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[TheGamer, Written by Chan Khee Hoon] Sifu's Brawler Is A Soulless Caricature
- Thread starter Neoxon
- Start date
I mean it sounds like, at its core, it's an experience derived from watching old Hong Kong action flicks, which is fine.
The problem comes in, like the article says, when you clearly didn't consult with ONE Chinese person, leading you do silly things like using the wrong words in your menus or UI.
Like, ask someone. Ask one person.
I mean, do we know that to be the case for a fact? A wrong translation by itself isn't evidence they didn't consult with a single Chinese person when making the game.
Sounds like they went too far with their ambition of approximating Asian martial arts movies. Actually attempting to depict actual Chinese culture was evidently a bit outside of their wheelhouse. Should've brought on help to better commit to this direction.
edit
According to The Verge article, they did consult with Chinese people, so I guess it's an issue of greater nuance then.
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According to The Verge article, they did consult with Chinese people, so I guess it's an issue of greater nuance then.
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Yeah not a fan of shallow aesthics. Baffles me the team couldn't just get a Chinese Art team who can add legitimacy to the game.
Does the game have VO? Is any in Mandarin?
I mean....
"As news about Sifu slowly trickled out, some people accused the game of being appropriative of Asian culture as it seemed no Asians were involved in making it. That the game's kung-fu consultant was also not Asian, and the fact that the game's marketing swag box seems to be a mishmash of game-relevant items and a bunch of stuff that simply screams, "Let's fill this with as many stereotypical Asian things as possible," raised even more red flags."
Doesn't seem like it.
Edit: Ah, excuse me
"Both consulted on a number of issues related to gameplay and cultural elements, like correcting the order of characters on the coin talisman that holds your resurrection power. For the game's pending Chinese localization, they helped select the Chinese voice actors and sat in on recording sessions to ensure the dialogue was representative of how Chinese people speak to each other. Liu and Zhu were also responsible for connecting Sloclap with consultants in China who provided feedback on everything down to the smallest detail. There's an anecdote both Tarno and Liu shared about washing machines in the background of the game's first level being swapped from front loading to top loading since the latter is the kind most Chinese would be familiar with."
They talked to two people.
The Verge article that was just posted has this bit in it:
Based off that, it looks like there were at least two people of Asian descent that were consulted. And I guess these two people also reached out to consultants in China "who provided feedback on everything down to the smallest detail." But if this was the case, then why are there still issues concerning the language still in the game? Did the dev team just choose to ignore the feedback that was solicited? It kinda seems like it.
The game's credits has two large segements of cultural and artistic consultants who all appear to be Chinese. More than ten people.
That's what confuses me about the whole thing.
It's tough because even the writer of this article admits there are some things they got beautifully right – mostly the environment artists dressing the world clearly seem to have done a phenomenal job.
It's all the superficial stuff peppered on top which sours the deal. UI work and additional art.
One thing I'm personally enjoying is that so far the characters seem fairly three-dimensional. They have very little dialogue but nobody's painted as a pure bad guy or flat. And you can choose how to respond as your character so even they get nuance.
Yeah the whole situation is shaky. I'm still gonna get a physical copy when it comes out in May but I'd be a little disappointed it leans along the side of imitation as opposed to authenticity.
Or the feedback gotten was useless.
Just asking someone of chinese descent isn't a foolproof way to get things right.
The paper is more nuanced than the title can let it appear and do not mention the word caricature that I find not appropriate in this case, I think "souless representation" fits more what is written, because a caricature would mean a deliberate way to exagerate traits for a puprose like fear, humour or grotesque.
I liked that part as well. I don't think the devs had any malicious intent, but they should have known they needed more representatives of the culture they are depicting in high level positions on the dev team. What they did is like me cooking Chinese food and asking my Chinese friend if it's good.
Kind of reminds me how I felt about some of the stuff in Japanese that was in Jazzpunk, though that didn't try to (seriously) center itself around a culture as here. Going the extra mile would have been worth it here to avoid cheapening the entire experience.
Even worse when it's not even written in the right direction/in the correct (joined) form. Like seeing a school with a sign saying: ة س ر د م
Yeah, I'd like to see what kind of feedback was asked for, and what was given in response. Ultimately, it's up to a higher up to make the decisions and I think they dropped the ball here.
Been waiting for an article like this, so glad it was done because I was wondering how it came across to people of the depicted heritage. It's good to hear the environmental mise en scene felt accurate and good to Khee Hoon (thanks Razorwind for clarifying how to say the name order correctly), cause that's what I was impressed with in how much detail and clutter there is in painting a world when it's not an RPG with characters expositing or world building.
I wish Kane and Lynch 2 was re-examined from this cultural critique. Does that exist already? I want to check if IO consulted heavily or had developers with Chinese background to give input.
I wish Kane and Lynch 2 was re-examined from this cultural critique. Does that exist already? I want to check if IO consulted heavily or had developers with Chinese background to give input.
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I cannot read nor write Arabic and I was once tasked with placing/creating signage, graffiti and all that in a game and boy it was a harrowing experience.
When I was doing it - eventually I was the only one at the time who noticed it was going in the wrong direction and it was a hassle to get approval for the plugins that supported the language.
We had a consultant but he was not always there so you'd do like a months worth of work before he ever saw it- but at least we had it I guess.
This is largely why I was iffy on the game. Gameplay looks great, but I'm so over completely white studios doing stuff heavily featuring cultures they aren't part of. No excuse not to bring in people to help you out that actually are part of what you're drawing from. It's laziness.
Then again I'm also told that Europe, in particular Paris, really doesn't care too much about this stuff. Playing David Cage games, I can see that.
Then again I'm also told that Europe, in particular Paris, really doesn't care too much about this stuff. Playing David Cage games, I can see that.
My take as a Singaporean Chinese. (Born in Hong Kong) Purely reacting to the thoughts put on this forum, I have not played the game yet.
If you are located now in HK or Shenzen, chances are that Cantonese and Mandarin will be mixed here and there. It's not that big of a deal.
"Sifu" is Cantonese way of spelling, Mandarin (putonghua) will be "Shifu" in Pinyin.
Regarding mixture of English and Chinese graffiti, it might be common in HK, Singapore or Malaysia where there is a significant English speaking crowd too. And it might help English players creating ambiance, I think it's fine to chalk it up to game design.
Regarding the creator box, I am not too sure about the incense sticks and prayer beads. My first thought is...whose funeral is this?
I am fine with the tea set cos most of the reviewers in the West would not have one yet, and having one will be a good start to brewing some Chinese tea. (Maybe not a black teapot set...but ok)
If the game was based on Germany, it would be fine to include a German beer mug right? Is that cultural appropriation?
On a second take, the tea set, incense are common items used when you get accepted as a disciple under a martial arts sifu. This practice is still common in some Chinese martial arts schools. You will need to offer tea to the master and perhaps pray to the deities.
No idea about the beads, that's like including a rosary in a Assassin creed game set in the crusades. Maybe they were thinking about shaolin monks.
Fortunately, the coins came with the red string. That is a good luck charm to ward off bad luck. Still used in some Asian families.
At least they didn't mess up like the food recipe photos on Twitter. The coins alone sometimes are used for funerals, so putting some Chinese coins without the red string next to food is...very bad.
If someone is a racists should we listen to his points less? I normally would assume we should still consider his points.
But just a heads up, we have extreme people in Asia who somehow really hate the colonial west and would do anything just to throw shit at the concept of Western superiority.
Another tip, to OP, "Khee" is not how you address the author. His full name is "Chan Khee Hoon". His family name is Chan, and "first name" is Khee Hoon.
Most Western countries seem to put their first names first, so some Asians flip the names around hoping someone will call it right. This happens a lot for Koreans as well as their names are also based on a similar structure.
Calling him "Khee" is like saying "To" instead of "Tony" . Either put it as "Khee Hoon" for casual tone or "Mr Chan" or "Chan" if you want to be formal.
I originally didn't want to support the game because it's on Epic. But seems like there isnt much proper coverage on this forum so I might buy it tomorrow to give it a spin and give my take on it. Should I?
If you are located now in HK or Shenzen, chances are that Cantonese and Mandarin will be mixed here and there. It's not that big of a deal.
"Sifu" is Cantonese way of spelling, Mandarin (putonghua) will be "Shifu" in Pinyin.
Regarding mixture of English and Chinese graffiti, it might be common in HK, Singapore or Malaysia where there is a significant English speaking crowd too. And it might help English players creating ambiance, I think it's fine to chalk it up to game design.
Regarding the creator box, I am not too sure about the incense sticks and prayer beads. My first thought is...whose funeral is this?
I am fine with the tea set cos most of the reviewers in the West would not have one yet, and having one will be a good start to brewing some Chinese tea. (Maybe not a black teapot set...but ok)
If the game was based on Germany, it would be fine to include a German beer mug right? Is that cultural appropriation?
On a second take, the tea set, incense are common items used when you get accepted as a disciple under a martial arts sifu. This practice is still common in some Chinese martial arts schools. You will need to offer tea to the master and perhaps pray to the deities.
No idea about the beads, that's like including a rosary in a Assassin creed game set in the crusades. Maybe they were thinking about shaolin monks.
Fortunately, the coins came with the red string. That is a good luck charm to ward off bad luck. Still used in some Asian families.
At least they didn't mess up like the food recipe photos on Twitter. The coins alone sometimes are used for funerals, so putting some Chinese coins without the red string next to food is...very bad.
If someone is a racists should we listen to his points less? I normally would assume we should still consider his points.
But just a heads up, we have extreme people in Asia who somehow really hate the colonial west and would do anything just to throw shit at the concept of Western superiority.
Another tip, to OP, "Khee" is not how you address the author. His full name is "Chan Khee Hoon". His family name is Chan, and "first name" is Khee Hoon.
Most Western countries seem to put their first names first, so some Asians flip the names around hoping someone will call it right. This happens a lot for Koreans as well as their names are also based on a similar structure.
Calling him "Khee" is like saying "To" instead of "Tony" . Either put it as "Khee Hoon" for casual tone or "Mr Chan" or "Chan" if you want to be formal.
I originally didn't want to support the game because it's on Epic. But seems like there isnt much proper coverage on this forum so I might buy it tomorrow to give it a spin and give my take on it. Should I?
1. not a take
2. not only grammar errors are made
If the idea of the game is to be authentic or leveraging the aesthetics of a certain group (in this case East Asian/Chinese), the expectation is that it is treated with care.
The grammar errors are an instance of this carelessness. There's multiple places more.
I appreciate the lengths that the developers went to make sure that it's correct enough to evoke that aesthetic, but disappointed that they covered the paint but missed filling in the foundation.
I appreciate that you posted your thoughts on this. There is an OT, and a number of people here are playing the game:
Sifu |OT| Revenge is a Dish Best Served Old OT
from the creators of Absolver The hunt for the assassins of your family will take you through the hidden corners of the city, from gang-ridden suburbs to the cold hallways of corporate towers. You have one day, and countless enemies on your way. Time will be the price to pay. Developed...
www.resetera.com
They had two consultants that got them in touch with more consultants in China who "provided feedback on everything".
2 options:
- They didn't receive feedbacks properly or those consultants were not diligent enough.
- They did receive feedbacks but didn't have time to implement them.
Diasporas of any kind always have an extremely high bar for medias representing their culture, but spoiler alert: no one represents other cultures well enough. Have you seen Americans in Russian movies? Italians in French movies? Japanese in Thai dramas? Best you can do is a respectful homage to a culture you like, it's already much better than the racist and stereotypical shit we've produced for the past couple of thousand years.
I think Ghost of Tsushima, Sleeping Dogs and Sifu are a step in the right direction, but obviously they're not perfect. We read feedbacks, learn and do better next time.
Thanks for sharing this!
This is such an important topic to discuss and address both within the industry, and in gaming communities like this.
I absolutely get where the author is coming from, and regardless of game quality, if a game is heavily borrowing from a culture that is not the developer's own, it is their responsibility to do their due diligence to ensure that the game is being as authentic to that culture as possible, in both big and small ways.
As a fellow person of color, I empathize so, so hard with our culture often being used as "set dressing," or to "add some flavor" to the experience. Whether it be games, movies, television, or what have you. It's just incredibly exhausting at best, frustrating at worst. The fact that their "consultant" was a white guy that lived in China and studied Pak Mei is so, so typical of this kind of thing.
No one is saying that people can't tell stories or make games about cultures that aren't their native culture. Just that, if you do, and if you actually care about representation beyond just a surface level, you should probably consult with people from that culture. In this modern era where billions of people across the world are connected through this impressive bit of magic called "The Internet," it shouldn't be hard to reach out and talk with people from those backgrounds to get a little bit of insight that you may not have. Or to potentially highlight blindspots or unintended ignorance/reinforcement of cultural stereotypes.
Being made by a predominantly white team of devs isn't inherently awful (although lack of diversity is a huge issue in this industry, and needs to be addressed), but to not have at least some consultation is not a smart play.
Sucker Punch may be a bunch of westerners making a game about Japan and Japanese people, but they at least consulted with Japanese historians and culture experts to get their insights and attempt to respect the culture, even if Ghost of Tsushima isn't trying to be a historically accurate title, it at least wasn't completely devoid of having input from people from Japan.
Insomniac did something similar with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, in that they not only had people of color writing the game, but also visited Harlem and spoke to people of color to get more insight and inspiration for the area and culture there.
I can't speak to how well Sucker Punch did, as I'm not Japanese, or how well Insomniac did, as I've never been to, or lived in Harlem, but I can respect the attempt.
Sloclap isn't some massive developer from what I know, so I wouldn't expect them to fly out to China and hire a bunch of cultural experts, but there were other options they could have pursued.
And criticizing this aspect of the game isn't saying that the game is bad or anything, just that this kind of "blind spot" isn't really that acceptable in 2022. We can, and should do more, full stop.
This is such an important topic to discuss and address both within the industry, and in gaming communities like this.
I absolutely get where the author is coming from, and regardless of game quality, if a game is heavily borrowing from a culture that is not the developer's own, it is their responsibility to do their due diligence to ensure that the game is being as authentic to that culture as possible, in both big and small ways.
As a fellow person of color, I empathize so, so hard with our culture often being used as "set dressing," or to "add some flavor" to the experience. Whether it be games, movies, television, or what have you. It's just incredibly exhausting at best, frustrating at worst. The fact that their "consultant" was a white guy that lived in China and studied Pak Mei is so, so typical of this kind of thing.
No one is saying that people can't tell stories or make games about cultures that aren't their native culture. Just that, if you do, and if you actually care about representation beyond just a surface level, you should probably consult with people from that culture. In this modern era where billions of people across the world are connected through this impressive bit of magic called "The Internet," it shouldn't be hard to reach out and talk with people from those backgrounds to get a little bit of insight that you may not have. Or to potentially highlight blindspots or unintended ignorance/reinforcement of cultural stereotypes.
Being made by a predominantly white team of devs isn't inherently awful (although lack of diversity is a huge issue in this industry, and needs to be addressed), but to not have at least some consultation is not a smart play.
Sucker Punch may be a bunch of westerners making a game about Japan and Japanese people, but they at least consulted with Japanese historians and culture experts to get their insights and attempt to respect the culture, even if Ghost of Tsushima isn't trying to be a historically accurate title, it at least wasn't completely devoid of having input from people from Japan.
Insomniac did something similar with Spider-Man: Miles Morales, in that they not only had people of color writing the game, but also visited Harlem and spoke to people of color to get more insight and inspiration for the area and culture there.
I can't speak to how well Sucker Punch did, as I'm not Japanese, or how well Insomniac did, as I've never been to, or lived in Harlem, but I can respect the attempt.
Sloclap isn't some massive developer from what I know, so I wouldn't expect them to fly out to China and hire a bunch of cultural experts, but there were other options they could have pursued.
And criticizing this aspect of the game isn't saying that the game is bad or anything, just that this kind of "blind spot" isn't really that acceptable in 2022. We can, and should do more, full stop.
OP
OP
Thank you for both your insight & the correction. I've since made the necessary changes to the OP. I've also sent a request to have the title changed in accordance with what you mentioned.
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Do you think it would be a good idea to include the Verge article in the OP too?
OP
OP
I don't want to take away from the article that this thread exists for, but I will threadmark the Verge article.
The thing with the promotional package is... Do these items all show up in game (at least in the background)? Even Aiden Pierce's iconic hat or the Dead Island torso actually reflects their associated games better than just a random assortment of vaguely Chinese things. If that's what the company thinks of the vibe of the game, then that reflects very poorly on their mindset. The equivalent would be a package of' car key, beer cooler, and cross. That fits Dom from fast and furious fine, but would be bad for almost any other game.
I have not played the game (and don't intend to, hate difficult and roguelike games), but these items tell a very specific story about the cultural background and belief system of presumably the main character. So it that actually the case?
Also, not sure about the iron teakettle. This may be different for different use cases etc, but as far as I know Chinese tea kettles are rarely iron, especially for anyone with some stature (ip man for instance is always shown in the movies using pottery or clay). If it's a cheap one for training students, then the design and shape seem too fancy. A cursory look at online shops, this looks more like an European or Japanese kettle?
I have not played the game (and don't intend to, hate difficult and roguelike games), but these items tell a very specific story about the cultural background and belief system of presumably the main character. So it that actually the case?
Also, not sure about the iron teakettle. This may be different for different use cases etc, but as far as I know Chinese tea kettles are rarely iron, especially for anyone with some stature (ip man for instance is always shown in the movies using pottery or clay). If it's a cheap one for training students, then the design and shape seem too fancy. A cursory look at online shops, this looks more like an European or Japanese kettle?
This paragraph hit me. Great article, but this one really hit. Its so easy for me to say "I just want to play the fun Kung Fu game! But it isn't really 0 cost is it? And interesting that you brought up Sleeping Dogs, which I loved. As this sometimes caught flack I would often think back to that and think "Well it reminds me of SD, which was just a fun stupid action game, it isn't trying to be awful." So reading this paragraph was a big eye opener in how I should be more critical of that thinking.
Appreciate you sharing this article Neoxon - Great read and gave me a lot to think about.
They did. The credits features two largeish groups of Chinese consultants who worked with them on the game.
To what extent and to what specific end, we don't know.
That's not the issue. The Wire was made by white people and there wasn't any controversy around that. The difference is that David Simon and Ed Burns was a journalist/police reporter and a detective beforehand. Even with that preexisting experience, both put in an immense amount of effort and time doing research. Prior to The Wire, Simon spent 3 year getting to know the various people living in a neighborhood in Baltimore that had a heavy amount drug trafficking. He did that just to write a single book.
Anybody, regardless of race or background, can write about anything. However, if it's not your own, you need to put the leg work in and do so with a lot of care and respect. The lack of effort or meaningful care is what causes issues. People whose care for these things is on a surface level. Viewing other people and their culture as a theme or decoration.
Suggesting that white folks don't put any non-white cultures or representation to avoid criticism is a bit of taking your ball and going home. Instead, what's more useful is having diverse teams from the jump. Hiring the representative folks on the team for the project that will be relevant, even. Especially if the studio will be inspired from cultures not their own. Guerilla Games with Horizon and non-white tribal cultures, Sloclap with martial arts, and many more.
So they just assigned you to a task you weren't prepared for at all just because you were the only person around who kinda knew what proper Arabic looks like? Damn, that's awful.
Had read that other article that is mentioned in the OP when it was posted, and tbh it's the reason why i haven't read anything about the game. It stayed in my mind and i'd always think back to it when i saw something about the game.
User Banned (1 Month): Dismissive Commentary over Representation Concerns; Prior Bans for Similar Behaviour
I have to admit, I don't think the article in OP does a good job of providing examples as to why the game is soulless.
I understand the occasional off translation sucks, but, the examples of "no money, no goods" or use of the word "Sifu" aren't enough to convince me of any malice. It then, by design or not, leads many to believe the all-white studio had zero Chinese consultants on the issue. But, the Verge article details that they did, and those consultants also worked on the localization, cultural elements, and, to top it off, it's been well-received in China.
Genuinely willing to be further educated here, but, I feel like I'm reading two pretty different stories about the development of the game, and only one of them is based on conjecture, with no good examples other than it's made by a white team.
I understand the occasional off translation sucks, but, the examples of "no money, no goods" or use of the word "Sifu" aren't enough to convince me of any malice. It then, by design or not, leads many to believe the all-white studio had zero Chinese consultants on the issue. But, the Verge article details that they did, and those consultants also worked on the localization, cultural elements, and, to top it off, it's been well-received in China.
Genuinely willing to be further educated here, but, I feel like I'm reading two pretty different stories about the development of the game, and only one of them is based on conjecture, with no good examples other than it's made by a white team.
I remember reading or whatching a video where they explained how they wanted to get it right, so they hired some kind of zen expert that even influenced the level design (in order to make a room zen, things must be placed in a specific manner I believe). But I can't find the source to post it here.
I understand it is generally best to not partake in these types of threads if you don't really agree because it can take away from an important conversation, but I also think it is important to keep criticisms fair so as they don't entirely loose their value to the majority. Although I agree with this article in a basic sense, the OP, and think this thread deserves to exist, a few things I'd like to point out
1. It is a small indie developer doing a fairly ambitious project for the budget. Often times larger games from companies like Ubisoft have entire positions dedicated to researching the setting and culture that they are working and people still complain that isn't enough, this game obviously did/does not have that in their budget. I keep seeing people say they should've had a more diverse development crew from the start but imagine being an Asian guy working on textures and then the whole team keeps consulting you for literally everything. That is assuming there is an abundance of French/Asian game developers that also have skills suited towards this game..... It's a French company, It'd have to be an entirely separate hire to have a chance at appeasing the people here, that isn't a small ask for a indie studio.
2. Some of what people here seem to consider hamfisted is very directly ripped from movies like The Raid, Old Boy, etc...old hong kong action flicks....that are not American. Grammar errors are different but you cant really judge it for being campy or having a small stereotype here and there when that is often in the source material.
3. There is very, VERY clearly no malice.
so it talking about this stuff cool? Yeah, fans should point it out, just really doesn't seem like a place for Americans to be outraged let alone strait up condemning them with "we need to do betters".....and as for the people who are acting like there is no world in which Chinese people could be being a little sensitive, Chinese nationalists cancel culture is absolutely out of control so that is just an extremely weird take, honestly feels more like an attempt to bait.
If these mistakes are annoying to you, cool say it, if you hope studios try to do better in the future with this type of stuff, cool I do too, but imo coming out with terms like "soulless caricature"...frankly this article has done nothing at all to convince me it is deserving of such judgement, and if a foreign, indie studio wanted to take a shot at a southern North American setting and some things ended up a little off, I certainly would hope that this forum would have some basic human understanding and point out the mistakes without calling the entire work a soulless empty shell
1. It is a small indie developer doing a fairly ambitious project for the budget. Often times larger games from companies like Ubisoft have entire positions dedicated to researching the setting and culture that they are working and people still complain that isn't enough, this game obviously did/does not have that in their budget. I keep seeing people say they should've had a more diverse development crew from the start but imagine being an Asian guy working on textures and then the whole team keeps consulting you for literally everything. That is assuming there is an abundance of French/Asian game developers that also have skills suited towards this game..... It's a French company, It'd have to be an entirely separate hire to have a chance at appeasing the people here, that isn't a small ask for a indie studio.
2. Some of what people here seem to consider hamfisted is very directly ripped from movies like The Raid, Old Boy, etc...old hong kong action flicks....that are not American. Grammar errors are different but you cant really judge it for being campy or having a small stereotype here and there when that is often in the source material.
3. There is very, VERY clearly no malice.
so it talking about this stuff cool? Yeah, fans should point it out, just really doesn't seem like a place for Americans to be outraged let alone strait up condemning them with "we need to do betters".....and as for the people who are acting like there is no world in which Chinese people could be being a little sensitive, Chinese nationalists cancel culture is absolutely out of control so that is just an extremely weird take, honestly feels more like an attempt to bait.
If these mistakes are annoying to you, cool say it, if you hope studios try to do better in the future with this type of stuff, cool I do too, but imo coming out with terms like "soulless caricature"...frankly this article has done nothing at all to convince me it is deserving of such judgement, and if a foreign, indie studio wanted to take a shot at a southern North American setting and some things ended up a little off, I certainly would hope that this forum would have some basic human understanding and point out the mistakes without calling the entire work a soulless empty shell
I'm more skeptical towards white people telling poc and black stories. By all means everyone should be doing extensive research and consulting when writing about a different culture from yours, but there's a power imbalance when it comes to white people feeling properly represented versus the rest of the world. I can't count how many times black stories alone have felt inauthentic cuz white writers thought they knew black culture.
OP
OP
If you're gonna take on a project like this, you need to make sure you're authentic to the culture in question. And while the Verge article mentions that there were Chinese consultants, the devs clearly didn't listen. Hiring Chinese developers for the project would've gone a long way in helping catch these issues early on.
As for your statement about there being no malice, that doesn't mean that these issues shouldn't be called. Ignorance may not be as bad a malice, but it's still bad. I should know, I discussed similar ignorance regarding anti-Blackness in Smash a while back.
100% agree, but I do think there should be a difference in the severity of the tone. This is deserving of constructive feedback imo, not hate or like I said the outrage a title like "sifu is a soulless caricature" implies. To me it isn't really fair to an indie studio ....although they could've done a better job, feel like they clearly tried their best to represent a culture they feel they are big fans of and FOR ME I don't think it is offensive enough to literally boycott the game even if I hope they hold more weight into details as they grow. Just dunno who playing this game right now could possibly call it soulless :l just isn't
If you're interested in the game, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about it. And we all could use your perspective on it, not sure if we have that many Chinese voices here. So if you end up playing it, please do share your experience.
I'm watching a bit played by Nextlander. Surprised and annoyed at the amount of chinese characters that pop up in the UI.
Most of them are whatever if even I'm not thrilled (like XP showing as "经历" instead of "经验" which is actually use for xp points in chinese games. The former is "an memorable experience" vs the latter "a good amount of experience in fighting", but that's minor) Even when most of them are not wrong, they aren't cohesive, like there's a way everything is said in a Western novel or Lord of the Rings, but here's they are just randomly chosen and not evocative of anything if one can actually read them.
However, "adding "坠" on the UI at death is google translate level of error, like is the game just trying to look cool like Sekiro? It does mean "fall", but as far as I've ever encountered, never meant for knocked down by combat or death (has to fall some distance to be applicable)
Edit: Actually I've changed my mind, I'll be a bit more severe. The game is just less enjoyable if you can read Chinese, instead of just going on the cultural tourism the devs want. The word "fire" is just pasted everywhere in the level with fire, lol. And the door before the boss has the same characters pasted on both sides - the nature of these are that they are supposed to be pairs, even kids know this! Also, lol at Game Over being very straightforward "end" 结束 (which should never be used at the end of a story/book/movie. maybe if you're logging out of windows...), way to go with the least poetic way of putting it. They could have paid me $10 me to clean up all their dumbass UI - that pops up all the time! - in an hour.
Most of them are whatever if even I'm not thrilled (like XP showing as "经历" instead of "经验" which is actually use for xp points in chinese games. The former is "an memorable experience" vs the latter "a good amount of experience in fighting", but that's minor) Even when most of them are not wrong, they aren't cohesive, like there's a way everything is said in a Western novel or Lord of the Rings, but here's they are just randomly chosen and not evocative of anything if one can actually read them.
However, "adding "坠" on the UI at death is google translate level of error, like is the game just trying to look cool like Sekiro? It does mean "fall", but as far as I've ever encountered, never meant for knocked down by combat or death (has to fall some distance to be applicable)
Edit: Actually I've changed my mind, I'll be a bit more severe. The game is just less enjoyable if you can read Chinese, instead of just going on the cultural tourism the devs want. The word "fire" is just pasted everywhere in the level with fire, lol. And the door before the boss has the same characters pasted on both sides - the nature of these are that they are supposed to be pairs, even kids know this! Also, lol at Game Over being very straightforward "end" 结束 (which should never be used at the end of a story/book/movie. maybe if you're logging out of windows...), way to go with the least poetic way of putting it. They could have paid me $10 me to clean up all their dumbass UI - that pops up all the time! - in an hour.
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Is that what the article is saying? Try giving it and this thread another read