I hate small talk. I don’t feel I’m any good at it. I don’t want to engage in it. I practically run from it if I see it coming. But I love talking about big ideas, especially philosophy. Quite obviously, that makes me annoying. I admit it. People minding their own business in a casual setting may feel assaulted by my unprovoked diatribes about Nagel’s concept of moral luck, humankind’s supposed dominion over other animals, or the virtues of a restorative justice system. Thankfully, with Pro Philosopher 2: Governments and Grievances, everyone in my personal life can enjoy a reprieve from my ceaseless desire to debate and discuss topics like these as I work to beat this game instead.
Pro Philosopher 2 (PP2) is modeled closely after the Ace Attorney series but recontextualizes Capcom’s art style and mechanics to focus on philosophical debates rather than pit players in a court drama. Here you don’t present evidence that refutes the claims being spoken from the witness stand; you find holes in the arguments of your verbal sparring partner.
The first game, which focused on moral philosophy specifically, is on Steam for free following a debut on Kongregate years ago that earned it some cult praise. I came to the series with the upcoming second game, which very pointedly focuses on political philosophy this time around. Because if there’s one thing gamers love, it’s politics in their games.
