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Does 'Days Gone' Cross the Line By Letting Players Kill Child Zombies?

DeepEnigma

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
When Sony Bend pitched the world of Days Gone as dark and brutal, they weren't kidding. Its world isn't just chaotic despair, it's brimming with danger as a virus has zombiefied everything: including children.

In Days Gone, there aren't just adult "Freakers" players will come across and need to savagely beat across the head with a baseball bat. There's child Freakers called Newts, who are smaller in stature and look like they have the body of a, I don't know, maybe 10, 11 year old child? However, while newts aren't as aggressive and bold as their adult counter-parts, they are still an enemy that tries to kill you, and thus you need to kill.

It's a questionable decision on the part of Sony Bend. It's realistic, and fits the whole dark and brutal theme. But, does it cross the line? Well, Sony Bend doesn't think so.

“No, they are not [children],” said Sony Bend's Emmanuel Roth when asked about the decision to include child Freakers by Stevivor. “Really, they’re more of a crawling creature and more of a different type of gameplay. It’s a variation on the kind of creature we can offer.”

Roth continued:

“They’re interesting creatures. They’re afraid of the taller Freakers; they need to protect themselves on the roof — to be away from the swarmers that go after them and feed on them. But they are still dangerous — they will look at Deacon’s health; when your health is low they will jump on you and will attack you. We hide some here and there to surprise the player.”

Roth added that the idea behind the name "newt" is a reference to a tadpole, which of course seems to conflict with what Roth said about the enemy not being children. Further, it also conflicts with what Sony Bend has said in the past about the enemies, who they called "infected adolescents."
Click to expand...

days-gone-1162341.jpeg


Because what Roth said seemed to conflict with previous things said about Newts, Stevivor reached out Sony Bend for more clarification, and was given the following:

“The devastating pandemic infected and killed almost all human life. Some adolescents were infected and transformed by the virus. The survivors call these Newts. We don’t think of any of the Freakers as human beings. They are all feral, cannibalistic creatures with ferocious appetites that live on instinct alone. The virus has mutated them into something entirely new.”

So, are Newts child Freakers? Yes. But according to Sony Bend, there's nothing human about Freakers, so there's really nothing childlike about Newts.

Personally, I'm not super keen on the idea of hitting Newts with baseball bats like a game of Whack-a-mole. I like killing zombies, but child zombies, gives me pause. That said, it isn't going to stop me from playing the game, which by all accounts, looks quite good.

Days Gone is poised to release on April 26, exclusively via the PS4. For more coverage on the highly-anticipated action-adventure game, click here.
Click to expand...

Source: Comicbook.com

Wrap me in diapers so I can be outraged like a baby if old.
 
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Abriael_GN

Abriael_GN

RSI Employee of the Year
When you see an absolutely stupid article complaining about nothing remotely relevant, check the date, and you'll likely see that it was posted in the weekend. That's when bad writers have to resort to nonsensical but controversial hot takes and clickbait to keep the hits up because they aren't good at looking for actual news on a slower day.

Sunday, March 10. Checks out.
 
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brap

brap

Banned
Very cool. I would love to kill children! If there are any boobs in the game I won't buy it though.
 
-MD-

-MD-

Member
"I don't think twice about putting a bullet in a large human's head, but a small human? This gives me pause."

Okay, guy.
 
Fbh

Fbh

Member
Of course not.... it's a game and it's zombies.
But the game better not have a short scene where we can see an adult female ass, now that's the sort of sick line they shouldn't cross
 
D

Dragon Lord

Member
I suspect I’m “weird” in this respect, but whenever I’m playing a game with any form of zombie-type enemies that used to be human, I look at the bullets I put in them as merciful. I don’t see how granting mercy to a child that’s life has already been taken away is evil.
 
PrCat88

PrCat88

Member
I'm surprised someone beat Resident Evil to it.

Although you could do it in Telltale's Walking Dead so no biggie. They're zombies.
 
Saber

Saber

Gold Member
Yeah. He probably should let the kid bite and kill he instead, if that makes him feel better. He won't be advancing in the game though, but what matters is that he wont be killing a kid zombie.
 
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DeepEnigma

DeepEnigma

Gold Member
PrCat88 said:
I'm surprised someone beat Resident Evil to it.

Although you could do it in Telltale's Walking Dead so no biggie. They're zombies.
Click to expand...

The newest season:
You have no choice with a kid's head getting blown off by another even younger kid, at the end of the first Episode.
 
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P

PrimeTime

Member
so smaller creatures that like to crawl and are afraid of larger creatures. Kinda sounds like a close approximation to kids.
 
TLZ

TLZ

Banned
When you put it like that it feels weird.

But if I'm playing the game and they rabidly come at me, I'll have to do the inevitable.
 
Codes 208

Codes 208

Member
If the context was murdering kids like the younglings in Star Wars then you’d better believe I’d have a thing or two to say about it.

But zombie children? Bitch, I’ve been killing zombie kids since dead space.
 
Shakka43

Shakka43

Member
Would be pretty hypocritical of the usual suspects to call foul on this, they are all about killing babies these days.
 
GTR R35_Supra RZ

GTR R35_Supra RZ

Banned
Ohh God, hope this doesn't blow out of proportion...in reality, everyone would catch this disease, so no...if I see one snuk up on me I'm blasting the shit of that zombie whoever it is.
 
Valonquar

Valonquar

Member
Remember when Drakenguard featured flying demon fetuses rocketing out of a Godzillia sized pregnant woman spread eagle over Japan on fire? Pepperidge Farm remembers.
 
Angry_Megalodon

Angry_Megalodon

Member
it crossed the line twice by being an AAA Sony exclusive with a white straight macho as protagonist. Given that outrage, who cares for the children?
 
EverydayBeast

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
No impact, child zombies are kinda sad tho. If my memory serves me correct babies (not to be confused with toddlers) are often carried out in horror films (dolls, chucky etc.) No impact tho.
 
Danjin44

Danjin44

The nicest person on this forum
Man, if original Drakengard came out in this era what people reaction would be?

Arioch basically eats children!!!

latest
 
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