As I've come to realise over the past several minutes, it's VERY difficult to talk about the politics of a porn game without comming off as cringe. Maybe straight up not possible for a writer as poor as myself, but here's the attempt. Important disclosure, I am not trans myself, and do not speak for anyone trans at all, I can only write about my own experience with queer people from an outsiders perspective:
Hardcoded is a game about transexuality set in a post apocalyptic, neo-punk alternate-capitalist society. From the word go the game wears it's politics on it's sleeve, and all but punches you in the face with it. It's a narrative about identity and self discovery, society and community. A transexual story inside a transexual alegory and frankly...kind of a mess. But also completely by design
The game begins with Hardcoded or HC escaping the walled community of their previous rich overlords and escaping to safe haven, a punk anarchic society close to "THE ABYSS". From here the game is a relatively normal comming of age story about the trans robot. And right off the bat, the game is not subtle.
It's easy to understand why so many people felt this game was an insult to them specifically. Derision for groups consisting of individuals that immediately come to mind when you think of the word "person" is a normal coping mechanism that anyone with any experience engaging with politicized minority groups will imediately identify in ample measure in this game. I am not here to argue the validity of this as an approach, but do keep in mind it is one of the aproaches employed.
If you can understand that, what comes after is just about the most passionately queer game one can make. It's a game that represents that safe space that every person going through an experience as isolating as believing oneself to be physically wrong in every expect of the word seems to need. To crave. The doubly wrong nature of being both not human and not male bringing home just how out of the ordinary being isolated in safe haven feels.
The opression of the outside word is never shown, only talked about, because what it is is less important than what its mere existence represents, and by not showing you, it tells you not "A" story of opression, but allows itself to be mapped into whatever your own story is. It is written like a fanfic because...it is. It's a fictionalized space where the world is overcorrected in the desired direction. The group that you get to know during the game is made of exagerated archetypes of queerness and they symbolize important aspects of the trans experience specifically. They talk like their OC's because it's a safe place to do so, they joke around their insecurities and difficulties whilst still providing each other will all the support they need. The group is simultaneously charged with sexual tension and completely at ease with themselves Those naked contradictions aren't a mistake in the writing. They're half the point.
Now, I won't sit here and tell you it's the best written game ever, not by a long shot. It is rambly on times it doesn't need to be, it is too in your face on times it should let itself be subdued and it's just generally more interested in the message it's conveying than in the textual way it's doing that in. And these are bad things, sure. At the same time, that is in itself an encapsulation of the trans experience. It's not about bearing the onus of proof, it's not about being clear and concise for the benefit of other people. It's about expression and self actualization. And that's the game in a nutshell.
Expressive, messy, fun, cute and wholesome. And cringe. Let's be honest. The game is kind of cringe. But that's ok. If you are at all interested in queer culture, consider checking this one out. And be prepared for bluntness, cuz it comes at you quick
