Many gamers certainly feel the latter point. “However, we are also aware of the extreme sensitivity of this subject area and that, for some survivors, the idea of this being subject matter of a computer game will be difficult and triggering.” Connolly also adds that the scene could even perpetuate myths about the nature of these crimes and the people who commit them and could “raise difficult questions about differential treatment of survivors based on their gender identity”. This applies across all platforms, including gaming. “SurvivorsUK welcomes the promotion of awareness about the experiences of men who have been subject to sexual violence. “It raises complex questions about the role of gaming in our cultural and social consciousness and how such elements can be responsibly handled,” says Andy Connolly, the director of SurvivorsUK, a male rape and sexual abuse charity. Could Arthur Morgan’s assault somehow be an antidote? A way to make gamers empathise with rape victims (instead of moderating the code in Grand Theft Auto so they can assault women)? Or is the whole scene simply trivialising and tasteless? If the scene is so realistic that it can provoke these reactions, is it in any way beneficial? Red Dead’s suffragette storm is just the latest in a long line of controversies surrounding gamers’ apparent sexism. It freaked me out for sure because I didn’t expect it at all.” “I’ve been in a similar situation once… as soon as I witnessed the scene I paused the game and reached for my fiancé. The encounter reminded one 24-year-old from Saudi Arabia, who asked to remain anonymous, of a time she was drugged. Rockstar’s scene is so realistic that little imagination is required. “They are powerless to stop themselves from being raped either due to fear, lack of strength or simply because they are unconscious, which I don’t even wanna imagine how that must feel.” “I’ve always thought to myself, ‘How can you even allow someone to rape you? Just claw at the dude’s eyes or punch him in the nuts.’”Īfter the scene, the teen realised many victims are helpless. I’ve always been a bit negligent or closed-minded about it,” he admits. “Before experiencing this scene I never really gave much thought about rape. Yet, despite his anger, the teenager felt he learned from the scene. “I felt absolutely hanging,” he says, describing himself as “pissed off”. Rees stumbled upon the scene before hearing about it on YouTube or gaming forums so was shocked by the attack. ![]() “Yes, it granted me a new perspective on rape,” says Kyle Rees, 17, from Wales. Yet, while some are unfazed, others – like Jonas, who called the scene “super uncomfortable” – had strong reactions, ranging from being triggered into recalling their own assaults, seeking brutal revenge on the “rapist”, and gaining new empathy with victims of sex crimes. It’s clear many gamers aren’t shocked by the scene, or praise Rockstar for realism (one player approached for comment simply said, “This isn’t newsworthy. “When I came across this encounter is when I knew Rockstar has no morals lol,” one writes. Underneath a YouTube video of the encounter that has been watched more than 100,000 times, some commenters joke about the apparent assault. While the scene isn’t explicitly rape, many players have interpreted it this way. As a gamer, you get attached to your character and it kinda feels like you’re Arthur… I wanted to find that monster and end him.” “I felt like shit,” says Jonas, a 20-year-old gamer from Bahrain. After being dumped in a clearing, a bow-legged Arthur will mutter the words, “Oh, my Lord.” “You struggled and you lost,” the hillbilly says, calling you his “pet”. Over a black screen they hear the sounds of a belt unbuckling. “I got food inside, come along.” If the player enters his cabin they are promptly knocked unconscious, unable to do anything for the next minute. “Hello there, mister,” he calls to your protagonist, Arthur Morgan. In a small cabin northwest of Saint Denis, a hillbilly waits in a shack.
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