- Nov 1, 2017
- 4,398
- 9,457
This is an extraordinary game. The characters really jump off the screen and Lisa is an endearing protagonist that makes her game an addictive experience. It is an emotional rollercoaster that can make you laugh and cry in perhaps the same 10 minute period.
I think one quality it has that other games lack is that it understands the difference between fantasy and reality, even within the context of its existence as a pornographic game. For example, when Lisa is masturbating in the bathtub the fantasy that she is pleasuring herself to is almost exactly what happens to her when she is assaulted in the bathroom of the bar. However, this is a safe and comfortable fantasy that she has while floating in warm water. When that happens to her in the bar it is atrocious. A total outrage. After the hours the player has put into getting to know Lisa and how kind, loving, and trusting she is the event is no longer erotic. Rather, it is horrendous. Many games on this site have a "press x to watch the girl get raped" feature. Not saying that there is anything wrong with that if that's what the audience is looking for, but I doubt that any of them will make a player feel so bad for pushing that button. Or even make them think about it the next time that button presents itself. Even one of the in-game perpetrators walked away with a troubled conscience, something that one would think would preclude someone from participating in the first place. But people will surprise you. Nobody can say that they were not warned beforehand, but the trigger warning only increases that feeling of culpability. That you, as the player, did this to her. It is the sense of pathos that Lisa evokes in us that makes what would be a rather pedestrian event in any other game a truly tragic occurrence. I couldn't stand watching her crawl on that filthy bathroom floor. I wanted justice for her, and due to the fact that she doesn't remember the event that catharsis may be denied to us forever. In the fantasy, these men would pay for what they did to her. The reality is that sometimes the bad guys just get away with it.
Lisa's fantasies are a product of her agency. They are treated in the game as healthy and can be compatible with her loving relationships. This event represents a true perversion of something that could make her truly happy, were it her choice to participate. The dark event in the bathroom, as well as her assault in the beach bar and the near-confrontation with the hitman, shatter the fantasy that Lisa lives in a playground where she will be able to explore her own erotic fantasies without any real danger. She can be hurt physically and emotionally, and that is terrifying. It is a wake-up call that in the coming chapters we cannot be so cavalier with her safety. It engenders a sense of responsibility to her. There may be players that will continue to treat her like a toy that they desperately want to break, but I feel that many more players will find themselves thinking very carefully about the next steps they take because they don't want to see her hurt, rather, they will want her to be safe and happy. They will want their choices to be aligned with her choices, because they know what the consequences are otherwise. I think that is beautiful.
Of course, I could be wrong about all of this and perhaps these violent delights have violent ends. Only time will tell.
I think one quality it has that other games lack is that it understands the difference between fantasy and reality, even within the context of its existence as a pornographic game. For example, when Lisa is masturbating in the bathtub the fantasy that she is pleasuring herself to is almost exactly what happens to her when she is assaulted in the bathroom of the bar. However, this is a safe and comfortable fantasy that she has while floating in warm water. When that happens to her in the bar it is atrocious. A total outrage. After the hours the player has put into getting to know Lisa and how kind, loving, and trusting she is the event is no longer erotic. Rather, it is horrendous. Many games on this site have a "press x to watch the girl get raped" feature. Not saying that there is anything wrong with that if that's what the audience is looking for, but I doubt that any of them will make a player feel so bad for pushing that button. Or even make them think about it the next time that button presents itself. Even one of the in-game perpetrators walked away with a troubled conscience, something that one would think would preclude someone from participating in the first place. But people will surprise you. Nobody can say that they were not warned beforehand, but the trigger warning only increases that feeling of culpability. That you, as the player, did this to her. It is the sense of pathos that Lisa evokes in us that makes what would be a rather pedestrian event in any other game a truly tragic occurrence. I couldn't stand watching her crawl on that filthy bathroom floor. I wanted justice for her, and due to the fact that she doesn't remember the event that catharsis may be denied to us forever. In the fantasy, these men would pay for what they did to her. The reality is that sometimes the bad guys just get away with it.
Lisa's fantasies are a product of her agency. They are treated in the game as healthy and can be compatible with her loving relationships. This event represents a true perversion of something that could make her truly happy, were it her choice to participate. The dark event in the bathroom, as well as her assault in the beach bar and the near-confrontation with the hitman, shatter the fantasy that Lisa lives in a playground where she will be able to explore her own erotic fantasies without any real danger. She can be hurt physically and emotionally, and that is terrifying. It is a wake-up call that in the coming chapters we cannot be so cavalier with her safety. It engenders a sense of responsibility to her. There may be players that will continue to treat her like a toy that they desperately want to break, but I feel that many more players will find themselves thinking very carefully about the next steps they take because they don't want to see her hurt, rather, they will want her to be safe and happy. They will want their choices to be aligned with her choices, because they know what the consequences are otherwise. I think that is beautiful.
Of course, I could be wrong about all of this and perhaps these violent delights have violent ends. Only time will tell.
