Thursday 29 March, 2018

As I play more of "This is the Police", I have came to the realization that a key, reoccurring message within the game is that nothing, good or bad, comes for free. Today, I had to make a decision to help a crooked cop. It was either take over for his position in the mafia and let him escape town with his wife and kids, or take the high road which would involve him, his wife, and his daughters being brutally killed. While I have seen this previously within the game's mechanics, this was the first, big time within the narrative that this message has presented itself. From an ethical standpoint, this game is making a statement that making morally correct decisions are the right answer, but not necessarily the easy answer. From what I can gather, it appears that going the "crooked" way brings gains in the short term while the "good" way brings gains in the long term with sacrifices in the short term.

It's your finding an ethical angle to the game as you play it. It seems you are taking the position that being good is hard, but worthwhile and you have the proof to prove it. If you decide to write about this, make sure to talk about those mechanics and narratives that you said support your point of view of the game.