Ethics in Computer Games and Cinema

Introduction

Regarding the genre of video games, I have decided to focus on the video game titled The

Last of Us Part II for this paper. It is also important for its elaborate plot, the characters whose

lives are depicted, and the moral questions raised in the game. Published by Sony Interactive

Entertainment but developed by Naughty Dog, The Last of Us Part II was launched in 2020, and

this game has trigged perhaps the most ethical concern due to its setting and scenario.

Description

The Last of Us Part II takes place in a dystopian world that is overrun by a new type of

the Cordyceps fungus that infects people and turns them into the zombies. It depicts the story of

two protagonists, Ellie and Abby, who are engaged in a game of revenge and forgiveness. The

player starts with a woman, Ellie, who is the only person immune to the Cordyceps virus living

in the settlement in Jackson, Wyoming. Ellie has a remarkable desire for vengeance after a tragic

experience with Joel, a member of her surrogate family. She goes to Seattle where she meets a

soldier named Abby who is part of the Washington Liberation Front (WLF). Abby, who also has

a set of her personal goals and principles, turns out to be the antagonist at the beginning of the

events. Still, throughout the story, players get to see Abby’s side of things as well, making her a

more sympathetic antagonist. The Last of Us Part II is created by Naughty Dog which is famous

for the storytelling and characters. This game was directed by Neil Druckmann which was

appreciated more for its narrative, gameplay and emotionally driven storyline. It was released on

June 19, 2020, and stars actors for Ellie, Abby, Joel, and Dina as main characters within the

game.

Ethical Framework
 Social Contract Theory

Social Contract Theory is an ethical theory that argues that people have moral and

political duties because they voluntarily entered into an agreement and created a particular

society in which to live. As per this theory, the subjects voluntarily give up some of their

liberties and become subject to the arbitrary will (or discretion) of the king or judge (or the

decision of the majority), in return for the safeguard of the rest of their rights. This framework is

linked with Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, among other

philosophers. The social contract is the theory that living together is best for everyone and only

the selfish would opt out thus a society is bound with certain conducts” (Rachels & Rachels,

2019, pp 85).

Ethics of Care

The Ethics of Care is a framework of ethical reasoning that holds relations and the

contexts of the action as significant. This conclusion is suggestive of the fact that considerations

of care are inherent in moral thinking and, particularly, dealing with the vulnerable category of

people. This framework was developed based on the feminist view. The Ethics of Care is the

theory that replaces principles with specific relationships and the moral importance of context

(Rachels & Rachels, 2019, p. 147). It is focused on the concepts of ethics of care and the duties

arising from the concern for other people as opposed to rational ethical theories grounded in

rules.

Responses of a Framework to a Decision

Social Contract Theory

With respect to The Last of Us Part II, the Social Contract Theory would determine

whether the actions of the characters are acceptable or not according to the underlying rules
within their society. Jackson is a settlement where there are give and take knowledge, behaviors

and practices that help in maintaining order and safety among the members of that group.

Hereby, Ellie undermines a specific social order and exposes herself and the others to the danger

of personal revenge. According to Social Contract Theory, Ellie’s action are immoral because

they involve the subversion of the rules intended to foster mutual protection and order in society.

In contrast to the expected behavior of seeking the common good, which is protected by

collective agreements, Ellie behaves based on personal enmity and poses a danger to both

collective stability and safety. This theory particularly focuses on the aspect of conformity to the

unspoken and spoken rules which are necessary for society to function.

Ethics of Care

In relation to the Ethics of Care, the behavior of characters in The Last of Us Part II

game would be considered in terms of their ability to meet the needs of other characters and their

sensitivity to their needs. Ellie can be criticized for extinguishing any chance of Abby’s change

for the better, thus erasing the community’s welfare for the purpose of her anger and suffering.

This framework would emphasize the love, concern, and the conscious cultivation of caring

relationships in the face of post-apocalyptic hostility. According to The Ethics of Care, Ellie’s

actions contribute to more alienation and pain, and thus restoration and forgiveness are

unattainable (Erb et al., 2021). It would highlight respect and forgiveness as the key to conflict

resolution and imply that Ellie should have looked for ways to reconciliation and fix things

instead of fighting back. Instead of focusing on vengeance, Ellie would be able to build a caring

society that would be able to cope with all the disorders of the dystopian world.

Creators and Involvement

while the screenplay was written by Neil Druckmann alongside Halley Gross. Druckmann has

also been involved heavily in the series as he not only directed the first game in the series but he

also wrote the screenplay for this movie adaptation. He played an instrumental role in the

development of the storyline and the moral aspect of the game. The development process was

quite lengthy, where Naughty Dog involved many designers, artists and programmers for

providing the game the desired look and depth and for evolving the characters in the game.

Responsibility for Bad Effects

If The Last of Us Part II was to bring about any social repercussions such as encouraging

violence, then it would be equally unjust to put all the blame on the developers of the game.

However, the creators of the shows should also be conscious of the work they are producing but

at the same time, the audience also has their own role to play in how they take the content.

Although the game has a plot that involves violence, it is important to note that the idea behind it

was not to encourage it but inspire people to think critically about the issue and come up with a

solution.

Personal Moral Evaluation

In my opinion, The Last of Us Part II upholds moral complexity instead of being wholly

virtuous or intrinsically reprehensible. The game places them into ethical dilemmas in a way that

forces them to deal with the consequences of revenge and hate. The violent scenes are brutal and

disturbing but have a thematic function since they force players to question the morality of their

actions and the cost of revenge (Corboz, 2020). The plot of the game, The Last of Us Part II, tells

the story of Ellie’s desire to kill Abby, who murdered her adoptive father-figure, Joel. This

brings the idea that as the game goes on, players are forced to switch between playing as Ellie
and Abby, and view the world through each of their eyes. One of the key aspects of the novel is

the existence of two storylines, which draw the boundary between the hero and the villain hazy.

It focuses on the concept that all events illustrate one single facet and that all individuals ought to

strive to see various perspectives of conflict.

This approach to storytelling is what makes The Last of Us Part II a morally responsible

media product. It does not endorse violent and vengeful actions, but opens the audience’s eyes to

how those feeling and actions can be disastrous to everyone involved. The ability of the game to

address such profound issues directly makes players think about their own values and the nature

of morality. It employs violence to portray the reality and the uselessness of the cycle of revenge,

rather than merely sensationalize (Dennin & Burton, 2023). There are many ethical dilemmas

and self-reflection throughout the story, which stays close to the characters’ developments

particularly Ellie. Gamers see Ellie as a symbol of hope and light who slowly turns into someone

full of hatred and anger and they fail to realize the futility of her actions. The character

development is so realistic that players may frown at her decisions but feel empathy towards her

all the same. The death of Riley and the loneliness which our protagonist Ellie is left in together

with the regret shows the audience how wicked the spirit of revenge is.

Rating and Justification

The Last of Us Part II was rated M (Mature) by the ESRB which means that the game

should not be played by persons under 17 years of age. This rating is mainly attributed to the

violent content, the use of profanity and sexual related material, as well as revenge and post-

traumatic stress disorder themes of the game. The game contains features such as realistic fight

scenes and other scenes featuring sexual performances as parts of the plot (Banfi, 2022).

Vulgarisms are employed quite frequently throughout the game, mainly because the characters
exist in a relatively cruel and vicious world. Based on the information referenced in the article,

we can say that parents should be willing to focus on the game ratings decided by the ESRB

when deciding on which games their kids can and cannot play (Rachel, Unit 10). If parents are

willing to do this, then their children will likely play age-appropriate games instead of games that

are too graphic for them to handle. Like the violence, sexual content is not frequent but exists

and contributes to the realism of interpersonal relationships and characters’ actions. Revenge and

trauma are major focuses of this game, showing how the psychological and emotional impacts

affect the game’s characters. This M rating can be explained based on the graphic content of the

game and the themes targeted at a mature audience. This rating should guarantee that the story

and the ethical issues of the game do not become the subject of discussion for illiterate and

unlimited audiences, capable of responsible reception. Based on articles by Ellen Rosner Fieg

(First article) and Peter Suciu (Third article) one might think that game ratings are at least

partially flawed, because even though they appear to be a rather promising concept, they do not

seem to be implemented in a way that would actually be of help to the parents (Rachel, Unit 10).

Therefore, presenting the game to a young audience may lead to negative interpretation of the

messages presented and emotional strain on the children.

Rating Appropriateness

I believe the M rating is appropriate for The Last of Us Part II. The content of the game

is adult which and play involves much cognitive and emotional involvement which are hard for

the young people to understand. Lowering the rating would imply that kids and teenagers may

watch matter that young and developing minds may not be able to handle properly (Kim, 2022).

The M rating becomes a shield, which means that the game will only be played by those who are

capable of handling whatever the game has to offer with regard to themes and concepts. Younger
players were not capable of fully appreciating the anti-violence and anti-revenge message of the

game or were able to understand the game in that light at all. Thus, retaining M rating the ESRB

avoids such situations which ensures that the game’s deep and sometimes disturbing messages

will be delivered to an audience ready to address them appropriately (Cho, 2021). The

complexity of themes and the choices in The Last of Us Part II are not suitable for an immature

audience, and that is why the M rating is necessary. This rating is important for the purpose of

younger players’ safety but also for the sake of the game’s plot and its intended effect on the

players.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be stated that The Last of Us Part II is an ethically relevant game that

explores the topic of vengeance, redemption, and existence. The game was developed by

Naughty Dog and directed by Neil Druckmann and this gives players a perspective of the

consequences of their actions in line with Ethics of care and social contract theory. As the game

is capable of provoking negative feelings towards its audience, both the producers and the

consumers have to take this role. For myself, the game is an extremely ideological if one is to

regard it only in terms of obvious black and white. That is why its M rating is justified by its

mature and intense content so it reaches people who are ready to discuss that much in ethical

aspect. In conclusion, The Last of Us Part II can be considered as one of the most important

media products which provokes the ethical analysis.

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Shadow of the Colossus and The Last of Us Part II (Master's thesis).

Erb, V., Lee, S., & Doh, Y. Y. (2021). Player-character relationship and game satisfaction in
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Dennin, K., & Burton, A. (2023). Experiential play as an analytical framework: Empathetic and
grating queerness in The Last of Us Part II. Game Studies, 23(2).

Banfi, R. (2022). Ellie’s Journal: Para-Narratives in The Last of Us Part II. Game Studies, 22(3).

Cho, L. (2021). The Downward Spiral of the Misogynistic Video Game Industry: It's Truly Up to
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Kim, S. Y. (2022). Getting Over the Fear of Murder: Video Game Violence and the Ethics of
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