There comes a time in many games where the expected method of play becomes a bit too expected. It's when you're on this cusp of boredom that you realize that the greatest gift gaming has given us is the ability to plough your own way - to refuse to enter the test chamber just to see if you get in trouble. So join us as we subvert the basic concepts of gameplay by generally screwing around in games, whether through harassing NPCs, torturing virtual people or organizing naked foot races in faraway fantasy lands. Just don't expect them to staple their balls to their legs…
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Brain Damage
Set-up:
Using Oblivion's incredibly accessible cheats, turn off the artificial intelligence. Then simply live an abusive, foul-tempered life in a world of passive morons.
Outcome:
Whereas the "Toggle Combat AI" option certainly removes people's physical responses, it doesn't shut them up. A soldier followed us into a house and shouted fairly unpleasant names at us every time we picked up an apple. When we grew tired of his empty threats, we killed him, only to have him stand up in three seconds and try to arrest us for his own murder. After a while, this became creepy, so we tried to offer him sweet corn. He declined the offer of stolen corn and carried on trying to arrest us.
We think:
There's no escaping the inner voice of guilt, even if the inner voice sometimes takes the form of a soldier screaming at you.
