Illusion of Choice (inFAMOUS: SS, TLoU, and Mass Effect)

[OmniSkribe]

Noone says that nothing changes. There are lots of changes, they are just not obvious when you make your choices.

Different dialog lines that leads to the same income is not "lots of changes". Just like examples previously mentioned WD don't have freedom. There is a linear plot line and all your actions only have time temporary effect.

[Pozz]

Noone says that nothing changes. There are lots of changes, they are just not obvious when you make your choices.

Thought Deylana did

[Nikusu]

But what I lacked was actual impact in the game, choices didn't really matter for your playthrough, only decided what text you'd get in the end.

I think the biggest thing for me was that although I made tough decisions I never felt like I was wrong. I did not feel like I missed out on the Reaver specialization when I did not defile the Sacred Ashes. Even now I still don't feel choosing Harrowmont was wrong. At the time I was presented with crapshoot choices. Each had their downsides. In Mass Effect I would see a greyed-out dialogue option and feel punished for not choosing enough paragon or renegade options. Subsequently I had to only choose one side or the other moving forward. There could be no middle-ground or I would run into the same issue thus forcing the never ending top-right dialogue wheel clicks.

I dont thin Infamous inspire to be some kind of RPG with moral choices that matter and you will think about what to do for hours.
Come on it's just fun action game, and morality is jsut a mechanic to get better powers.

I see where you're coming from and I sort of agree. inFAMOUS has always been very black and white. The morality system really is just a means to unlocking more powers. My question regarding this is why even bother having choices if you're going to be punished for being wishy-washy? Just include an option pre-game of whether you want to see a good or bad Delsin. I do not want to miss out on my more evil powers because I refuse to massacre innocent civilians. On the flip side I do not like the idea of missing out on my good powers because I deem some people fit for neon justice.

[zealo]

It's an illusion of choice because while it may have killed your character (let's take MA2, for example), what happened then? It was the end of the game. Whoolah. It's hard to justify that killing a character out of your myriad of options in your team selection is THAT bad. They don't take the time to really reflect on your teammate's deaths if I remember correctly, it's more of a, "dang, that sucks, alright so and so replacing them let's move on."

Id buy this argument about it being at the end of the game if it where not for that point in the franchise being the middle of the road with another game + DLC content following it up as a direct sequel.

What makes it an illusion is indeed as you said the fact that they are simply replaced by other NPC if killed and not the fact that it is at the end of the second game.

[Clrg]

You want a game where choices really mean something? Go play Telltale's Walking Dead.

Or the witcher 1 and 2. There isnt good or bad, is just grey.

[Nikusu]

Or the witcher 1 and 2. There isnt good or bad, is just grey.

If I recall correctly The Witcher doesn't have a morality system. I think that's why moral choices work so well in that series. When a developer implements a morality system they have to make the good and bad choices more obvious if they're going to lock content or additional dialogue behind certain paths.

[Deleted]

If I recall correctly The Witcher doesn't have a morality system. I think that's why moral choices work so well in that series. When a developer implements a morality system they have to make the good and bad choices more obvious if they're going to lock content or additional dialogue behind certain paths.

The Witcher does have a morality system. it's just that the morality system is 50 shades of grey and doesn't work in terms of good/paragon/light/open palm/lawful/bad/renegade/dark/closed fist/chaotic. It works in terms of loyalty. you get a completely different second and third part depending on your choices.

[Jester Joe]

I think inFamous was fine honestly, I've played 1 and 2 and loved both, but the thing was it was, as far as I remember, marketed as a be the hero or the villain game, not a be that guy who you're not sure if he's gonna save you or not. Not sure if it's really relevant to an illusion, as the game is based around it, either be a hero, or be a villain.

Although it sucks to hear that about the first Mass Effect, just started playing it recently on and off, not hugely far in, maybe like 4-5 hours.

[zealo]

Although it sucks to hear that about the first Mass Effect, just started playing it recently on and off, not hugely far in, maybe like 4-5 hours.

Even if so, stick with it. Imo the mass effect series is among the greatest RPG games of all time.