HATRED is new video game violence clickbait

HATRED is causing outrage due to violence in context

Before I write anything I feel it is best to put everything in context by linking you to the trailer to watch and form your own initial opinion...so here it is!

DISCLAIMER: I do not feel that video games condone violence at all, if you think so I feel that you are a complete idiot. I have been playing games for years and years and consider violent people to be the most simple and lowest form of humanity. Games can be inappropriate for younger children yes, but that does not mean that it will cause them to stab their neighbours. It is a parents responsibility to judge what is appropriate for them, JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER FORM OF MEDIA.

Now that is out of the way, lets take a look at HATRED, a gameplay trailer has just been released by the Polish developers 'Destructive Creations' along with a tweet saying "Spread it on the web! Share it! Bring it everywhere and let the haters hate! (And they will, oh they will...)" Now this immediately screams to me as a marketing gimmick. Jumping hot on the heels of Gamergate making gamers look like feminist hating death threat sending idiots, this trailer aims to get the game as much publicity as possible with shock tactics. The fact that the video has over a million views within 3 days says something.
You only need to briefly take a look at the Youtube comments to see how much butthurt this has created not just amongst game fans but in the media overall. Several blogs are over-exaggerating; calling this game a genocide simulator. I wouldn't go that far, it doesn't depict a sole target for extinction, I would rather use the term mass murder simulator.  The reason for many of these accusations is because several observers have taken note that many members of the production group are affiliated with far right wing, homophobic groups. Yes this makes them shitty people, but I see no indication of their targeted hate in the trailer at all, its a simple mass killing simulation.

The trailer depicts an edgy trenchcoat wearing, long haired thug with generic gravelled voice, the only thing missing is a fedora to complete the angsty image. Clearly designed to appeal to angsty teens with a persecution complex. He states that he wants to kill everyone, violently, and wants to die, violently. Loading up weapons into he incredibly deep pockets. The gameplay then cuts to show a minute of violent gameplay showing the player opening his door into an innocent neighbourhood and gunning down innocent civilians as they run and plead for help. Many people were especially shocked at the 'execution' scenes showing civilians and cops getting shot point blank as they flail and plead for their lives. This made me reminisce instantly about the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 mission 'No Russian', which also generated a ton of controversy for gunning down innocents in a busy airport. What most people forget though is that this kind of violence is nothing new - Manhunt, GTA, COD. Yet year after year people blow up in response to violence in video games. HATRED tries to push the envelope further by making the slaughter of innocents in the most dramatic and edgy way as possible as the sole objective of the game. At least it seems that way so far, from one minute of gameplay it is difficult to tell whether there is more of a context to be given. This is what makes violence in some games 'socially acceptable' but in others 'outrageous', context.  

The Last of Us was a commerical success, receiving lots of 'Game of the year' awards and praise from various press releases. The quest for a man and his young female dependant trying to survive in a society plagued by an infectious disease. People praised the story and the development of the characters, what a lot of people forget though is that Joel and Ellie killed A LOT of people on the way, sure, a lot of people wanted to kill them too but why is that suddenly ok? I'm also pretty sure that a lot of the medical staff at the end didn't deserve it?

How about Uncharted? Also incredibly successful, the hero Drake is an explorer who searches for relics Indian Jones style. He kills an huge amount of people, these people die and people just shrugs it off and laugh because 'they are the bad guys'. This is a modern story and the hero takes countless lives for the sake of treasure and shows very little afterthought when he does so. Yet no-one thinks twice about it because people aren't begging for their lives or scared of death so its OK?
Even in games where bad guys DO plead for their lives, often gamers hit the execute them any more because 'they are the enemy'.

I wonder what people would say if you dressed the HATRED guy as an American Spec Ops soldier, set it abroad and had the innocents as part of the 'violent ISIS community and culture' . Would it be acceptable then?
Other games such as Homefront, Spec Ops, and Payday have killable civilians as part of the setting. They are not the main objective but for example, in Payday during a Bank Heist, things often go wrong and police officers and innocents may end up as part of the body count. All for the sake of money, but its part of the gameplay so its OK, we have choices right?

This two faced approach of gaming journalism is really irritating, why choose a few games as a violence scapegoat for crimes yet accept the rest? Journalist sites are glorifying the violence in game because it so openly shows the violence in a dark setting, literally, look at that total lack of colour apart from all that edgy blood! To be honest, if the developers can get away with marketing this game for what it is, killing people, then maybe its better than other games out there who try to pretend it doesn't exist as part of their gameplay or try to justify the violence. Some people are too disturbed by this reality of life despite our media being full of suicide bombings, school shoots, public stabbings and so on. I would be more worried about walking home past a bunch guys on a dark night in the UK than some violent game.

I kind of drifted off my original point but violent games don't cause violent actions in real life. HATRED is a tasteless game, I agree. It also looks incredibly shallow from a gaming perspective, I enjoy rampaging in a game like GTA once in a way but it becomes boring fast. I can't imagine an entire game based around shooting unarmed people until police show up is going to remain 'entertaining' for a long time. This won't matter for the developers though, they have just created a huge amount of free marketing and promotion with just one tweet and a mini trailer. People are going to buy it to see what the fuss is about and out of morbid curiosity, then there will be the kids who also can't wait to shoot up the society because 'everyone is out to get me' and 'life sucks'. Hell I even wrote an article about it because the community butthurt was so fascinating. Well played Destructive Creations.

Akame ga kill! Impressions so far.

Normally I am not the type of guy who watches current season anime; I prefer to have the entire series at my fingertips to binge upon once a series has been concluded/running for a long time. However this summer I have been hooked on the series 'Akame ga kill!', based off the manga of the same title. I was initially drawn into the series after seeing some fancy gifs of the fight sequences and decided I had to see the series in action. I have watched it up until it's current 12th episode and I definitely intend to finish it! I was pleasantly surprised to see that it isn't just fancy sword work...!

The story mainly focuses on the protagonist Tatsumi, an accomplished fighter in his poor village. He departs with two of his strong friends to head to the capital and earn enough money and prestige to dig his poor village and friends out of poverty. Along the way they encounter 'Danger Beasts' and dispatch them with relative ease. These monsters play a stronger role later in the series due to the materials they offer, the world reminds me of 'Monster Hunter' and how legendary creatures can help create immensely powerful weapons.

On the way he is warned that the capital is not what it seems and that violence, corruption and terror are rampant. The corrupt prime minister is puppeteering the child emperor to further his own desires and remove any opposition through torture, murder and heavy taxation. Perhaps not the most original plot point but it provides an anchor for which all of the other protagonists and antagonists work around with their own agendas.

Tatsumi soon learns that the capital is not what it seems and encounters the assassin group 'Night Raid' a group of unique and talented individuals whose goal is to help the revolutionary army topple the corrupt capital and restore order to the country. Unlike the army, they use covert tactics and eliminate key threats within the capital. Without spoiling the big shocking reveal in the first episode, Tatsumi finds himself dealing swift justice and joining Night Raid...thus the series continues.

Each member of 'Night Raid' as well as various antagonists wield weapons known as 'Imperial Arms' or 帝具, commissioned by the First Emperor using alchemy and the parts of the various 'Danger Beasts' over 900 years ago. 48 were created but half are lost to history. Each item is unique in its abilities, strengths and weaknesses and take many forms ranging from weaponry to armour and even cosmetic items. Some are even organic 'living' entities that are fearsome in their own right. Not anyone can use an imperial arm and they are attuned to their user. One interesting legend is that "if two imperial arm users fight, even if it is a draw, one is fated to die." This leads to some tense battles between users as you know that someone has to lose.

This brings me to the battles. The battles in this anime are fantastic, the animation is of high quality, the sequences are fluid and weapons are well drawn. Some of the later battles in particular keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. It also doesn't hold back any punches relating to gore, it does so however without going too over the top, walking the fine balance between gritty and overkill. There were moments where I actually said "holy crap" during some of the more stunning scenes. Like Attack on Titan it doesn't make any exceptions for who lives and who dies. The series does a good job of building up an interest in a character then unexpectedly depicting their demise. It doesn't overdo this but there have been some casualties that I hadn't anticipated!

The music is also very well done. The opening song 'Skyreach' by Sora Amamiya and the ending 'Konna Sekaai, Shiritakunakatta' work really well with the series and I have already added them to my regular track list! The recurring soundtrack they use for moments of despair and sorrow is particularly powerful.

I am also a big fan of the character designs; each has their own unique design and colour palette. Initially I didn't like the idea of characters having their 'own colour' as I felt that it was too stark of a contrast but after a while it becomes part of the character's appeal. It also helps to provide a contrast with some of the darker and more 'edgy' scenes. The costumes and weaponry in particular are impressive; each Imperial Arm has its own appeal. The series also boasts some ridiculously cool hairstyles, take Bulat and his General for example, badass!

Speaking of badasses, we are later introduced to the fearsome General Esdeath, a sadistic lady with a fierce Imperial Arm that can create and manipulate ice. She is shown effortlessly conquering the North before being summoned by the Prime Minister to the capital to get rid of the Night Raid assassins. I REALLY like this character, from her design down to her personality. She somewhat reminds me of Selvaria from Valkyrie Chronicles. Both due to her colour design, ruthless nature and devotion to her belief and passion. Esdeath however, is more ruthless in this regard; she believes people die because they are weak, that is all. We do however get to see her softer side and her compassion for comrades and a special someone, which allows for her character to be developed beyond the simple 'ruthless general' stereotype. Plus her outfit is amazing.

The series mimics the flow of the manga in its ability to deliver shocking, gritty action while contrasting it with light humour and cutesy scenes. There is some fan service here and there, especially with some of the more 'endowed' characters. There are some of the typical shonen tropes but on the whole the balance is good.

The show has so far been able to introduce enemies steadily without giving it an 'enemy of the week' vibe and the overarching plot is moving at a nice steady pace. I can only hope that this series continues like this as I am hooked and can't wait to see what happens next. Although if anymore of my favourite characters die I'm going to be mad!

I really recommend you check it out for yourself!