As with anything, it’s not how you start but how you finish. First, this is from Ubisoft and no actual statistics are available to back this up.
Second, people like Jason Schreier laughed and mocked “the hate mob” when Veilguard had good numbers to start. The laughter didn’t last long when reality actually set in.
This legitimately changed me from a Day 1 purchase to a “maybe on a deep discount” purchase.
THPS4 was my first game in the series so I’m admittedly bias but 13 year old me discovering this game and putting me down the rabbit hole to discovering the whole series, is absolutely crushed. The free roam with all the voiced characters who gave you goals was part of this game’s vibe and charm.
My dreams of seeing the college professor tell me “You can spell! It’s a miracle…” in 4K are dead.
I can assure you, no one in good faith has an issue with Ciri being the lead. I prefaced “in good faith” because I’m sure there are people out there who have that as their sole issue. However, anyone who finished 3 could see Ciri as the new protagonist coming from a mile away and, anyone I know, were excited.
The actual issues people have are first, the redesign to make her less attractive. It sounds silly but it also LOOKS silly to take an objectively attractive character and redesign her like this. It definitely reeks of the current trend going on with female characters these days. Second, the fact she’s a Witcher. I know the games are separate from the books but it goes against the established lore and the only explanations can be that they’re ignorant of the lore (which is bad) or they don’t care and want to earn “Girl Boss” points from certain groups (also bad).
Those are the actual issues people have, not just Ciri being the protagonist alone. I would be stoked if it was Ciri as the protagonist but they left those two issues alone.
This is why I mainly play on my Switch now. I know people give Nintendo grief about always reiterating on the same IP but it’s always reliable and high quality. Just saying.
The fact that there are less people like Shuhei at PS these days, now including the literal man himself, is why, in my opinion, PS become less and less special and fun over the last 10 years or so.
I’ve said it before so I guess I’ll say it again: multiple things can happen and be true at once.
1. Literally no one hated Horizon ZD. Most people loved it as a new IP, interesting story and Aloy was an endearing character. As matter of fact, the only controversy I recall was focused on left-leaning “journalists” complaining about Native American cultural appropriation.
2. FW stirred up a hornet’s nest at first because there was a soft facial redesign of Aloy that, objectively, made her less attractive. A big deal? No. A sign of attempting to spread “The Message”? Possibly. But then we had the controversy of how Sony handled PS4-PS5 upgrades. Then the game itself was fine but not a large enough leap. Then you had DLC that continued to push “The Message” by bringing in Aloy’s sexuality. It was a perfect storm of things that lessened excitement for the game and the IP.
3. As some have stated, why are other IPs rotting away but this one is somehow alive and kicking? That is a genuine sentiment some feel.
4. Lastly, it is a legit statement to say that sales don’t equal enthusiasm. First, even though the first Horizon hit really well, those sales are also held up due to it being bundled with later PS4 models. Then you have the remaster. Someone compared it to Avatar earlier and that is so perfect. Data shows the second film made billions of dollars but I swear I’ve never met anyone in person who has seen it.
But please, do not try and pretend like the first one does not have male facial structure features. And then don’t pretend that this is not the typical go-to of female character design for ND lately. And then don’t pretend that this isn’t tied to statements from people like Druckmann himself, about trying to make more feminist leaning games. And then don’t pretend that, because of all the previous factors mentioned, that it is incredulous that people would connect all those dots and have a laugh at this.
Should people be downright mean and hateful? No. Are there some people who have just lost their mind in regards to ND? Sure. But there are also those who, as demonstrated by some of these comments, seem to be very disingenuous and want to pretend that anyone having ANY issue is just unreasonable.
Multiple things can be true at once:
1. There are those that have lost their minds when it comes to ND.
2. ND does have, both admittedly and inferentially, a certain agenda.
3. There are those who have legit concerns because of #2.
4. There are those who refuse to acknowledge #3 because they think anyone with any issues are #1, or they’re just being disingenuous. Or both.
Maybe don’t waste money on consulting firms to “diversify” your game and don’t bloat your game with pointless mini games and other nonsense. Maybe you should’ve made one solid remake instead of getting greedy and creating essentially the video game version of the Hobbit movies.
This really seems a case of multiple things being true at once. At least to me.
1. Decisions are intentional. It is an intentional decision to design and write this character in the way that she is designed and written. Also, this design is not the traditional female look. And no, that does not mean hourglass proportions or a subservient personality. There are countless awesome female protagonists all through media that are neither of those but that I would argue are “traditional”. But some, including myself admittedly, would rather see traditional looking female characters instead of one clearly designed to buck that trend. For instance, the main character in SW Outlaws upset people but that confused me. She looked like a typical, traditional female character.
2. While I am no fan of anything I’m seeing here, there’s no need to be a jerk about it. Just don’t buy it.
3. The same people upset over people being upset need to also calm down. You’re coming across like those guys at colleges who want to be “allies” to the progressive female students.
The fact a female protagonist is in this is fine and, depending on how they do the story, historically accurate. There absolutely were female ronins and samurai.
The ONLY thing I’m bummed out about is that I won’t play as Jin. He became one of my favorite PS characters ever.
Comments 84
Re: The Last of Us 2 Can't Quite Match the First Game's Launch on PC
Stevie Wonder saw this coming
Re: Final Fantasy 9 Teases 'Various Projects' to Commemorate 25th Anniversary
I really want the Vivi and Grandpa picture book but it’s not in English 😩
Re: Ghost of Tsushima Is Sony's Biggest Western Hit in Japan Since Crash Bandicoot 3
@Magatsuhi Geez, either I’m a moron for sticking up for you or you’re just really committed to the bit
Re: Ghost of Tsushima Is Sony's Biggest Western Hit in Japan Since Crash Bandicoot 3
@PuppetMaster @Magatsuhi was obviously being funny. No one worth paying attention to was genuinely offended by that.
Re: Ghost of Tsushima Is Sony's Biggest Western Hit in Japan Since Crash Bandicoot 3
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Re: Ghost of Tsushima Is Sony's Biggest Western Hit in Japan Since Crash Bandicoot 3
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Re: Ghost of Tsushima Is Sony's Biggest Western Hit in Japan Since Crash Bandicoot 3
All they had to do was just make GoT2 with Jin again.
Re: Intergalactic PS5 Is Playable Internally and Incredible, According to Naughty Dog
Yay, more Western post-modernism!
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows Soars Past 1 Million Players at Launch
As with anything, it’s not how you start but how you finish. First, this is from Ubisoft and no actual statistics are available to back this up.
Second, people like Jason Schreier laughed and mocked “the hate mob” when Veilguard had good numbers to start. The laughter didn’t last long when reality actually set in.
Re: Assassin's Creed Shadows (PS5) - Striking Open World RPG Is a Real Cut Above
Let me see what Japanese critics and players say and then I'll decide whats best for me. I just wish we had another Jin Sakai game on the way....
Re: Mini Review: Age of Mythology: Retold (PS5) - Series' Best Stands the Test of Time
Wrong. AoE2 + The Conquerors expansion is the best entry.
Re: Intergalactic PS5 Game All About Faith, Religion, and 'Being Lonely'
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Re: Activision Confirms Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 Won't Be Free Roam on PS5, PS4
This legitimately changed me from a Day 1 purchase to a “maybe on a deep discount” purchase.
THPS4 was my first game in the series so I’m admittedly bias but 13 year old me discovering this game and putting me down the rabbit hole to discovering the whole series, is absolutely crushed. The free roam with all the voiced characters who gave you goals was part of this game’s vibe and charm.
My dreams of seeing the college professor tell me “You can spell! It’s a miracle…” in 4K are dead.
Re: PS Plus Essential PS5, PS4 Games for March 2025 Announced
laughs like Tourette’s Guy
Re: Forza Horizon 5 Confirmed for PS5, Out This Spring
I wish they’d bring 3 back, it’s my favorite.
Anyways, call me when MS ports over AoE2 Definitive Edition.
Re: Mailbox: The Joy of Astro Bot, Ciri in The Witcher 4, and Terrible Trophy Lists
I can assure you, no one in good faith has an issue with Ciri being the lead. I prefaced “in good faith” because I’m sure there are people out there who have that as their sole issue. However, anyone who finished 3 could see Ciri as the new protagonist coming from a mile away and, anyone I know, were excited.
The actual issues people have are first, the redesign to make her less attractive. It sounds silly but it also LOOKS silly to take an objectively attractive character and redesign her like this. It definitely reeks of the current trend going on with female characters these days. Second, the fact she’s a Witcher. I know the games are separate from the books but it goes against the established lore and the only explanations can be that they’re ignorant of the lore (which is bad) or they don’t care and want to earn “Girl Boss” points from certain groups (also bad).
Those are the actual issues people have, not just Ciri being the protagonist alone. I would be stoked if it was Ciri as the protagonist but they left those two issues alone.
Re: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Support Could Be Over Already as Patch 5 Drops on PS5
Maybe make a Dragon Age game next time.
Re: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Director Is Leaving BioWare
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Re: Dragon Age: The Veilguard Director Is Leaving BioWare
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Re: Sony Cancels Bluepoint, Bend Studio PS5 Games, One Being a Live-Service God of War Title
@Strikke You must not run in Nintendo fan circles much lol. People are absolutely giving Nintendo grief for DKC Returns HD right now.
My previous comment was about new games in existing IPs, not remasters, etc.
Re: Sony Cancels Bluepoint, Bend Studio PS5 Games, One Being a Live-Service God of War Title
This is why I mainly play on my Switch now. I know people give Nintendo grief about always reiterating on the same IP but it’s always reliable and high quality. Just saying.
Re: After 31 Years, the Legendary Shuhei Yoshida Bids Farewell to PlayStation
The fact that there are less people like Shuhei at PS these days, now including the literal man himself, is why, in my opinion, PS become less and less special and fun over the last 10 years or so.
Re: Horizon Hatred Simmers Once More As Sony Announces Movie Adaptation
I’ve said it before so I guess I’ll say it again: multiple things can happen and be true at once.
1. Literally no one hated Horizon ZD. Most people loved it as a new IP, interesting story and Aloy was an endearing character. As matter of fact, the only controversy I recall was focused on left-leaning “journalists” complaining about Native American cultural appropriation.
2. FW stirred up a hornet’s nest at first because there was a soft facial redesign of Aloy that, objectively, made her less attractive. A big deal? No. A sign of attempting to spread “The Message”? Possibly. But then we had the controversy of how Sony handled PS4-PS5 upgrades. Then the game itself was fine but not a large enough leap. Then you had DLC that continued to push “The Message” by bringing in Aloy’s sexuality. It was a perfect storm of things that lessened excitement for the game and the IP.
3. As some have stated, why are other IPs rotting away but this one is somehow alive and kicking? That is a genuine sentiment some feel.
4. Lastly, it is a legit statement to say that sales don’t equal enthusiasm. First, even though the first Horizon hit really well, those sales are also held up due to it being bundled with later PS4 models. Then you have the remaster. Someone compared it to Avatar earlier and that is so perfect. Data shows the second film made billions of dollars but I swear I’ve never met anyone in person who has seen it.
Re: Horizon Hatred Simmers Once More As Sony Announces Movie Adaptation
“We’re getting tired of this discussion…so let’s write a condescending article that perpetuates this very tiring conversation.”
Re: Stellar Blade Dev Says It Hopes Everyone Is 'Living in Love' After Naughty Dog Artist's Interpretation of Eve Is Unfairly Criticised
The second picture looks fine.
But please, do not try and pretend like the first one does not have male facial structure features. And then don’t pretend that this is not the typical go-to of female character design for ND lately. And then don’t pretend that this isn’t tied to statements from people like Druckmann himself, about trying to make more feminist leaning games. And then don’t pretend that, because of all the previous factors mentioned, that it is incredulous that people would connect all those dots and have a laugh at this.
Should people be downright mean and hateful? No. Are there some people who have just lost their mind in regards to ND? Sure. But there are also those who, as demonstrated by some of these comments, seem to be very disingenuous and want to pretend that anyone having ANY issue is just unreasonable.
Multiple things can be true at once:
1. There are those that have lost their minds when it comes to ND.
2. ND does have, both admittedly and inferentially, a certain agenda.
3. There are those who have legit concerns because of #2.
4. There are those who refuse to acknowledge #3 because they think anyone with any issues are #1, or they’re just being disingenuous. Or both.
Re: Square Enix Insists Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Hasn't Been the PS5 Sales Disaster It's Been Painted As
Maybe don’t waste money on consulting firms to “diversify” your game and don’t bloat your game with pointless mini games and other nonsense. Maybe you should’ve made one solid remake instead of getting greedy and creating essentially the video game version of the Hobbit movies.
Re: Naughty Dog Turns Off Intergalactic PS5 Trailer's Comments As Discourse Turns Nasty
This really seems a case of multiple things being true at once. At least to me.
1. Decisions are intentional. It is an intentional decision to design and write this character in the way that she is designed and written. Also, this design is not the traditional female look. And no, that does not mean hourglass proportions or a subservient personality. There are countless awesome female protagonists all through media that are neither of those but that I would argue are “traditional”. But some, including myself admittedly, would rather see traditional looking female characters instead of one clearly designed to buck that trend. For instance, the main character in SW Outlaws upset people but that confused me. She looked like a typical, traditional female character.
2. While I am no fan of anything I’m seeing here, there’s no need to be a jerk about it. Just don’t buy it.
3. The same people upset over people being upset need to also calm down. You’re coming across like those guys at colleges who want to be “allies” to the progressive female students.
Re: Naughty Dog's New PS5 Game Is Finally Announced, Sci-Fi Action Title Intergalactic
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Re: Naughty Dog's New PS5 Game Is Finally Announced, Sci-Fi Action Title Intergalactic
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Re: Naughty Dog's New PS5 Game Is Finally Announced, Sci-Fi Action Title Intergalactic
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Re: Naughty Dog's New PS5 Game Is Finally Announced, Sci-Fi Action Title Intergalactic
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Re: Poll: One Year Later, How Would You Rate Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PS5?
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Re: Ghost of Yotei Is the Ghost of Tsushima Sequel We Needed, Slashing to PS5 in 2025
The fact a female protagonist is in this is fine and, depending on how they do the story, historically accurate. There absolutely were female ronins and samurai.
The ONLY thing I’m bummed out about is that I won’t play as Jin. He became one of my favorite PS characters ever.
Re: Poll: Are You Playing Honkai: Star Rail?
No because, when it’s reasonably possible like this particular situation, I refuse to support the CCP.