Are Your Choices in Games Just an Illusion?

Ever felt like you were in control of your game's story? Think again.

Many games offer us choices. How they resolve depends on many many factors. This is a deep dive into the world of video games and about making decisions, that not always reflect your intentions. But sometimes, we get to look in a near-perfect reflection of our actions. I'll be focusing especially on the two game design tactics of Player Agency and Illusion of Choice to analyze, how each game approaches this strategy, that is found in most games.

Join me on this deep dive into the narratives we thought we controlled.

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Featured games in order of appearance:

Mass Effect 3 (2012, BioWare)
NieR: Replicant (2010, Cavia/2021, Toylogic)
Genshin Impact (2020, miHoYo)
Baldur's Gate 3 (2023, Larian Studios)
Persona 5 Royal (2019, Atlus)
Lil Guardsman (2023, Hilltop Studios)
Manifold Garden (2020, William Chyr Studio)

Featured movies in order of appearance:
The Matrix (1999)
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

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CONTENT:
00:00 - Intro
00:40 - Illusion of Choice
01:09 - Shattered Illusion (Mass Effect 3)
04:08 - Blue or Red (The Matrix)
05:18 - Opening Doors (NieR: Replicant)
09:39 - Bystander (Genshin Impact)
11:23 - Magic Mirror (Baldur's Gate 3)
14:24 - Knowledge is Key (Persona 5 Royal)
17:40 - Theory and Conclusion

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