October 27, 2009 4:01:23 PM
For some reason, this topic, more than others I have taken on, has really brought out the bile in people (mostly on other forums!). I suppose it's because I DARE TO CRITICIZE A GAME PEOPLE LIKE.
So, maybe this is to be expected.
But I do think it is worth making a few things clear, just for the sake of discussion.
1. I don't have a big issue with Brutal Legend's ethics. But I do think that calling them questionable--as in we ought to talk about them--OK. For the record, I turned off the bad language and let my kids play it. I'm not that worried about it.
2. While I don't think ethics ought to be relative, I am not, in this article at least, arguing for a particular moral base. Instead, I am pointing out that in the day to day of life, demons are not good. I didn't decide this. It's the way we connect demon-to-evil. If you don't like that, then the burden is on you to take the concepts apart. And thankfully, some of the folks in this discussion have been wise enough to do that.
3. This whole article started when I began to play the game and went: Wait? Am I a good guy? Or a bad guy? The game really didn't seem to care. It was too busy being funny. I just thought this was weird. In GTA you are a bad guy. They tell you this. There's a line in Vice City where Tommy Vercetti says, "This city has more criminals in it than prison." Vice City is a den of evil, so you are off the hook if you just want to get ahead. In KOTOR or Fable, you can chose to be evil. But that always felt a little weak to me. It was more like being naughty. But at least it was clear--Hi. I am evil. I am dressed up like an evil guy. So I get to do pretend evil things. BL is different because it never even bothers to talk about good and evil. Just thought that was odd.
4. I am not a metal expert, but I wrote about rock for 10+ years. I am sure I know more death metal bands than your average gamer. So, I like metal too. I just think it should open a discussion--not a fan boy argument.