guilt from video games

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I just keep in mind that I'm killing some virtual object in the game that happens to resemble a human, and not pretending to actually be killing someone. Video games are completely different from reality.

Violence is a part of life. And art imitates life.

Violence in video games or any other media before it(before videogames were the scapegoat, it was tv, movies, radio, etc. even books.) has never been the root cause of violence.
If someone is inspired by a game, to act out violently or re-enact violent scenes, then there was already something wrong with that person, to begin with.

My question would be: what's at the root of this guilt?

Anyway, study after study has shown that violent games do not create violent players.

You're interacting with a binary, simulated world. One without feelings and strict rules of play, that dictate what is possible in the world.

If you're given the option to hack someone to pieces, that was made by artists and coders.
Nothing you can do in a game, is the player's actual choice. You are presented with various options/paths and you pick one and enjoy the ride. So why feel guilty? it's closer to being a movie then you might think.

either you then simply dont njoy violent games. in which case: dont play them. but since you keep playing them enough to feel guilty about it, smells like an internal conflict.

if i may take a blind guess, i would guess that you havent been around actual violence (or too much) and you havent incorporated you jungian shadow. your own innate potential for violence.

or maybe not and im talking out of my ass

I wonnder if that's why Nazis and zombies are such popular enemies... more players are fine with killing them!

partially, yes. it's destruction and adrenaline and an activity you cannot normally do or would want to do. for some, it's escape, for others a rush, for others it's about the coop.

which brings me back to the topic of this post. the guilt. that guilt stems from somewhere. dont blame the game, but get to why you feel guilt and address that.

I am actually within most games I waste my time on, like it becomes part of my ongoing experience and the screen is not preventing me being there, like paper or headphones do not restrict me accessing the plains and breezes of stories or songs, so I feel extreme guilt if I wrong someone who ought not have been wronged according to my own moral compass or if I mess up and they pay the price or if I upset someone I engage in dialog with.