I see topics on whether or not you have played the level but I'm interested in what you did when you played it. Step by step how you reacted to playing the level.
MY EXPERIENCE
I didn't shot at all. I looked around, quite shocked, waiting for someone to ask me why I wasn't shooting. By the time when went down to the ground level I shot at some guy who was crawling away. It was a instinctive reaction from playing too many FPS games but the shot didn't kill him, so I stopped firing.
When the police arrived I tried to shoot the terrorists in the back. I was killed instantly. Upon restarting I noticed the police managed to kill a few of terrorists so I waited until there was only a couple left and tried to shoot them in the back again. I died instantly again. I tried to run back into the building and shot them from inside but I was killed again (I realised I might have some explosives strapped to me). So I just completed the mission as it was laid out.
I have to say, because my way of playing the level wasn't allowed, I felt a little manipulated. But it was very affective. I hadn't felt that disturbed playing a game since the first time I saw Sub-Zero rip off a head with the spine still attached.
So what did you do? Shoot and love it? Hide in a corner? Not shoot at all? Not judging, it is just a game, but it's interesting to see how people react to it. And how they contextualise what they're doing.
EDIT:
I'm kind of surprised at the people who got quite defensive about this or felt the need to put down my personal response. So what if I'm little more sensitive than others and found the level shocking? Doesn't the argument "It's just a game" also cover me as "I'm just a delicate little flower, (or sensitive prick), who empathizes with things too much?" I've been playing video games all my life. I totally support them. I only wanted to discuss them and our responses to them.
Empathy is what brings us closer to other understanding feelings of other people/things. Without it MW2 is really 'just a game' and the story will have no impact on the human player. Some people can only empathize with things that are very close to them (i.e. family and friends); others can empathize with strangers and animals or people who don't share their values. I guess if you felt nothing shooting civilians then it stirred the same emotions in you as playing Tetris? So it truly was just a game to you and all of Infinity Ward's efforts to further storytelling in games failed (in those instances).
Thanks to those who responded with their experience (without judging mine). Very interesting.
MY EXPERIENCE
I didn't shot at all. I looked around, quite shocked, waiting for someone to ask me why I wasn't shooting. By the time when went down to the ground level I shot at some guy who was crawling away. It was a instinctive reaction from playing too many FPS games but the shot didn't kill him, so I stopped firing.
When the police arrived I tried to shoot the terrorists in the back. I was killed instantly. Upon restarting I noticed the police managed to kill a few of terrorists so I waited until there was only a couple left and tried to shoot them in the back again. I died instantly again. I tried to run back into the building and shot them from inside but I was killed again (I realised I might have some explosives strapped to me). So I just completed the mission as it was laid out.
I have to say, because my way of playing the level wasn't allowed, I felt a little manipulated. But it was very affective. I hadn't felt that disturbed playing a game since the first time I saw Sub-Zero rip off a head with the spine still attached.
So what did you do? Shoot and love it? Hide in a corner? Not shoot at all? Not judging, it is just a game, but it's interesting to see how people react to it. And how they contextualise what they're doing.
EDIT:
I'm kind of surprised at the people who got quite defensive about this or felt the need to put down my personal response. So what if I'm little more sensitive than others and found the level shocking? Doesn't the argument "It's just a game" also cover me as "I'm just a delicate little flower, (or sensitive prick), who empathizes with things too much?" I've been playing video games all my life. I totally support them. I only wanted to discuss them and our responses to them.
Empathy is what brings us closer to other understanding feelings of other people/things. Without it MW2 is really 'just a game' and the story will have no impact on the human player. Some people can only empathize with things that are very close to them (i.e. family and friends); others can empathize with strangers and animals or people who don't share their values. I guess if you felt nothing shooting civilians then it stirred the same emotions in you as playing Tetris? So it truly was just a game to you and all of Infinity Ward's efforts to further storytelling in games failed (in those instances).
Thanks to those who responded with their experience (without judging mine). Very interesting.