Eurogamer article: "Games really need to fall out of love with Lovecraft"

Deleted member 8861 · Nov 22, 2018

I came across this short article and I was wondering if people agree with its sentiment.
Article link (Might contain vague spoilers for Bloodborne and SOMA)

It's very short so I can't quote much.

Right down to their core, right down to the very themes that recur throughout [Lovecraft's] works, you'll find the hateful perspective he had of the world: the ignorance of someone who viewed anything unlike himself with revulsion.

Which is now video games' problem. For decades video games have been regurgitating the themes, plots and aesthetics of his stories with not one ounce of scrutiny. The half-breed monsters that embody the very essence of Lovecraft's revulsion, the troubled white male heroes that contain his arrogance and his gross simplification of mental illness are recreated in video games with no subversion, no critical thinking. In doing so they are breathing life, again and again, into Lovecraft's hate.

Here's the other thing. It's not just deeply problematic, it's boring. How terrified can we be by even the most lavishly rendered Lovecraftian monster after so many dozen encounters, across so many dozen games. They've slipped from being horrifying or even pulpy fun and now they're just downright boring.

Lant_War · Nov 22, 2018

How terrified can we be by even the most lavishly rendered Lovecraftian monster after so many dozen encounters, across so many dozen games.

I, for one, found Bloodborne to be bloody terrific. So I guess me.

Lux86 · Nov 22, 2018

we have discussed this already? I somehow remember this topic

Mifec · Nov 22, 2018

We already had a thread on this where we made fun of the badly titled article and badly made points.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/eu...eed-to-fall-out-of-love-with-lovecraft.73697/

Jaded Alyx · Nov 22, 2018

Yes there was a fairly recent thread on this. I admit I had no idea.

Mobyduck · Nov 22, 2018

Your link leads to the System Shock 2 Steam page.

Kschreck · Nov 22, 2018

Another article with someone telling people how they should think and what they should like. I for one am glad that gaming today offers a wide variety of content to suit just about any gamer type.

Ligero · Nov 22, 2018

Highly disagree. Every single source of inspiration can be made exciting or boring, it's on the developers and writers to determine which it is. I also think examples like Bloodborne and SOMA in an article that states that Lovecraft games are "recreated with no critical thinking", shows how off the mark it is.

adj_noun · Nov 22, 2018

Mobyduck said:
Your link leads to the System Shock 2 Steam page.

How Lovecraftian.

Rendering... · Nov 22, 2018

This article is still dumb, yep.

Deleted member 8468 · Nov 22, 2018

System Shock 2 is a really great game.

Blizniak · Nov 22, 2018

I only wish they included more of the fear of the unknown aspect of Lovecraft's stories than literal monsters. It's obviously hard to do in games because it's such an audio-visual medium so you have to give players something but monsters are just boring.

Toriko · Nov 22, 2018

No they need not. The author can go play zillions of other games that cater to her interest.

Kschreck said:
Another article with someone telling people how they should think and what they should like. I for one am glad that gaming today offers a wide variety of content to suit just about any gamer type.

This.

IDreamOfHime · Nov 22, 2018

Mobyduck said:
Your link leads to the System Shock 2 Steam page.

Works for me, maybe you're falling unto madness....

link doesnt work

Deleted member 8861 · Nov 22, 2018

Mobyduck said:
Your link leads to the System Shock 2 Steam page.

Baconmonk said:
System Shock 2 is a really great game.

thanks folks, didn't realize. My bad lol

Mifec said:
We already had a thread on this where we made fun of the badly titled article and badly made points.

https://www.resetera.com/threads/eu...eed-to-fall-out-of-love-with-lovecraft.73697/

thanks, I'll get this thread locked.

entremet · Nov 22, 2018

Oh this terrible article again.

Deleted member 2229 · Nov 22, 2018

Lux86 said:
we have discussed this already? I somehow remember this topic

Im pretty sure we have.

My opinion is that you can take the good from Lovecraft's work without adapting his racism or even better, can use it as a springboard to criticize similar world views.

Lovecraft was a shitty person, as were many authors , directors and other influential people . Doesn't mean all their work was bad, without merit and should be tossed out. For better or worse, he created a lot of interesting and influential works

MetalBoi · Nov 22, 2018

deja vu

JayC3 · Nov 22, 2018

https://www.resetera.com/threads/eu...eed-to-fall-out-of-love-with-lovecraft.73697/

Eurogamer article: "Games really need to fall out of love with Lovecraft"

Deleted member 8861

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Lant_War

Classic Anus Game

Lux86

Mifec

Jaded Alyx

Mobyduck

Kschreck

Ligero

adj_noun

Rendering...

Deleted member 8468

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Blizniak

Toriko

IDreamOfHime

Deleted member 8861

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entremet

You wouldn't toast a NES cartridge

Deleted member 2229

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MetalBoi

JayC3

bork bork