Summary
When I docked at Claviger’s Landing, I immediately walked over to the local farm and started swinging my sword at the chickens. It’s practically a rite of passage inSkyrimto slaughter everyone in Riverwood after accidentally killing one of their fowl. But don’t worry, a missclick inAvowedwon’tturn Hadvar’s entire family against you.
I tried to roast them alive, zap them with magic, and even shoot them with my flintlock. Nada. The same goes for every other farm animal, even the weird bird cows (not to be confused with the real-life giant cowbird). You also can’t kill random villagers or essential NPCs. Everyone inthe Living Landsis… well, living. Forever, apparently.
And when I say that, I don’t mean they have infinite health. Attacking them does nothing. It’s not like Skyrim where they drop to one knee, mutter insults, grunt a bit, and get back up for round 200. They can’t be attacked to begin with. Maybe it’s a good thing we can’t butcher their livestock, eh?
Chickens Are A Gaming Staple
Having everyone from Rorikstead to Whiterun descend on you for hurting a chicken in Riverwood has become a huge meme in the Skyrim community, but it’s far from the only RPG to torture these poor critters. Killing chickens (or Cucco) inThe Legend of Zeldafamously turns the entire flock against you,there’s a robo-chicken boss fight in Earthworm Jim(a more justifiable case of chick culling), and inFable, there’s even an entire competition dedicated to kicking chickens.
But not every game punishes you for slaughtering fowl. InRed Dead Redemption, you can knock them out or hunt them for feathers.Minecraftlets you breed them and cook them alive in a cramped, Redstone box, which the movie even parodies. And inThe Outer Worlds(also developed by Obsidian), killing chickens has no repercussions whatsoever. The precious little wildlife you find in its dystopian sci-fi settlements are free for the taking.
