The Melancholy of Slaying Monsters
- Killing monsters can evoke feelings of sadness and guilt in players.
- Games like Shadow of the Colossus and God of War explore this theme.
- The emotional impact of monster slaying can be a powerful storytelling tool.
The Buzz Score
The Internet’s Verdict: 70% Hyped, 30% Skeptical
Forum Voices
Players have strong opinions about the emotional impact of killing monsters in games.
> Before the encounter with the first Troll, the dumbfounded mythical character, Atreus, asks: “We’re going to fight that?!?” Kratos, the main character, answers: “We have no choice,” in a matter-of-fact, almost resigned way, as if shruggingly accepting the design conventions of the game itself.
Others remember games that evoked strong emotions, such as Shadow of the Colossus.
The first game I thought of upon reading the title of the article was ‘Shadow of the Colossus’. There’s a particular boss about half-way through the game who resides in a small secluded garden and the process of defeating them involves tricking them in to ramming over columns etc. until they are trapped.
Game Examples
Games like Fallout also explore the moral ambiguity of killing monsters and making tough choices.
The Fallout games often exemplify this: nearly every decision you make is morally ambiguous, and often has far-reaching repercussions in the story and world.
Focus Keyword: Monster Slaying
