‘PBS Game/Show’ Examines the Illusion of Choice in Video Games

PBS Game/Show host Jamin Warren examines the illusion of choice in video games in the latest episode of the series. Warren notes how choice is rarely if ever anything but seemingly real in video games, and that the only real choice is whether to play.

Videogames are amazing ways for us to experience new worlds, interact with spectacular characters, and do things we normally wouldn’t do in real life. But how much control do we actually have when playing games? Where is the agency? In choice based games like The Walking Dead and Mass Effect, player decisions are treated with the utmost importance, but how much do they really matter? Is player choice just an illusion crafted by skilled designers? Or are there times where we have real control?