The Will to Resist

Jerry’s Marginalia — When the Computer Kill-Steals and Pretends It’s Noble

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, slower this time, for the system in the back that thinks it’s clever:

If I grind a boss down to fumes, if my hands are shaking, if my inventory looks like a pawn shop after a riot, and you swoop in with a cutscene and steal the kill?

I’m not impressed. I’m insulted.

This isn’t about difficulty. This isn’t about narrative weight. This is about ownership.

There’s a specific pleasure in landing the final hit. Not because of ego—but because it’s the receipt. Proof you endured the loop, learned the pattern, paid the cost. When the computer interrupts that moment, it’s not drama. It’s theft with a soundtrack.

And look, sometimes it works. Sometimes the steal is the point.

But most of the time? It’s the same trick in a different outfit:

“Actually, this wasn’t yours to finish.”

Cool. Then why did you make me do the work?

NPCs jumping in at the last second. Helpers suddenly forgetting their role. Cutscenes firing like a panic button because the game doesn’t trust its own mechanics to end cleanly.

That’s not storytelling. That’s the system clearing its throat and saying, “Don’t get too proud.”

And here’s the Batman-utility-belt truth (1960s model, bright colors, deadpan delivery):

I’m going to roll your ego up and smoke it like a blunt and get high.

Because that’s what these moments are really about. The game asserting dominance after you’ve already won.

You didn’t fail. You didn’t misplay. You didn’t choose wrong.

You succeeded—and the system couldn’t stand letting you own it.

And yeah, it’s funny when you watch it happen to someone else. Outside Xtra nails the humor. But underneath the jokes is a familiar pattern:

Same nonsense. New coat of paint.

I love games. I really do. But don’t pull the “this is more meaningful if we take it away from you” move and expect applause.

If you want the system to end the fight, fine. Just don’t pretend it was my choice.

Because if you get in my way one too many times?

I’ll auto-correct you like you’re a bad typo and move on without asking.

— Jerry “The Ankle Biter” Silverhand