History Main / MercyRewarded

** In ''VideoGame/PAYDAY2'', players far enough down the Mastermind tree can convince enemies that have surrendered to actively fight on your behalf. Their AI isn't great, but it gets you an extra gun, distraction, and meatshield (extremely useful if you convert someone with bulletproof armor), and with other Mastermind skills the converted enemy gets massive bonuses to health and damage. Also, there is a special skill, StockholmSyndrome, that causes civilians to come to your aid when you are downed.

Can often be an aspect of the KarmaMeter and VideoGameCaringPotential. Contrast VideoGameCrueltyPotential, though the "reward" in that case is usually simply one's own personal amusement or gratification, as well as VideoGameCrueltyPunishment, where you are punished for unnecessary violence.

* The ''VideoGame/SWAT'' series does this, however it still rewards you for breaking police procedure if you can knock out hostile criminals instead of opening fire. A bit of a JustifiedTrope in that minimal loss of life is part of their goals.

* The ''[[VideoGame/PoliceQuest SWAT]]'' series does this, however it still rewards you for breaking police procedure if you can knock out hostile criminals instead of opening fire. A bit of a JustifiedTrope in that minimal loss of life is part of their goals.
** ''VideoGame/{{SWAT 3}}'' and ''[[{{VideoGame/SWAT4}} 4]]'' docked you points for killing, but ''SWAT 2'' would suspend officers for ''killing terrorists who had their guns drawn''. Also, you had to deal with certain terrorists non-lethally to get the best ending.

** In [[VideoGame/Payday2 the sequel]], players far enough down the Mastermind tree can convince enemies that have surrendered to actively fight on your behalf. Their AI isn't great, but it gets you an extra gun, distraction, and meatshield (extremely useful if you convert someone with bulletproof armor), and with other Mastermind skills the converted enemy gets massive bonuses to health and damage. Also, there is a special skill, StockholmSyndrome, that causes civilians to come to your aid when you are downed.

* Played with in ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}''. Sparing enemies will get you gold but no EXP. However, [[spoiler: It's revealed that EXP stands for [[KarmaMeter "Execution Points"]]]], and a full PacifistRun is the only way to [[spoiler: get the best ending]], not to mention that [[spoiler: the game is going to [[YouBastard do its best to make you feel terrible about yourself]] if you kill anything]].
** Not killing everyone you meet will also spare you from the game's [[ThatOneBoss most difficult boss fights]], [[spoiler: Undyne the Undying, and Sans.]]

* In ''LightNovel/HeavyObject: An Audition War'' (adapted as episodes 9-14 of the anime), the protagonists stumble onto an assassination plot against a general in the Capitalist Enterprise army, and are tempted to let it go ahead due to {{realpolitik}} until they learn it would also kill Havia's fiancee. It's unclear whether General Planters actually learned about the assassination attempt, but he provides them with useful intelligence later in the story arc.

** Subverted later when you can also spare some members of the Submarine crew when you take it over. They're the guys you performed with when you masqueraded to send off Rufus Shinra. Taking them hostage rather than killing them nets their thanks, avoids conflict, and they never betray you/ But they are one of the only (and in fact last) sources of the Shinra Alpha armor piece if you fight them and steal it, a nice pick-up if the player is low on gil and/or hasn't done the endgame side quests. Can be a good incentive to fight the outclassed mooks instead of showing mercy.

* {{Subverted}} in ''VideoGame/XComEnemyUnknown''. Once you research the [[StunGuns Arc Thrower]], you can, with some trouble, capture aliens alive rather than killing them, which gets you their weapon (which usually self-destructs when the alien is killed) and allows you to interrogate them for some nifty research bonuses. Thing is, they [[ColdBloodedTorture don't tend to survive]] [[TortureTechnician Dr. Vahlen's]] interrogation methods. Rather than "mercy," you've just condemned them to a slower, more painful death. [[PayEvilUntoEvil Not that the player is likely to lose much sleep over it]].

* ''Fanfic/TheWeaverOption''. The pirate captain Ulion Lakadieth prefers taking captives and ransoming them rather than engaging in full-scale slaughter like the other fleets of Pavia. When she has his fleet cornered, Taylor pays him the same courtesy, extorting a massive ransom of adamantium for safe passage. Ulion considers it a good trade [[spoiler:and is later promoted by his Craftworld for having the good sense to not anger the destroyer of Commorragh]].

* ''[[VideoGame/MedievalIITotalWar Medieval II: Total War]]'' has its own take on this, giving a KarmaMeter to each of your individual generals. A governor-general that is very Chivalrous (as opposed to Dreaded) will increase population growth and happiness in a city instead of just public order. Good-aligned generals are, therefore, much more useful in empire-building. And given that troops fighting for them are less likely to run away, they're really helpful for taking on an enemy bristling with firearms.
** The original ''Medieval: Total War'' had a somewhat less altruistic reward for not executing captured enemy soldiers, since this allowed you to ransom them back to the original owner for a fair chunk of cash. Of course, this meant that you would have to face them on the field again at some point, so it was often a good idea to [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential put a few to the sword]] during the battle...

* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros Melee'' had the "Merciful Master" bonus awarded if you win a match without KO'ing anyone - which usually means they managed to KO themselves. And an even bigger bonus called "Switzerland" awarded for not taking any damage and not using any attacks at all. This even extends to using recovery moves for navigation.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblem'':

* Both ''Videogame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'' and ''Franchise/MassEffect'' award KarmaMeter points for getting out of certain situations without combat. There's also an achievement in ''Mass Effect 1'' for defusing seemingly unwinnable situations with your Charm or Intimidate skill. In one particular twist, doing so will avoid losing a party member.

** In the sequel, players far enough down the Mastermind tree can convince enemies that have surrendered to actively fight on your behalf. Their AI isn't great, but it gets you an extra gun, distraction, and meatshield (extremely useful if you convert someone with bulletproof armor), and with other Mastermind skills the converted enemy gets massive bonuses to health and damage. Also, there is a special skill, StockholmSyndrome, that causes civilians to come to your aid when you are downed.
* Played with in ''Videogame/{{Undertale}}''. Sparing enemies will get you gold but no EXP. However, [[spoiler: It's revealed that EXP stands for [[KarmaMeter "Execution Points"]]]], and a full PacifistRun is the only way to [[spoiler: get the best ending]], not to mention that [[spoiler: the game is going to [[YouBastard do its best to make you feel terrible about yourself]] if you kill anything]].

* Several mission-relevant [=NPC=]s in ''Videogame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic'' will send the player gifts of money, equipment, or consumables in gratitude for being spared. Of course, in quite a few of these cases a different character will send you a reward for killing them...

* PlayedWith in ''Videogame/{{Gunpoint}}''. All levels grade you on multiple things, your lethality being one of them - Pacifist runs giving you the best reward. However, this is ultimately noticed by the BigBad, who's looked at your police record before you confront him. If you've killed at least one person in the game, [[spoiler: he will surrender if you pull a gun on him.]] However, if you've been a pacifist for the whole game, [[spoiler: He will not back down, stating that you've not shot a soul. He won't hesitate to blow you away if you lower your gun.]]

* In ''Roleplay/RubyQuest'', players sparing [[spoiler: Stitches]] ([[OffTheRails the possibility of which came about]] [[CuttingTheKnot because they decided that]] [[SequenceBreaking 'logical progression of puzzles']] [[DungeonBypass was for chumps who didn't have crowbars]]) and indulging in a moment of VideoGameCaringPotential [[spoiler: motivated Stitches to come back at the end and tackle [[ImplacableMan Ace]], saving Tom from having to stay behind to prevent Ace from getting out of the Metal Glen.]] On a less gameplay-related note, sparing [[spoiler: Jay]] made their [[EarnYourHappyEnding hard-earned happy ending]] that much sweeter, since [[spoiler: it meant that three patients got out of the Metal Glen instead of just two]].

* The ''Videogame/{{Hitman}}'' games always reward the player keeping casualties other than the designated target to a minimum: you are a ''professional'' after all and any further deaths is just more clean up your employers have to do.

* In ''Yoshi Topsy Turvy'', starting in Chapter 5, you will get levels where the Spirit of Kindness challenges you to get through the level while killing few enemies as possible. Killing none at all yields the best medal.