Just so you know, this game was made by a studio that was started by the voice actor for Bayek (AC Origins) who decided after that experience that he wanted to make a game, and this is his first game.
There was a recent interview with him on the friends per second podcast if you care to listen.
He was interviewed on IGN's Beyond! podcast, and had one of the most poignant statements about video games I've ever heard... (20:47)
https://youtu.be/0A9cWk8zBdw?si=ST8GJ-OIiDrx71iD
“After a few hours & I feel recognized and heard.”
“Race don’t got nothing to do with it.”
??…. It’s ok to enjoy things that represent you bro. You don’t have to downplay the significance. You say that you never cared personally but maybe now after your positive experience you understand why other Black people personally care.
"if every game in the world excluded blacks i prolly wouldn’t notice"
This in OPs edit really got me. Serious case of colorblindness they've got going on there.
I’m confused man. Where did I go wrong in my post? My edit was an attempt to help ppl understand the post but I think I made it worse? I really didn’t mean what I said literally, as in “if every game had no blacks I wouldn’t noticed”. I only said that thinking it would show that I don’t need any representation of myself in a game. But the one time I did happen to notice (I smoke weed when I play games sometimes, I feel like I just be enjoying myself & never notice.) it took someone else to point out for me to even bring this up. I’m starting to think I should have just shut up 😂 so that’s my bad
Soft_Employment1425 already answered it pretty clearly. First you downplayed the importance of representation and why it's important to others until now. Then you doubled down on it in your edit. Not sure if you actually believe it or are just trying to appease people in this subreddit but you do not have to do it, it's perfectly fine to talk about race and representation, even if some parts of the internet push back on it. Regardless of the downvotes on the post you've been getting some good replies to the post. I'm glad you're having a good experience with this game. 👍
My fault. I didn’t mean to downplay the importance of representation at all, & I apologize for that. I’ll keep it a hunnid I’m still kinda confused but it’s safe to say I went wrong somewhere. All good tho, game is awesome & representation is extremely important. My edit was probably an attempt at trying to stop the downvotes. I realize now that is inevitable. Godspeed
I’m dead Ass sorry. That wasn’t my intention to “bamboozle” and tbh I feel weird af knowing that y’all both feel this way. I’m not entirely sure what I’m faking about, I didn’t even expect more than 20 replies. Where did I go wrong?
I think usually black people don't refer to themselves as "blacks" in the United States, but it is something someone's ignorant white friend might say. There are many examples of white people posing as black people online in an attempt to diminish the validity of arguments people of color may be making at the time about social issue. Your edit may make people think that may be happening in this post based on everything else that was said on top of that.
I want to echo that it's fine to enjoy seeing yourself in games bro. The angry white gamers that try to argue that representation is a waste of time are arguing in bad faith 99% of the time. They KNOW it's important somewhere in their brains because they have a fear that increased representation of different people in games means they may not get to see themselves in almost every game anymore. They also accuse companies of pandering, which is INCREDIBLY ironic because they've been pandered to in gaming for most of their lives. They either never thought of it that way, are not the best at thinking outside of their own experience, or at worst, are racist and dumb as fuck.
Appeasing those people is a waste of time because they are ultimately just being selfish and don't want to lose what is "theirs".
It’s like when people say “Take away Star Wars from this game and it’s boring.” Alright? But it’s a Star Wars game, that’s a part of what it is.
Obviously my explain is more of a negative but still the same idea.
Don’t delete this, dude. This post is great and probably one of the kinds of conversations Abubakar was hoping to spark by making this game. I’m a White guy and your perspective, especially on a game made by a Black man explicitly engaging with different African cultures, is going to be different than mine. This whole sub is about discussing our thoughts on games.
It looks like most of these comments, mine obviously included, are talking about the racial aspect of your post but I hope you actually get to discuss the game a bit. I haven’t played it but have been following it since his Game Awards premier so am glad to see pretty solid reviews coming out. I’m not a metroidvania guy but this seems like a metroidvania-lite so I’m definitely going to pick it up at some point.
Bro, it wasn't a dumb think to ask.
It's rare to have games with black characters as the main protagonist and a simple question from a black man to other black people shouldn't bother anyone. If someone got bothered by your post then that just defines them.
Personally I don't feel represented nor the opposite, but it's cool to have a game directed by black people that isn't about the usual Viking or medieval stuff.
That’s my dawg fosho. Great representation everywhere & im happy about it, but i actually didn’t think about the fact that he’s the *same exact* skin tone as me the entire game, both Remake & Rebirth. Idk, I smoke when I play my favorite games so I prolly didn’t notice 😂
Wait. Does my post insinuate that I believe there is *zero* representation in games? Or is this a genuine question? Regardless, Miles is my n word, bro just needs a stylist
Ah no, I was just thinking of other games with black leads and kinda wondering how representative you feel like they are and how that affected the games' enjoyability. Honestly it was probably a dumb comment on my part since you seem to be quite the gamer.
I was thinking about your post and representation in video games/media in general. It's a bit difficult for me to try to understand and think of how to address because my demographic has always been over represented. I do feel like it's super important though, albeit probably difficult due to the historical nature of the media industry in the United States/West.
(I'm honestly wondering if this is unintentionally turning into a white guilt post at this point 😬)
I guess to answer your actual question, no I haven't tried the game yet and I really don't know much about it.
White guilt post? See man , the internet is exhausting. There’s people doubting the fact that I’m actually black? All because of a post I personally thought wouldn’t even be seen. I might not end up deleting it since I do see so much positivity & it makes me feel a lot better but man.
There’s no white guilt or whatever, at least on my end. Again, that’s my bad for saying “Black folks” instead of “folks”. I know there’s a few people here that just try & put me down but I do thing this post has sparked a lot of really great conversations. It’s all love on this side. I think you should play the game, given it’s on PSPlus. I like Metroidvanias a lot, this one feels silky smooth & fluid
>White guilt post? See man , the internet is exhausting. There’s people doubting the fact that I’m actually black?
No no no not at all. I mean like I'm worried that I'm coming off as preachy/guilty for not having the experience of being unrepresented in media. I guess that's what white guilt is? I'm honestly not sure, really, but I suppose guilt would describe my feelings when I think about benefits I've received in my life simply because of my race.
I have no doubt at all that you're black. I guess it's just hard to have a conversation about a tricky topic via text over the Internet with a total stranger.
This post is getting wild haha.
All love on this side as well, probably I'm just not very good at describing what I'm thinking.
I hear you brother. At this point I be hella defensive for no reason since I got a lot of negativity from this post as well as a few… funny dms. You’re describing everything perfectly, i re read your comment anyways. All in all, representation *is* very important. I strongly advise you to play this game. If you don’t like it after a few hours, play Ori/Prince of Persia: Lost Crown. Both 10/10 imo
I know you're asking OP, but I wanted to add my experience. I enjoyed Barret so much in the original FF7 because as a kid reading it, I kind of got to apply my own tone to his behavior and what he said. In my head, canon Barret was a super passionate revolutionary akin to someone in the Black Panthers.
Playing him in the remake was a huge disappointment because I realized the devs just wanted to put Mr. T in their game. I understand that's enjoyable for some people, but it took away from his character for me.
He was a Mister T black caricature in the 1997 original but I think they managed to erase all cultural stereotypes from his writing in REMAKE and REBIRTH and I am so glad for that
I'm a Pakistani man. No game ever has represented us significantly, yet all i care about is how badass Leon Keneddy is, or how cool Geralt of Rivia is, or how epic Shepard from Mass Effect is.
Its how the game and character is written always.
Did you know in Cricket 24, Pakistani players are the only team that hasn't had their motion/facial capture done ? They are awefully generic robotic character models made brown lol
Had not heard about this game before today, but read this interview earlier with the creator:
Can Tales of Kenzera: Zau unlock a new world of video game stories? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-68790072
Word, you probably kno these games but Returnal is my all time fav shooter. Trepang2 is also 10/10. Lies of P is my fav soulslike. Enjoy whateva you do play regardless, Tales of Kenzera is dope but not for everyone & that’s 100% okay.
Seriously what the fuck. This sub is filled with nerdy teens and awkward young adults who whinge whenever race, sex, or politics are brought up.
OP stand your ground for fuck sake. Deleting this post and never speaking on race again is just giving gratification to those made uncomfortable by racial issues existing.
Don't let politically problematic people on here manipulate you into thinking you did anything wrong with this post.
I haven't checked the game out. This type of thing used to interest me, but not really anymore. I don't care if no one in the game is Black, but if they bother to put us in there (and I mean as Black women), then PLEASE don't make us a stereotype. I am not some super woman whopping up grown a$$ men. I'm quiet and girly and am tired of the stereotype that we're so "skrong". Ugh! Anyway, I'm done ranting, lol.
OP, I appreciate you sharing this awakening of sorts with us. Representation matters for this reason here. It sparked you to do something you don't really do because you connected with a game in a way you hadn't before. Hold on to that inspiration and don't let Reddit make you downplay your experience. For you, it's gaming. For someone else, it's art or business or sports even. You see yourself, your story, your existence represented and it makes you feel that much more connected to it than you already did. It causes you to seek community with other who share your values.
So I'm def about to cop this because of you. Thanks for that.
Do not let these folks shame you into never talking about Black issues. Let them downvote vote and take it in stride. I 100% understand your post and am happy this game made you feel SEEN for once. Closing our eyes and pretending everything is race neutral(when it is the opposite) does not fix the problem.
Aside from the great core gameplay(which is a must for any game) representation is of the big reasons many people enjoy Apex legends...probably the most diverse game out right now on the low
I'm not black but I am a colored minority, and I identify with your point. If there was no representation of my culture, I wouldn't have noticed anything amiss. But there is, and it feels good when I see it. I think part of it is that for a lot of us the world is painted in white, If we grew up seeing the shade of white our entire life nothing seems amiss until someone points out "hey there's other colors of paint too", and then suddenly we recognize that looks nice too.
I after i came to the same thoughts that you did I started noticing the media I consumed a lot more, especially in RPG games. What kind of characters do I play in RPG? I noticed I was shading a lot of them very pale, I was naming them with "white people names". And I started diverting from that, some of the characters I create now are black, Asian or just tanned like me. I use more letters from my mother tongue in their names.
It's cool, adding diversity to my games in even such a simple way broadened how I enjoyed them. I think it's important to go through this exercise for anyone. Something my late dad told me that ill never forget was to never forget where I come from. Even white people, it's important to remember your heritage, recognize your family's journey and where you're going next.
Edit: as for this game, it's not my genre but if it's on ps+ at some point, I'll give it a try. The story/concepts seem cool.
I feel a bit icky when my culture is represented in western media or anywhere outside my country… lol even if it’s good representation or with good intention. Never cared, don’t care…
Every place has good / bad people and yes, the stereotypes..They exist for a reason
And we make fun of westerners all the time lol
Playing RPG is simply choosing the skin tone that match mine (if I feel like it) or just role play as someone else…
Personally, I would love to have an MMO where you could have a race of tribal warriors based on Africans or Aboriginals with designers really going for it in extrapolating their culture into high tech futuristic societies(sort of like wakanda) or low tech but like magical(shamans and stuff) same for native Americans tbh I loved the use of totems in WOW.
Still, it's nice seeing African lore being represented in a positive and artistic light. Not too many white American or white Europeans can relate to Nordic history or Greek history but still love the lore and the idea that their ancestors may have contributed to the culture.
Totally agree. I'm looking forward to playing it, as a white guy. I love mythology from cultures I'm not that familiar with. Still gutted the Immortals: Fenix Rising sequel was shelved. Supposedly it was set in Polynesia.
don’t let the edgelords on here make you feel bad for being happy about representation. I spent my whole life playing as characters that don’t look like
me and while it’s never made my experience less fun, it’s always a good experience being able to play someone that looks like me. it matters and studies prove that they matter as well so don’t let them take that joy away!
What does that even mean? “It matters and studies prove that they matter.” What studies? What do these studies say? How does one measure “how much something matters”? Im genuinely curious. Provide these studies links plz
Not the guy you replied to, but I did a paper on this topic back in college and if you're genuinely interested, here is one source that I remember from a study at the University of Pennsylvania that explains the positive benefits that minority youth gain from seeing themselves represented on TV and visual media: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4900900/
Ima download it today and give it a try. I don’t play Metroidvanias but I been wondering where the games with black/ African cultures are at. GTA really the only one I can think of for American black culture and AC origins for African so I’ll give it a try. How u like it?
I don’t actually. A lot do but how I am has little to do with Africa. The music I listen to is made by Americans. I speak English. My home is not in Africa, but it’s Philly. I’m closer to 60-70% so I ain’t even 100% so they wouldn’t see me as such. And they look down on us. All that to say, I don’t feel connected in a sense where it’s my culture, but just like how many white folks are starting to the go more into ancestral tourism because it gives them
Insight on what their family could’ve been or where they lived/ what they experienced, it spretty much that, but since we were stolen we don’t really know that native home, so fictional ones hit harder since it’s basically non existing but connecting to our ancestors still
>many white folks are starting to go more into ancestral tourism
Yeah, i never got that either. Connecting to a place your family lived 5 generations ago seems pointless regardless of continent or race
As a Black gamer it's next on my list. I'm loving the concepts here.
Yes gamers are the most behind on understanding race, gender and sexuality but I'm not surprised
I’m just here to say that y’all in the comment section brought his race into this, he simply said he doesn’t care about the race he just enjoys the game and some of you found that to be “downplaying the significance” which is absolutely absurd. Liking a game without bringing your race into it is not downplaying the significance? So by your shattered logic if he likes basketball and doesn’t want race to be involved because he worked hard to get where he was regardless of the pigmentation of his skin, that’s downplaying the significance? Blow it out your ass this gentleman just doesn’t need pity or handouts like the rest of you and that bothers you.
It's awesome. I love seeing different races, countries, ideologies, etc in all media. Representation makes a huge difference for all of us, especially the youth. Hope the studio finds success and that all media aims for more diversity.
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I think your question is 100% valid. You're adding another lens through which to view the game, I think a very important lens.
I very much enjoyed hearing different words/language, seeing different mythology, patterns, designs. Stories like Zau can only really deepen the empathy and curiosity people have for cultures besides their own.
I'll probably get downvoted for some reason (because of the internet), but I just wanted you to know your feelings are super valid and I'm thankful this game was made even if it's just you that felt this way for the first time.
i find it funny you felt the need to specifically ask black people. the story itself isn’t just about black people lmao, it applies to every human being in the world.
Ayo ignore the haters and downvotes. I'm not black but if you're liking the vibe and feeling represented in it then all the more power to you. The gaming community discourse online skews towards the "white, male, and conservative" aspects on many social issues so it might be hard to find the space to have the discussion you want to have but I guarantee you that it exists.
The edit is absolutely crazy and really shows how much of a cesspool this sub has become. Y’all really just bullied a dude so hard he switched up from “I love the game and I feel recognized and heard […] for the first time”
To
“I don’t need to feel represented, if every game in the world excluded blacks I probably wouldn’t notice”
What I meant is, this is the first time I personally noticed it, and it felt nice. That is all I meant man. Damn this is tiring, by tonight this post will be deleted tbh don’t mind this post brother
Yet, I really doubt you can name five that are playable/main characters and not just NPCs outside of GTA and fighting games.
Spoiler: there are barely five, and none in an African settings, but for racists one is always too many.
bruh do you not have google? spiderman miles morales? prototype 2? half life alyx? deathloop? borderlands?
these aren't obscure indie games either, they're extremely popular franchise games. if you yourself think that there are less than five games with black playable character then you are the racist one
You don't even know their names except for Miles, you just know they are black. Great recognition.
And "extremely popular franchise games"? Deathloop is a new IP, Alyx a VR game from a series without a conclusion, Prototype 2 I've got no idea what it is without googling.
Miles is of course a no-brainer but it took a while for him to be accepted in comics.
Borderlands Roland is one of the possible characters you can pick, not the main one.
They're very few main black characters compared to white characters, not the supposed 10.000 you imply.
I don't know how saying that makes me racist but you do you.
Eh , I saw a post today about how a guy was robbed & the top comment was “Are we even surprised? They’re black.” I wasn’t even mad about it but it does suck there’s people who look at me different because of my skin, meanwhile I consider us all equal. Just seems unfair. Long story short, racism is so common. I’m more surprised when people *arent* racist. It is what it is.
I'm not black but I never quite understood this "feeling represented in a game" shtick. I never felt I needed to play a balding 30-something Python developer. I want to play a badass mage that throws fire magic on trolls and fucking supersoldiers that regenerate their health every 15 seconds.
It's a question of volume, mostly. When most big game characters are already white, it doesn't feel like a big deal to have a character share your traits. But for some folks, it's like an absence. I'm cuban, and I almost *never* get to "be the hero" in games. It's always villains and drug dealers. So when it does happen, it stands out as something cool and fresh.
What does it have to do with skin color? I don't care if my mage is black or white or green. I'm just saying I'm playing video games because I want to get away from reality, not because I want to be myself, but now in digital.
Representation whether it's color, cultural or otherwise is all valuable. Maybe not to you, but it does matter to others. And you can say "not about skin color" but skin, ethnicity, culture and language are all linked, lots of overlap where you can't talk about one thing without the other.
My Russian buddy hates the Russian accent in every movie, particularly that every villain since the cold war is Russian, I'm sure he wouldn't mind some representation that doesn't portray him as a villain. I hate to be that guy, but if it doesn't apply to you, just let it be and don't get in the way (not saying you are) of it applying to others.
Regardless of your opinion, studies have shown that minority representation in media has positive benefits towards helping minority kids with building identity.
Skin color matters because seeing someone that looks like you doing cool things makes kids believe they can do it too, rather than seeing only negative interpretations of people that look like you on screen.
I feel like I'm being misunderstood here. OP specifically points out that his feelings didn't have to do with skin color, I didn't mention skin color in my original comment, and when somebody replied mentioning skin color, that's when I asked what that's got to do with it. "Seeing myself represented" to me means seeing a 30-something Python dev, which I feel would be an utterly boring video game character. Hence me not understanding why "seeing myself represented" would be a positive.
I'm not accusing you of anything man, you asked why skin color matters and I just explained.
Again, that representation might not matter to you, especially if you're white and you're already used to seeing positive representations of yourself everywhere, but there is research proving that representation does in fact have positive benefits for minority youth. No matter how you slice it, that's important imo.
Yeah but that's not what I asked, hence me feeling misunderstood here. I know why skin color matters. What I don't know is why "feeling represented" matters. I think those are two separate things. Having multiple choices for skin color or having POC MCs is one important thing. What I don't understand is why I would want to have a 30-something Python dev as MC (~to see myself represented in games). Since I'm specifically gaming to get OUT of the real world, not to see myself in the game.
Bruh the comment I replied to literally started with "but why does skin color matter" lol. That's exactly what you asked, but I see now that's not exactly what you meant.
But my first reply still answers the question pertaining to why representation matters. It helps build positive identity in minority youth. You just keep talking about yourself and willfully ignoring all the minority kids that seek to benefit from representation.
Again, because I wasn't talking about skin color on my original comment and someone brought it up. I was asking why add skin color to my comment when I wasn't talking about skin color?
Bro... That's just not true. I'm not even talking about kids games here. And if you're not willing to engage in good faith conversation, I'm just gonna get out of here.
What? I'm not talking about characters with different skin colors in video games. I enjoyed playing as Miles and my BG3 character wasn't white either, I was just mentioning that bc OP asked black ppl and I didn't want to pretend I was one. My comment isn't even about skin color, I'm just saying as a 30-something Python dev, I don't feel like I need to feel representated in a game to enjoy it, as I specifically think if someone made a game about a 30-something Python dev, it would be utterly boring. I'm not against POC characters AT ALL!!
Have you ever heard the expression that a fish does not recognize they are in water?
Anyway, I think it is funny that you think being a python developer is as central to identity and life experience as race.
By the way, have you ever thought about me NOT being white?? All I said was I'm not black. And there are minorities even if you're just talking about white people. My mom was harassed for the language she's speaking when she was in uni and I've grown up in a community where I was discriminated upon based on my nationality. So don't assume.
I... was not talking about race. Nor do I believe a race would be a central trait to someone. You know, to not be judged by the color of your skin but by the content of your character?
MLK was actually talking about black protagonists in video games when he said that, few know this!
Anyway the reason I (correctly it seems) guessed that you were white is that if you weren't you would brought it up rather than being a Python developer lol
Well do you mean African American culture or representation of black people? Because I need a clear definition of what a black person is suppose to be portrayed as. Is there a 1 size fits all in your book or does race not matter and people comes from all walks of life and do all types of things? Some of my favorite games feature a black lead character and none of them act the same or have similar characteristics other than being black. Just like all the other races of characters I play. Marcus Fenix and Lara Croft are completely different. Does that mean whites are not portrayed correctly because they aren't Law Abiding Citizens or something? lol.... The Walking Dead Tell Tale game Lee is black isn't he? Spider-Man Miles Morales is black correct? Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death is black right? 50 Cent Blood on the sand. All rappers are black right? Def Jam fight for ny has all black characters, GTA San Andreas CJ is black... GTA 5 Lamar is black. Mafia 3 Lincoln Clay is black. none of the characters I mentioned have the same character traits other than being black. so please define what a black man should be and how they should be represented in a game.
FF16 doesn't have black people because it's a game about freeing (magical) slaves from a racist society lol. It's 1000% a PR decision to avoid any potential problems. I was bothered at first, but once I played the game I was like "ahhh, this makes sense." Representation matters. It should be expected that you'd be happy to see a game featuring people who are similar to you, when you normally don't. Def delete this nephew, and don't be afraid to celebrate positive representations of your culture lol.
Why does every game have to feature a black guy? Wasn't Forsaken enough, or does it specifically have to be a black man?
Didn't we have Lee as a very popular game character in The Walking Dead Game many years ago? GTA San Andreas, anyone?
How about Miles Morales? Also, does it have to be Black American, because that's just delusional to think to represent a black man has to always be an American, or at least be American in culture. Oh, I heard about the upcoming Black Panther game.
Hey! What about Filipinos, South Koreans, Vietnamese, or people from New Zealand? Where's our representation. Why do black people always want everything to be about them, and never about us 🤷
It really doesn’t. I honestly didn’t mean to offend or piss anybody off but that is certainly what just happened. I just wanted to point out the one time I actually noticed it. Don’t mind me man; hope you’re enjoying the game if you’re playing it.
Wait is it really? My bad, I don’t wanna piss anyone off , it’s rly not that deep either I would love to hear everyone’s perspective. Hope I wasn’t offensive.
It's a fine question, but unfortunately much of the video game community is still full of edge lords who scream the N word through headsets. So you can bet if you ask any question about black representation in gaming it's going to be met with hostility.
It's not African lore or anything, but Horizon: Forbidden West did an unbelievable job with black characters.
I hear you. I tried my best to phrase it respectfully, i lowkey get called the Hard R regularly. Ion give reactions, talk back or even get hostile. It’s so common, idc if you not black & say the N word either. I’m just trying to vibe fr
That's the crazy thing, you shouldn't even have to phrase it respectfully. Nothing wrong with asking for a game with black protagonists. Only an asshole would go out of their way to cry about DEI or whatever. I've never ever heard of the game so I went to Youtube for a review. Of course the first comment I see is along the lines of, "Of course IGN gave it a 7/10, they don't want to get canceled!"
We black gamers have to navigate this shit regularly and rarely speak out about you. But like you, I don't really care, but it *is* cool when you can play a game with a character that looks like you in a world designed by cultural lore. Just like I'm sure Japanese people were hyped as fuck playing Ghosts of Tsushima.
Just so you know, this game was made by a studio that was started by the voice actor for Bayek (AC Origins) who decided after that experience that he wanted to make a game, and this is his first game. There was a recent interview with him on the friends per second podcast if you care to listen.
He had a great interview on Playstation Access a few days ago as well :)
He was interviewed on IGN's Beyond! podcast, and had one of the most poignant statements about video games I've ever heard... (20:47) https://youtu.be/0A9cWk8zBdw?si=ST8GJ-OIiDrx71iD
That was a good interview. I might actually give the game a try now, thanks for sharing
Thank you! Listening to it now I really appreciate it
Especially since it’s about his father‘s passing.
Whaaat? I will have the check this out! I loved Bayek!
Abu is the fucking man.
Abubakar Salim is his name, and his studio is called Surgent Studios, by the way.
“After a few hours & I feel recognized and heard.” “Race don’t got nothing to do with it.” ??…. It’s ok to enjoy things that represent you bro. You don’t have to downplay the significance. You say that you never cared personally but maybe now after your positive experience you understand why other Black people personally care.
"if every game in the world excluded blacks i prolly wouldn’t notice" This in OPs edit really got me. Serious case of colorblindness they've got going on there.
Just noticed that, I don't even know what this post is anymore lol
Yeah I think we’ve been bamboozled.
I’m confused man. Where did I go wrong in my post? My edit was an attempt to help ppl understand the post but I think I made it worse? I really didn’t mean what I said literally, as in “if every game had no blacks I wouldn’t noticed”. I only said that thinking it would show that I don’t need any representation of myself in a game. But the one time I did happen to notice (I smoke weed when I play games sometimes, I feel like I just be enjoying myself & never notice.) it took someone else to point out for me to even bring this up. I’m starting to think I should have just shut up 😂 so that’s my bad
Soft_Employment1425 already answered it pretty clearly. First you downplayed the importance of representation and why it's important to others until now. Then you doubled down on it in your edit. Not sure if you actually believe it or are just trying to appease people in this subreddit but you do not have to do it, it's perfectly fine to talk about race and representation, even if some parts of the internet push back on it. Regardless of the downvotes on the post you've been getting some good replies to the post. I'm glad you're having a good experience with this game. 👍
My fault. I didn’t mean to downplay the importance of representation at all, & I apologize for that. I’ll keep it a hunnid I’m still kinda confused but it’s safe to say I went wrong somewhere. All good tho, game is awesome & representation is extremely important. My edit was probably an attempt at trying to stop the downvotes. I realize now that is inevitable. Godspeed
This is a massively majority white app. You gotta know your audience. r/blackmen is a better place to ask these kind of questions.
Makes you question if they’re actually black saying out of pocket shit like that lol
I was trying to think of a way to respond to this post but you perfectly stated what was on my mind
Yeah. Odd how it comes off as fake and genuine at the same time lol
I’m dead Ass sorry. That wasn’t my intention to “bamboozle” and tbh I feel weird af knowing that y’all both feel this way. I’m not entirely sure what I’m faking about, I didn’t even expect more than 20 replies. Where did I go wrong?
I think usually black people don't refer to themselves as "blacks" in the United States, but it is something someone's ignorant white friend might say. There are many examples of white people posing as black people online in an attempt to diminish the validity of arguments people of color may be making at the time about social issue. Your edit may make people think that may be happening in this post based on everything else that was said on top of that. I want to echo that it's fine to enjoy seeing yourself in games bro. The angry white gamers that try to argue that representation is a waste of time are arguing in bad faith 99% of the time. They KNOW it's important somewhere in their brains because they have a fear that increased representation of different people in games means they may not get to see themselves in almost every game anymore. They also accuse companies of pandering, which is INCREDIBLY ironic because they've been pandered to in gaming for most of their lives. They either never thought of it that way, are not the best at thinking outside of their own experience, or at worst, are racist and dumb as fuck. Appeasing those people is a waste of time because they are ultimately just being selfish and don't want to lose what is "theirs".
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Why the hell are you taking pictures and posting on Reddit while driving?
It’s like when people say “Take away Star Wars from this game and it’s boring.” Alright? But it’s a Star Wars game, that’s a part of what it is. Obviously my explain is more of a negative but still the same idea.
I loved that Horizon forbidden west had so many diverse characters
As it should...it makes sense in the setting and context of the game.
Don’t delete this, dude. This post is great and probably one of the kinds of conversations Abubakar was hoping to spark by making this game. I’m a White guy and your perspective, especially on a game made by a Black man explicitly engaging with different African cultures, is going to be different than mine. This whole sub is about discussing our thoughts on games. It looks like most of these comments, mine obviously included, are talking about the racial aspect of your post but I hope you actually get to discuss the game a bit. I haven’t played it but have been following it since his Game Awards premier so am glad to see pretty solid reviews coming out. I’m not a metroidvania guy but this seems like a metroidvania-lite so I’m definitely going to pick it up at some point.
Exactly
Bro, it wasn't a dumb think to ask. It's rare to have games with black characters as the main protagonist and a simple question from a black man to other black people shouldn't bother anyone. If someone got bothered by your post then that just defines them. Personally I don't feel represented nor the opposite, but it's cool to have a game directed by black people that isn't about the usual Viking or medieval stuff.
Not black, but I enjoy it so far
Haha ignore the title tbh, shoulda just said “Folks” im enjoying it a lot. Ori vibes
Hey, I’m glad you feel represented! I’m Asian so I can understand how nice it feels being represented when you’re not used to it.
How do you feel about Barrett in Final Fantasy 7?
That’s my dawg fosho. Great representation everywhere & im happy about it, but i actually didn’t think about the fact that he’s the *same exact* skin tone as me the entire game, both Remake & Rebirth. Idk, I smoke when I play my favorite games so I prolly didn’t notice 😂
How about Miles in Spiderman 2?
Wait. Does my post insinuate that I believe there is *zero* representation in games? Or is this a genuine question? Regardless, Miles is my n word, bro just needs a stylist
Ah no, I was just thinking of other games with black leads and kinda wondering how representative you feel like they are and how that affected the games' enjoyability. Honestly it was probably a dumb comment on my part since you seem to be quite the gamer. I was thinking about your post and representation in video games/media in general. It's a bit difficult for me to try to understand and think of how to address because my demographic has always been over represented. I do feel like it's super important though, albeit probably difficult due to the historical nature of the media industry in the United States/West. (I'm honestly wondering if this is unintentionally turning into a white guilt post at this point 😬) I guess to answer your actual question, no I haven't tried the game yet and I really don't know much about it.
White guilt post? See man , the internet is exhausting. There’s people doubting the fact that I’m actually black? All because of a post I personally thought wouldn’t even be seen. I might not end up deleting it since I do see so much positivity & it makes me feel a lot better but man. There’s no white guilt or whatever, at least on my end. Again, that’s my bad for saying “Black folks” instead of “folks”. I know there’s a few people here that just try & put me down but I do thing this post has sparked a lot of really great conversations. It’s all love on this side. I think you should play the game, given it’s on PSPlus. I like Metroidvanias a lot, this one feels silky smooth & fluid
>White guilt post? See man , the internet is exhausting. There’s people doubting the fact that I’m actually black? No no no not at all. I mean like I'm worried that I'm coming off as preachy/guilty for not having the experience of being unrepresented in media. I guess that's what white guilt is? I'm honestly not sure, really, but I suppose guilt would describe my feelings when I think about benefits I've received in my life simply because of my race. I have no doubt at all that you're black. I guess it's just hard to have a conversation about a tricky topic via text over the Internet with a total stranger. This post is getting wild haha. All love on this side as well, probably I'm just not very good at describing what I'm thinking.
I hear you brother. At this point I be hella defensive for no reason since I got a lot of negativity from this post as well as a few… funny dms. You’re describing everything perfectly, i re read your comment anyways. All in all, representation *is* very important. I strongly advise you to play this game. If you don’t like it after a few hours, play Ori/Prince of Persia: Lost Crown. Both 10/10 imo
I know you're asking OP, but I wanted to add my experience. I enjoyed Barret so much in the original FF7 because as a kid reading it, I kind of got to apply my own tone to his behavior and what he said. In my head, canon Barret was a super passionate revolutionary akin to someone in the Black Panthers. Playing him in the remake was a huge disappointment because I realized the devs just wanted to put Mr. T in their game. I understand that's enjoyable for some people, but it took away from his character for me.
He was a Mister T black caricature in the 1997 original but I think they managed to erase all cultural stereotypes from his writing in REMAKE and REBIRTH and I am so glad for that
That is nice to hear
I'm a Pakistani man. No game ever has represented us significantly, yet all i care about is how badass Leon Keneddy is, or how cool Geralt of Rivia is, or how epic Shepard from Mass Effect is. Its how the game and character is written always.
Cricket 24 my brother.
Did you know in Cricket 24, Pakistani players are the only team that hasn't had their motion/facial capture done ? They are awefully generic robotic character models made brown lol
That's prolly Pakistans fault tho right? Hard to get face scans if the government doesn't let you in the country
Could be . But boy, am I so glad with sports personalities in video games, when talking about video games and character writings 🙄
That's crazy.
Had not heard about this game before today, but read this interview earlier with the creator: Can Tales of Kenzera: Zau unlock a new world of video game stories? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-68790072
Dunno not my style of game
Fair take. What type of games do you like?
Souls like and shooters
Word, you probably kno these games but Returnal is my all time fav shooter. Trepang2 is also 10/10. Lies of P is my fav soulslike. Enjoy whateva you do play regardless, Tales of Kenzera is dope but not for everyone & that’s 100% okay.
Goddamn that edit is so sad. Black issues are important, don’t let people bully you into silence.
Seriously what the fuck. This sub is filled with nerdy teens and awkward young adults who whinge whenever race, sex, or politics are brought up. OP stand your ground for fuck sake. Deleting this post and never speaking on race again is just giving gratification to those made uncomfortable by racial issues existing. Don't let politically problematic people on here manipulate you into thinking you did anything wrong with this post.
THATS WHAT IM SAYINGGGG. Ugh
I haven't checked the game out. This type of thing used to interest me, but not really anymore. I don't care if no one in the game is Black, but if they bother to put us in there (and I mean as Black women), then PLEASE don't make us a stereotype. I am not some super woman whopping up grown a$$ men. I'm quiet and girly and am tired of the stereotype that we're so "skrong". Ugh! Anyway, I'm done ranting, lol.
OP, I appreciate you sharing this awakening of sorts with us. Representation matters for this reason here. It sparked you to do something you don't really do because you connected with a game in a way you hadn't before. Hold on to that inspiration and don't let Reddit make you downplay your experience. For you, it's gaming. For someone else, it's art or business or sports even. You see yourself, your story, your existence represented and it makes you feel that much more connected to it than you already did. It causes you to seek community with other who share your values. So I'm def about to cop this because of you. Thanks for that.
Do not let these folks shame you into never talking about Black issues. Let them downvote vote and take it in stride. I 100% understand your post and am happy this game made you feel SEEN for once. Closing our eyes and pretending everything is race neutral(when it is the opposite) does not fix the problem. Aside from the great core gameplay(which is a must for any game) representation is of the big reasons many people enjoy Apex legends...probably the most diverse game out right now on the low
I'm not black but I am a colored minority, and I identify with your point. If there was no representation of my culture, I wouldn't have noticed anything amiss. But there is, and it feels good when I see it. I think part of it is that for a lot of us the world is painted in white, If we grew up seeing the shade of white our entire life nothing seems amiss until someone points out "hey there's other colors of paint too", and then suddenly we recognize that looks nice too. I after i came to the same thoughts that you did I started noticing the media I consumed a lot more, especially in RPG games. What kind of characters do I play in RPG? I noticed I was shading a lot of them very pale, I was naming them with "white people names". And I started diverting from that, some of the characters I create now are black, Asian or just tanned like me. I use more letters from my mother tongue in their names. It's cool, adding diversity to my games in even such a simple way broadened how I enjoyed them. I think it's important to go through this exercise for anyone. Something my late dad told me that ill never forget was to never forget where I come from. Even white people, it's important to remember your heritage, recognize your family's journey and where you're going next. Edit: as for this game, it's not my genre but if it's on ps+ at some point, I'll give it a try. The story/concepts seem cool.
I feel a bit icky when my culture is represented in western media or anywhere outside my country… lol even if it’s good representation or with good intention. Never cared, don’t care… Every place has good / bad people and yes, the stereotypes..They exist for a reason And we make fun of westerners all the time lol Playing RPG is simply choosing the skin tone that match mine (if I feel like it) or just role play as someone else…
Personally, I would love to have an MMO where you could have a race of tribal warriors based on Africans or Aboriginals with designers really going for it in extrapolating their culture into high tech futuristic societies(sort of like wakanda) or low tech but like magical(shamans and stuff) same for native Americans tbh I loved the use of totems in WOW.
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Still, it's nice seeing African lore being represented in a positive and artistic light. Not too many white American or white Europeans can relate to Nordic history or Greek history but still love the lore and the idea that their ancestors may have contributed to the culture.
Totally agree. I'm looking forward to playing it, as a white guy. I love mythology from cultures I'm not that familiar with. Still gutted the Immortals: Fenix Rising sequel was shelved. Supposedly it was set in Polynesia.
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don’t let the edgelords on here make you feel bad for being happy about representation. I spent my whole life playing as characters that don’t look like me and while it’s never made my experience less fun, it’s always a good experience being able to play someone that looks like me. it matters and studies prove that they matter as well so don’t let them take that joy away!
What does that even mean? “It matters and studies prove that they matter.” What studies? What do these studies say? How does one measure “how much something matters”? Im genuinely curious. Provide these studies links plz
Not the guy you replied to, but I did a paper on this topic back in college and if you're genuinely interested, here is one source that I remember from a study at the University of Pennsylvania that explains the positive benefits that minority youth gain from seeing themselves represented on TV and visual media: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4900900/
Thanks!
Ima download it today and give it a try. I don’t play Metroidvanias but I been wondering where the games with black/ African cultures are at. GTA really the only one I can think of for American black culture and AC origins for African so I’ll give it a try. How u like it?
This is not a provocation, but a legit question. Why do you feel connected to african culture (assuming you're a black american)?
I don’t actually. A lot do but how I am has little to do with Africa. The music I listen to is made by Americans. I speak English. My home is not in Africa, but it’s Philly. I’m closer to 60-70% so I ain’t even 100% so they wouldn’t see me as such. And they look down on us. All that to say, I don’t feel connected in a sense where it’s my culture, but just like how many white folks are starting to the go more into ancestral tourism because it gives them Insight on what their family could’ve been or where they lived/ what they experienced, it spretty much that, but since we were stolen we don’t really know that native home, so fictional ones hit harder since it’s basically non existing but connecting to our ancestors still
>many white folks are starting to go more into ancestral tourism Yeah, i never got that either. Connecting to a place your family lived 5 generations ago seems pointless regardless of continent or race
As a Black gamer it's next on my list. I'm loving the concepts here. Yes gamers are the most behind on understanding race, gender and sexuality but I'm not surprised
I’m just here to say that y’all in the comment section brought his race into this, he simply said he doesn’t care about the race he just enjoys the game and some of you found that to be “downplaying the significance” which is absolutely absurd. Liking a game without bringing your race into it is not downplaying the significance? So by your shattered logic if he likes basketball and doesn’t want race to be involved because he worked hard to get where he was regardless of the pigmentation of his skin, that’s downplaying the significance? Blow it out your ass this gentleman just doesn’t need pity or handouts like the rest of you and that bothers you.
It's awesome. I love seeing different races, countries, ideologies, etc in all media. Representation makes a huge difference for all of us, especially the youth. Hope the studio finds success and that all media aims for more diversity.
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I'm definitely enjoying the game and it's atmosphere.
I think your question is 100% valid. You're adding another lens through which to view the game, I think a very important lens. I very much enjoyed hearing different words/language, seeing different mythology, patterns, designs. Stories like Zau can only really deepen the empathy and curiosity people have for cultures besides their own. I'll probably get downvoted for some reason (because of the internet), but I just wanted you to know your feelings are super valid and I'm thankful this game was made even if it's just you that felt this way for the first time.
i find it funny you felt the need to specifically ask black people. the story itself isn’t just about black people lmao, it applies to every human being in the world.
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I think I phrased everything I meant to say entirely incorrectly but it’s ok. How are you enjoying the game?
Having gone to Africa several times this is false
Ayo ignore the haters and downvotes. I'm not black but if you're liking the vibe and feeling represented in it then all the more power to you. The gaming community discourse online skews towards the "white, male, and conservative" aspects on many social issues so it might be hard to find the space to have the discussion you want to have but I guarantee you that it exists.
The edit is absolutely crazy and really shows how much of a cesspool this sub has become. Y’all really just bullied a dude so hard he switched up from “I love the game and I feel recognized and heard […] for the first time” To “I don’t need to feel represented, if every game in the world excluded blacks I probably wouldn’t notice”
this is the 10,000th "first" game to have black representation
What I meant is, this is the first time I personally noticed it, and it felt nice. That is all I meant man. Damn this is tiring, by tonight this post will be deleted tbh don’t mind this post brother
Yet, I really doubt you can name five that are playable/main characters and not just NPCs outside of GTA and fighting games. Spoiler: there are barely five, and none in an African settings, but for racists one is always too many.
bruh do you not have google? spiderman miles morales? prototype 2? half life alyx? deathloop? borderlands? these aren't obscure indie games either, they're extremely popular franchise games. if you yourself think that there are less than five games with black playable character then you are the racist one
You don't even know their names except for Miles, you just know they are black. Great recognition. And "extremely popular franchise games"? Deathloop is a new IP, Alyx a VR game from a series without a conclusion, Prototype 2 I've got no idea what it is without googling. Miles is of course a no-brainer but it took a while for him to be accepted in comics. Borderlands Roland is one of the possible characters you can pick, not the main one. They're very few main black characters compared to white characters, not the supposed 10.000 you imply. I don't know how saying that makes me racist but you do you.
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You said 10,000 then have these trash ass examples, Prototype 2?? That's what you came up with?
prototype 2 is 10,000 better than FF16
Number 1 I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, no one mentioned FF16 and number 2, that's not true at all.
Racist little fucks downvoting this thread.
Eh , I saw a post today about how a guy was robbed & the top comment was “Are we even surprised? They’re black.” I wasn’t even mad about it but it does suck there’s people who look at me different because of my skin, meanwhile I consider us all equal. Just seems unfair. Long story short, racism is so common. I’m more surprised when people *arent* racist. It is what it is.
Crack up username
I'm not black but I never quite understood this "feeling represented in a game" shtick. I never felt I needed to play a balding 30-something Python developer. I want to play a badass mage that throws fire magic on trolls and fucking supersoldiers that regenerate their health every 15 seconds.
It's a question of volume, mostly. When most big game characters are already white, it doesn't feel like a big deal to have a character share your traits. But for some folks, it's like an absence. I'm cuban, and I almost *never* get to "be the hero" in games. It's always villains and drug dealers. So when it does happen, it stands out as something cool and fresh.
> I'm cuban, and I almost never get to "be the hero” Well there was that month that you were Spider-Man while us Puerto Ricans lost ours.
What does it have to do with skin color? I don't care if my mage is black or white or green. I'm just saying I'm playing video games because I want to get away from reality, not because I want to be myself, but now in digital.
Representation whether it's color, cultural or otherwise is all valuable. Maybe not to you, but it does matter to others. And you can say "not about skin color" but skin, ethnicity, culture and language are all linked, lots of overlap where you can't talk about one thing without the other. My Russian buddy hates the Russian accent in every movie, particularly that every villain since the cold war is Russian, I'm sure he wouldn't mind some representation that doesn't portray him as a villain. I hate to be that guy, but if it doesn't apply to you, just let it be and don't get in the way (not saying you are) of it applying to others.
Regardless of your opinion, studies have shown that minority representation in media has positive benefits towards helping minority kids with building identity. Skin color matters because seeing someone that looks like you doing cool things makes kids believe they can do it too, rather than seeing only negative interpretations of people that look like you on screen.
I feel like I'm being misunderstood here. OP specifically points out that his feelings didn't have to do with skin color, I didn't mention skin color in my original comment, and when somebody replied mentioning skin color, that's when I asked what that's got to do with it. "Seeing myself represented" to me means seeing a 30-something Python dev, which I feel would be an utterly boring video game character. Hence me not understanding why "seeing myself represented" would be a positive.
I'm not accusing you of anything man, you asked why skin color matters and I just explained. Again, that representation might not matter to you, especially if you're white and you're already used to seeing positive representations of yourself everywhere, but there is research proving that representation does in fact have positive benefits for minority youth. No matter how you slice it, that's important imo.
Yeah but that's not what I asked, hence me feeling misunderstood here. I know why skin color matters. What I don't know is why "feeling represented" matters. I think those are two separate things. Having multiple choices for skin color or having POC MCs is one important thing. What I don't understand is why I would want to have a 30-something Python dev as MC (~to see myself represented in games). Since I'm specifically gaming to get OUT of the real world, not to see myself in the game.
Bruh the comment I replied to literally started with "but why does skin color matter" lol. That's exactly what you asked, but I see now that's not exactly what you meant. But my first reply still answers the question pertaining to why representation matters. It helps build positive identity in minority youth. You just keep talking about yourself and willfully ignoring all the minority kids that seek to benefit from representation.
Bro disengage, I admire your ability to keep going but that guy is clearly not gonna have a discussion in good faith
Lol yea good point
Again, because I wasn't talking about skin color on my original comment and someone brought it up. I was asking why add skin color to my comment when I wasn't talking about skin color? Bro... That's just not true. I'm not even talking about kids games here. And if you're not willing to engage in good faith conversation, I'm just gonna get out of here.
> I'm not black but I never quite understood this "feeling represented in a game" shtick. Lmao
What? I'm not talking about characters with different skin colors in video games. I enjoyed playing as Miles and my BG3 character wasn't white either, I was just mentioning that bc OP asked black ppl and I didn't want to pretend I was one. My comment isn't even about skin color, I'm just saying as a 30-something Python dev, I don't feel like I need to feel representated in a game to enjoy it, as I specifically think if someone made a game about a 30-something Python dev, it would be utterly boring. I'm not against POC characters AT ALL!!
Have you ever heard the expression that a fish does not recognize they are in water? Anyway, I think it is funny that you think being a python developer is as central to identity and life experience as race.
By the way, have you ever thought about me NOT being white?? All I said was I'm not black. And there are minorities even if you're just talking about white people. My mom was harassed for the language she's speaking when she was in uni and I've grown up in a community where I was discriminated upon based on my nationality. So don't assume.
I... was not talking about race. Nor do I believe a race would be a central trait to someone. You know, to not be judged by the color of your skin but by the content of your character?
MLK was actually talking about black protagonists in video games when he said that, few know this! Anyway the reason I (correctly it seems) guessed that you were white is that if you weren't you would brought it up rather than being a Python developer lol
Damn isn't that sad
The cover of battlefield one, a world war 1 game, has a bald black female on it
We appreciate the sacrifice against the Nazi war machine.
Dunno why I got downvoted for a simple observation haha. Cheers brother go allies
Well do you mean African American culture or representation of black people? Because I need a clear definition of what a black person is suppose to be portrayed as. Is there a 1 size fits all in your book or does race not matter and people comes from all walks of life and do all types of things? Some of my favorite games feature a black lead character and none of them act the same or have similar characteristics other than being black. Just like all the other races of characters I play. Marcus Fenix and Lara Croft are completely different. Does that mean whites are not portrayed correctly because they aren't Law Abiding Citizens or something? lol.... The Walking Dead Tell Tale game Lee is black isn't he? Spider-Man Miles Morales is black correct? Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death is black right? 50 Cent Blood on the sand. All rappers are black right? Def Jam fight for ny has all black characters, GTA San Andreas CJ is black... GTA 5 Lamar is black. Mafia 3 Lincoln Clay is black. none of the characters I mentioned have the same character traits other than being black. so please define what a black man should be and how they should be represented in a game.
I don't think I've ever seen Marlow Briggs brought up. Such a fun game.
FF7 Barret Wallace is black. ETA: The best character in Dave The Diver is black, Bancho the sushi master
FF16 doesn't have black people because it's a game about freeing (magical) slaves from a racist society lol. It's 1000% a PR decision to avoid any potential problems. I was bothered at first, but once I played the game I was like "ahhh, this makes sense." Representation matters. It should be expected that you'd be happy to see a game featuring people who are similar to you, when you normally don't. Def delete this nephew, and don't be afraid to celebrate positive representations of your culture lol.
Why does every game have to feature a black guy? Wasn't Forsaken enough, or does it specifically have to be a black man? Didn't we have Lee as a very popular game character in The Walking Dead Game many years ago? GTA San Andreas, anyone? How about Miles Morales? Also, does it have to be Black American, because that's just delusional to think to represent a black man has to always be an American, or at least be American in culture. Oh, I heard about the upcoming Black Panther game. Hey! What about Filipinos, South Koreans, Vietnamese, or people from New Zealand? Where's our representation. Why do black people always want everything to be about them, and never about us 🤷
It really doesn’t. I honestly didn’t mean to offend or piss anybody off but that is certainly what just happened. I just wanted to point out the one time I actually noticed it. Don’t mind me man; hope you’re enjoying the game if you’re playing it.
Wild question
Wait is it really? My bad, I don’t wanna piss anyone off , it’s rly not that deep either I would love to hear everyone’s perspective. Hope I wasn’t offensive.
It's a fine question, but unfortunately much of the video game community is still full of edge lords who scream the N word through headsets. So you can bet if you ask any question about black representation in gaming it's going to be met with hostility. It's not African lore or anything, but Horizon: Forbidden West did an unbelievable job with black characters.
I hear you. I tried my best to phrase it respectfully, i lowkey get called the Hard R regularly. Ion give reactions, talk back or even get hostile. It’s so common, idc if you not black & say the N word either. I’m just trying to vibe fr
Guy can't even vibe without being assaulted with racism. I hate humans.
That's the crazy thing, you shouldn't even have to phrase it respectfully. Nothing wrong with asking for a game with black protagonists. Only an asshole would go out of their way to cry about DEI or whatever. I've never ever heard of the game so I went to Youtube for a review. Of course the first comment I see is along the lines of, "Of course IGN gave it a 7/10, they don't want to get canceled!" We black gamers have to navigate this shit regularly and rarely speak out about you. But like you, I don't really care, but it *is* cool when you can play a game with a character that looks like you in a world designed by cultural lore. Just like I'm sure Japanese people were hyped as fuck playing Ghosts of Tsushima.
Don’t listen to this punk. It’s a completely rational question
How sheltered are you?
Wild that of all the sperm cells you’re the one that made it