Violence is, and has been for nearly its whole existence, a hot-button topic in the world of video games.  It’s often the main rallying point for any number of parents and politicians to stand behind to condemn the medium.  There are studies on both sides, for and against interactive violence, but we’re not here to argue that.  Violence in itself is a narrative method and helps drive interactive narratives in its own way, always depending on the game.

The first concept around violence is that of choice; not of the more active, plot-dictating, dialogue-wheel choices, but of the choices made from moment-to-moment gameplay.  (Floyd & Portnow, 2012)  Choosing whether or not to be lethal, how lethal players will be, and so on.  Violence can be required to progress in a game (defeating enemies in order to proceed) or it can be bypassed (sneaking past or incapacitating enemies), but it can also be something that defines a character.  We’ll examine required progress and optional bypass first, and follow up with the specifics of character development and definition as it relates to violence.