Sam Kriss

War games do something seriously unpleasant to our brains

First-person shooters swallow up your entire consciousness – and real war is starting to take cues from them

Still from first-person shooter Six Days in Fallujah. Credit: © Victura. Featured in War Games at IWM London 
issue 29 October 2022

Three years ago, I killed several thousand people over the course of a single weekend. Late into the night, I ran around butchering everyone I saw, until by the end I didn’t even feel anything any more. Just methodically powering through it all, through the wet sounds of splattering heads, bodies crumpling, shiny slicks of blood.

GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY A MONTH FREE
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Try a month of Britain’s best writing, absolutely free.

Comments

Join the debate, free for a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first month free.

Already a subscriber? Log in