The problem with choices in games is that theyāre mostly one of two things, neither of which actually counts as choices. Theyāre either an illusion of choice where the outcome is the same or theyāre simply a question of which mechanic is better. If one option is quantifiably better within the game, itās the obvious answer and therefore thereās little reason to pick the other. Itās rare to find a choice presented in video games that falls outside of this spectrum.
But those that do are the ones that stick with you. They are the onesāwhen seriously considered and chosenāthat can tell you about yourself as a person. Of course, your mileage may vary, but there have been a nice handful of these kinds of choices over the past couple years.
There have also been some failed attempts at meaningful choices. Bethesdaās take on Fallout, and subsequently Obsidian Entertainmentās take, scratches the surface of meaningful choices, but never really moved me in any spectacular fashion. There was never that moment of introspection where I had to take a moment and really think about what I was doing, but they certainly came close a time or two.
Specifically, Obsidian manages to skirt closest to an introspective choice when youāre supposed to decide the fate of the Brotherhood of Steel. Depending on which faction you align yourself with, thereās little to do but destroy the chapter that Veronica once called home. Itās only through a small, small window of opportunity that you can save them by following the New California Republicās quests and picking a number of specific options along the way.
Itās either that, or you have to do it on your own as an independent faction. So, the choice comes down to an entire sect of the Brotherhood of Steel, who have been as kind as any other faction, if not kinder, or dropping alliancesāand failing the questsāwith the two major factions. That would be a somewhat introspective choice, and in my playthrough it was the one I was required to make. But with the NCR route, the developers diluted it.
Thatās just one choice in a large game, though. Luckily, other games have had multiple difficult choices in them. It should come as no surprise then that BioWare is currently heading the charge for meaningful choices. Between the Mass Effect and Dragon Age franchises, theyāve provided a relative wealth of meaningful choices in a time where they are otherwise lacking.
In Mass Effect, there are at least two worth mentioning. In the original, youāre required to decide the fate of the Rachni, anĀ insect-like race of ravenous monsters that previously terrorized the known galaxy. However, they make the plea that they were being controlled and it was not of their own volition. Their wars and subsequent eradication was merely a product of their indoctrination.
Itās with this lack of critical information that you must make the call. Do you destroy a species that may have been an unwitting pawn in a greater plan, even though youāve always been told that theyāve been responsible? Who do you believe? There is a mechanic backing this up at some point, so thereās certainly a point to the decision beyond introspection. But without that element, it becomes entirely a matter of how you feel about potentially destroying the last chance an innocent civilization has at redemption.
Similarly, in Mass Effect 2, Commander Shepard is called on to decide whether to reprogram a rogue faction of the geth. Given that we are led to believe that the geth are a sentient machine race, reprogramming them to have different beliefsāāfor their own goodā or notāis akin to brainwashing and subverts their free will. The other option, however, is simply genocide. Sometimes, lose-lose situations can be the most enlightening. Itās this kind of choice that can help you come to terms with your own actions in regards to and thoughts on free will.
At least now we have strong examples of the kind of meaningful, introspective choices that we want to see more of in video games. Some of these choices–and the events that surround them–strike their chords so well that it can often be surprising just how much they resonate. Where do you, as a person, draw the line on this or that difficult-to-answer question? Video games are the perfect medium for this experience. If designed correctly by the developers, you only have yourself to blame.