Animals in games are either pests/enemies to be exterminated or resources to be harvested. Or used in some manner at least, like as collectibles or something. It's rare that they're presented as having any intrinsic value by themselves or should be considered by the player in any way beyond utility to the player. Which is just taking the worst way that people relate to animals currently and distilling it to an even purer form.
Human relationships in games are modelled terribly. So are personal finances, etc. etc.
Animals in games are either pests/enemies to be exterminated or resources to be harvested. Or used in some manner at least, like as collectibles or something. It's rare that they're presented as having any intrinsic value by themselves or should be considered by the player in any way beyond utility to the player. Which is just taking the worst way that people relate to animals currently and distilling it to an even purer form.
Human relationships in games are modelled terribly. So are personal finances, etc. etc.
Now im thinlimg sandbox, but where animal populations are simulated, if you collapse certain species it starts having real effects.
All the giant spiders die cause you ki them> you start seeing swarms of giant mosquitos that disease you and important npcs