Games that allow the player to murder children/minors?

[R.Graves]

This is bit of an odd taboo in the gaming industry. On the one hand I get it but video games are so consistently built around violence that it is odd this doesn't happen that often.

So what have we got?

The first two fallout games ofc

Silent Hill features the Grey children as a killable enemy (yes we're counting monsters)

Spoiler

Dead space 1/2 have turned toddlers and infants into horrifying monsters.

Spoiler

Doom 3 features an infant like monster called a cherub

Spoiler

Although not done by the player I recall one of the villains in the suffering ties that bind shooting an infant

/Edit: it can be done by the player. Timestamp is 4:20

And i guess the little sisters from bioshock

It's arguable that New vegas got away with it with the spore carrier "runt"

... uhhh drawing a blank

 

[TerminallyChill]

It's awfully telling that five of your six listed examples aren't exactly "normal" or "cute" kids. It definitely seems like the prevailing philosophy is that killing pretty children is bad, but killing ugly monster children is a-ok. This isn't really too shocking since it serves to dehumanize the things you are shooting. People who would otherwise be opposed are much more likely to let shit like that slide in their mind.

As for whether or not killing kids in games should be taboo, my answer would be the same for most topics; no. Whenever society avoids confronting something, it tends to gain a certain power.

Despite my opinion, I don't see things changing any time soon. Game development has become increasingly commercialized lately, and as a result significantly more risk averse. If it was taboo to shoot kids 20 years ago, it's ultra taboo now.

 

[R.Graves]

This isn't really too shocking since it serves to dehumanize the things you are shooting

Thats true but to be fair Dead space goes out of its way to remind these creatures were once human children

Whether it be by introducing the creature in a maternity ward

Or introducing it in a school

Also I think it's made horrificly clear in their design what they were

 

[TerminallyChill]

Thats true but to be fair Dead space goes out of its way to remind these creatures were once human children

Good decision on the part of the developers for making you think, in my opinion. Ditto for New Vegas since from what I remember a lot of the spore carriers spawned next to cribs and toys.

 

[Risewild]

Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate 2 have mortal children. I don't remember if the Icewind Dale games have mortal kids or not.

 

[Lanfear]

No. Though I wouldn't really place so much emphasis on the player's ability to kill minors so much as the fact that minors are always inexplicably immortal. I don't like this, not because I want to run around killing child characters, but because you end up in stupid situations where a kid gets involved in a fight and there is absolutely no tension or drama around the possibility of them dying, because they can't. Or you have to escort a kid and you're never the slightest bit concerned about them because you know they're invincible. It just kills tension and detracts from the game.

Also, I absolutely cannot stand Bethesda's habit of making child characters that are both immortal and extremely obnoxious/unlikeable. It feels like they know they're unkillable and can get away with anything. It didn't bother me as much in New Vegas as in Fallout 3 because the kids in New Vegas were relatively benign and inoffensive, whereas Fallout 3... well.

 

[TerminallyChill]

I don't like this, not because I want to run around killing child characters, but because you end up in stupid situations where a kid gets involved in a fight and there is absolutely no tension or drama around the possibility of them dying,

Totally agree. When you put children on a pedestal, they cease to become relatable humans and instead turn into these magical fairy tale creatures that can't be harmed.

Also, I absolutely cannot stand Bethesda's habit of making child characters that are both immortal and extremely obnoxious/unlikeable.

My god, sometimes I wish Little Bitchlight was the town that had the nuke inside of it.

 

[zegh8578]

I love punching the kids in The Den

Not so much cus I dream about punching kids, but cus I found out, by trial and failure, that it was a brilliant way to avoid them stealing stuff from you - and the following mechanic was just too amusing: Every time I return to the Den, and approach the kidz, they flee in panic. TEE HEE

 

[Alphons]

Deus Ex has killable kids- some starving boys in NY and Paris and little asshole in Hong Kong.

As to Bethesda's stance:
"We create really obnoxious beings and make them unkillable, because killing children is wrong. But, please enjoy selling boy and girl to slavers, melting some kids with a nuke and blowing up BoS squires and/or kids in Institute."

 

[Prone Squanderer]

Deus Ex has killable kids- some starving boys in NY and Paris and little asshole in Hong Kong.

 

[Lanfear]

As to Bethesda's stance:
"We create really obnoxious beings and make them unkillable, because killing children is wrong. But, please enjoy selling boy and girl to slavers, melting some kids with a nuke and blowing up BoS squires and/or kids in Institute."

That's okay though, because that stuff either happens off-screen or, uh, shut up.

 

[0wing]

Warcraft III: RoC lets you kill any minion, including human children during alliance campaign. Deus Ex: Invisible War mixes killable girls with ragdoll physics.
It's after year 2003 everything went to shit introducing "abnormal" "demonic" children (to later cut even them, for shame).

That's okay though, because that stuff either happens off-screen or, uh, shut up.

Nazi hypocrites swimming into SJW avantgarde, who'd be suprised? Drugs are a no-no(renamed morphine into Med-X. cute), prostitutes (literally one character) and gambling is a big no-no, player agency is a hueg no-no but slavery is alright, setting off a nuclear bomb in a town(with children inside) is very alright.

 

[Walpknut]

Pokemon. If you want to make a competitive team you are gonna have to "let go" a bunch of newborn pokemon.

 

[TerminallyChill]

Pokemon. If you want to make a competitive team you are gonna have to "let go" a bunch of newborn pokemon.

Former tournament player here. Can confirm infantcide. In my defense, if the little bastards wanted to survive that bad they should have been born with good IVs.

 

[Alphons]

Crusader Kings- you murder bastards, heirs and siblings of your enemies before they grow up and exact revenge.

Pathologic- streets are filled with orphans that sell medicine. You can just stab them, but it hurts your rep really badly.

 

[retardette]

I remember there was a version of True Lies for the SNES (I believe the US version) where you could kill minors in the second level (Mall)

 

[Atomkilla]

As pointed out above, many games allow (or make it mandatory) to kill creatures which were human children once. The Witcher, Pillars of Eternity, Dark Souls etc. Bloodborne is quite explicit in this.

As for killing children directly (or indirectly) there are few that I know of that came out in recent years. A particularly infamous example is Spec Ops: The Line.

Speaking of horror games, STASIS has some disturbing moments. Also, depending on your definition of a child, there are many games where you can kill minors - teenagers and young adolescents.


All in all, it is a taboo for sure. I don't think that's a good thing, for reasons already mentioned, but then again I don't see that many reasons to have that option included. Games like Fallout obviously should, since you already have an option to be anything you want, including a childkiller. But a game like The Witcher, where you play an already developed character, this obviously isn't necessary and such inclusion would be hamfisted.

 

[Norzan]

You kill children that were mutated in the first expansion of Grim Dawn.

 

[Prone Squanderer]

You can kill child soldiers in MGSV, though the game ends if you do.

Personally, I think it would have been a more powerful message to send if you were allowed to kill them and continue playing, maybe have other characters react negatively and serious consequences.

 

[nkchan16]

Any game with unkillable characters drives me mad. Like Skyrim. I mean, why do you need a mortal Dragonborn to fight dragons? I am sure those immortal potatohead kids can easily take care of a dragon... or you can simply send the immortal Maven...

BTW, I also hate Fallout's approach... Why would killing a children have bad consequences? Fuck no! If you made a game in which the game play is based on killing things and dying then there should be no exception.

If you really want us to care for children in your game then make them mortal like everyone else.