Are Video Games Your Outlet to the Dark Side?

Ever play a game where you could kill an entire town just for the fun of it… and you actually do? Are you the type of person that will make the evil choice every time you can, just because it’s more entertaining? Well, you’re not the only one. A lot of us do, and perhaps that fuels the undeserved rumors that we, as gamers, are violent and destructive people.

Now, just because I like to play Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and murder every character in a town does not make me a bad person. It just means that I find a healthy outlet for my inner rage. Everyone gets angry, and I find that if I blow things up in a video game, I am much less tempted to do something I would regret in real life. So that’s a good thing, right?

Well, maybe not.

Oops... I killed you.

In a lot of RPGs (and sometimes other genres), the gamer is presented with a choice: do what is morally right and good, or give into the dark side and do what is wrong. And even when I have no apparent anger (or even when I’m downright happy), I tend to give into the little devil on my shoulder whispering, “Kill them all.” Of course, I then proceed to pillage, plunder, kill, etc., until that little devil is satisfied. And it’s only after that I wonder if this could have karmic repercussions.

Is it bad to do evil things in a video game? I want to say no (for my own sake), but it’s an interesting question. After all, characters in video games are not living beings, so it should be okay to torture them. And at times, like in GTA IV, you’re even encouraged to choose the wrong path. But then why would some gamers make the good choice? Maybe they’re just better people than me. Maybe they are afraid of the gaming karma they could be building up. Who knows?

But still, if you’re like me and you enjoy blowing things up, don’t feel bad. The next time you’re presented with a choice to kill your in-game sister (like in Fable), plunge the sword into her heart. Revel in the amusement it gives you. Then go and blow things up. It’ll feel good.

And if the karmic gods of gaming want to pay you back for your maliciousness, laugh in their faces. Then go show off your skills while proving that bad karma can’t touch you. It’s only a matter of time before they give up and move on, so don’t sweat it. You’re not a bad person just because you like to kill non-living beings in a video game. Trust me.

Just keep your dark side confined to video games. It’s better that way and has fewer legal ramifications. Of course, if you’re feeling especially guilty, you can confess your gaming sins in the comments. We won’t judge.