History Main / VideoGameCrueltyPotential

* [[http://www.cracked.com/blog/exploring-the-mysteries-of-the-mind-with-the-sims-3/ This]] Website/{{Cracked}} article. Read it, and you will laugh and cry for the future of humanity simultaneously.

* ''Webcomic/BrawlInTheFamily'' points out just how cruel standard gameplay is in its [[http://brawlinthefamily.keenspot.com/2009/11/20/200-ode-to-minions/ "Ode to Minions"]].

->'''Brian''': What are you playing?\\
'''Tim''': VideoGame/TombRaiderIII.\\
'''Brian''': ... She's drowning.\\
'''Tim''': Yeah.\\
'''Brian''': Is that the point of the game?\\
'''Tim''': It depends what mood you're in, really.

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential/{{Pinball}}

* VideoGameCrueltyPotential/ShootEmUp

** In the brief set of scenes where you get to play as Joker in BatmanArkhamKnight, you can murder anyone and everyone. Except Harley Quinn. The targeting reticle will not stay on her and the trigger will not work. There is one line the developers would not let even the Joker cross.

* The "Hidden Floor" story of ''WebComic/TowerOfGod'' sort of parodies this with Chung, although it's not very light-hearted about it. And then again, it's downplayed compared to many actual game examples. Basically, it's a parody but PlayedForDrama and more realistically so the story's tone doesn't become too silly. Chung has been contracted to manage a part of the virtual world of the Hidden Floor; he can't even leave his apartment in his real body, but he can use a VR headset to enter the Hidden Floor as an all-powerful avatar and ruler.[[note]]This sounds a bit like CruelPlayerCharacterGod, but he interacts with the world through an avatar, not by manipulating things unseen.[[/note]] There, he might have the virtual humans beaten up by his soldiers before wiping their memories and making them literally sing his praises again, or device a sadistic punishment for someone gaining enough self-awareness to stand up to him. After all, as he almost says in the comic, they're just {{Non Player Character}}s.

* The "Hidden Floor" story of ''WebComic/TowerOfGod'' sort of parodies this with Chung, although it's not very light-hearted about it. And then again, it's downplayed compared to many actual game examples. Basically, it's a parody but PlayedForDrama and more realistically so the comic's tone doesn't become too silly. Chung has been contracted to manage a part of the virtual world of the Hidden Floor; he can't even leave his apartment in his real body, but he can use a VR headset to enter the Hidden Floor as an all-powerful avatar and ruler.[[note]]This sounds a bit like CruelPlayerCharacterGod, but he interacts with the world through an avatar, not by manipulating things unseen.[[/note]] There, he might have the virtual humans beaten up by his soldiers before wiping their memories and making them literally sing his praises again, or device a sadistic punishment for someone gaining enough self-awareness to stand up to him. After all, as he almost says in the comic, they're just {{Non Player Character}}s.

It can be [[{{Kneecapping}} knee shots]] causing screaming, telekinesis to literally play catch with guards, punching out scientists, or many, ''many'' other things. ''Website/SomethingAwful'' has dubbed two specific variations of video game cruelty as ''Asshole Physics'' and ''Asshole AI''.

One of the AcceptableBreaksFromReality. You may laugh at video games, but if someone did this in RealLife? You probably wouldn't be laughing. [[YouBastard And if you are, then you're a sick freak.]]

** A bizarre reverse-aversion in the Nancy Drew series: dying. Losing the game at any point means that, well, [[CaptainObvious you lost the game]]. But watching Nancy kill herself with food poisoning, cliff jumping, and burning to death should ''not'' be [[HaveANiceDeath as funny as it is]]. The most recent games have stopped all pretense of dying not being hilarious by adding a screen of text full of BlackComedy.
* Averted in ''[[Literature/GreenSkyTrilogy Below the Root]]''. The society is so ActualPacifist that you can't even pull KleptomaniacHero - unless it's out in the open, you have to find the owner and ask nicely. Better is if you find the [[CallARabbitASmeerp Wand of Befal]] (machete). Use it on a living creature, and you've just made the game {{Unwinnable}}.
* In ''[[Franchise/TombRaider Tomb Raider 3]]'' it's impossible to shoot Lara's butler, as he always shields himself with the dinner tray.
** However, you can lock him up in the walk-in fridge.

* Zigzagged in ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'':
** Initially, this trope was averted, [[AuthorTract in part because of the creator's distress at a recent school shooting]]: the player character has '''no''' weapons of any sort, other than the distinctly non-lethal Propulsion & Repulsion Cannons[[note]]use jets of force to non-lethally "push" creatures away[[/note]] and Stasis Rifle[[note]]freezes enemies in place temporarily so you can escape[[/note]]. The playerbase was notably split on this issue, pointing out that this leaves the player character with no defense other than escape against the abundance of very aggressive predatory creatures in the game.
** Subverted in later editions of the game. The Propulsion & Repulsion Cannons became capable of killing things with "crash" damage, either by using the Propulsion Cannon to lob objects at other creatures (or bash smaller creatures against walls) or by using the Repulsion Cannon to smash creatures against the environment until they die. The Drill Arm became a powerful melee attack weapon capable of repulsing even Reaper Leviathans. Prawn Suits were upgraded with the ability to punch enemies in melee. And, finally, Torpedoes became an unlockable weapon for certain submersibles. The result was that players could now more aggressively defend themselves - or brutally stalk down and massacre aggressive creatures.

** The game doesn't let you shoot or run over civilians. They jump out of the way of your car, and if you point your weapon at them, you can't fire it. Justified because while Tony is a ruthless killer, he won't murder innocents. However, you do have a couple weapons like the bazooka and the missile launcher that do splash damage, so it is possible to get around this.

* ''Anime/DigimonAdventure02'' has a villain who takes this to the extreme; it's quite clearly implied that he treats Digimon absolutely ''horribly''... however, we then learn that he was under the impression that the Digital World was a video game all along.
** When confronted to the fact that it's real with no more possibility of escape or denial, [[spoiler: he completely breaks down and later [[HeelFaceTurn joins the good guys]]]].
*** [[spoiler:Before the series started, he had his own Digimon adventure, which resulted in him getting brainwashed. But that ties into [[NoExportForYou several awesome video games that were never released in the USA.]]]]

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'', a teenage (but not evil) version of Arcade hacks into Cerebro and commands it to attack all the X-Men who show up in the Danger Room, believing it is simply an advanced computer game.
** For some reason he doesn't recognize any of the "characters" as his schoolmates.
*** Well, obviously, he thinks everyone except Kurt created a "character" who looked just like them.
* Averted in ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' where 21 and 24 are discussing Tomb Raider and how Lara could drown, which a horrified 21 described as grisly.

* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' example above is averted in the ninth and tenth games. Trying to make Jill kill her father will actually have her decide that she can't do it and [[FaceHeelTurn opt side with him instead]], [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment fighting you]]. In the tenth game, you have playable units on both sides, often also related in some way. Some of them simply will not have the Attack command appear if you put them next to that enemy. Of course, [[PapaWolf Brom]] would never raise his weapon against his own daughter and so on...
** However, if you've gotten an A-support for her, you can re-recruit Jill after she turns against you, and if you re-issue that attack command...

* Deliberately averted in ''VideoGame/{{Subnautica}}'', in part because of the creator's distress at a recent school shooting: the player character has '''no''' weapons of any sort, other than the distinctly non-lethal Propulsion & Repulsion Cannons[[note]]use jets of force to non-lethally "push" creatures away[[/note]] and Stasis Rifle[[note]]freezes enemies in place temporarily so you can escape[[/note]]. The playerbase is notably split on this issue, pointing out that this leaves the player character with no defense other than escape against the abundance of very aggressive predatory creatures in the game.

** The Laughing Coffin guild build up a reputation as {{Player Killer}}s. Despite full knowledge that [[TheMostDangerousVideoGame killing players in the game also kills them in real life]], they do so anyway, and revel in it.
** Sugou Nobuyuki is even worse. He sees being in the virtual world of ALO as the perfect excuse to be a sadistic bastard, conducting inhumane MindControl experiments on players and making numerous attempts to sexually assault Asuna, before going for full-on AttemptedRape.

Literature/StoryThieves: In the fourth book, where you can do numerous things to screw Owen over and you're not penalized at all (though, Nobody does mildly scold you about it you can do it anyways, over and over.)

* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' example above is averted in the ninth and tenth games. Trying to make Jill kill her father will actually have her decide that she can't do it [[VideoGameCrueltyPunishment opt side with him instead, fighting you]]. In the tenth game, you have playable units on both sides, often also related in some way. Some of them simply will not have the Attack command appear if you put them next to that enemy. Of course, [[PapaWolf Brom]] would never raise his weapon against his own daughter and so on...

* The ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' example above is averted in the 9th and 10th game. Trying to make Jill kill her father will actually have her decide that she can't do it and rather side with him instead, fighting you. In the 10th game, you have playable units on both sides, often also related in some way. Some of them simply will not have the Attack command appear if you put them next to that enemy. Of course, [[PapaWolf Brom]] would never raise his weapon against his own daughter and so on...

Note that, since such actions are not mandatory in the story, these actions cannot qualify a player character for CompleteMonster status.

Please only list aversions and non-Video Game related examples here. This page had to be split because of its length. For Video Game related examples, go to the links below.

[[folder:Comic Strips]]
* This happens in ''ComicStrip/FoxTrot'' a lot when Jason plays games. For example, he giggles excitedly when he plays one that sounds a lot like ''VideoGame/{{Carmageddon}}''. And in another strip, Paige complains to her dad that Jason and Marcus are playing a bloody and violent fighting game called ''[[VideoGame/PrimalRage Primal]] [[VideoGame/KillerInstinct Instinct]]'', and is upset because they won't let ''her'' play too.
[[/folder]]

* In some VideoGame/MaddenNFL games, if you make a dive at a CPU player who's crossing the endzone, the CPU player turns invincible and your player just bounces off of him, the intent being to stop people from invoking this trope by trying to hit players as revenge for the touchdown. The issue is that they give human players no such invincibility from CPU players. They'll fall to the ground from hits while in the endzone as though they're still in the field of play.

* The Franchise/FireEmblem example above is averted in the 9th and 10th game. Trying to make Jill kill her father will actually have her decide that she can't do it and rather side with him instead, fighting you. In the 10th game, you have playable units on both sides, often also related in some way. Some of them simply will not have the Attack command appear if you put them next to that enemy. Of course, [[PapaWolf Brom]] would never raise his weapon against his own daughter and so on...

* The song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y05TDInaeU Indiscriminate Murder is Counter-Productive]]" by Music/MachinaeSupremacy.