8 Video Games That Are Way More Intelligent Than You Think

The year is 2054. Jack Mitchell loses his arm and his best friend in battle. During said friend's funeral, he is approached by Jonathan Irons (Kevin Spacey), who is the owner of a PMC (Private Military Company) called Atlas Corporation. He allows Mitchell to become a soldier again by giving him a prosthetic arm and access to the newest military technology.

When Mitchell's hand jams during training, he is informed by his commander that his best weapon is his brain. As the exosuit also has a tendency to jam, the game responds to the Cartesian notion of the brain being separate from the body, but also highlights man's troubled relationship with technology.

During the final showdown with Irons, the villain is left hanging from Mitchell's prosthetic hand. By cutting of his arm, the hero affirms the separation from technology which also dominates previous editions of the game. Instead of accepting transhumanism, Mitchell seems to have learned that to remain masculine he doesn't need his arm, because knowing that he's a man is enough to be one.

Mitchell is reminiscent of the gamer, whose prosthetic - the game controller - allows him to act as a man in the game, as opposed to actually being one in real life.

--

Were there any other hidden meanings or academic insights you noticed in your favourite games? Let us know in the comments!