Given the ludicrousness of those set-pieces, it's tempting to laugh off the game's occasional flirtation with racism. Racial (not to mention sexual) stereotyping is hardly new ground where videogames are concerned - witness the long line of half-cocked African-American supporting acts of which Killzone 2's Rico and Gears of War's Cole Train are recent examples - and the Resident Evil games have always been a mishmash of cliches, with the Spanish coming up for the B-movie treatment last time round. But where other titles regurgitate their stereotypes in a fairly innocent fashion, racy rather than racist, Resident Evil 5 sometimes crosses the line.

http://games.kikizo.com/features/resident-evil-5-final-build-hands-on-preview-p1.asp

Your thoughts?

There is no fucking racism in RE5. The game is set in Africa, so of course the enemies are black. If it was set in Norway or something theyd all be white.

Which is why I wrote this:

this has little do (thus far, at least) with simple choice of setting, or the bare fact that most of the Majini are black Africans.

Is it racist to create a personal challenge were your only allowed to shoot black people in RE5?

Its like the queer trying to sue Running with Scissors because you can shoot gay people in postal 2

Would it be considered even more racist if Resident Evil 5 took place in Africa but there weren't any black African characters (zombies, etc.) to be found anywhere in the game?

Personally, I can't wait until a Resident Evil game takes place in Japan with nothing but Japanese zombies attacking Chris or Leon. ;)

So changing the color pallete of the woman will make it OK?  But maybe thats antifeminist always portraying women as helpless!

You're a fucking retard.  It's especially funny it's usually white trash who bring this up, not the actual minorities.

Yeah. I think it's racist. I should be able to kill crackers too.

Eddie_the_Hated


Yeah. I think it's racist. I should be able to kill crackers too.

I could be wrong but from what I saw in an old trailer, not all of the enemies are black Africans.

It's not about the fact that it's set in Africa. It's not about the fact that many of the zombies happen to be black Africans. It's about one scene in particular. I thought I made that quite clear, really.

Yea I thought you did.  Nice hands-on btw.
 
I agree that its quite a dodgy area for Capcom to be playing in since like it or not there is a lot of racial tension between black and white people still left in the world.  It is imagery that can be provocative. 

Like you said black characters from other games like Gears, can be stereotyped too, but they are so crass they can just be dismissed as lazy or funny for the wrong reasons.  Kinda like Robert Downy Jr's character from Tropic Thunder. :P
 
Its wierd though, in a way its like because Capcom are japanese they're allowed to go that bit further than say a white south african or american codehouse might be able to.  It's like because they're japanese they dont know any better, and they're just copying what they see is going on in the world - like a kid telling mummy about what they learnt at school about sex and asking whether she does the same with daddy.  A little awkward but harmless all the same.

Or maybe its completely deliberate, purposely delivering something slightly contraversial that they have no real ties with, just to see what happens.

In the end no offense should ever be taken from something like this, but you have to accept that certain (of course bigoted)ideas about black people being like animals were only still predominant in the recent past, and although many will deny it still exist in certain parts today.  Although much of that superiority complex bears its brunt on many other races as well these days.

Edwin

It's not about the fact that many of the zombies happen to be black Africans. It's about one scene in particular.

Well, 2 things. First, they needed a shitty country that was full of civil problems, charismatic dictators, lacking of technology, and cut off from the rest of the world for atmospheric purposes and story. Hmmm, what continent would we find an abundance of those? Africa, you say? Ok, so lets set the game there.

Now we need some people to get turned into zombies. Well, ok, lets just use the people already there and infect them. But most are black!!! ZOMG! RACISM!!?!?!11. Well, yeah. Most people in Africa are black.

Capcom was using logic and realism. Sure, the vast majority of Japanese are Xenophobic, but I highly doubt they went out of their way to be racist in a videogame. Most of the enemies in RE4 were European, why did no one cry over that?

Most of the enemies in RE4 were European, why did no one cry over that?

There isn't as much tension surrounding the Spanish these days.  Like you said you think Africa is a shitty country - don't you think a lot of people might resent that?

At any rate, it's blown out of proportion.

Racism in literature, radio, television movies and music don't get hot-button status any more. Why? Because most level-headed people have learned to be race-conscious, without being racist. The idea that you can be "colorblind" is daft, and the idea that any color beats another is doubly so.

Shouldn't the people putting up a fuss be equally concerned that anybody is being killed?

How could it be resented? Africa IS a shithole, there are virtually no positive aspects about most of it, it's truth.

You can say that Japan, or the US, or the UK, are shitty countries, but I can name atleast 1 positive thing, like, I dont know, people make more than $1/day and 99% of the population doesn't have AIDS?

How could it be resented? Africa IS a shithole, there are virtually no positive aspects about most of it, it's truth.

Pretty much. The only good things that come from Africa(the wildlife of course) I can see at the zoo.

The place has its problems sure, but there are plenty of positive aspects of any country.  Africa's a big place with a diverse culture. 

Plus its not about who's being killed - its just a game set in Africa after all.  Its the imagery as a whole, in relation to aspects of residual real life animosity that still exists amongst some people.  Although it would never offend me (even if I was black), I would've made certain different design choices for certain scenes just for reasons of taste.  Taste isn't a big priority in videogames yet I know, but it needs to be in order for the industry to mature.

In an ideal world everyone would be level-headed and accept the positive and negative differences within the whole increasingly blurring spectrum of 'race'.   That ideal world doesn't exist.  Or maybe it does around where you live, in which case I'd like to visit some day, maybe wearing a turban and a big fake beard.

 

racism is gay

locopuyo


racism is gay

Incredibly. :D

choupolo

The place has its problems sure, but there are plenty of positive aspects of any country.  Africa's a big place with a diverse culture. 

So now tribal warring and raping virgin girls to cure your self of AIDS is culture? Lolwut? Its a shithole, and there is nothing positive about it. No one from a developed country would want to live there, that should say what it is.