Close Menu
  • News
  • Features
  • Summer Game Fest 2025 Coverage
  • Guides
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Gaming News
  • Entertainment News
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
X (Twitter) YouTube RSS
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
The OuterhavenThe Outerhaven
  • News
  • SGF 2025
  • Features
  • Guides
    • Elden Ring Nightreign Guides Hub
  • Previews
  • Reviews
    • Video Game Reviews
    • Anime & Animation Reviews
    • Comic Book & Manga Reviews
    • Films & TV Reviews
    • Tech Reviews
    • Tabletop and Card Game Reviews
    • Toy Reviews
  • Gaming
    • PlayStation
    • Nintendo
    • Xbox
    • PC Gaming
    • Retro Gaming
    • Tabletop
    • Virtual Reality
  • Entertainment
    • Anime & Animation
    • Comic Books & Manga
    • Films & TV
    • Original English Light Novels DB
    • OELN DB
    • Culture
    • Books
    • Toys
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
    • A-01 Podcast
    • Nintendo Entertainment Podcast
    • Spectator Mode Podcast
The OuterhavenThe Outerhaven
Home»Features»What Happens When Gaming And Your Morals Clash?

What Happens When Gaming And Your Morals Clash?

By Keith MitchellJanuary 7, 2018

Or why can’t I be the bad guy?

For the longest time, there have been video games that simply let you do what you want to do. And while the vast majority of games have you being the hero (with a small percent letting you be the baddie), I’ve never felt so conflicted being the one on the wrong side. If given a decision to do either the right or wrong thing, I’d do the right thing. All the time! Or I’d that hero that comes in to save the day, even if I had the option to go drink a beer or something.

Even with my fondest memory being with the Mass Effect series and Alpha Protocol. Here we have games that let me be a complete and total ass. I can choose not to help people. I can be the guy who you don’t want to associate (but have too for reasons) and even hit people for no reason. Yet, for some reason, my moral code simply don’t let me do it. You see, I was raised to always be a good person. To always turn a cheek if people are being rude to me. To be a should for someone to lean on. And I’m fine with that, I like who I am. Well, mostly. But I do have an issue with this crosses over to my video game habits. Yet, for the life of me, I always had A thought in the bad of my mind that was yelling “Stop playing the good guy!”. Why haven’t I listened to it yet?

I found myself wondering this more and more as of lately. Maybe it’s due to my prolonged time playing Ubisoft’s The Division. In this game, you have a huge PVP area called the Dark Zone. Here you can go solo and kill mobs for points and loot. Or you can join a group and do the same thing. Or… you be that guy and go rogue. This lets you turn on your fellow agents and kill them for more points. You can even steal their gear. Yet I haven’t gone rogue. Well, not on purpose. There was that one time where I kept shooting someone because I thought it was an AI character. But when I did this, I enjoyed it. 

Sure I ended having 5 people suddenly setting their sights on me, to which a manhunt ensued. But it was fun. Here I was running for my life, trying to escape. While also killing toss who were not geared up enough to take me on. Ever since then, I’ve yet to purposely turn on any other agents. Why? That’s a question that I can answer – reluctantly. It boils down to this. I don’t like being the bad person.

Mass Effect What choice do you have

No matter how much fun I have had or could have, my moral code simply won’t let me. While others don’t even think about turning their soul over to the dark side. For me, there’s always this inner turmoil that comes into play if I even think about doing the same. It’s like this goodie-good angel is sitting on my left shoulder, while the bad angel is completely absent. Yet, when it comes to doing all sorts of nasty stuff to AI characters and NPCs, the sky is the limit. Hell, look at Dark Souls. I’d go on killing sprees by killing those poor souls. I also thought the one ending in Dark Souls III was pretty nifty (those who played it know what I’m talking about).

I wish I knew how to kick this dilemma as I’d likely have more fun. Perhaps even more fun when I’m coming to some poor players from getting ganked. Only to have them think about gunning me down for fun. Of course, when that happens, that’s your ass. Attack me and I will defend myself. I just need to figure out how to apply this to my gaming sessions when having the chance to be the pursuer/attacker/bad guy and don’t.

Brain, let me do bad stuff to people in my video games. Please!

What about you? Do you ever run into the same issues? If so, speak about your inner demons in the comments below.

asshole bad guy decisions moral decisions video games and moral code
Keith Mitchell - Headshot-PS_Gear_400x400
Keith Mitchell
  • X (Twitter)
  • LinkedIn

Keith has been a fan of geek culture and video games ever since his father gifted him his first gaming console many decades ago and has used this love of for the genres to start The Outerhaven. Keith keeps follows on the ongoings of videogames, anime, comics and technology, and while he has been writing about these topics for the past 14 years, he has been a gamer and tech guy for 30 years.

Related Posts

Doctor Who is now Doctor Who Cares Anymore

Exciting Beat ‘Em Ups Releasing in 2025

Interview: Chris Berman Talks Ra Ra Boom During PAX East 2025

What’s the Point of a New Xbox Console Anymore?

Football Manager 25 Cancellation: A Hole Left in my Heart

Why Handheld PC Gaming Isn’t a Real Threat to the Nintendo Switch 2

Latest Posts

Nintendo Switch 2 Sales In Japan Have Already Eclipsed Certain PlayStation and Xbox Consoles

June 20, 2025

Anime Review: The Beginning After the End

June 20, 2025

Donkey Kong Bananza Gets Multiple Commercials, Demo Playable In Stores

June 20, 2025

Wait, How Is Metroid Prime 4 Beyond “Out Now?”

June 20, 2025

Splatoon 3 Brings Back “Summer Nights” Theme For Newest Splatfest

June 20, 2025

Ultraman Set to Take Over G-FEST w/ Film Premiere and Preview of ULTRAMAN OMEGA

June 20, 2025

Gomon Baito-kun no Nichijo Receives TV Anime

June 20, 2025
About Us • Our Team • Contact Us • Privacy Policy • Review Policy • Ethics Policy 
Work With Us • Reviews on Open Critic • Reviews on CriticDB
Copyright @2025 The Outerhaven Productions

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.