Basic Trope: A video game gives the player the option to do horrible things.
- Straight: The player can shoot guards in the crotch and listen to them scream.
- Exaggerated: The player has total control over the lives and deaths of everyone in the game, and there's dozens of in-built torture options that are very heavily incentivized.
- Downplayed: If the player attacks other characters in the same way they attack enemies, they will react to it but not be injured.
- Justified:
- The game follows a real history event involving cruel acts done to people, such as the Spanish Inquisition.
- The game goes for the "realistic" slant, allowing you to do things to friends that you could to enemies, and you can do some bad stuff to your enemies.
- The game characters mistreated you and you happen to have the option to go for a revenge.
- The game has the purpose to help players manage their inner demons, by giving them a chance to leash out their violent urges.
- It allows you to Earn Your Bad Ending.
- Inverted:
- The only one being tortured is the player character.
- Video Game Caring Potential
- Subverted: The game drops hints of a high cruelty potential, but all the NPCs are invincible.
- Double Subverted: The NPCs may be invincible, but there are lots of ways to screw with their emotions.
- Parodied: "Gosh, I sure hope nobody shoots my kids today!"
- Zig-Zagged: The game lets players be jerks, only it turns out there are limits to the cruelty, which can be lifted by in-game choices.
- Averted:
- The game is a non-violent sort.
- Combat is straightforward and lacking in torture methods.
- Enforced: "Murder Simulators are fun. Who are we to judge?"
- Lampshaded: "What cruel god would let this happen to me?!"
- Invoked: "Time to find out what my new dark powers can really do!"
- Exploited:
- Game testing revealed that the players indulged in a lot of Comedic Sociopathy, so the developers made it so there are certain unlocks and achievements you could get by indulging in it.
- The game developers were also aware of this tendency, and made sure players who did unlock those "achievements" got humiliating awards and the bad ending
- Defied: "I refuse to sink to the level of sadistic lowlifes."
- Discussed: "Why is it we always seem to be cosmic chew toys to "champions of justice" that are really psychos, or some evil god controlling everything?"
- Conversed: "Did you just plant a bomb on that guy?"
- Deconstructed: Video Game Cruelty Punishment
- Reconstructed: The game has multiple endings, one of which requires the player be an evil jerk... in order to get Laser-Guided Karma for their deeds.
If you use the gravity gun to send that mook through the wall, the Video Game Cruelty Potential page should be on the other side.
