Alison Byrd: The illusion of free will in BioShock and the Hero’s Journey

    In many hero’s journey narratives, the protagonist seems to forge their own path, choosing adventure, facing trials, and ultimately returning transformed. But what if the choices that define a hero’s journey are not choices at all? What if the hero never had free will to begin with?

    This question is explored throughout the video game BioShock, where the illusion of free will becomes its greatest twist. As players take on the role of Jack, a man who crash lands in the underwater city of Rapture, they believe they are making decisions, helping rebels, defeating tyrants, and liberating the city. But in the most unexpected moment of revelation, the player learns he was never truly in control. Throughout the game there is a common phrase: “Would you kindly?”, which seems innocent, but was actually a form of hypnotism or in other words mind control. Every action or choice he made was programmed obedience.

    This does not just shake the player but it also forces him to rethink his entire hero’s journey. He has to question many things such as: was he ever a hero, or just a puppet with the illusion he was in control? And what does that mean for his understanding of heroism? This is explored in Joseph Campbell’s Hero with a Thousand Faces as it emphasizes the hero’s “call to adventure,” a moment that suggests freedom and choice. However, in BioShock, the call is not a call, but a command. The refusal of the call is therefore impossible. This makes BioShock one of the best ways to look into the illusion of free will. As this game reframes the hero’s journey through a lens of manipulation and control, it invites us to question not only the nature of storytelling, but also our own assumptions about autonomy. Overall, the illusion of free will does not just reshape the journey but the hero as well.

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