I still believe the choices you make in a game that you immerse yourself into are the results of your own choosing. Most likely some repressed thoughts you have in IRL. Knowing full well that you can't let yourself do these things in society, so, you do them in a game.
But you believe as you wish. A game is a game, play it how you want. Repressed feelings or not.
So... if I had multiple playthroughs with both a Good MC and a Bad MC, does that mean I have a split personality? Or that I'm caught in a time loop?
It's possible a player's choices in a game could perhaps say something about their mindset if you squint hard enough, but in practice I think the noise would drown out the signal. Sure, a fascination with dark content
might stem from dark impulses. But then again it might stem purely from curiosity or a cathartic desire to see such behavior punished in the end. At the end of the day no one is actually getting hurt from our actions in the game so it's not in any way comparable to real life.
Personally I haven't even enabled Taboo content on my saves, but I still think it would be a good thing if the MC faced harsh consequences for his actions on the dark path - especially when he's unrepentant and stupid about it.
I am not against redemption arc but i simply don't see those as deserving of any. Because they don't see anything wrong with all they have done.
Brent didn't stop doing manipulative and abusive things to Nikki, she "escaped" and ended up in a equally bad situation. And now he is bothering Guy likely because of the same reasons.
Jaime was escalating on his blackmail, racism and rape crimes and he only "stopped" when Guy intervened.
But that's my whole point - redemption isn't something you
earn by being sympathetic, it's something you achieve if and when you are finally willing to acknowledge the error of your ways. Redemption's not a reward for good behavior. It *IS* the good behavior. You might become more sympathetic after achieving it, but that's effect, not cause.
So sure, Brent and Jaime have shown no sign of regret to this point, but what matters is what they do next. I'd be very surprised if they decide to turn over a new leaf (especially Brent), and unless they do the question is largely moot. But if they DO surprise me, I'm not going to reject them out of hand just because they were so loathsome previously.
