7 Games That Were Secretly Judging You The Whole Time

In the world of video games, it's not uncommon for games to have systems in place that judge the actions of players. From karma systems to bad endings, game developers have found various ways to assess and evaluate the choices made in gameplay. However, there are some games that take it a step further and secretly judge players without their knowledge. These hidden systems and criteria can have a significant impact on the game, and players are often left unaware of the consequences until it's too late. Let's take a look at seven examples of games that were secretly judging you the whole time you were playing.

Silent Hill 2: The Secret Assessment

Silent Hill 2, a classic horror game, follows the story of widower James Sunderland as he searches for his supposedly dead wife, Mary, in the eerie town of Silent Hill. Throughout the game, players are faced with nightmarish creatures and unsettling encounters. However, what many players don't realize is that their actions are being secretly assessed and evaluated by the game.

Silent Hill 2 keeps tabs on how players heal, move, and access certain inventory items. These seemingly insignificant actions are used to determine the player's intentions and ultimately decide the ending they deserve. For example, in the good ending, James escapes Silent Hill with a young girl named Laura, leaving behind the darkness of the town. To achieve this ending, players must regularly heal, avoid interacting with Maria (a woman who bears a striking resemblance to Mary), and frequently look at a photo of Mary.

On the other hand, if players neglect to heal, repeatedly encounter Maria, and don't show remorse for James' guilt and trauma, they will be led to one of the game's less cheerful endings, such as James driving his car into a lake or leaving town with Maria, who may not even be real and is likely to succumb to the same disease that killed Mary. Silent Hill 2's hidden assessment system adds a layer of complexity to the game and ensures that players are unknowingly judged for their choices.

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain: Demon Points

In Metal Gear Solid 5, players take on the role of Venom Snake, a soldier navigating a complex and dangerous world. While players might assume they are judged based on their combat skills or stealth tactics, the game secretly evaluates their actions using a Karma system called "Demon Points."

Demon Points are awarded for negative actions, such as killing enemies, critically wounding companion characters, or even mistreating recruits at the mother base. Accumulating a significant number of Demon Points has a visible impact on Snake himself. As the points increase, Snake's horn grows longer, and he becomes covered in blood, eventually taking on a demonic appearance.

What adds an interesting twist to this judgment system is that the demonic blood does not wash off, leaving Snake in a perpetually bloody state. Until players clear some of the Demon Points, Snake will attract flies, wildlife, and uneasy glances from other characters. The game subtly judges players for their choices, reminding them that actions have consequences, even in the virtual world.

Undertale: The Judgment Hall

Undertale, a popular indie game, goes beyond overt judgment and implements a hidden judgment system that affects gameplay and the game's various endings. Players are tasked with navigating a world filled with quirky characters and making decisions that impact the outcome of the story.

Late in the game, players encounter a hidden location called the Judgment Hall. This opulent church-like hallway exists to hold players accountable for their actions. Whether players have engaged in violence throughout the game or chosen a pacifist route, the game remembers and quietly judges everything they have done. Even reloading the game after accidentally killing a character and trying to rectify the mistake leads to scolding from a character named Flowey.

Undertale's judgment system is subtle and pervasive, assessing players for every decision, even beyond the confines of the game. It serves as a reminder that choices matter, and actions have consequences, showcasing how games can silently judge players in unexpected ways.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories: Behavioral Tracking

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories takes the concept of silent judgment to a new level by tracking players' behavior throughout the game. The game follows amnesiac father Harry Mason as he searches for his missing daughter Cheryl. Unbeknownst to players, their every move is observed and used to build a psychological profile based on their behavior.

In addition to the main gameplay, the game includes therapy sessions where players answer questionnaires that contribute to the profiling. Shattered Memories also monitors how players interact with the world, such as their friendliness level, interest in certain objects, and exploring behaviors. These seemingly innocent actions are all used to assess players and determine the outcome of the game.

Eventually, it is revealed that the player-character's behavior throughout the game is tallied, leading to one of several different endings. The game judges players based on their cumulative actions, rewarding them with a good ending if they have exhibited positive behavior or condemning them to bad endings if their behavior is deemed negative. Silent Hill: Shattered Memories demonstrates how even the most mundane actions can be silently judged by a game.

Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi: The Continue Screen Judgment

Nosferatu: The Wrath of Malachi, an action-platformer for the SNES, incorporates a unique form of silent judgment through its continue screen. Players control Kyle, a protagonist on a mission to rescue his girlfriend, Aaron, from the clutches of the Nosferatu in his castle.

After losing a life and reaching the continue screen, players are confronted with a photograph of Kyle and Aaron, happy and in love. The image serves as a reminder of their goal and motivation to continue fighting. However, what players may not realize is that the game is silently judging their progress. In the original Japanese version of the game, players have a limited number of continues. If they use up all eight continues, they are locked into the game's bad ending.

In the US and European versions, the visible continue counter is removed, but the consequences remain the same. If players die and continue eight or more times, subtle changes appear on the continue screen. Aaron's appearance in the photograph alters, reflecting her transformation into a vampire. Additionally, if players choose not to continue at this point, the subsequent scene of Aaron being bitten no longer occurs, as it is assumed to have happened off-camera. Nosferatu silently judges players for their failure to progress, offering a bleak ending as a result.

Parasite Eve 2: Small Mistakes, Big Consequences

Parasite Eve 2, a survival horror game developed by SquareSoft, features a hidden judgment system that can have a significant impact on the game's ending. Players assume the role of Aya Brea, an FBI operative investigating the existence of Neo-Mitochondrial creatures.

Throughout the game, players are tasked with completing various objectives, many of which involve helping a character named Pierce. However, the game's judgment system comes into play based on players' minute decisions and interactions. The game quietly judges players for actions like throwing a character called Jody immediately after reading a memo from Pierce, or missing small yet crucial moments like returning to Dry Field at the correct time or picking up a teddy bear.

These seemingly insignificant choices ultimately affect the game's narrative. Based on players' cumulative behavior, the game determines whether they will be rewarded with the best ending or condemned to one of the various bad endings. Parasite Eve 2 demonstrates how even small mistakes can have far-reaching consequences, silently judging players for their decisions.

Cyberpunk 2077: The Secret Good Ending

In the highly anticipated game Cyberpunk 2077, players find themselves in a dystopian future playing as a hired mercenary with the consciousness of a deceased rock star named Johnny Silverhand residing in their cybernetic brain. While players might assume that their choices would impact their relationship with Johnny, they may not realize that there is a specific mid-game conversation that secretly determines their fate.

During a heart-to-heart conversation in an old oil field, players must choose the right dialogue options to cement their friendship with Johnny. These options may appear subtly different, making it difficult to discern the correct path. However, making the right choices leads to a special secret good ending, where players get to go to space with Johnny.

Cyberpunk 2077's hidden judgment system adds a layer of complexity, ensuring that players are unknowingly judged for their interactions with Johnny. The game challenges players to navigate a web of dialogue choices and emotional connections, demonstrating that even virtual friendships can be fickle.

Conclusion

These games exemplify the ingenious ways in which game developers incorporate hidden judgment systems. From assessing players' healing and inventory management in Silent Hill 2, to awarding demon points based on actions in Metal Gear Solid 5, these games keep players on their toes. Undertale silently remembers and judges every decision, while Silent Hill: Shattered Memories tracks player behavior to determine the game's outcome. Nosferatu and Parasite Eve 2 incorporate subtle indicators on the continue screen and small choices throughout the game, respectively. Lastly, Cyberpunk 2077's secret good ending serves as a testament to the careful crafting of virtual relationships.

In these games, players are unwittingly evaluated, challenged, and ultimately judged for their choices and actions. As game developers continue to explore new ways of engaging players, these hidden systems add depth and complexity to the gaming experience. So, the next time you dive into a game, remember that there may be more to it than meets the eye. The game might just be silently judging you.