When we are invited to punch reporter Khalisah al-Jilani in Mass Effect, BioWare's messaging is not subtle as a crimson renegade symbol flashes at the bottom of the screen. While undoubtedly a choice - and one entirely at our own discretion, at that - it's clear: this action will have detrimental consequences.
Things are not so black and white in Bury Me, My Love. A text-based interactive novel - named after the Syrian farewell phrase that translates roughly into "take care, and don't even think about dying before I do" - Bury Me doesn't offer such polarising choices, which means - at least to begin with, anyway - it all feels a little bit arbitrary.
I agree with my wife, Nour, and suggest she pick option A, not B, whilst preparing for her journey. I disagree later on, though, insisting she buys item C and not D from the market stall. Later still, I insist she follow fellow refugee E and unceremoniously leave character F to fend for themselves. The choices initially make me uncomfortable, because I know as only a gamer can they may come back and bite me on the arse - we've all played Telltale's The Walking Dead, right? - but I'm not getting the faintest glimmer of foreshadowing here. I later learn there isn't a right or wrong way to play this. There aren't any explicitly 'Good' or 'Bad' endings (although some are harrowing enough to be categorised as the latter, believe me). And half the time Nour doesn't even bloody listen to me, anyway.