What happens when a game gives you the freedom to be evil, and you just can’t do it?

In this episode of Lore & Order, we explore morality in video games, and why so many players (ourselves included) struggle to commit to the “evil” playthrough. From obliterating Megaton in Fallout 3 to sabotaging the Genophage in Mass Effect 2, the option is there… so why do we so rarely take it?

We dive into the psychology behind player choice: empathy for fictional characters, discomfort with cruelty, and how the games we play might actually reflect and shape our real world values.

Articles referenced in this episode:

'Why Is It So Hard to Be Evil in Video Games' - Simon Hill (2011): https://www.wired.com/story/moral-choices-in-video-games/

'From student to superhero: Situational primes shape future helping' - Leif D. Nelson, Michael I. Norton (2004): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103104001088

'Automatic Influences of Priming on Prosocial Behavior' - Costanza Scaffidi Abbate, Stefano Ruggieria, Stefano Bocaa: https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/603/603.html

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