Selective Condemnation: Difference between revisions

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Mainly a videogame trope due to [[Gameplay and Story Segregation]]. This is where one specific death/murder is treated as far more dire than the others, despite the circumstances meaning there should be little difference from others considering the [[A Million Is a Statistic|countless people whom you brutally killed before]], especially as you probably [[The Joys of Torturing Mooks|enjoyed torturing them, too]].
Mainly a videogame trope due to [[Gameplay and Story Segregation]]. This is where one specific death/murder is treated as far more dire than the others, despite the circumstances meaning there should be little difference from others considering the [[A Million Is a Statistic|countless people whom you brutally killed before]], especially as you probably [[The Joys of Torturing Mooks|enjoyed torturing them, too]].


Many examples of [[If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him]] fall under this, and it tends to be even more obnoxious for video games as the number of people you killed before that moment is likely to be exponentially higher. Guess all those [[Mooks|minor enemies]] you sliced through on the way over [[What Measure Is a Mook?|don't count]], at least as far as the [[Cutscene]] is concerned.
Many examples of [[If You Kill Him You Will Be Just Like Him]] fall under this, and it tends to be even more obnoxious for video games as the number of people you killed before that moment is likely to be exponentially higher. Guess all those [[Mooks|minor enemies]] you sliced through on the way over [[What Measure Is a Mook?|don't count]], at least as far as the [[Cutscene]] is concerned.


Occasionally a [[Justified Trope]] if the character surrenders or is at the characters mercy, as opposed to self-defense. If jail or some non-lethal alternative is not available, though, one wonders just what the character was supposed to do.
Occasionally a [[Justified Trope]] if the character surrenders or is at the characters mercy, as opposed to self-defense. If jail or some non-lethal alternative is not available, though, one wonders just what the character was supposed to do.
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** The protagonist of ''[[Grand Theft Auto Vice City|Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]]'' is said to have spent 15 years in prison before the beginning of the game on account of 11 counts of murder. The player can kill far more than that in a rampage, be arrested by the police and reappear immediately afterward outside a police station, having lost only his weapons and some cash. (There's a small Lampshade Hanging here, as an audio clip is played of the character's lawyer making vague threats to the cops, but one would think it'd take a little more than that...)
** The protagonist of ''[[Grand Theft Auto Vice City|Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]]'' is said to have spent 15 years in prison before the beginning of the game on account of 11 counts of murder. The player can kill far more than that in a rampage, be arrested by the police and reappear immediately afterward outside a police station, having lost only his weapons and some cash. (There's a small Lampshade Hanging here, as an audio clip is played of the character's lawyer making vague threats to the cops, but one would think it'd take a little more than that...)
*** One Vice City mission ''requires'' the protagonist to shoot cars/kill people ... because apparently Vietnam really, really sucked. So, yeah.
*** One Vice City mission ''requires'' the protagonist to shoot cars/kill people ... because apparently Vietnam really, really sucked. So, yeah.
** ''[[Grand Theft Auto San Andreas|Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'' contains a central plot point involving the protagonist being forced to do the bidding of a crooked cop, who has in his possession a gun used in the murder of a police officer. He threatens to use it to frame CJ, and it's implied that this gun alone is evidence enough for a murder conviction and life imprisonment sentence. However, in-game, the player can freely murder police officers in broad daylight (often dozens at a time), and subsequently actually be arrested, with no dire consequences.
** ''[[Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas]]'' contains a central plot point involving the protagonist being forced to do the bidding of a crooked cop, who has in his possession a gun used in the murder of a police officer. He threatens to use it to frame CJ, and it's implied that this gun alone is evidence enough for a murder conviction and life imprisonment sentence. However, in-game, the player can freely murder police officers in broad daylight (often dozens at a time), and subsequently actually be arrested, with no dire consequences.
*** Not to mention the time CJ and Ryder stole a ton of guns from a National Guard depot, shooting dozens of soldiers in the process. You know, ''treason''.
*** Not to mention the time CJ and Ryder stole a ton of guns from a National Guard depot, shooting dozens of soldiers in the process. You know, ''treason''.
*** An optional side-quest requires CJ, the protagonist, to murder about twenty police officers. Why are they gunning for him? He took pictures of blueprints for a casino.
*** An optional side-quest requires CJ, the protagonist, to murder about twenty police officers. Why are they gunning for him? He took pictures of blueprints for a casino.
** Oh, yes, in all three GTA games, if you are skilled you can escape punishment for murder of cops by -bribing- them.
** Oh, yes, in all three GTA games, if you are skilled you can escape punishment for murder of cops by -bribing- them.
** ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' introduces "morality choices," points in the story at which the player is given the option to kill certain characters, or let them go. The story treats murder as a very serious subject, and Niko often expresses regret if the player opts for the "kill" route. This is all despite the fact that the player is encouraged, and indeed sometimes must, kill hundreds of (sometimes innocent) people in-game, something the player can do with near-impunity.
** ''[[Grand Theft Auto IV]]'' introduces "morality choices," points in the story at which the player is given the option to kill certain characters, or let them go. The story treats murder as a very serious subject, and Niko often expresses regret if the player opts for the "kill" route. This is all despite the fact that the player is encouraged, and indeed sometimes must, kill hundreds of (sometimes innocent) people in-game, something the player can do with near-impunity.
* In ''[[Star Wars]]: [[Knights of the Old Republic]]'', there is a quest to find Sunry, a Republic spy charged with murdering Sith spy Elassa Huros, innocent in court. The player can only free him if they convince the judges that Sunry was not the murderer (in a twist, he actually ''is''). Yet the player can (and, in fact, has to) infiltrate the Sith base, slaughter its entire personnel, and then convince the judges to let them go. In fact, the game [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] this when Sunry says to Jolee Bindo, one of the player's party members: "All I did was kill a Sith! How many have you killed? Hundreds? Thousands?" Of course, there is a ''slight'' difference between killing armed enemies who are shooting at you, and murdering a defenseless woman in her sleep. After having sex with her. Which Jolee himself will point out.
* In ''[[Star Wars]]: [[Knights of the Old Republic]]'', there is a quest to find Sunry, a Republic spy charged with murdering Sith spy Elassa Huros, innocent in court. The player can only free him if they convince the judges that Sunry was not the murderer (in a twist, he actually ''is''). Yet the player can (and, in fact, has to) infiltrate the Sith base, slaughter its entire personnel, and then convince the judges to let them go. In fact, the game [[Lampshade Hanging|lampshades]] this when Sunry says to Jolee Bindo, one of the player's party members: "All I did was kill a Sith! How many have you killed? Hundreds? Thousands?" Of course, there is a ''slight'' difference between killing armed enemies who are shooting at you, and murdering a defenseless woman in her sleep. After having sex with her. Which Jolee himself will point out.
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* In ''Condemned: Criminal Origins'', the player character must bludgeon dozens of homeless people to death in order to hopefully prove his innocence in the murder of two police officers. It must be said, however, that the bluedgeonings were pretty much done in self-defense. Then again, they ''are'' homeless people. [[Truth in Television]] and all that.
* In ''Condemned: Criminal Origins'', the player character must bludgeon dozens of homeless people to death in order to hopefully prove his innocence in the murder of two police officers. It must be said, however, that the bluedgeonings were pretty much done in self-defense. Then again, they ''are'' homeless people. [[Truth in Television]] and all that.
* Your [[Voice with an Internet Connection]] in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' gets very upset if you massacre animals (even attack dogs). Nobody bats an eye if you kill guards, even if you do something [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|horrible]] to them. Except in MGS3, where {{spoiler|The Sorrow}} will [[Video Game Cruelty Punishment|punish you]] quite frighteningly.
* Your [[Voice with an Internet Connection]] in ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]'' gets very upset if you massacre animals (even attack dogs). Nobody bats an eye if you kill guards, even if you do something [[Video Game Cruelty Potential|horrible]] to them. Except in MGS3, where {{spoiler|The Sorrow}} will [[Video Game Cruelty Punishment|punish you]] quite frighteningly.
** Well, the people you run into in ''[[Metal Gear]]'' games typically are either enemy soldiers or [[Ax Crazy]] supervillains; you're an agent sent to stop their plans (in effect: Kill them before they nuke something), so killing them is precisely the goal that your supervisors want done. Meanwhile, gunning down rats does nothing except waste ammo and demonstrate sadism.
** Well, the people you run into in ''[[Metal Gear]]'' games typically are either enemy soldiers or [[Ax Crazy]] supervillains; you're an agent sent to stop their plans (in effect: Kill them before they nuke something), so killing them is precisely the goal that your supervisors want done. Meanwhile, gunning down rats does nothing except waste ammo and demonstrate sadism.
** Actually, Liquid speculates that Snake ''does'' enjoy the killing, and [[Hannibal Lecture|calls him out for this]] at the end of ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]''. Snake claims that Liquid's plot to catapult the world into a chaotic, war-torn state is insane; Liquid argues that it was their father's dream to create a world where soldiers are respected. Snake claims he doesn't want that world, and Liquid counters by [[Not So Different|pointing out most of FoxHound and many mooks were killed by Snake]]; this is presumably intended to make the player think about their actions.
** Actually, Liquid speculates that Snake ''does'' enjoy the killing, and [[Hannibal Lecture|calls him out for this]] at the end of ''[[Metal Gear Solid]]''. Snake claims that Liquid's plot to catapult the world into a chaotic, war-torn state is insane; Liquid argues that it was their father's dream to create a world where soldiers are respected. Snake claims he doesn't want that world, and Liquid counters by [[Not So Different|pointing out most of FoxHound and many mooks were killed by Snake]]; this is presumably intended to make the player think about their actions.
** It goes further in MGS4, where offing too many people causes Snake to have a flashback to Liquid's "you like the killing" speech, after which he loses a healthy chunk of Morale.
** It goes further in MGS4, where offing too many people causes Snake to have a flashback to Liquid's "you like the killing" speech, after which he loses a healthy chunk of Morale.
* ''[[Runescape]]'', like many other MMORPGs, is particularly heavy offender thus making your main character extremely hypocritical. That is [[Lampshaded]] quite often in this game.
* ''[[RuneScape]]'', like many other MMORPGs, is particularly heavy offender thus making your main character extremely hypocritical. That is [[Lampshaded]] quite often in this game.
* Averted in ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]''. Main character Lloyd does ''not'' consider any one life to be more important than another, from the lowliest Mooks to the Big Bad himself, and his biggest goal in the game is to avoid deaths on both sides of the war. Mind you, he'll still kill endless hordes of enemies [[Gameplay and Story Segregation|if the player is so inclined,]] but he'll at least feel bad about it later.
* Averted in ''[[Tales of Symphonia]]''. Main character Lloyd does ''not'' consider any one life to be more important than another, from the lowliest Mooks to the Big Bad himself, and his biggest goal in the game is to avoid deaths on both sides of the war. Mind you, he'll still kill endless hordes of enemies [[Gameplay and Story Segregation|if the player is so inclined,]] but he'll at least feel bad about it later.
** Furthermore, it's [[Lampshaded]] by Genis, who says he has no right to condemn Regal for being a self-admitted murderer when he's [[Random Encounters|had to kill several dozens, if not hundreds, of people to get to this point in the story]].
** Furthermore, it's [[Lampshaded]] by Genis, who says he has no right to condemn Regal for being a self-admitted murderer when he's [[Random Encounters|had to kill several dozens, if not hundreds, of people to get to this point in the story]].
** That said, that skit about bearing the responsibility for Magnius's life seems a bit awkward, as you've fought quite a few humans by that point. Also, Lloyd doesn't seem to care about having taken out the Desians that saw his face at the Human Ranch very early in the game.
** That said, that skit about bearing the responsibility for Magnius's life seems a bit awkward, as you've fought quite a few humans by that point. Also, Lloyd doesn't seem to care about having taken out the Desians that saw his face at the Human Ranch very early in the game.
*** That was perfectly understandable in the beginning, considering the [[Path of Inspiration|Church of Martel]] depicts the Desians as [[The Devil]].
*** That was perfectly understandable in the beginning, considering the [[Path of Inspiration|Church of Martel]] depicts the Desians as [[The Devil]].
** Also, ''[[Tales of Vesperia]]'' in spades, where an important subplot is the [[Knight in Shining Armor]] Flynn, who believes that justice is something that needs to be worked through its own rules, and Yuri, who is a vigilante. Especially comical when Flynn, then Yuri's party, call him out on {{spoiler|the murders of two corrupt nobles}}. Because all the knights crawling the capitol and all the bandits you meet on the road don't count as much. And the everyone else ''helped'' with those.
** Also, ''[[Tales of Vesperia]]'' in spades, where an important subplot is the [[Knight in Shining Armor]] Flynn, who believes that justice is something that needs to be worked through its own rules, and Yuri, who is a vigilante. Especially comical when Flynn, then Yuri's party, call him out on {{spoiler|the murders of two corrupt nobles}}. Because all the knights crawling the capitol and all the bandits you meet on the road don't count as much. And the everyone else ''helped'' with those.
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[[Category:Gameplay and Story Segregation]]
[[Category:Gameplay and Story Segregation]]
[[Category:Selective Condemnation]]
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Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Selective_Condemnation"