Poll: Bioshock Infinite: A Very Specific Question about Morality and Choice

[craddoke]

At a certain point in Bioshock Infinite, Booker rescues Elizabeth by throwing two levers. For those who have completed this portion of the game, what did you do with the two NPCs who cower near those levers when you approach? Something about this part of the game (perhaps the picture of Elizabeth accompanying her voxophone recordings) really got to me and I sky-hooked them into spaghetti - something I have never done to a non-violent NPCs in 20+ years of gaming. Looking back, I realize that the game had gotten me to care for Elizabeth - even though I actively resisted at first (I'm contrary by nature). I'm curious about how many others reacted this way - or even gave this moral issue any thought.

(Hopefully this post managed to walk the fine line between spoiling and intelligibility. Apologies if it didn't.)

 

[craddoke]

Darn it - the second option should read "The quality of mercy is not strain'd (Merchant of Venice, IV.i)". Apparently apostrophes mess up the formatting of poll questions?

 

[F'Angus]

I just left them...I just figure they weren't attacking. I guess it's just the moral way I play. I couldn't throw the baseball at the couple because it just seemed wrong, picked the bird because it represented freedom.

Maybe because I didn't want to Skyhook the hell out of people infront of Elizabeth...especially since earlier when I ripped a dude's head off she said something like "oh my God" in reaction. (can't remember exact words).

And it is weird I picked the bird..I just felt guilty for taking her away for my debt so I don't really want to give her the cage.

 

[R.Nevermore]

I splattered them all up and down the room. I took extra time to make sure they were deader than usual.

 

[scorptatious]

I just left them alone myself. Didn't seem like they were going to attack me.

Of course, looking back, this was the same playthrough in which I let Booker get his hand stabbed, so maybe I should have been more cautious than that. Either way, they didn't try to resist so oh well.

Looking back, I do like how a bunch of the choices you make aren't neccesarily black and white. I'd imagine that by throwing the ball at the couple at the beginning of the game, you're only doing so to keep yourself from drawing too much attention. (Even though you're going to get caught no matter what) No matter what, the choices fit Booker's character. I like that.

Spoiler

Kind of a shame that the choices didn't really an impact on the ending. Not that I mind too much. The ending was good either way.

 

[Karoshi]

I'm pretty sure I punched them because I was in berserker rage. I don't think it was the right or moral choice, but what they were going to do to Elizabeth was even worse than death and I was angry and scared. I had left her alone for so long, left her suffering and I wasn't going to let anyone stand between me and her.

In 90% of the cases I don't kill NPCs that aren't attacking me. This was the only exception and I barely paid a thought. That section really got under my skin.

 

[Sonntam]

We are talking about people that helped torturing a human being. Of course I didn't allow them to walk out of the room alive.

 

[craddoke]

I just left them...I just figure they weren't attacking. I guess it's just the moral way I play. I couldn't throw the baseball at the couple because it just seemed wrong, picked the bird because it represented freedom.

Those were my choices as well in those other instances - but for this, all I could think about was the audio from the "tears" in the asylum (those snippets of audio plus my imagination were brutal; it was the only area of the game where I didn't take time to sight-see) and the idea based on the voxophone messages that the surgery happened after six months of torture. My anger actually persisted long enough to let me accept Booker's handling of Comstock, which would have also been out-of-character for my usual style of game-play. That bit still gave me pause, but only long enough to think that it was not an inappropriate reaction.

 

[Mikejames]

I was in a rush. I seem to recall aptly wasting one and just leaving the other.

 

[Rack]

I killed them, I knew the game wouldn't do this but I was buying into the fiction that if I just left them they could just flip the switches back on.

 

[F'Angus]

Spoiler

Kind of a shame that the choices didn't really an impact on the ending. Not that I mind too much. The ending was good either way.

Spoiler

The way I figure is that the ending imapct all the choices...making them more interesting.. for example with the Lutece's, the reason they're asking you to pick one or the other is because they've seen it all before and want to see if it repeats, and they're constantly arguing over which you chose.

As with the heads and tails (which isn't really a choice but hey) you see that heads has been flipped over a hundred times...and they imply that they've tried to do the same with hundreds of Bookers before you...all choosing the same thing.

If that made sense.

 

[F'Angus]

I just left them...I just figure they weren't attacking. I guess it's just the moral way I play. I couldn't throw the baseball at the couple because it just seemed wrong, picked the bird because it represented freedom.

Those were my choices as well in those other instances - but for this, all I could think about was the audio from the "tears" in the asylum (those snippets of audio plus my imagination were brutal; it was the only area of the game where I didn't take time to sight-see) and the idea based on the voxophone messages that the surgery happened after six months of torture. My anger actually persisted long enough to let me accept Booker's handling of Comstock, which would have also been out-of-character for my usual style of game-play. That bit still gave me pause, but only long enough to think that it was not an inappropriate reaction.

The good thing is that straight afterwards Elizabeth destroys the place herself anyway.

I may have spared them but I did think hard about killing them...my focus was more on freeing Elizabeth at that point though...and getting at Comstock... but even then when Elizabeth was telling Booker not to kill him I wanted him to stop... for the main reason I spared Slate earlier.. he'd alreadyy been defeated.

 

[Gidiel167]

the two scientists? oh they both got headshotted. which was only a small amount of what they deserved

 

[Blade1130]

I left those two as they were, they were no threat to me and were only really doing as they were told. Though that isn't to say I didn't want to put them down.

Though, another point that made me feel like a complete asshole was in the slums (next to that bar with the guitar bit). There was one of the health/shield/vigor upgrades behind two guards who appeared to be selling food. Admittedly, as far as I remember, it was implied that they selling at ridiculous prices and were being dicks about it, but still. I had to kill them to get to the upgrade, which I didn't like doing, but I felt it was understandable given the situation. However, immediately after I got the upgrade, I saw the sack of food next to it, and scarfed down the bag without thinking. I only realized what I was doing when they're were only a couple apples left. I looked around at the people cowering from me (since I had just shot two people) and said to myself "My god, I am an asshole." That moment stuck with me, though I'm disappointed that no one verbally acknowledged my gluttony.

 

[Daverson]

No Mongo! Never kill a customer! non-com!

I'm actually slightly shocked that anyone would even consider killing them. They're just lab techs.

 

[DRes82]

I shot the first scientist before he uttered a word. I believe the second started to talk when I aimed my shotgun at him, but at that point I was pretty angry. I don't usually kill non-aggressive NPC's either, and this was definitely an exception. Just goes to show how great a story it was.

 

[MsWhatsit]

I let them go. Taking the higher road, and all of that.

 

[Bug MuIdoon]

I killed them both without much thought. I even killed that woman who's giving your description (albeit a bad one) to the police near the beginning of the game; Snitches get stitches!

 

[compaqdeskpro]

I left those two as they were, they were no threat to me and were only really doing as they were told. Though that isn't to say I didn't want to put them down.

Though, another point that made me feel like a complete asshole was in the slums (next to that bar with the guitar bit). There was one of the health/shield/vigor upgrades behind two guards who appeared to be selling food. Admittedly, as far as I remember, it was implied that they selling at ridiculous prices and were being dicks about it, but still. I had to kill them to get to the upgrade, which I didn't like doing, but I felt it was understandable given the situation. However, immediately after I got the upgrade, I saw the sack of food next to it, and scarfed down the bag without thinking. I only realized what I was doing when they're were only a couple apples left. I looked around at the people cowering from me (since I had just shot two people) and said to myself "My god, I am an asshole." That moment stuck with me, though I'm disappointed that no one verbally acknowledged my gluttony.

Best part about this is when you go back after the revolution has started the upgrade bottle is still there, with no one guarding it, along with the back of apples and oranges. I actually didn't try to steal it the first time around, and the game rewarded me for my restraint.

 

[Maximum Bert]

I killed them both without much thought. I even killed that woman who's giving your description (albeit a bad one) to the police near the beginning of the game; Snitches get stitches!

Lol me as well I just wanted to see what would happen or if it was even possible I also tried shooting Elizabeth a few times but it dosent do anything To be honest it didnt even enter my head to leave those scientists alive they were in my way and may have loot on them.

Never felt bad for anyone in the game things just are as they are I didnt ever think oh I will spare this poor innocent person or I am going to kill everything just came down to convenience usually. I killed a worker earlier because the games naff pointer wouldnt let me pick up a dollar he was standing on so I had to kill him to get to it.

Didnt kill them for vengeance I just did it because it was easy and there didnt seem any reason not to I would have killed Elizabeth for shits and giggles if I could have and ofc to see how the game would respond (probably with a game over or respawn screen which would have been annoying and hence her invincibility)