The idea of the momentous choice is that a single choice in a game that has real and measurable effects and consequences for game play and narrative. In many games choice is defined slowly through character specialisation and personalisation through RPG Stats the introduction of the momentous choice allows the game to develop a degree of complexity by developing the concepts of cause and effect. Though out most game play the notions of cause and effect have been limited as the only real effect is often player death and then respawn or restart, in many modern games even the power of this choice has been lessened with instantaneous respawn and the notion of fainting rather than dying. The impact of this ‘immortality' is that the player is less likely to consider the choices they make, they can charge through with most problems being overcome through brute force. The momentous choice reintroduces the player to the notion of considered action.
For an action to truly be meaningful it has to have irreversible consequences. If you can just go back and change the choice or if the choice has no repercussions then it essentially becomes meaningless. The linear nature of most games means that most choices in game play become inconsequential as the only impact the player really has is play style and occasionally character specialisation. The beauty of and trouble with interactive media, especially games, is that the player does have choice, does have the capacity to shape the way a game evolves. By removing their ability to make consequential choices the developer neuters the element of games and interactive media that gives it its power. The reintroduction of the momentous choice into game play is a pivotal step towards the re-introduction of meaningful interaction into games, however I would argue the momentous choice does not go far enough. Simply having one choice that effects game play means that the rest of game play is still largely meaningless. The need for the development of game character AI that allows for true non-linear narrative is paramount in moving the affective and meaningful aspect of game play into the future.
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