I spent most of this weekend's video game hours on playing through the single player campaign for Battlefield 4. I didn't expect much from it but it delivered a roller coaster trip that was worth my time either way, story be damned. But one thing that kept annoying me throughout the handful of hours of playing the campaign was something I've noticed in a lot of different genres, but FPS in general.

The idea that the game world have to make you important somehow, typically a leader of some kind, whether they have to or not. The issue with making you the leader in tightly scripted joyrides are the complete lack of your own agency within the story contradicting your role as leader.

In Battlefield 4 you take the role of Recker, who after some unfortunate events find himself to be the squad leader. But throughout most of the campaign, you'll feel like most of the decisions are made without your consent as leader. In fact, sometimes it feels like high ranking officials barely take note of your presence other than initially and the last word. All that chatter in between are all carried out by your squad while you're standing there being pushed aside by scripted placements of your squad. In some ways, I felt like I was in the way more than I was being their leader.

And don't get me started on how many times they told me to get some sleep, pulled me up from rubble and asked if I was ok, and otherwise made me feel like I was a rookie who could barely hold his own. "Great shot, Recker!" -- Thanks, Hannah. I'm pretty well versed with shooting, you know.

This game isn't the only one that treats you like a child that needs being held by the hand, but it's the one that I've so far been the most annoyed with worth writing about it. In fact, had they made someone else leader of the squad, and you're basically just one of the guys, everything would have felt a lot more palatable.

It reminds me a lot of old JRPGs where you take the role of someone really young who becomes a figure head of some revolution only to have other people decide what to do and all you get to do is say "Yes". But maybe that's a metaphor for life or something. More games should try and either make you less important, or make your importance matter somehow. Give you the illusion of choice if need be. But don't just drag the player along trying to trick them into thinking they're calling the shots when that's obviously not the case.