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lexington.dath's Little Nightmares (PS4)
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| [September 22, 2018 02:48:53 PM]
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Ok. So, I have beaten the game. A lot of my confusion about the inclusion of this game has been clarified. I was waiting for narrative splitting point. I was waiting for some point where I would say “oh what do I do? What’s the right decision?” To my knowledge, that never happened.
I have gone back and re played virtually every part of the game, trying to find a point where the narrative would branch, or where I could do something different. I was looking to take a different path. I tried to not eat at multiple intervals when the little girl was hungry, because the game gives a sense of anxiety to those moments. Despite that, there is no alternative. Nothing else around to eat, and not alternate events if you don’t eat, not even dying.
I checked for all of these things multiple times. I think this speaks to my inherent assumption that the question of ethical play is tied to player choice. So, I am going to set that aside for what is in this game the more pertinent, and frankly much more interesting morally compromising narrative.
The narrative was written, and is unchangeable, and I think that is totally fine. It was done without words or really much in the way even of instruction. In the beginning of the game the player’s goals are completely aligned with the little girl (apparently she is called ‘six’). For the rest of the game it stays primarily that way. By the end though, she starts getting bolder, going for goals the player might not. She even eats the little gnome people trying to help you. Of course, there was no other choice. At this point I certainly felt guilty, but it became clear that it wasn’t my story, it was hers. It’s about a child becoming more and more ravenous. Not a hero. When she reaches the end of the game and she fends off the matriarch, six grows hungry. You have to kill her. You have to eat her. It becomes evident that there is an element of cyclical storytelling. You rise from the bottom, but at what cost? You become your enemy. You commit the oppressive sins that she had before you. I wouldn’t say that six is a hero. Not by the end. She is not ethically in the right. She has been reduced to a power hungry animal, more than a child. She is driven by survival, not ethics.
I think it’s wonderful. I think that’s it’s not necessarily a new story, but it was a novel portrayal, and te end product was something I’ve never seen in a game. There is no question to me that the story can and should be told. The art should exist in all its forms. Without stories that push little boundaries like this one, I think that the world of entertainment and art would be all the lesser for it.
I have no problem with the subversion of expectations the player has with their protagonist, and if there is any argument against any of this game’s design decisions I would love for someone to show them to me, because I see none.
I loved this game. (and am buying the DLC.)
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| [September 9, 2018 11:42:31 AM]
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I have been anticipating playing this game for years, and remember seeing the original trailer when it was called "Hunger".
As far as gameplay goes, It doesn't do a lot of hand holding. I am pretty sure I have discovered all the primary mechanics but its hard to be sure. That being said, it is VERY well designed. I figured out 90% of the challenges without instruction of any kind. It was sheerly through the intuitive control schemes and visual language of the game.
I have played a couple hours and beaten the first two levels, but I haven't looked to see how much there is left. Right now I am just trying to get my footing in the narrative of the game.
In the context of an ethics class and an ethics discussion, this game is much less straight forward than "this is the police" was, at least so far. Right now the most morally challenging things in the game are not htings I have control of, but are just the context of the game and its story.
As best as I can tell, this is an undersea hideaway where children are caught like rats. I cant tell exactly what is done with them yet. But there are some children being raised, and some being trapped, and some being caught, and some being '''turned to stone by mechanical eyes?'''. That last one is a little more perplexing, but maybe will have an explanation later.
I as the player have not been faced with many ethical dilemmas yet. I have been hungry and have tried to catch and eat rats, but failed. I have also been Handed food by a child through iron bars. That was interesting, but I wasn't sure if it was something i could have declined, or avoided, but i certainly felt grateful in the dark and scary world to have a kind character reach out to me.
In conclusion, so far the core tone of the game is the most controversial I think. Lost lonely child being caught and processed by monsters. I do remember butchers from an old trailer and I can only imagine where they come in. Very excited to see where the game goes. If the question is "is a game with this theme acceptable" my thoughts are absolutely yes, im loving it. Also, though, the denial of the narrative direction is really just a denial of art at this point. There is nothing asked of the player thus far that strikes me as objectively inappropriate or uncalled-for within the confines of the game design.
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lexington.dath's Little Nightmares (PS4)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Sunday 9 September, 2018
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