There was a big hoopla over the two gay guys who harassed the character Ryuji in the original Persona 5 release. ResetEra complained about the characters and since the localizers for Atlus are members of ResetEra, they publicly stated that they would change the scene. Well, now that the localized version of Persona 5 Royal has been put into the hands of game journalists, it’s revealed that the two gay guys are now promoters of drag culture, and the player-character has no choice in the dialogue options to object to said gestures.
If you’re unfamiliar with the original scene, Brave Falcon Gaming uploaded the near two minute sequence to YouTube that you can check out below.
GameSpot transcribed how the scene now plays out, which not only overhauled the exchange between the gay guys, but also altered what the player-character can see in response.
You can read the exchange below…
“Deep Voice: Ooh, you’re right! He really WOULD be a natural! But, a graphic tee with plaid pants? Ugh, kill me now.
Ryuji: Whoa, who the hell are they!?
???: Oh, hell has nothing to do with it, honey. I’m Angel–straight out of heaven!
???: And I’m Julian. Julie, if you’re feeling saucy!
Angel: What a cutie! You’d never guess he was into the drag scene… I say we show him the ropes!
Julian/Julie: You can’t deny it! We saw you peeking into Crossroads! Well, sweetie, if you’re curious, we’ll help you look DIVINE!
Ryuji: Wait, hey, it’s not like that–
Ryuji: Dude, help! Tell them we were just investigatin’, or something!
Ryuji: You just gonna leave me here like this!? C’mon, your best friend’s in trouble here!
Julian: Oh, honey, you’ve got the chutzpah. And those cheekbones–I LOVE it! That’s what it takes to be a star!
Angel: Just follow my lead, stud! We’re gonna put your name in lights! And I know just the dress for you…”
Instead of whisking Ryuji off to inebriate him and presumably put their hands all over his body, they’re now portrayed as obsessive drag culture aficionados.
Worse yet is that the player-character has no choice but to accept drag culture. There is no option to condemn it or reprimand the two men.
GameSpot posted what options are given to the player, and they read as follows…
• “Can’t blow our cover.”
• “But you’re a natural.”
• “Knock ’em dead.”
This shows that the Atlus localization team is willing to bend over backwards to accommodate the whims of a vocal minority that barely make up a percentage of the population and an even smaller segment of the consumer buyer market.
(Thanks for the news tip WarrenKeiSnow)
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