Friday 3 October, 2008

Before playing San Andreas, I had heard about the violence, inappropriate language, and perpetuating stereotypes, but I was still surprised by the graphic details and realistic violence. The game which takes place in the early 90’s, portrays the hardships of gang life within the toughest cities on the west coast. The game does not revolve around any morality, rather it seems like it is a free for all, where anything goes, and there are no rules. Violence is encouraged and police brutality is part of the game.
When beginning to play, I realized that hijacking people’s cars was encouraged, and if you wanted, you could start a fight with innocent pedestrians. Although, I learned that you will be reprimanded for poor driving, leading to a police chase. I learned that if you do not have sufficient driving skills, police brutality is one of the only ways to escape. After being critically injured a few times, I figured out how to fight, and eventually I was able to engage in police brutality. There is no punishment for illegal activity; rather the game encourages aggressive and hyper-violent behavior.
In San Andreas, there are no legal rules to be followed, and corruption and violence are the main premise of the game. The moral contract theory implies that the moral rules are set in place in order to gain benefits of social living. San Andreas encourages the idea of every man for himself, where life on the streets is ruled by gangbangers rather than by the police. By not cooperating and abiding by the law, San Andreas is turned into all against all, a city of destruction and brutality.

I'm not sure you can engage in police brutality in San Andreas. Sure, you are often on the receiving end of such brutality, but I don't recall being able to play a cop. (unless you're thinking of the vigilante missions?)