9 Terrible Things Recent Video Games Made Us Do

We wish we didn't need to go through with these harrowing video game moments.

A Plague Tale
Focus Entertainment

Giving players an element of choice is something that many games allow for. Deciding how we'd prefer to interact with the world and characters around us gives us a sense of agency through how our actions can have an impact the story.

Moreover, there's usually an element of morality that accompanies the choices we make in games. In the case of the Mass Effect's Paragon and Renegade options, it couldn't be clearer which choices will lead to the better outcome. However, other games like The Witcher 3 are more nuanced when it comes to the outcomes of the decisions we're made to make.

Sometimes, though, developers don't allow us the luxury of choice. This is because they want us to experience the narrative that they've carefully crafted for us. However, there are times when developers will force us to commit actions so horrific that we could only wish there were an alternative option to get out of these situations.

Although these moments are intentionally designed to punctuate dramatic moments and underscore key themes in ways that will leave the biggest impression, we'd still prefer not to do these terrible things in recent games.

Beware of major spoilers for the following.

9. Incinerate The Doctor - Little Nightmares II (2021)

A Plague Tale
Bandai Namco Entertainment

As its name suggests, the world of Little Nightmares is far from pleasant. Least appealing of all are the cast of grotesque monstrosities who you'll be spending your time hiding and fleeing from in between solving some puzzles.

One of these beings who tiny protagonists Mono and Six face in the sequel is a terrifying doctor who runs a hellish hospital.

Aside from his attempts to capture us, our first clue that this character is bad news is the mangled results of his medical experiments that populate the creepy facility.

Like the many other boss encounters in the game, this nefarious medical professional also features in his own chase sequence. However, instead of simply escaping his clutches, our protagonists have a very different idea.

During the frantic chase, Mono and Six eventually lure their pursuer back to the incinerator room which lies between them and their freedom. Using the doctor's size against him, Mono traps him inside the furnace to prevent him from chasing you further.

This is not enough, however. To progress further, you must now incinerate the doctor in his own furnace, his anguished cries underscoring the severity of our actions. Even he didn't deserve that death.

Contributor
Contributor

Glasgow-based cinephile who earned a Masters degree in film studies to spend their time writing about cinema, video games, and horror.