Implied 'rape scene' in Hotline Miami 2 draws harsh criticism and debate

[Deleted_171835]

A preview build of the indie title Hotline Miami 2 has drawn criticisms due to a scene where the player is encouraged to rape a female character. According to a hands-on preview from PC Gamer, the game depicts a scene where an unnamed female enemy is attacked before the words 'Finish Her' appear on the screen.

In the scene as described PC Gamer's Cara Ellison, "I stroll up to finish the job. Instead, the control is taken from me by the game, and my character, the Pig Butcher, pins her down and drops his trousers."

While the first Hotline Miami drew a lot of praise for its exaggerated violence, some feel that the second one took it a bit too far. Sean Duncan, an assistant professor researching games at Indiana University said that the "game disgusted [him]" while Michael French, the editor-in-chief of games industry publications Develop and MCV said that he was "not surprised one bit that the almost-tasteless Hotline Miami has crossed the line in the sequel"

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/424642/anger-over-rape-scene-in-hotline-miami-2/

Spoiler: Scene in question, NSFW

skip to 1:05

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Oh man, diz is liek awsum! dis liek, maeks me wan raep ppl and stuf rite? itz so reelistik!

#inb4FoxNews

 

[Bake]

Why do people care so much holy god

 

[Foxi4]

Oh dear.

Now, I'm not going to defend "rape" in video games, but I'd like to state that it's clearly not a game mechanic - it's a part of a cutscene from what I understand. "Hot Line Miami" is a game for mature audiences and if we see rape scenes in movies, books or theatre, I don't see a reason why we shouldn't in video games as long as they serve a purpose - in this case, the purpose of showing the player that his character is a despicable piece of sh*t.

 

[Cortador]

I can't understand anything of what is going on on the screen.

Can someone post a picture of the scene?

 

[Celice]

If it's part of the narrative and contributes to the work in some fashion, then I see no reason to worry over it. This game seeks to capture a kind of atmosphere and trope, and the rape of a woman, in this context, is merely a part of that categorical packaging.

Some individuals have a difficult time seeing a difference between exploiting some idea, action, event, or facet and furthering some problematic issue, and rendering that issue as-is for the sake of convention, context, or concern.

Though I suppose as videogames are primarily a business, publishers and developers are more inclined to bow to public pressure and concern than to really make a work that exists for-itself, rather than for catering towards an audience.

 

[Dork]

Though I suppose as videogames are primarily a business, publishers and developers are more inclined to bow to public pressure and concern than to really make a work that exists for-itself, rather than for catering towards an audience.

Now it's all about MUH FEMINISM and MUH FEELINGS, you can thank all those social justice warriors.

 

[retKHAAAN]

Yet when Oz did it, it was ground-breaking television...

 

[Gahars]

Hooray for contrived, fake controversies!

I mean, it's just silly. The characters are shooting people and bashing their heads in with wild abandon and yet this is where they're drawing the line? This is a disgusting step too far? Really?

Maybe consider the context surrounding the scene before picketing and hollering.

 

[retKHAAAN]

Spoiler

 

[DS1]

Though I suppose as videogames are primarily a business, publishers and developers are more inclined to bow to public pressure and concern than to really make a work that exists for-itself, rather than for catering towards an audience.

Not really! While I can't think of a case of public outrage causing censorship of a commercial game, I can think of several cases of 'public outcry' that resulted in the developers taking a firm stance behind their game: The original Mortal Kombat, the latest DMC, Dragon's Crown... and none of these instances of excessive violence or... character design (?) were contextual. The devs were just like, "Quit whining and play game."

Oh wait, I can think of an example of a developer buckling to pressure - Bioware by creating new endings for all the whiny fans. And that WAS contextual... Yet by the same token they always left in whatever sex/sexuality options they wanted.

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

I don't see a problem with it if the player doesn't actively participate/choose to rape the woman. It's just part of the story, like any other movie/book/media, and shows how shitty the character is as a person.

 

[The Milkman]

Oh wow, I had to watch the video twice just to find it. There's been much worse in much more popular games. This is just character building and shit.

 

[Taleweaver]

Hooray for contrived, fake controversies!

I mean, it's just silly. The characters are shooting people and bashing their heads in with wild abandon and yet this is where they're drawing the line? This is a disgusting step too far? Really?

Maybe consider the context surrounding the scene before picketing and hollering.

This, indeed. I played through Hotline Miami. Total ultra-violence and degrading and morally wrong choices everywhere. The fact that this is a movie scène actually makes it LESS violent this time around.

I know America has these weird standards on sexual things, especially compared to violence...but this is starting to get REALLY silly in this example.

 

[Qtis]

Okay Australia, you're up next!

Somehow I still find it odd that games get so much attention, but violence and the likes in movies and TV series are just fine due to them being crucial to the plot. Oh well..

 

[Windaga]

How absurd. Of course it's disgusting, revolting, and of poor taste.

Just like murder, kidnapping, and car jacking are. But no one seems to care about those things. Yes it's pixel rape that crosses the line. Not genocide, not beheadings, not blowing up innocent bystanders cars - but a disgusting character raping someone. What a joke.

Yeah it's bad. But so is everything else. Complain about that, too. I'm not condoning rape - it's vile and disgusting - but so is ruthless murder.

 

[Hells Malice]

The entire game looks like total shit and should just be scrapped.

 

[SolidSnake95]

The entire game looks like total shit and should just be scrapped.

Fuck, you stole the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Black-Ice]

Really?
I'll understand concern if they showed graphite images or a 2 min cutscene of seeing rape.

But you know, rape happens. And even if thats what was intended to happen in that scene, people should be mature enough to acknowledge it as media.
Stop sheltering everything.

 

[Flame]

this is poor taste...

it should be, you fuck her and than kill her to get your money.