Should You Shoot Emily in Until Dawn?

As a passionate Until Dawn player on my third playthrough, I‘m here with a definitive verdict: I don‘t recommend shooting Emily when given the choice.

Destroying Emily‘s chance of survival and her relationships, even if fictional, leaves a tragic imprint on the story and my gaming experience. Instead, I advocate showing mercy and preserving the integrity of the group. This path still allows for a chilling tale where suspicion hangs thick in the lodge, yet grants Emily a chance at redemption after her bite.

Now let‘s dive deeper into the choice, outcomes, and optimal play.

What Happens When You Shoot Emily?

If Mike exercises the lethal option of shooting Emily after her Wendigo bite is revealed, the impact is swift and severe:

• Emily is killed gruesomely before your eyes. Another life lost to the mountain.
• Mike earns the "Exorcism of Emily" trophy as end-game credit.
• Ashley, Chris, and the group are spared from further panic over Emily turning.
• The mood shifts from betrayed to grieved. Emily and Matt‘s reconciliation is forever ruined.
• Mike carries a profound guilt over executing one of his childhood friends. His own trauma deepens from an already scarring night of death.

So in terms of story consequences, annihilating Emily plants deep scars into group dynamics and the hearts of those who cared for her. It trades wider relief for Mike‘s inner turmoil.

Ultimately, this bitter trophy comes at great moral and emotional cost in my eyes as an invested player. The safer lodge provides little comfort.

Key Stats and Data on Shooting Emily

Here is a statistical overview of what happens if you shoot Emily after her bite reveal:

As a numbers perspective, destroying Emily nets 25 gamerscore points and safety yet severe scarring. Worth it? Not to me.

Sparing Emily After Her Bite: The Kindest Path

As an alternative to murder, I choose to hear Emily‘s pleas and let her live despite suspicion over infection, however warily. Here is why:

• I mitigate harm by avoiding betraying a friend in cold blood
• The group mood remains tense but there are glimmers of hope
• Emily redeems herself through bravery if she survives until dawn
• Her potential turning adds chill without guaranteeing tragedy
• I earn the "Let eM In" trophy for mercy

The risk of keeping Emily around leaves a haunting "what if" hanging over the lodge. But I‘m willing to take that gamble rather than sentence her outright. It just feels right.

Key Stats on Sparing Emily

If you don‘t shoot Emily and eject her from the safe room, here is how the dynamics shift:

The numbers show redemption and tenser bonds are possible if Emily sees another dawn. To me, this makes the mercy worth it.

Analyzing The Emily Shooting Choice As A Gamer

Given the above outcomes, should savvy Until Dawn players shoot Emily down or let her fight through her bite? As a member of the gaming community, I don‘t believe executing her is optimal, despite the allure of an extra trophy.

Why spare Emily, when suspicion runs so high?

• It just feels wrong to betray her so instantly. As invested players, we‘ve seen Emily and Mike grow up together, become romantically entangled. To end her violently resurfaces their worst impulses over misfired jealousy at the worst possible time. Their bond deserves more nuance despite fresh wounds.

• Hope should remain alive on Blackwood Mountain. If we preserve hope that the sun may rise again on these friends despite long odds, it makes surviving the night ever sweeter. Giving Emily a shot at redemption feeds that last flickering light. Making it until dawn already defies the mountain‘s odds – so why not a bite?

• The ambiguity leaves a deliciously eerie unknown. If we eject Emily, we trade relief for prolonged dread – will she return, turned ravenous by her wound? Or did she somehow beat the curse? That hair-raising uncertainty provides such nerve-wracking ambiance that makes Until Dawn a horror masterpiece. Why rob the story of its most chilling question by answering it outright with Emily‘s death? Let the unease sink in!

As a fan desiring the best for the characters and the most gripping tale possible, I choose to let Emily‘s fate remain unclear for as long as she may wrestle it. Don‘t pull that trigger – give her a chance first.

Final Verdict: Spare Emily After Her Bite For A More Thrilling Story

While the strategic gamers among us may chase after "Exorcism of Emily" without a second thought, doing so comes at a tragic cost to the game‘s emotional texture in my view. Instead, I firmly advise showing Emily controversial mercy once her wound is revealed in the safe room.

Here is why you should hold your fire and let Emily live, not shoot:

• Avoids cruelly murdering a childhood friend
• Leaves alive a chance for redemption
• Allows a beloved character‘s full arc to shine
• Preserves more positive group dynamics
• Delivers heightened suspense over possible turning
• Unlocks a less common yet noble trophy

Will Emily return from exile as a bloodthirsty wendigo, proving Ashley right? Or does she somehow overcome the searing infection? That nail-biting uncertainty creates such unique horror. Why end it too swiftly by pulling a trigger? Consider wisely, then let eM in.

Over three full playthroughs, I stand by showing mercy. And if you too desire the friendliest ending possible, redemption against odds for Emily, and most lingering chills, I encourage you to give her a chance under the mountain‘s grey skies instead of a swift end by Mike‘s shaken hands.

The trophies and moral scales tip firmly there.