At this point, I do not understand why anyone would be excited for Vampire The Masquerade 2. Not because of my subjective opinion, but because this is a game that the developers have said is not for the male or classic audience. Not only have they said this, but they’ve repeated how you, the average male gamer is not their target audience and have censored people voicing opinions contrary to their stated goals. They’ve discussed how they’re moving beyond toxic masculinity and are aiming for another mythical audience.
This is a game coming from a publisher more interested in pushing identity politics and other far-leftist ideologies than they are serving their established base. Thus it baffles the mind why anyone would be a fan of a game that both the developers and publisher do not want them as a customer. Yet people still are interested because the name carries weight.
Now it gets worse as Cara Ellison, the game’s senior Narrative Designer, has discussed in a forum post how the game will have trigger warnings and content descriptors to help people who might have PTSD.
For those that can’t read the picture (your soul thanks you), here is what the post says.
I have one question: is triggering people one of your concerns?
100% yes, we are absolutely concerned that some content in the game could be difficult for players living with trauma or a mental health issue. For the Makavians we will make sure to describe to the player what they may experience when playing. But what may be difficult for us is making some of the systemic or scripted events turn on or off selectively. We are moving away from the “fishmalk” portrayal for this iteration of Bloodlines, so we expect the Malkavians to be much more unsettling or scary experience this time around.
Rachel and I have discussed some ways to be kinder to player who might have PTSD issues, in particular and one of the things we are considering pitching to the team is a part of the accessibility menu where we outline the thematic content of each mission so that you can prepare yourselves ahead of time for a particular mission, choose not to play a side mission that might involve some issues you feel uncomfortable about, or grab a friend or partner to play through certain content for you. What we may do is give players a run down in that menu of what to expect from Malkavian playthroughs so that you can make a more informed choice about whether you feel comfortable playing that way. That way, we are not changing the experience, but we are giving you space and time to consider when you’d like to continue.
Does that sound like a good idea to you? This is still being worked out of course, but we really care about it, and I hope that our game can be considerate in a way that works for you. I’d also love to talk to you over email about what you personally experience as difficult in games, it would be wonderful to know more about how to design a game from scratch for these issues, so we begin from the start to make the system work for you.
Perhaps this sounds crazy, but if you are experiencing some form of trauma that is exacerbated by content found in a video game, maybe that game simply isn’t for you. Look, there are topics that while not triggering are sensitive because of my life experiences. That is just how it is, so as an adult, I just accept certain products are not going to be for me.
Vee from Lack of Entertainment also covered the topic, too.
Call me insane, but I don’t see a point in demanding products that, by my own acknowledgment are going to be unpleasant should adapt to suit me. Yet that is precisely what is going on here. You have a group of vampires called the Malkavian who are cursed with madness. Each member experiences one form of derangement, and each member is wired into a hive mind called Malkavian Time.
In exchange for this affliction, they gain keen insights into the world and even the future. Some of them are rather deranged; others inflict derangement upon their enemies. If you have mental illness this probably isn’t the game for you. Although at this point, it really isn’t a game for anyone other than SJWs who don’t buy games.