albawrites:

I think it’s less that having the allegories are bad and more just HOW they’re portrayed, and in addition there’s the association from David Cage who keeps insisting that there’s no correlation and that it’s just a game “about androids”, which we all know is a bullshit answer. For example, I think that largely I’m able to overlook and not really be too bothered by most of the examples, but I really do think the concentration camp was done in bad taste. That’s not to say that the subjects shouldn’t be touched upon, but rather how they are touched upon.

In this case, I think having direct quotes from just one civil rights leader who was black (Martin Luther King, Jr.) was probably not the best choice if you desire to include quotes from civil rights activists. This bothers me a little less, but I’m a white woman and I know it may not be my place to comment on that. I do think the quote that Markus can use “We don’t breathe, but we’re alive” is way more in poor taste due to recent events in the Black Lives Matter movement.

I hope this answer helps. To me, it seems like some the choices are done in poor taste but I can overlook most of them. Some are a little less in good taste.

(I hope it’s ok to reblog this, if not, I’ll delete)

To me the biggest problem is that:

1) The parallels are too blatantly direct that I felt second hand embarrassment through most of the “racism” parallels. I mean, androids only back seats? androids and dogs are not allowed? (is that taken from the famous “chinese people and dogs are not allowed” park sign during the colonial era in China?) android concentration camp? Those are way too obvious to the point of cringe-worthy. As in: I see you want me to feel sorry to the androids but it is too obvious I feel like walking into a trap. It’s not like I don’t feel those real life racism to an extend (different PoC face different difficulties after all), but I want to feel sorry for the androids because they are androids, not because they are androids with *insert human race* skin.

2) The whole android uprising thing felt cheap. Markus hold hands with random androids and they all became his puppets of freedom march? That’s… not how freedom works. I felt like I am watching Mr. Smith taking over the Matrix instead of Markus being a social activists leader. I know there is an ending revealing that Markus “converting” androids is actually a “virus” designed by a certain someone to reclaim Cyberlife, but there’s no clear clues about it in the game (even though I have guessed/suspected it), and not every player plays multiple times to get to that certain ending (which is a very very bad ending). And without knowing that, Markus’ arc is not convincing at all with his mindless android army. I’d rather the story was more about Markus finding out his will of freedom is just a tool to human, and he struggles about whether his desire and ideal are real, and whether he would act as the haman’s pawn/play their game even though he wants this.