Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is, in my opinion, a fantastically artful piece of writing, but the story itself drew my attention for one central reason. In recent years I have come to be quite interested in the human psyche and its operation, manipulation and failure. Heart of Darkness dives fearlessly into an examination of human fallibility centering around the mysterious Mr. Kurtz, tales of whom tell of a highly intelligent man who truly puts his heart and soul into his work.
Marlow's further inquiries produce a disturbing insight into Kurtz's mind: a report written by Kurtz for the betterment of the International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs. The report is described as a closely-knit seventeen-page masterpiece of rhetoric, but ends with an abrupt and messy "Exterminate all the brutes!" Marlow quickly realizes the partial truth about Kurtz that many others refuse to see: he has been consumed by the Darkness.
Enter BioShock, widely considered to be one of the best video games ever created. BioShock has been praised for a beautiful story and an immersive world, and is noted for its capacity to have an intense psychological effect on players. BioShock tells the story of Andrei Rianofski, a citizen of the Soviet Union who is sickened by communism and the complacency and apathy of the people under it. Embracing an objectivist philosophy, Rianofski (as Andrew Ryan) escapes the country at the end of World War II with a grand idea: he plans to build a massive underwater utopia and bring others of his philosophy with him. The city of Rapture is secretly completed in 1948, and Andrew Ryan and other selected elites flee there to escape the terror of the Cold War.
The player arrives in Rapture in 1960 after a mid-Atlantic plane crash dumps him in the water near a mysterious obelisk. Guided by a mysterious voice on the radio, the player is told a tragic story of corruption and greed that led to the collapse of Rapture society. As the player explores the now mortally dangerous ruins of Rapture, the cause of the Rapture Civil War becomes apparent: a chemical used for genetic modification called ADAM. Scientists in Rapture discovered in the early 1950's that female children can be used to cultivate ADAM at the cost of their humanity. These "Little Sisters" are guarded by supersoldiers known as "Big Daddies" who will attempt to mutilate the player on sight.
As the game progresses, it becomes more difficult for the player to defend himself from Big Daddies and the ever-present thieves and marauders around Rapture, and the player realizes the need for ADAM. And then, the first time the player catches hold of a Little Sister, BioShock begins to torture the player. Two options are provided: "Rescue" or "Harvest." Rescuing a Little Sister returns a small amount of ADAM and lets the Little Sister go; Harvesting returns large amounts of ADAM but leaves the Little Sister screaming in agony, and then dead. This decision must be made every time a Little Sister is found. Should he player not harvest a single one the entire game, the final leg of the story is next to impossible. However, harvesting Little Sisters causes the game to attempt to drive the player mad by recalling their screams during silent moments.
When I finished Heart of Darkness this game was all I could think of. Though the stories themselves are different, they both examine human downfall and make it uncomfortably clear just how close we may be.
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