Thursday 15 February, 2018

As the game progresses, the subtlety's of the moral issues presented in the game are pretty nice and varied. From how to deal with shitty campers and how to interact with Delilah, ir’s cool to see how every choice can impact how the characters interact. However, this is also where moral dilemas come in.

Should you be a dick? Should you be kind? Flirty? Defensive? All of these options are presented to you and it’s up to you to pick. It does leave you with a sick feeling, though. When asked if Henry has left anyone behind in Colorado, you have the option to lie abour Julia, claiming that you didn’t have anyone. Sure, she’s on the other side of the world, but the game likes to emphasize the ring you still wear on your finger. Every time you interact with supply caches and the story elements they have inside, you get a perfect view of your wedding ring. A constant reminder of Julia.

The game also makes it clear that Delilah is supposed to be your possible “new” Julia, presented with her claiming she is drawing you, something Julia did all the time. It presents an even bigger question: what do you do when the love of your life is no longer the person you fell for? Due to Julia’s early-onset dementia, her personality is the complete opposite of what Henry fell in love with. Does this mean he has the go to leave her and pursue a new love, perhaps in the form of Delilah? Julia is safe in Australia with her family, and sadly, will get to the point where she won’t remembee Henry. Since Henry took the vow to be with her until death do them part, should he stick with her until the end? Or break it off now to avoid further heartache of watching her forget their life together? It’s a difficult situation with no clear answer. I’m becoming more empathetic towards Henry.

Really great job Angel! You take this gamelog as an opportunity to reflect on many aspects of the game such as the themes of loyalty and playing as a character you don’t identify with but have empathy for. This second topic of empathy is especially interesting and a great possible direction to go in for your OPA. Asking yourself questions such as “how does having the player play as a character put in a difficult situation allow the player to empathize with them?” and “how do the ‘sick feelings’ the player gets from their choices bring the player closer to henry?” could help find a good possible question for your OPA. Keep it up!