- Oct 16, 2021
- 918
- 2,414
Although not the most nuanced critique of the game, it is still valid in my opinion. It is a feminist game in that the concepts of consent and female agency are explored and emphasized. That in itself isn't bad, but it isn't surprising when people are expecting a male power fantasy and instead get this game, and criticize it negatively.
Your MC is limited sexually most of the time, especially on what is supposed to the more sinister, non-redeeming path, which by the way, is already muddled between a fanatical yes-man and a self-serving pragmatist. While being a lackey, the MC is described as the high ranked confidant of the Lich. However, he is the de facto subordinate to Suspira, a volatile sociopath, which relegates the MC to quite menial tasks such as laundry and masseur to an amazonian bodyguard. The jarring inconsistencies of his position is compounded by an almost voyeuristic emphasis, despite not being tagged as such. Most of the time, the MC is not the primary driver of sexual encounters. Someone made the comment, that of scenes showcased on the inaugural post, in only a few is the MC a participant, which quite indicative of the game. Building upon that, rape while being tagged, in the game it is only described in a 3rd person, tangential way. Correct me if I am wrong, but would a rape tag suggest a 1st person, raper/rapee dynamic, as it pertains to a fetish? On the subject of violence, the most violent, gory descriptions are the death and mutilation of men. While commonplace amongst media, in my opinion, it seems overemphasized here. This not an indictment of feminism, but could be construed as the writer's conscious or not, misandry.
In summary, what we have here is mismatch of expectations and delivery. People are initially expecting an empowered male MC, but reality, have empowered female NPC's that curtail, in the majority of cases, the MC's agency. This from a feminist sociopolitical viewpoint that isn't bad, but a game design point of view is. In essence, narrative games usually are a form escapism, taking the player out of the confides of the limitations placed on them by society, nature, or even morality. Placing limits, if perceived arbitrary, is going to provoke ambivalent to hostile reactions. How to fix or negate this? First, correctly tag the game. Secondly, emphasis the limitations and themes placed upon on the player in the synopsis of the game. And lastly, if a partial rewrite of the game is to be considered, increase MC's agency and ability to act trangressively if on a more self-serving path.
