At last the day has come for me to claim my birthright as a gaming journalist and discuss the oversexualization of women in video games. This is in thanks to South Korean developer SHIFT UP and their newest release, Stellar Blade. Throughout my time with the demo of this game, I was inundated with content about it on my social media feeds, mainly on the subject of how the game presents female characters.
Stellar Blade’s genre falls somewhere between Soulslike (a genre named after the Dark Souls franchise) and Hack and Slash games like Devil May Cry. On both fronts, its gameplay doesn’t strive to reinvent the wheel by any measure. Meanwhile, the graphical fidelity of the character models and the game world is remarkable, combined with the dynamic and fluid combat animations makes for an unparalleled visual spectacle which enhances the gameplay experience.
The game places you in control of EVE, an elite physical combatant on a mission to reclaim a post-apocalyptic Earth from the monstrous “Naytibas.” EVE’s design takes inspiration from the eponymous protagonist of the Bayonetta games. Both characters are thin, tall women accentuated by their impractical high heels and skin-tight outfits. Additionally, both sport a fantastically long and silky ponytail which is impervious to harm from all the swords, guns and lasers they frequently encounter. But while Bayonetta was inarguably serving looks at all times, her games were far more tongue-in-cheek about their use of the male gaze.
EVE, on the other hand, is presented as much younger, with elements of her outfits echoing the design of Japanese school uniforms. This choice, at the very least, ought to raise some eyebrows about the ethical implications of the game’s art direction. Couple this with the grotesque and oftentimes suggestive designs of the Naytibas, and one might be able to understand why I came away from this game’s demo feeling more than a little bit gross.
My feelings on the game are not new by any means, and have been a concern of gaming journalists for years. Back in 2014, feminist media critic Anita Sarkeesian produced a series of videos titled “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games” which sought to articulate her thoughts on the industry at the time. As the “GamerGate” movement rose to prominence, she became the target of endless harassment and death threats as the perpetrators went about their quest to fight back against the supposedly malignant forces of feminism and identity politics in video games.
Many online voices have carried on the cause of the Gamergaters and continue to run wokespotting content farms and incite further harassment against game developers and journalists today. These creators, along with their audiences, have praised Stellar Blade for its supposed dedication to fighting the woke agenda to “uglify” women in video games. While the game’s developers have not put out any kind of statement to confirm this narrative, it has not stopped this contingent of fans from believing it to be true.
Let it be known that this article is not a condemnation of hot characters in video games. I made it abundantly clear in my first review for this column that the pretty ladies of Baldur’s Gate 3 were a major draw, but there is such a thing as being weird about it. Using these artistic choices as fuel for harassment is not OK, and while it is not the job of developers or artists themselves to take full responsibility for the words and actions of their following, it is our individual responsibility to avoid cruelty and just be happy to enjoy things.