasionally presenting the illusion of choice while ultimately leading to a predetermined conclusion. Players can side with either Cartman or Kyle in ways that affect certain encounters, but the overarching story reveals the manipulation at play, highlighting the restrictive nature of the game.
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