Mike Rossmassler

My desire to help this poor kitten was not far removed from my desire to help the Little Sisters. They are creatures trapped in raucous, dangerous worlds, just like the small cat. And it dawned on me, perhaps we are finally past the whole anti-hero phenomenon that has plagued games lately. Characters like Cloud boil with silent rage, while other like Kratos assault the very Gods in fits of hubris. It is no surprise that Clint Eastwood's silent, nameless cowboy has supplanted John Wayne and Glenn Ford as the icon of the American West. In Bioshock, the player can free the Little Sisters from the parasites and the curse of Adam, but their futures are far from certain. I made conceited efforts to save each and every one, but even after the credits had rolled, I still doubted whether or not I had truly helped them. And perhaps that is Bioshock's greatest acheivement; a hero who can cast of the shackles of predestination and purpose to save the small lives around him, and all the while reminding the player that free will never really is free. All of the choices are made in a framework of rules, and explanations. The character's actions merely reflect the way that he is forced to react to others. The story is swept along by the choices that the character seems to make, which are in reality not choices at all, but merely bullet points in the synopsis of the events that unfold. There is no choice in seeking out the enemies, they are there, they are evil, and have to be dealt with. But I appreciate the fact that the effort is made to make those points all but invisible. Saving the Little Sisters makes the protagonist's misdeeds more palatable. He is merely a weapon in a war, and though he may be blameless, as they (they being minor threat, but apparently written for the Standells), sometimes good guys don't wear white. I saw the kitten, maybe only 4 weeks old, but I could not catch him. Is Bioshock's nameless protagonist really doing the right thing when he murders all those people? Or when he frees the Little Sisters? One thing I love about videogames is the possibility of being the penultimate hero, an infallible Superman, or a noble Galahad. But all I could do for that kitten was put out a saucer of milk and hope for the best.