Home Gaming Hotline Miami 2 includes a rape scene, has gaming gone too far?

Hotline Miami 2 includes a rape scene, has gaming gone too far?

1 min read
104

Hey it happens in comics and film, so why not gaming?

The much anticipated sequel to the cult classic Hotline Miami is about to be released and it is already causing problems with previewers revealing that the game will include a scene where the player is forced to rape a wounded female.

Straight after the scene a director yells cut which implies it was all a show but does that make it any better? Are the developers treading a very fine line between artistic merit and unacceptable behaviour? Or have they simply gone to the one part of life that shocks everyone to garner headlines and sales. Are they simply profiting from rape?

You can see the scene below, it starts around the 1:15 mark.

Now granted the graphics are extremely simplistic but it’s not hard to see exactly what happens here and she definitely wasn’t willing.

According to Cara Ellison, who was previewing the game, after she’d shot an unnamed enemy the words “Finish Her” appeared on the screen

“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.”

I don’t know how I feel about this to be honest, it’s a harsh scene and it invokes emotions but is that really a bad thing? It’s not like they are giving you bonus points for rape it’s part of the story and emotional journey we are being sent on. Rape exists and I’ve always felt that avoiding things we don’t like is about as useful as sticking your head in the sand every time someone points out a flaw in your favourite past time.

We need to accept reality and face these issues head on.

But that’s how I feel, what are your feelings on this?

Last Updated: August 16, 2013

104 Comments

  1. Trebzz

    August 16, 2013 at 09:25

    Well this is not really my type of game anyway so i don’t care much for what they do in it.

    Reply

  2. No Longer SIR Twakkus

    August 16, 2013 at 09:27

    Personally I feel this is unnecessary for this game BUT in gaming, like in any art medium, it has it place to depict scenes and acts like this. The real question should rather be not if rape should be depicted in games, because as you mentioned it is a reality, but rather if this game is mature enough to depict the seriousness of the act.

    Reply

    • Sargon

      August 16, 2013 at 09:36

      I agree with (not actually knighted so technically correct) Twakkus insofar as rape is a reality. I think avoiding the topic altogether isn’t helping combat it. And as with any medium of violence in gaming, I don’t agree that just because it is in a game means people will carry it out in the real world. I think it ought to be something that, if used, needs to be done carefully and with real thought because I am not willing to concede you should get *bonus* points for it. It needs to be some sort of social or political commentary. It needs to be serious. It also needs to have some sort of lesson. In other words, it needs to be tackled maturely. Rape isn’t entertainment, but games should be allowed to explore the social/political/emotional consequences of it in some ways. I haven’t been raped, but I can get a sense for what goes into a rape case from television series or from documentaries which discuss these things with survivors. I have empathy when hearing the stories or watching films on it – which I think should be the aim of game developers if trying to deal with this issue.

      Personally, though, I’m probably not going to play this and I wouldn’t really be comfortable with it. I hope the crazies in ‘Murica don’t attribute all rape cases to games now….

      Reply

      • No Longer SIR Twakkus

        August 16, 2013 at 11:15

        Exactly my sentiment. Their is definitely a place for such scenes and scenarios in games as long as it is depicted in the right circumstances and in a tasteful manner.
        Like you I dont like the whole theme of HM2 and wont buy it either.

        Reply

    • RinceThisandholiday

      August 16, 2013 at 11:01

      What happened to your Knighthood?

      Reply

      • No Longer SIR Twakkus

        August 16, 2013 at 11:17

        The Admiral Chief revoked it for using walkthrough in angry birds 😛

        Reply

        • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

          August 16, 2013 at 14:01

          Wow… I’m surprised he didn’t dub you Peasant Twakkus…. 😮

          Reply

          • No Longer SIR Twakkus

            August 16, 2013 at 15:38

            Lol. I know…. He is a gracious admiral is he not? 😛

        • Ultimo_Cleric N7

          August 19, 2013 at 13:51

          Its like I dont even know you anymore…

          Reply

  3. Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer

    August 16, 2013 at 09:33

    Sjoe, seems a bit rof…I don’t like

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 16, 2013 at 09:43

      I won’t play it either. But if games are going to have more and more sex in them we need to be warned clearly in advance. Gratuitous violence is the norm in games. Sex isn’t yet.

      Reply

  4. Just Saying

    August 16, 2013 at 09:34

    Maybe this is the type of thing society need to shock them into the reality of what is happening in real life… Unfortunately it would seem that more time and effort is spend to stop art from portraying real life than to actually stop what is actually happening around us.

    ……SAD…..

    Reply

  5. Hammersteyn

    August 16, 2013 at 09:35

    The way I see it. It’s another form of violence. We have been desensitized to gory violence every since MK1. Gun violence and vehicular manslaughter was popularized thanks to GTA. We think nothing of driving through crowds of people getting out and emptying a shotgun into the rest. It just doesn’t shock us anymore. Rape or sex in games do shock us because it’s not as prevalent in games as head shots. Whats worse in real life. Rape? Mass Murder? Dropping napalm on civilians (I’m looking at you Spec Ops).

    In the end it’s all about context really. If its part of the message the game tries to portray then I don’t find any problem with it.

    Reply

  6. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    August 16, 2013 at 09:36

    Ever watch I spit on your grave? That was far worse than this. This game is supposed to be gritty and dark. I do not in any way or form condone rape, but the depiction of rape, in this game is there to invoke certain emotions in us. I mean, we kill Thousands of virtual baddies all the time without a thought. But if you were playing this game, how would you react to this? how would you feel after you have done that act? I think that sort of Artistic vision is important in all forms of media, I for one do not feel this is a way to desensitize or promote rape, but it is there to invoke that and show the darkness of the human soul and make us feel aware of the horrors that in all honesty, is happening all around us, daily…..

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 16, 2013 at 09:41

      LOL she cuts his wee wee off in the bath tub. Pig deserved it.

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        August 16, 2013 at 09:43

        jeez that was hardcore! putting a shotgun up your behind too …. The first half of the movie was filled with disgust, followed by sweet sweet revenge ….

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          August 16, 2013 at 09:48

          Was rooting for her and cheered every time one of them died.

          Reply

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 16, 2013 at 09:57

            Me too, I was like kill that man whore! … The movie made me aggressive lol

          • Hammersteyn

            August 16, 2013 at 10:06

            I swear physical violence against women and animals puts me into overdrive. If I had to witness it first hand they would lock me up afterwards.

          • RinceThisandholiday

            August 16, 2013 at 11:04

            You and me both brother. That’s why you sleep in a cell in our Gang Fortress, and me in a bed of feathers.

    • Tarisma

      August 16, 2013 at 09:51

      My thoughts exactly just communicated better.

      Reply

    • RinceThisandholiday

      August 16, 2013 at 11:03

      That movie scared, and, pardon the pun, titillated me!

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        August 16, 2013 at 11:21

        Same here, horrified!

        Reply

    • Purple_Dragon

      August 16, 2013 at 11:31

      Yeah, its hectic. Did you watch the original or the new one? The original one was hectic. But I think the most hectic shit i’ve seen was Irreversible.

      I don’t know about stuff like this, I suppose if it brings about feelings of revulsion then maybe it has it’s place.

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        August 16, 2013 at 11:49

        No 🙁 still wana watch the orignal one, but man, 1980’s , wana track down a DVD of it. but man if the remake was hectic, I can only imagine how the original was

        Reply

        • Purple_Dragon

          August 16, 2013 at 11:51

          If you live in JHB, they have it in Craighall Video Spot, which has a lot of DVDs and Blu-Rays.

          Reply

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 16, 2013 at 12:15

            I spit on your grave blu-ray lol … wow, the clarity of despair

          • Purple_Dragon

            August 16, 2013 at 12:18

            Sorry, it’s not on Blu-ray haha, just their general selection is good.

  7. Unavengedavo

    August 16, 2013 at 09:41

    One more thing to ad to the blame list…

    First it was “This kid shot up an entire school because this one time he played a demo of GTA 1 on his old Pentium”

    Now its going to be “He raped this girl because he played a demo of GTA 1 on his old Pentium”

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 16, 2013 at 09:42

      I always counter with: “So what was the reasons for mass shootings before video games?”

      Reply

      • Unavengedavo

        August 16, 2013 at 09:45

        Well before that they blamed comic books 😛
        I understand your point 100%, my viewpoint is the same. But they will always try to find some reason or excuse for human cruelty.

        In history they justified it in the name of a god…

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          August 16, 2013 at 09:50

          Ah religion. Jerusalem is one of the cities that has seen the most wars all in the name of religion.

          Reply

          • Unavengedavo

            August 16, 2013 at 09:59

            Had an entire rant typed out, but then I saw @4ac36c350bd1fb8b3429f34887f2fe42:disqus’s liewe heksie comment and now I feel better 😛

        • Tarisma

          August 16, 2013 at 09:52

          Don’t forget rock music.

          Reply

        • Jonah Cash

          August 16, 2013 at 09:53

          And Liewe Heksie…. Cause that “w/b..itch” is definitely from the devil side of things!!!

          Reply

  8. JHN

    August 16, 2013 at 09:41

    There are certain emotions and strings i dont want a game to pull at. Anger towards rape is one of them.

    Reply

  9. Alien Emperor Trevor

    August 16, 2013 at 09:46

    In this instance that’s my character doing it without any input from me, which makes it feel really uncomfortable because it’s not something I would ever contemplate doing, and thus over the line. That may seem a bit hypocritical given all the questionable things I’ve done & number of pixels I’ve slaughtered in games over the years, but I tend to avoid making them suffer first.

    But then you get the scene people were complaining about in Tomb Raider, which was really well done, fit the narrative & made me feel a strong connection to Lara. I wanted to kick that guys arse so bad for even thinking of touching me.

    I don’t think it’s something that should be avoided altogether, but the way it’s handled in a game is very important. In this game it’s just there to shock & be controversial, in TR it was there to make you feel connected to character & was important to the story. Games can be a mature medium to tell a story, and if appropriate to the story being told, these kinds of situations shouldn’t be shied away from because someone may be offended. But if it’s just there for shits & giggles then I don’t want it because it’s main purpose is only to offend.

    Reply

    • Gavin Mannion

      August 16, 2013 at 09:48

      Ah but in Tomb Raider you were the victim not the perpetrator.. so if that is allowed then surely the opposite side should be as well IF it works into the story and immersion of it

      Reply

      • JHN

        August 16, 2013 at 10:05

        But lets be honest the tomb raider scene was definately not as bad as a fat dude dropping trou and pinning her down.

        Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        August 16, 2013 at 10:05

        If my character was the (potential) perpetrator, I would accept it if it was part of a strong mature story being told & was handled really well; because it would really make me question things. BUT I’d really want some choice over my actions in the matter, because unlike watching a character in a movie, the game character I’m playing is a reflection of myself to a certain degree.

        Reply

        • KrnlKrazy

          March 18, 2015 at 04:02

          Thats what I think the point is, it doesn’t want you to play a reflection. From I get, I think wants to warp and bend your perception of how much control you really have of the character. Your playing a real evil and deranged man, and his is psychopath doing what HE wants maybe not what you want.

          Reply

  10. Nicholas Rowan

    August 16, 2013 at 09:47

    The first game was amazing so I’ll probably be getting the second one. As far as the scene goes.. I dunno, it feels like it’s going a bit far but to be fair most of the game involves violently killing people in different ways.

    The point of the first game was to make you angry and seek revenge, probably the same deal here.

    Reply

  11. Grant Nicol

    August 16, 2013 at 09:49

    How many rape scenes have their been on Movies and Series with out mass outcry?? Its entertainment/art they say….. Is a game not also that??

    Reply

  12. Tarisma

    August 16, 2013 at 09:50

    Look I’m not trying to advocate rape in any way, but why is rape allowed in movies/books an example is the girl with the dragon tattoo. Now I understand that the player character is commuting the rape so it’s slightly different, but why is there always this massive outcry over games.

    Reply

    • Milesh Bhana

      August 16, 2013 at 10:09

      yeah sheesh, that scene in Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was incredibly hard to watch.

      Also it’s very easy to desensitise the violence because you shoot a character, and he’s dead, rinse repeat, you don’t see the suffering.

      but in a rape scene, it’s usually a prolonged bit of suffering and is similar to watching a torture scene.

      Reply

      • Tarisma

        August 16, 2013 at 10:17

        I read Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door. That was rough very very rough. But that was published in the 80’s and was somewhat contrevecial then but it was still published.

        I understand what your saying about no suffering after you have killed a person in a game it’s like a light switch, on off, no fear, no despair, no pain, loathing, worry etc and no affect in the player character. Maybe before we try make games more gritty by including rape, we need to look at how murder/killing is portrayed?

        Reply

      • RinceThisandholiday

        August 16, 2013 at 11:07

        Oi! I will not RinceandRepeat this! But agreed, that scene in Tattoo was hella hard to watch. But then again, a few people have pointed put that is because we have very few cultural references in games movies etc. And to my mind, that is a good thing. In a world where many men seem to think sticking their dicks into anything is a god/society given right, we don’t need it to be trivialized, quite the opposite.

        Reply

  13. Lardus-Wolverine

    August 16, 2013 at 09:51

    I know rape is real, but I still don’t like scenes of this in games/series/movies/books. Even ‘forceful domination’ irks me. I may be a self professed pervert, but I always respect the women I perve over. Wouldn’t have gotten the game in any case but glad I know this before accidentally getting it and stumbling on this scene.

    Reply

    • RinceThisandholiday

      August 16, 2013 at 11:08

      Agreed, and you are OUR self-professed pervert, don’t you forget it!

      Reply

  14. Skyblue

    August 16, 2013 at 09:52

    I’m a big fan of the original game and loved the gameplay and premise. I would hardly call this scene shocking when compared to other mediums available which exhibit far more controversial material than what I’ve just witnessed. It is a “movie presentation” style title and thus does explore some controversial themes, one of which is killing hundreds of people violently with bats, knives and guns but hey, killing people is okay, just don’t rape them first.

    Reply

  15. Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew

    August 16, 2013 at 09:54

    Perhaps a little too far. I agree that simply avoiding the topic of rape etc doesn’t help at all but I don’t believe gaming is the correct medium/platform to bring awareness for this kind of thing.

    Reply

  16. Admiral Chief Zombie Slayer

    August 16, 2013 at 09:54

    I’d rather play a game where I hunted the rapists

    Reply

    • William Usher

      August 16, 2013 at 13:13

      Hmm, come to think of it… a mode like GTA IV’s police record vigilante mode would be awesome. You track down, scout out and hunt the rapists… make sure they don’t skip town while also covering your own tracks.

      I’d play that.

      Reply

  17. Robyn Addinall

    August 16, 2013 at 10:01

    My main problem with excessive violence, sex and, in this case, rape in gaming is that there is a fine line between causing awareness about an issue and causing desensitisation. Personally, if I knew a game had rape in it, I wouldn’t play it. Mostly because I don’t enjoy witnessing something that awful, virtual or otherwise.

    Reply

    • Purple_Dragon

      August 16, 2013 at 11:53

      That’s a great point about causing desensitisation.

      Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      August 16, 2013 at 12:44

      Why the hell would anyone downvote this?

      Reply

      • Robyn Addinall

        August 16, 2013 at 13:53

        I think because some people suck a little.

        Reply

    • CodeName Tailgunner

      August 16, 2013 at 13:06

      I agree, there is a time and a place for everything. Having Lionell Messi suddenly fake-raping Christiano Ronaldo in the middle of a soccer match in order to raise awareness on the issue is unthinkable. In movies the topic is not quite taboo but it still won’t fit in the middle of a Big Bang Theory episode. I’d rather it stay out of my video games, but if it is done in the right way it could work.

      The game above, in my opinion, does not qualify.

      Reply

      • Robyn Addinall

        August 16, 2013 at 13:54

        I totally agree. Time and place.

        As a friend has just said, when I’m gaming, that character is ME. And by forcing me to do anything that soul crushing and not giving me the option to opt out is not fair in my opinion.

        Reply

  18. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    August 16, 2013 at 10:03

    I also wonder, is gaming, as a form of media, mature enough to deal with these topics. clearly the general societies do not acknowledge Video Games as an art medium…there really is a fine line

    Reply

    • Wtf101

      August 16, 2013 at 10:06

      The problem is the mindset out there that despite age restrictions on covers, games are for children

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        August 16, 2013 at 10:10

        true….If they acknowledge the maturity of games … what scapegoats will be left for the ‘Leaders’ of this world

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          August 16, 2013 at 10:12

          Well we’ll always have sexuality, race, religion, politics, celebrities, sports, etc, etc, etc. Anything different is always “the enemy” for those manipulating others.

          Reply

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 16, 2013 at 10:18

            That is true, I look at this country and how easy it is to manipulate the masses, that is why it is important that , especially as an srt medium, we explore the darkness that lurks within humans so that we can further understand ourselves and the world around us and break free from the shackles of control …..

      • Rock789

        August 16, 2013 at 10:14

        Couldn’t have said it better myself. If you look at games, and the age restrictions placed upon them, the majority are now 16+. Heck, a ton are now 18+… But it’s still perceived as ‘kiddies entertainment’.

        Being an adult who has gamed for over 25 years, can I handle a scene like the above? Yes. It’s disturbing and I feel incredibly uncomfortable, but I can handle it. But, can a ‘kid’, who’s playing it regardless of the restriction, handle it?

        Reply

      • Brady miaau

        August 16, 2013 at 14:07

        Yes. My sisters primary school kids (she teaches) all played Fallout 3 + new vegas, Skyrim and all that.

        Those games have moral choice questions that are sometimes very, very dubious, you must choose between two or more essentially evil, or bad, outcomes.

        Reply

    • Elvick

      August 16, 2013 at 10:14

      But without games doing these things, the industry wont’ mature to accept the topics as easily as they’re accepted in movies and books. You think books and movies were always able to get away with everything?

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        August 16, 2013 at 10:16

        That is very true. but the industry itself seems less mature to handle and push the boundaries, and when they do there is this massive force against it. But as I mentioned before, these things are important for the growth of this industry and even society

        Reply

        • Elvick

          August 16, 2013 at 10:19

          There being a massive force against it is simple because many are ignorant about gaming. They view it as a pass time for children.

          Or worse, they think that just because a game does something that a gamer will end up doing it or accepts it as something okay in reality. When that’s only the case for anyone with a pre-existing mental illness.

          I don’t think the industry is ‘less mature’. It’s trying, but because the push back, it’s going to take some time until more developers are comfortable with doing these things without hurting their bottom line.

          Reply

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 16, 2013 at 10:24

            yes, that is true, very true. Only reason I say that they less mature is all I see is a constant push for mediocre shooting games that appeal to the masses. Now, I’m not saying every game should be some Avant-garde piece, but at the very least, games too, as well as developers need to push the boundaries of these bigger games. Look at Spec Ops , How I wish a game like COD could have portrayed such emotions and deal with such hard issues

          • Elvick

            August 16, 2013 at 10:28

            Well, movies are a good example of “made for masses” content. Not every movie is going to shake the world. The fact that there’s usually two action movies with the exact same premise every year is evidence of that. 😛

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 16, 2013 at 10:35

            Hahaha true hey, was reading a review of some detective trying to an elusive criminal movie and I felt so many surges of Deja vu, but we can hope for change, and try and understand these things going forward

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          August 16, 2013 at 10:28

          Think a problem with the games industry is that for every handful of games that can handle a mature subject with some respect, there’s a host of others won’t even try or will try & fail, & then the few idiots who’ll go out of their way to do the opposite.

          Reply

          • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

            August 16, 2013 at 10:30

            And the ones that do the opposite succeed lol …. way of the world I guess

  19. brad coetzee

    August 16, 2013 at 10:06

    mmm, well I thought it would be worse. I dont feel it was hectic at all.

    Reply

  20. Elvick

    August 16, 2013 at 10:13

    I don’t think it matters that much. Not to the level of outrage people have over it.

    The first game, for me, was more deep that I had originally thought it would be. The game comes off as just ultra violence for the sake of it, with no depth beyond that. But it’s designed to make you feel terrible about what you’ve done. Even doing so through the story itself, but more importantly through gameplay. You destroy these men in vicious ways. And when it’s all over, you slowly walk out of the building. Seeing all that you’ve done.

    It’s an interesting moment of revelation.

    I don’t explain the first game all that well. xP But I think this one will be similar and with the addition of rape, I think they’re simply trying the same thing. Except, this time putting it up against the backdrop of “you just killed countless men and were okay with that… here’s rape…”

    It’s kind of funny that people seem more okay with mass murder than one rape. Just because rape affects the living, I suppose.

    I get uncomfortable when movies tackle the subject of rape, or molestation. But you’re usually supposed to. That’s usually the point, and I think this is no different. And I don’t see why people are up in arms over this.

    If it’s too much for you, don’t play it. Just as those who felt the first was too violent for them, could opt out of playing it. We all have different levels of tolerance. I’m okay with a lot of violence, but Manhunt for me is too much. So I just don’t play it.

    Reply

    • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

      August 16, 2013 at 10:20

      I agree 🙂 but if it’s too much for people, yes, do not play it, BUT, understand it and do not carelessly dismiss it

      Reply

  21. Lanfear Mierin

    August 16, 2013 at 10:40

    Well, I suppose if you can show rape scenes in movies you can do the same in games.

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      August 16, 2013 at 14:02

      A) interesting name!

      b) yes, but in movies you are not the player character. I think that does make a difference.

      Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      August 16, 2013 at 14:13

      The difference boils down to interactivity, movies are a passive medium, games are not. Also, we have the problem of desensitization. The fact that we don’t think twice of killing an enemy character, is one of the reasons why people are going to be very worried about the depiction of rape in games. Throw in the current bugbear of extreme sexism and ultra-creepy sentiments among gamers and you’re starting to see a very grim picture.

      Granted, desensitization doesn’t necessarily lead to impaired judgement or mean a lack of morals. For instance, none of us here are murderers in real life (or at least I hope that’s true), even though we play extremely violent games. In this sense there is no causality. In other words, I’m not a killer because I’ve been playing games for almost 3 decades, nor am I more violent because of the games I play.

      Reply

      • Brady miaau

        August 16, 2013 at 14:17

        “Throw in the current bugbear of extreme sexism and ultra-creepy sentiments among gamers and you’re starting to see a very grim picture.”

        I did not even consider the image and the mentality of gamers, who display levels of maturity sometimes far below where they should be, albeit online.

        Good point

        Reply

        • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

          August 16, 2013 at 14:38

          While I think rape can be used narratively in games, rather then treated like some sacred cow, I’m not sure gamerdom is ready yet. To be honest, I don’t think our brethren is mature enough. The fraternity needs to grow up more. In fact, society as a whole needs to come to terms with rape. Rape is one of those subjects that are taboo in so many areas (especially here in South Africa), and in fact it shouldn’t be. The fact that it still lurks in the darkness is why victims of rape fear ostracizing and persecution. Just take South Africa as an example, the number of reported cases are but a tip of the iceberg of what’s actually happening.

          *To the gaming sisters, you’re probably reading this post and thinking, “fraternity” and “brethren”, but Banana, you fool, we’re gamers too. And I absolutely agree, you’re gamers too, but on this topic, it’s the lads that need to do some soul searching and growing up.

          Reply

  22. Slade Boender

    August 16, 2013 at 10:42

    Just the fact that reading this article already gave me a lump in my throat its EXACTLY why I’ll play this. With the latest bout of anti rape and sex worker protection going on in the media lately, why cant game publishers chime in on issues they feel need exposure. Sticking your face in the sand and pretending its not there is silly. Just like the conflicts in the east, the rife poverty and mismanagement of Zimbabwe, its all too easy just to gloss over it. Sure violence has been in games for ages but some games have used it in an incredible way to portray intense and intimate scenes, evoking any number of emotions. I think the shock factor will benefit the game. I also think that these kinds of issues need more exposure within the gaming industry. The world aint all butterflies and sprinkle covered poop. Things, horrible things, happen so often, its naive for us to even think we “deserve” to be sheltered from it just because the medium is unconventional.

    Reply

  23. DanielMcCarthy

    August 16, 2013 at 10:45

    No, it hasn’t gone too far. It’s a fictitious work of art and if you are offended by the content, feel free to be offended and not purchase the game. Why is rape more offensive to people than the brutal murder of hundreds upon hundreds of gangsters?

    Reply

  24. RinceThisandholiday

    August 16, 2013 at 11:02

    Oh man, Fox News is going to love this. I don’t think it’s needed. I don’t know the whole context it is placed in, but if you need to show something like this I always think the director is limited in their ability to portray horrific elements like this in a more subtle manner.

    Reply

  25. Robert Infy Hart

    August 16, 2013 at 11:19

    This is what the game is about. Its meant to be terribly dirty, disgusting and controversial in all respects.

    Reply

  26. OrionWel

    August 16, 2013 at 11:57

    This is absolutely disgusting to watch, where some small parts of me agrees with comments about creating a story that explores unfortunate realities. I absolutely DO NOT agree with playing the character of where you need to perform this act in order to proceed to the next level!

    Reply

  27. Dakan45

    August 16, 2013 at 12:33

    Ill be bland, i have been playing game since early 90s.

    I have seen bad graphics and and gameplay as well as good gameplay.

    Hotline miami had awful graphics, you couldnt tell an ass from a face in that game.

    I remember dying because someone shot me through a window far far away and windows in this game look like blue walls. The scripting in this game is 1/0 there is no stealth or proepr combat system, just extremely fast garbage ai. It is an overrated piece of trash with an equal trash story.

    You gave it too much credit, its not like i didnt expected this to happen.

    But in the end you cant see CRAP in this game, a bunch of pixels getting close to each other, big freaking deal.

    Had this article not being made, no one would notice or care.

    Reply

  28. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    August 16, 2013 at 13:53

    The big question is – Is rape worse then murder? Which is obviously a very uncomfortable and controversial question to answer or even to ask. If we draw the line with fictional accounts of rape in movies, games and books, then why aren’t we more outraged at other forms of violence?

    Food for thought!

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      August 16, 2013 at 14:01

      Hmmm.

      I think yes, rape, depending on the circumstances could be worse than murder, or feel like it for a very long time. I have heard woman talking about being gang raped and the feelings of degradation, self-loathing and depression that follow them ten, twenty years later. It is a serious, serious thing. Lives are changed forever, marriages are split, family lost.

      Remember the movie the princess bride? When the hero has the chance to kill the prince (Humperdink?) he says instead we fight to the pain. I cut off your legs, hands, nose and eyes. I leave your ears so you can hear people ask who this grotesque monster is. That is, I think, how rape is sometimes perceived (from listening to rape survivors talk) and felt by the far too many woman who are raped every hour of every day.

      Not an easy question to answer, as murder is very bad. Rape effects the loved ones and the person involved, murder effects the loved ones. Wow, that sounds crass. The world as we wish it not to be, I suppose.

      Man, this is just such a bad subject. The game dev’s should not even have consider this.

      Reply

    • Anon A Mouse

      August 16, 2013 at 14:19

      Banana I see you’ve posted the same question I had. I think you’ve just put it more eloquently. Mine sounds more like the ramblings of a mad man.

      Reply

  29. Anon A Mouse

    August 16, 2013 at 14:00

    My question is why then be happy with killing a prostitute to get your money back or by killing in the broader sense. What makes one sin better than another? That being said, gamers (mostly) play games to get away from real life issues. (And yes I’m a hypocrite by saying we like killing people in games because we don’t do it in real life, as the same can be said about rape.) For me rape is crossing the line. Yes it’s in movies and yes it is part of life but I still have a bit more respect for a female to think that this is a bit of a no no. Especially when you are forced to interact that way without an option.

    Hope this makes sense. I’m sitting in a meeting and can’t re-read this.

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      August 16, 2013 at 14:06

      it makes sense

      Reply

  30. Brady miaau

    August 16, 2013 at 14:06

    There have games where you murder people, in cold blood, for years. Get points for the good kill, the variety, the blood, the gore.

    How many where you, the player character, the protagonist, had to rape people, as part of game-play?

    Reply

  31. bakasora

    August 16, 2013 at 14:23

    More hits on the website. Target achieved.

    Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      August 16, 2013 at 14:24

      Yet, that simple fact does not invalidate the importance of the discussion.

      Reply

  32. noxteryn

    August 18, 2013 at 05:59

    Totally agree. I think it’s a very interesting move from the developers. However, I would have preferred it to have been an actual rape, and not a fake out, because it pretty much takes all those conflicting emotions back. I mean, how lame would Spec Ops: The Line have been, if the white phosphorus scene turned out to be a dream? It simply takes away from the experience, because it cushions the blow. After all, the protagonist from Hotline Miami is supposed to be a psychotic mass murderer, not someone to look up to.

    Reply

  33. Ultimo_Cleric N7

    August 19, 2013 at 13:50

    Sorry, while I know games are about realism and all, this is WAY TOO FAR. Have to say though, not sure why this game is the one that causes all the fuss. Japanese games have been going down this road for years now.

    Reply

    • Bustinjon

      September 5, 2013 at 21:42

      Right but the murdering and killing and the gore is totally fine

      Reply

      • Ultimo_Cleric N7

        September 6, 2013 at 09:48

        Well there has to be a line somewhere. Gore has been around for ages and doesnt look like its going to go anywhere any time soon. You are right, its not great. I guess many have just become pretty desensitized to it.
        But rape, especially in this country, hits home. You can only use the “It’s just a game” logic for so long.

        Reply

  34. duggarbaby

    August 21, 2013 at 01:09

    You left out the part where they say “Cut” and it’s a movie.

    Reply

  35. Some Dude

    August 22, 2013 at 19:40

    Come on, guys, at least TRY to see past buzzwords and buzz-topics. Let’s break this down. “Midnight Animal” (the “movie” in the game where you play the pig butcher and this scene takes place) is supposed to be a movie in the Hotline Miami world intended to sensationalize the events in the first game “Natural Born Killers” style. The makers of the “movie” want to make Jacket (the player character from the first game) out to be the worst monster imaginable. The rape scene was a very effective way of doing that. In the first game, the girl ended up being what appeared to be his girlfriend. In this game’s “movie”, they turned her into his rape victim. Stop trying to turn everything into some political agenda and just enjoy a good narrative for what it is. Jesus freakin’ Christ, you guys.

    Reply

  36. Richenbaum Fotchentein

    August 23, 2013 at 20:45

    So…seriously not one person noticed that 2 seconds after this scene it shows that what we saw was actually just actors filming a movie?

    Reply

  37. KrnlKrazy

    March 18, 2015 at 03:57

    I just found this little article and there is something I would really like to add to anyone who might read this. You are playing a killer. Before this scene you kill a lot of people. Depending on how the player goes about it, it could be really brutal. You the player are playing a murder and really a psychopath. The fact of the matter is they made the act of killing for you as this character a pleasing experience and killing in a lot of games is common place. You tend to be fighting bad guys but are you fighting bad guys in Hotline Miami 2? Then the game takes a way your control, doesn’t let you just murder her. It takes away what was becoming the joy of killing nameless pixels into a brutal rape of some pixels that form a woman. Its almost like the game wanted you too feel really bad.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also

Sneak about or go in guns blazing with top-down shooter Filthy Lucre

Do you enjoy top-down shooters? Then check out Filthy Lucre. It'll be out on the PlayStati…