Chapter 1168: The Controversy of Good and Evil
In reality, within this game, there were originally only two endings. The good ending was relatively more aligned with Western values, especially those of the Beacon Country, but for domestic players, this route was a bit too saintly.
Hank, because of his daughter, betrayed the protagonist and the others, directly leading to the death of the protagonist's brother. However, the good route required the protagonist to forgive Hank and let Hank reunite with his daughter. Obviously, this was quite unreasonable.
One must understand that Hank was originally a criminal, duplicitous and capricious. All these stains on his character could not be completely washed away by a single daughter. Who knew if he was just using his daughter as a shield to save his own skin?
Domestic values, on the other hand, were more aligned with "repaying grievances with justice." Even if the protagonist chose the good route, it didn't mean they had to forgive the murderer who killed their family like a saint and let them continue living.
So on this point, Chen Mo did not follow the original work's value orientation. Instead, he left the choice to the players. No matter how the players decided Hank's fate, it would not affect their good or evil ending.
Another major modification was the third arrangement for the brother's fate.
In the original work, as the plot progressed, whether on the good route or the evil route, the brother was doomed to die. Many players found this unacceptable.
Wasn't this supposed to be a satisfying game? Why did it have to annoy the players with the plot?
Of course, Chen Mo understood the original work's intention behind this design. This story wasn't a purely satisfying one like Prototype; it delved into some deeper discussions about the concepts of good and evil.
Regardless of whether this discussion was correct or mature, it was deeply imprinted in the soul of the game. On one hand, it enriched the game content by pairing different playstyles with the good and evil routes. On the other hand, it allowed players to form their own opinions and understandings after the game's ending.
Of course, there might also be another important reason: to forcefully trick players into playing a second playthrough...
Overall, the good and evil routes provided players with completely different emotional experiences.
On the good route, the brother and the younger brother understood and tolerated each other, sharing the same views. Although the early stages required constant forbearance, making the gameplay a bit frustrating, as the plot developed, the civilians would spontaneously help and support the protagonist. Ordinary people and superpowered individuals could understand each other, and the clan took pride in the protagonist.
On the evil route, players could completely shed any moral burden, playing however they wanted, killing freely. Although the brother often had fierce arguments with the protagonist, it was clear that the brother still cared about his younger sibling.
But as the plot progressed, the civilians also resisted the protagonist. Although the protagonist became a dictator, they were abandoned by their clan. The path to the throne felt so lonely.
This kind of plot was, in a sense, reasonable and logical. Every choice had its gains and losses. To be a great hero, one had to constantly self-discipline with high moral standards. To be a villain, one would inevitably invite countless curses and resistance.
However, this plot had a flaw: the brother always died. But the brother was almost the only perfect good person in the game, and many players couldn't accept his death.
The third ending that Chen Mo added was meant to resolve this flaw.
This ending gave players a chance to save the brother, but the price was that players had to give up the rest of the plot.
It was like being at a gambling table. You had already made a small profit. Could you decisively stop at that point?
As mentioned before, this game was a satisfying game in terms of gameplay, but not in terms of plot. It had relatively deep thoughts on good and evil.
Whether becoming a great hero or a dictator, it couldn't be smooth sailing. There would always be corresponding costs. The brother's death was essentially one of those costs.
If the brother could survive and the ending could still be achieved smoothly, then the game's plot would completely collapse. Such a plot would be no different from an ordinary satisfying game and wouldn't match the game's inherent characteristics.
So, the third ending essentially gave players another choice. If they were willing to pay these costs, they could save the brother's life. However, the final open-ended conclusion would leave a lot of room for players' imagination. Would the protagonist return to Seattle and continue down their old path?
As for how each player would interpret it, that was left to the players themselves to ponder.
...
After the release of InFamous: Second Son, as a relatively unique game type on the next-generation VR platform, it quickly attracted the attention of a large number of players.
For players, the biggest highlights of this game were its graphics and satisfying gameplay. Soaring through the city sky as a superpowered individual reminded many of their first encounter with Prototype years ago. Experiencing this fully immersive game on the next-generation VR platform also gave players a completely different feeling.
The dazzling visual presentation, the immersive auditory impact, the rich combat system, and the unique combat methods all captured players' attention immediately, making this game a distinctive VR title.
As for the game's three endings, different players had different opinions. In particular, the evil ending sparked considerable controversy online.
The protagonist went through life-and-death situations to save the clan, but the clan expelled him because of his indiscriminate killing. In the end, the protagonist unleashed a massive attack outside the clan's residence, and the plot ended there. This clearly indicated that the protagonist ultimately killed all the clan members. The mischievous, graffiti-loving rebellious kid the clan once knew was gone forever.
Some thought the protagonist was ruthless and morally bankrupt, while others felt the protagonist's actions were satisfying. This even sparked a major discussion about morality.
Although it caused considerable debate, the choice between the good and evil routes was inherently contradictory. And that was precisely the effect the game aimed to achieve: to provoke some thoughts among the players.
On the Touch Fish live streaming platform, Zou Zhuo and Lin Xue were playing PUBG while discussing the plot of InFamous: Second Son.
Zou Zhuo argued confidently, "The good route is definitely better. Even though it's a bit fake, humans are social animals and need the recognition of their clan. Otherwise, even if you conquer the whole world, what's the point of ending up abandoned by everyone?"
Lin Xue asked, "Have you played the evil ending?"
Zou Zhuo said righteously, "No! I'm a kind person. I wouldn't kill innocents to take the evil route!"
Lin Xue reminded him, "On the evil route, you can become boyfriend and girlfriend with that neon-powered girl and do some embarrassing things on the rooftop. Of course, players can't experience the embarrassing parts, but you can kiss and hug her, and even touch her freely. Tsk tsk tsk, the feel..."
Zou Zhuo: "...Really? Then you keep playing. I'm going to experience the evil route first."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zou Zhuo's voice suddenly turned panicked.
"Hey? Wife, when did you get here? Wife, listen to me, ah!!"
The little fatty's live stream suddenly went black, and his screams echoed endlessly...