Deathloop Redefines Blackness In Video Games

Good Black characters in gaming are rare, and extraordinary Black characters are even more so. Despite the gaming industry continually improving in its portrayal of Black characters, protagonist or otherwise, it still struggles with the concept. I, like most Black gamers who have long had to deal with games that misrepresented our skin, hair, and essence for decades, simply assumed, “We will get there, Lord, when we get there.”
Then I played Deathloop, a current game that understood the assignment and made me say, “Man, to hell with that!” This game reveals that video games can provide us with amazing Black characters immediately, and that the continued failure to do so is simply a choice. Gaming needs more real Black characters, and we need them now. After feeling some type of way, I reached out to Jason Kelley, the voice of Deathloop’s amazing protagonist Colt Vahn, to discuss where so many developers go wrong when creating Black characters, and how, in Deathloop’s leads, Arkane gave us Black characters who feel real.

[Magog]

Guess the author never played San Andreas, Watch Dogs 2, or Mafia 3.

[Majin-vegeta]

Or God of war for that matter

[Magog]

That dude is Greek, lol.

[CrimsonWing69]

Pretty sure he was a Spartan, my friend.

[hiawa23]

But, he is not black, lol.

[FlavorLav01]

Black voice actor - white/Greek character. Not the best example

[Npugz7]

Krados isn’t black lol!!!

[garos82]

@crimsonwing69 maybe look up where sparta is and was? last i check it was city not a country

[badz149]

you guys don't know the origin of Kratos it seems. he is not white. the white skin is due to the ashes of his wife and daughter he accidentally killed in the name of Ares like some kind of atonement for his sin as he vouched for revenge against Ares and all the other gods. it was the reason he hated the gods to begin with.

[Magog]

@badz149 Greeks aren't "white" colored they are "tan" but they are still considered "white" as a racial label.

[Giblet_Head]

Kratos is ethnically Hellenic, as such his physiognomy is very much European.

[4Sh0w]

Im a black guy but personally I just never take it that seriously. Ive seen good black characters in games, Ive seen bad ones too of course and yes there are very few main protagonists that are black but even when they are I dont feel any differently, like I said I just don't tend to look for any deeper meaning other than its just a movie or game for entertainment= Im not speaking for ALL black people(no one can of course) just my personal take.

[Knightofelemia]

@Majin-Vegeta

Kratos is voice by a Christopher Judge a black actor who was great on Stargate that's the only black relation I can find with Kratos.

[cerpintaxt44]

@garos82

its a city - state dumbass

[Ashunderfire86]

Greeks never considered themselves white back then. In fact people back then wasn’t referred to as black or white until after 1676, Bacons Rebellion, when the rich slave owners stop the rebellion and labeled Europeans white and Africans black. Separating the 2, with divide and conquer. That single event created the term race and how colorism was a thing which is racism, defining all people. They even refer Native Americans as Indians, Arabs as Middle Eastern and etc.

And here we are today still dealing with the divide all caused by the rich elites. Race will always be used as a weapon for control. We are tribal people, so we can be easily manipulated into conflicts, and distracted from the truth.

[Christopher]

Two of those literally represent what he says are the typical manner in which you tend to see black characters in games, as thugs/criminals.

[H9]

To be fair, taking characters on face value based on what their occupation was is never a good thing, a character is good when they are interesting and push the story forward, but I do understand that a lot of people care more about the front image rather than deep characterization

[Magog]

Same could be said for most video game characters regardless of race as they are generally violent. Nathan Drake is a violent criminal. Regardless of their criminality they are still well written characters.

[Christopher]

***a character is good when they are interesting and push the story forward***

No. The story is good when it does that. The characters are still criminals and break the law regularly. Let alone this conversation from the voice actor is about the comparison of said representation by certain people versus that of others, not whether criminals make for good storytelling.

What a poor attempt to ignore the topic and try and rewrite the narrative at the same time.

[Magog]

@Christopher but black people ARE disproportionately placed in positions by society to have to survive through criminality. The author seems to think that those stories are somehow less worthy to tell than that of black people not born into a system of exploitation and poverty. Mafia 3 told a great story. A guy comes back from Vietnam (a war disproportionately fought by black soldiers due to education and income inequality) and is sucked into a struggle for survival by the government, his family and white mobsters.

[SullysCigar]

Tbf, in Deathloop you're running around with guns too. Still isn't a good look if the other games are somehow supposed to be a concern.

Then again, games showing characters of any particular race behaving like this shouldn't reflect badly on that race in the real world. Anyone thinking otherwise should probably get out more.

[Christopher]

***but black people ARE disproportionately placed in positions by society to have to survive through criminality. ***

So... The racist issues that lead to increased poverty rates, lack of integration, and primarily black on black crime occurring within black communities should be continued in games so that racism and its effects can live on everywhere? That's your argument?

[H9]

@christopher the characters are tools of the writer to make the story good, so being used well is what they are made for, and I know what the topic is but I am saying that this topic is irrational, treating characters like real people doesn't make sense, and most importantly you can learn value from every imaginable character, and if you wanna go down that rabbit hole then every character in a action game is a murderer that leaves a sea of bloody behind them daily, so is almost every action character is bad representation

[gamer7804]

Genuine question how do you write a black person? How does a black person act like? To me it’s more of a cultural background. I have 2 nieghbors one across the street and one next door both black but act totally different from each other. A friend of mine from college was from the south. Also different.

[HankHill]

Nobody cares what you think, white boy. Cry more over virtual characters.

[Mr_cheese]

@christopher

You've lost the plot dude. It doesn't feel like you can have a real conversation here without trying to extreme everybody else and their opinions.

You'd be easier to listen to if you wasn't screaming.

[FlavorLav01]

Dude definitely missed Spider-Man Miles Morales as well. Great Character, damn fun game.

[Elda]

Good example.

[Xenial]

San Andreas is stereotypical and doesn't shed light. WD2 is meh, and MF3 is okay. However, you'd notice a similar theme behind each of the characters of color in these games.

[ActualWhiteMan]

Yeah…. Life in south central in the 80’s and 90’s was nothing like San Andreas. That was just white fiction writing.

[GameZenith]

Congrats, you just listed the few videogames that has black leads and imply that they redefine blackness in videogames.

[Zeref]

CJ is a stereotype, he's not a good character at all. He's not realistic. He was fun though, in the same way Cole Train from Gears of War is fun.

Haven't played Watch Dogs 2 or Mafia 3

But I remember Watch Dogs 2 getting a lot of hate because people didn't like the character.

And Mafia 3 the character is literally a criminal. Which is also a stereotype.

We want to see black main characters be heroes and fight dragons and aliens too instead of being criminals all the time.

[ActualWhiteMan]

Mafia 3 was terrible. Didn’t matter if they made the protagonist black.

Watch Dogs 2 was also steaming garbage. Regardless of the protagonist.

[Zeref]

And we know it's not just black people that want to see black characters.

Blade literally save Marvel from bankruptcy. We would not have had the MCU today if it wasn't for a black superhero.

Everyone wants to see more diversity in entertainment(whether it be culture, other races, disabilities etc), because it is just so refreshing and it's always good to see other perspectives and mannerisms (When it's not forced of course).

[BaughJaughs]

I guess Franklin from GTA5 , Alyx Vance from halflife series , cole train from GOW, clementine from walking dead series or miles morales , must have escaped the writers memory too.

[Eamon]

The biggest irony of this article is that Deathloop is heavily inspired by the blaxploitation genre of the 70s.

I.e. high profanity, exaggerated swagger, flamboyant wardrobe, ultra-violent

Like many of the games/characters mentioned, this is hardly the first time a black character was inspired by that genre. But this is kotaku.

[masterfox]

WRONG!!!!!, nothing redefine more blackness than this game!

https://youtu.be/r4P_W8UXQx...

I mean the freaking game is called BLACK!! lol

[SullysCigar]

That game was too good and WAY ahead of it's time!

[RaidenBlack]

It was 'Gunporn-The Game'

[dbcoops]

Great game, needs a remake.

[fitofficial]

Black was such a good shooter! Criminally underrated.

[XbladeTeddy]

I loved that game so much!

[Terry_B]

..get serious.

[LordStig]

It's Kotaku Terry, they are NOT OK!

[Terry_B]

OOOOKAAAAAAAAAAAY!

[Bustah Wolf!]

[KingofBandits]

They can't, no turning back once on the woke course. Kotaku has to full commit to being trash writing SJW pandering articles now, as thats the only people who read them.

[thejigisup]

Flawless execution here, Terry.

[Terry_B]

STANDARD!!

[Gunstar75]

AMERICAN?

[Vanfernal]

Typical Kotaku trash article. As a "POC" not once has the color of a character's skin ever made my enjoyment of a game sway one way or the other. If the gameplay and story are good the rest doesn't matter. These people that let "representation" and "inclusivity" be the be all end all of whether they should enjoy a game are missing the whole point of what gaming is about.

[frostypants]

Identity politics is toxic. It encourages people to define their behavior, and assigns assumptions, based on what society assigns to their immutable characteristics, rather than simply being who and what they want to be as an individual. And its adherents ironically think they're promoting progress.

Imagine writing an article about a game redefining green eyes in video games. "Green-eyedness". As if anyone should be defined by such things...

[Popsicle]

@frostypants Such a great post, and you made your point more articulately than I ever could have.

I agree that identity politics is toxic. You may disagree, but I believe it is often used to by leaders on all sides to divide us and distract from failed policies, etc. The way politicians utilize identity politics is the same way a magician uses slight of hand to encourage us to look in another direction. It is used to keep us focused on fighting with each other in order to prevent us from concentrating on policy and decisions that really have an impact on our lives. It helps the elite maintain the status quo for themselves and serves as an opium to the commoner so that we remain ignorant.

[SeTTriP]

But the real world doesn't work that way.even before the internet or the sjw movement white people had no problem with lumping every race of people into a little box.

It wasn't toxic then but it is now lmfao.

[dbcoops]

Respect.

[armaniroy]

Are you Black? Like, I get that you are a POC but I don't think your personal experience with gaming makes the article's point moot. I agree that inclusivity and representation shouldn't be the end-all-be-all in gaming, but Colt and Julianna's characters being black without the stereotypes associated with my race was a plus for me. They both could've been White, Asian, etc. and I still would've enjoyed the game because it was a great game. However, I also felt uplifted given that one of the best sci-fi games had a non-stereotypical, black main character. Just an added plus. I won't refuse to buy a good game because the main character isn't black and I believe you know that isn't the writer's point.

[4Sh0w]

Im black but I agree with him. Im not dismissing your opinion either BUT personally I just stick the the principles that I taught my kids, which is not getting caught up in what society thinks about you. I always taught them they can choose to like or dislike celebrities & athletes but to never believe/worship them. I taught them they can do anything with their lives as long as they never buy into what they see on tv or read online or what people say. I just always reinforced the idea that their value and who they are will always be determined by their own actions and no one else's. In my view I just wanted them to not need any representation. Some of my own friends will tell you Im weird, they disagree but I sort of cringe at the thought that my daughter would feel better seeing someone her color succeed or be more motivated to do something because they are the same color as she is. Again I do understand given our history there is a sense of pride that is shared when we see other blacks do well, thats great but Im cautious about over emphasizing that aspect as it may have unintended consequences, especially with our youth.

[SeTTriP]

Don't bother it's pointless on this site.

And I agree with you 💯

[Sayai jin]

Not once did the author state that he didn't like or enjoy a game because of the protagonist's skin color or race. He mentiones thait is nice to have accurate and good representation in games, not a end all be all that you alluded to. Also, POc os a vroad term, not sire why yoir race is relevent, kind of contrary to the point you are making.

[Ninver]

Well said. As a POC also I have never felt misrepresented nor has my gaming experience lessened while playing as a white male, woman character. Let the developers create what they envision!

[CrimsonWing69]

What about Alex from Half-Life 2 or Lee Everett from Walking Dead? What about Sheva Alomar in Resident Evil 5? What about Cere Junda from Fallen Order? What about Locke from Halo 5?

I think what rubs me the wrong way with these political agenda fueled articles is they ignore past creations.

It’s like Anita Sarkeesian and her women tropes in games, as if there weren’t any strong female characters before.

I think the Deathloop character is great, but when you decide to write an article like this I feel like you take something where nobody is thinking politically and ruin it.

The race shouldn’t matter it’s the character that matters. Isn’t that what MLK Jr., said?

“… not to be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

There’s more black characters than Asian characters in games, yet I don’t see you or anyone writing articles arguing that they need representation in gaming. You only make it about your race. I think in a way, maybe subconsciously and not intentionally, it comes off selfish sounding.

When I see a character I never think about the race and there’s plenty of gaming characters that I like who are white or black. But when you make it all about race it completely ruins it for me and I feel this is what upsets some people when reading these articles.

[senorfartcushion]

Depends if you think someone can ruin a game for you? Do you not think and criticise for yourself? It’s what your brain is there for.

[CrimsonWing69]

I mean if we're going with psychology things are a little more complex, that's how brains work.

[zumlauf14]

imagine being white and using an MLK quote to oppose an article written by a black person talking about blackness. Gotta love when racists dont even bother to read the article because theyre already triggered by a headline that doesnt even involve them.

[CrimsonWing69]

and yet, life still goes on.

[Eamon]

And you've literally just proved the point of MLK's quote. He literally said "judge by content of their character" and all you did was judge CrimsonWing for assuming he's white.

You don't win arguments by skin pigmentation. You win arguments with facts and reasoning.

[Mr_cheese]

Zum,

Your comment is devastatingly uneducated. The idea that people can't learn from, and recite from others unless you share the same skin colour is a diabolical concept.

Without discussion, the world doesn't grow. What you're doing is trying to hold it back.

[Kakashi Hatake]

Alex isn't Black, she's as much White as she's Black. Wish people would stop pretending bi racial doesn't exist.

[CrimsonWing69]

Ok sorry, take her off the list then…

[Eamon]

Alex Vance is half-black as her father is black and her mother is Asian. She's not white at all, if we're using "white" as a shorthand for white anglo-saxon.

[SeTTriP]

Theirs more black people then Asian in games?

Are you fing serious 😳?

[CrimsonWing69]

Name me all the Asian main protagonist games and I’ll name you all the black main protagonist games and let’s compare count, whaddya say?

[Omegasyde]

Forgot about Lee from the walking dead(telltale) Race was addressed in that game as well, especially considering survivors and trust issues.

That ending though was SAD AF.

[GhostofHorizon]

Just because the author can relate to Cole does not mean other black people can. Trying to make out Deathloop as some sort of savior is ridiculous.

I'm still waiting for everyone to riot when they learn Sifu is being developed by a French based studio.

This fixation on race, gender and sexual preference of fictional characters is getting tiring.

[zumlauf14]

people refering to being gay as a "preference" is also tiring.

[SurgicalMenace]

Being black, I have to say that the representation of our culture is always taken from a very stereotypical viewpoint. The only time there's better representation is when we're allowed to create our own character, otherwise we're met with ghetto, dumb, flamboyant, or any other false representation to be had. We've got no figures that represent nobility, morality, or civility. We are constantly presented with either white or Asian protagonists that represent the above mentioned.

I guess Malcolm, Martin, Garvey, Washington Carver, E.B., Mansa Musa, or the like aren't able enough examples to conclude that we're more than just hip hop, ebonics, and bad attitudes. We should be happy that we got anything, huh? Guess even our money isn't enough to gain proper representation over women, homosexuals, trangenders, etc though their contribution to the industry pales in comparison. I digress as this is not the proper platform to speak on.🤷🏾‍♂️

[hiawa23]

This is how many of us feel. Completely agree. Gamertag:Hiawa23
My thoughts, exactly👍

[SurgicalMenace]

Add you as soon as I turn my system on. Thank you, sir.

[SurgicalMenace]

Well look at that, someone disagrees with what you stand for....surprise surprise. SMH

I'm more than sure that their disagreement wouldn't be expressed without the vale of the interweb. Cowards....

[hiawa23]

No surprise on the disagrees, lol...

[GhostofHorizon]

Did you just say that black males have contributed way more to gaming than women, homosexuals, transgender, etc?

Then you wonder where the disagrees are coming from...

Edit: I guess I should have said straight black males to make the statement a bit more accurate since you clearly made that distinction, my bad.

[CrimsonWing69]

I know, right. I want to know the ratio of trans game main characters to black male main characters. This is kind of what I’m talking about where it kinda sounds selfish.

[SurgicalMenace]

The race as a whole but their cherry picking what appeals to their agenda most. It's all about homosexuals, Trans, and women and that's fine.

[Elda]

I somewhat agree.

[GameZenith]

Well said but why are you being downvoted? What about what you said was wrong, inaccurate, or rude? You expressed you thoughts as a black person on an article about black videogame characters.....why would that be downvoted in mass?

[SurgicalMenace]

It's usually due to facts being spoken in opposition to how they makes an individual feel. I'm not concern with something as trivial as valed down votes. It's a child like practice that hopes to play on an individuals fear of being ridiculed in an attempt to control the narrative. Such tactics only work on individuals that need acceptance and validation.

I'm black, wealthy, and very accomplished. My faith, work, and decision making were the elements paramount to my progress not whether people agreed with me or not. Downvote away, it doesn't erase the fact.😁

[ElvisHuxley]

Blackness? What is that? I view the black people in my life as regular people, never considered something attached to them based on their skin color. I don't understand why I come on the internet, or turn on the news, and am bombarded with stuff about race and skin color. But when I go out into the real world, not only is none of that relevant to anyone I know, but it never even enters my thoughts.

[Elda]

You may not had to experience race issues but there are some people all over the world that do especially people of color.

[armaniroy]

Your view of black people is not a clear representation of what we experience AS black people. I commend you for viewing us as what we are - human beings - but I also know you're intelligent enough to realize that there are things that happen in the real world that you may not have seen, spoken, or heard.

[Traecy]

Absolutely! Some folks are downvoting simply because they are in denial of that fact.

[Elda]

Preach!

[hiawa23]

Completely agree, as a black gamer since 1979 we don't see our people represented in a positive light too often in media in general, especially games. We usually are sports, athletes, or thugs, so what this author states many us, at least this black gamer agree with.

[dbcoops]

You're usually "sports"? Wouldn't being sports and athletes be the same thing? Why is being represented as an athlete some how bad all of a sudden?

[MrBaskerville]

None of it is bad per se, but perhaps it's nice to be offered more variety across the board?

[armaniroy]

What makes you so sure that athletics being viewed as one of the few things we excel in is only bad "all of a sudden"...?

[LoveSpuds]

Because its a stereotype, that's why it's 'bad all of a sudden', it's not a difficult concept.

[dbcoops]

@LoveSpuds

That's one of the dumbest thing I've ever heard. There's nothing negative about being an athlete. It is a difficult concept considering whats seen as a "stereotype" changes on nearly a daily basis.

[Popsicle]

@LoveSpuds depends on your perspective. The "stereotypical" Asian is good at math. Are all Asians good at math? No, but in general and based on statistics they outperform all other races in mathematics. Some Asians may be offended at the prospect of being stereotyped as being proficient in math, but most probably not.

In that same vein, black people generally outperform other races in athletics. Again, this does not apply to all black people, but the stereotype is developed based on their success in said field the same way the Asian is viewed as proficient in mathematics. Stereotypes are born out of viewing events that occur repeatedly, and black people make up many of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen. I do not see this as a bad thing.

Its all about perspective. I think most people would find it complimentary to be considered exemplary in any particular field whether it be athletics or math. Both are important and provide a benefit to society. If you hold the perspective that it is somehow bad to be viewed as good at something then I would say that is a you problem.

[SurgicalMenace]

It's a problem when sports trumps the impact of Mansa Musa establishing world trade and mapping the entire world. The Moors literally civilizing Europe. Egypt cultivating Greece and Rome. Hoptep preforming heart and brain surgery. The Omec building the Peruvian Temples. The Zulu charting the stars and fighting off British colonization. All this centuries ahead of the likes of Columbus, Marco Polo, and the Aztec, Mayan, Incan civilizations. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what's wrong with how we're portrayed.

[Popsicle]

@SurgicalMenace Well crafted post and you make a valid point. However, we as humans all live very short lives and our views are shaped heavily on personal experience and less on historical precedence. This is actually something I believe is a weakness of the human race because it leads to repetitive cycles throughout history.

Since we are all a product of our time, we cannot share our ancestors personal experience which leads to the human race repeating the same mistakes cyclically and throughout time. We rely on personal experience because it is our only experience and recency bias often defines each generation. Right now recency bias dictates that black people are currently dominating in athletics so it is little surprise that they are often depicted to be more athletically inclined when compared to other races. This is not to say black people are not great at other things. As you pointed out, history dictates that they are.

Lastly, I would like to add that I do not think that melanin dictates character traits or a persons skill set. I think these things are dictated by differing cultures and what each culture values the most. I believe all human beings, no matter their color, are able to be great at anything they choose to be great at. I think it is highly dependent on what culture dictates in the moment. In all, I wish we could get away from melanin related discussions which I am actively and hypocritically contributing too right now. I wish we could come together as one race and share our cultural talents without viewing everything through the prism of color. However, this runs contrary to human nature. Human nature is tribal.

[Imalwaysright]

SurgicalMenace

A lot of bull you wrote there. The moors didn't civilize Europe, they were only in the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta and there were black and white moors: imazighen people or berbers. The 1st people to trully establish a world trade were the portuguese as they went from the Americas, Africa and Asia all the way to Japan. The 1st complete world map was made by Diogo Ribeiro, a portuguese cartographer and was influenced by Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigation of the world. Egyptians weren't black, they had levantine ancestry wich is supported by genetic research as well as historical accounts however the most basic evidence of this are modern day egyptians. I don't know who Hoptep was, maybe you meant Imhotep wich is indeed the father of medicine, not Hippocrates, and was the architect that was responsible for the 1st egyptian pyramid as well as the creator of the 1st calendar. Charting the stars is something that humans have been doing since pre-historic times and the oldest known star chart was found in Germany so not sure what's so relevant about the Zulus doing it.

[PatriotOfIron]

Youre the type of person to claim the egyptians were white but cant answer if the ancient nubians were white too GTFO

[Imalwaysright]

PatriotOfIron

I mentioned historical accounts and here's one for you:

"It was a market place to which the Ethiopians bring all the products of their country; and the Egyptians in their turn take them all away and bring to the same spot their own wares of equal value, so bartering what they have got for what they have not. Now the inhabitants of the marches (Nubian/Egyptians border) are not yet fully black but are half-breeds in matter of color, for they are partly not so black as the Ethiopians, yet partly more so than the Egyptians."

Flavius Philostratus: c.170 to c.247,

Clearly referencing children of egyptians and nubians as being mulatos. We know that nubians were black so for their kids with egyptians to be mulatos, egyptians couldn't be black. This is one of more historical accounts that go in hand with genetic research that without any doubt proves that ancient egyptians had levantine ancestry and if you want me to I can provide them as well as links to the genetic researches wich quite frankly is something that shouldn't be needed considering that Egypt is not a predominantly black country.

[Eamon]

Ancient nubians (and many nubians today) are black but the pharaonic dynasties after Alexander's conquest of Ancient Egypt where absolutely not black because they were greek - with a tradition of incest marriage. The most you can say is they were olive-skinned as many Mediterranean people are.

[PatriotOfIron]

As usual whites will deny this because now they want to be victims of racism

[Popsicle]

Why would I want to be a victim of anything? Being a victim or even feeling like a victim does not seem beneficial to me in anyway and would lead to a less fulfilling life. Not sure why anyone would want to exist in perpetual victim hood.

[Inverno]

The problem comes from people thinking "not black enough" or "not Asian enough", "not Hispanic enough", "not gay enough". We've allowed people to define what it is to be whatever it is that people can be through stereotypes. When you aren't showing yourself as stereotypical as possible you have people calling you whitewashed.

No offense but this game or any form of media for that matter, doesn't "redefine" what it is to be what so many people are already. We just need to portray it more often instead of listening to those who think they know everyone that shares their skin colour

[Eamon]

This is also a very American-centric issue. You simply wont find this way of thinking in most non-American stuff, especially the further away from Europe you get. It's a paranoid way of thinking that ends with an infinite list of checkboxes and no creativity.

[4Sh0w]

Agreed, Im a proud American, but more so than ever our media & govt are determined to make regular people hate each other as a cover for their own corruption, greed and thirst for power.

[BrainSyphoned]

Deathloop, where two black characters endlessly kill each other and anyone in their way.

[Christopher]

It's been long enough that we can post spoilers, but, they are father and daughter. So, you know, race kind of goes with the territory of the story. Also, in the end, even they could actually kill each other permanently, they don't.

[Popsicle]

It has been 3 months since the game was released, and you think that this ample time to give away the ending of a game? Maybe you have all day and night to play games and moderate websites, but some of us don't have that kind of time and are working through our backlogs. Was planning on starting this game in early 2022, but now I know the ending so I feel less compelled. Why would you do that?

A true demonstration of showing that you are fair minded would be to moderate yourself on this occasion by deleting your post or marking it as a spoiler to avoid ruining the experience for others. Especially considering you felt compelled to mark LoveSpud as inappropriate for something far less egregious. They used the word "clown" and you spoiled the plot of a new game on a gamer forum. Reading the word "clown" is far less offensive than spoiling the end of a game. Great opportunity to prove that you are not a hypocrite.

[MrChow666]

What? Thanks for that a**hole

[Chaos_Order]

"It's been long enough."

Mate, piss off. Not everyone buys and plays games on the day of release. In fact, people should do that LESS considering the state many games release in. Not to mention not everyone has time, not everyone can afford and will wait before buying, some people might be saving it as a Christmas present, and others will have a backlog they're working through.

There are games released years ago that I have on my list haven't played simply because getting around to playing everything I want alongside work, adult responsibilities, personal projects and other hobbies is damn near impossible. Your spoiler post was completely unnecessary.

[-Hermit-]

America is absolutely obsessed with the colour of people's skin. It's so ridiculous now that you can make a mediocre game, move or tv series, but as long as it ticks the right boxes, it will get favourable reviews. Deathloop is more proof of that.

[ZeekQuattro]

Unless he has the exaggerated swagger of a young black teen it doesn't count. Lol

[SurgicalMenace]

Exactly....I mean why else doesn't anyone know who Dr. Sebi or Dr. Ben Carson is? They're not edgy enough or act too "white" to represent us. Gotta have that Goochi Wayne Thuggin kind of swag to be recognized, right?

[Noskypeno]

You also forgot Thomas Sowell.

[Kakashi Hatake]

Forspoken character doesn't look Black. Looks bi racial to me. Americans forget such a thing exists.

[GamingSinceForever]

What an unnecessary article. This game is in no way relatable if you’re Black. I actually found the Jive talking and profanity stereotypical, but to each his own I suppose.

[SullysCigar]

I think many share this view, but that doesn't suit the preferred narrative of this article's author.

[fitofficial]

I thought the game was written by a teenager. It has nothing at all to do with skin color... it's just bad.

[ajax17]

why is this not labeled as an "opinion piece"🙄

[Christopher]

It's an interview with the voice actor...

[SullysCigar]

I do think the title of the article is pure opinion and was always bound to derail the comments section.

If it just said: 'Interview with Deathloop voice actor', all you'd see here would be a solitary tumbleweed.

[drizzom]

Because its Kotaku trying to get away with their BS again. Judging by the volume of posters it looks like they did...again.

[Software_Lover]

……….. how do you re-define, …. Nevermind.

[iraqmilner]

Oh, brother! Has the author of this article even played the game? It's almost racism at it's finest to categorize “blackness” like what is displayed in Deathloop. Wow...

[Christopher]

Did you even read this interview?

[dbcoops]

This feels like bait.

[fitofficial]

Dude... bait doesn't even feel this bait-ey.

[drizzom]

The worms are literally jumping into the water.

[Elda]

Seeing most of the comments of folks disagreeing with the actor's opinion. Well...it's his opinion & him being a black actor with the topic of the article at hand he's definitely entitled to speak his mind. Folks not agreeing should realize they may have not have walked in his shoes just as the actor couldn't walk in anybody's shoes that is non-black in the industry. Respecting or trying to understand one's opinion is one of the top things this site lacks especially among the commenters that comment here. Miles Morales is a good example of a black character in a video game.

[fitofficial]

"Folks not agreeing" are just as entitled to their own opinions whether they've "walked in his shoes" or not, and to skip ahead a bit the game and performers shouldn't be immune from criticism under the guise of race. I think that's the aspect a lot of people here are disagreeing with as it's pretty obvious that's where we're heading.

[Elda]

If you haven't walked in someone else shoes then your opinion is void.

[GameZenith]

There was one guy who made a comment about that thoroughly explains his experiences as a black gamer playing with black characters. It wasnt offensive or rude, just a person expressing their perspective to the entire situation and yet in mass people downvoted him. They didnt leave a comment explaining why they disagree or downvoted him....just an anonymous action.

[fitofficial]

"If you haven't walked in someone else shoes then your opinion is void."

You haven't walked in my shoes, so I'm disregarding your opinion of my opinion. Na na na na boo boo.

[zumlauf14]

no. what he ment to say is, id youre not black, then your point is void. So if you aren't, kindly shut up

[drizzom]

@zumlauf14

But if a person IS black and still disagrees then there just "something wrong" with them right?

[bunt-custardly]

"Good Black characters in gaming are rare, and extraordinary Black characters are even more so."

I disagree and would prefer.

"Good characters in gaming are rare, and extraordinary characters are even more so".

Go play Disco Elysium a few times to see how much fun you can have with a character.

Unless a game is focused on the issues or the struggles of a particular race, then these characters are just that. Gaming characters where the colour of skin has no bearing at all and is an aesthetic presence. Especially given this game is directed from a first person perspective.

Colt's character, his banter with his nemesis IS entertaining and relatable but only within the context or constraints of the fantastical situation he resides in. The writing is what makes the character stand out. Not once when playing did I feel it was his race (or his voice mannerisms) that made him appear "real" either. He fits a typical gaming kill all to survive narrative that is nothing new and certainly not because of his race.

The Halo Infinite enemies have the same entertainment factor because of their soundbites. That doesn't necessarily make them appear as more "real" characters, but relatable in context of being hounded by the Master Chief character.

What a naff article.

[Christopher]

How can you disagree that "good black characters in gaming are rare" but also think "good characters in gaming are rare?" Do you realize that good black characters are a subset of good characters?

Also, don't you think the reason he likes the role is that it was a black character that didn't feel "black." That he was portraying a character that was relatable but portrayed as black rather than the more typical everyman white guy in gaming?

You seem to agree with the voice actor on why he liked the role and think he wants to portray stereotypical black roles without realizing that this is his problem with most black video game characters.

[fitofficial]

To answer your first question I think the commenter meant that the distinction of "black" is meaningless since good characters in gaming as a whole are rare.

For your second point, I guess I don't get why you're seemingly at odds with what the other commenter said since your own definition of "redefining black" as the article states seems to be playing characters that are less "stereotypically black".

It looks to me like the whole point being made here is that "less stereotypical characters are good" which extends the meaning of the phrase "redefining black" to mean "black people are just like everybody else". That's a good thing, but the point the way they're presenting it almost seems at odds with itself. It's very confusing.

[Christopher]

He didn't say meaningless, he said he disagreed. Let alone why wouldn't you want to promote any good characters regardless of distinction? Why would any of us not want better of everything, but why is saying one specific thing of which a person feels personally attached to be bad, meaningless, or anything of the sort? Can these things only be expressed as if there aren't any races at all when that's just not true and is why he specifically talks about the stereotypes of characters of his race in video games.

And it's not at odds to say they want less stereotypical representation for black characters while talking about black characters.

People seem to be tripping over themselves to disagree when, in reality, they completely agree with what the voice actor is saying, just that he's saying it about black characters, of which he identifies the most with.

[fitofficial]

His "disagreement" is with the distinction and not the point, or so it seems to me.

And it is at odds to say "we want less stereotypical characters" when you're also saying that "redefining blackness" basically boils down to making black characters less stereotypical. You're essentially saying "we want more black characters that don't exhibit how black characters are normally portrayed".

That's totally fine, but the whole point ends up being "we want more characters that have black skin color and aren't really different than any other characters of other races" and that seems weird to lump in with the header "redefining blackness". That's what I mean by saying the point is at odds with itself.

[bunt-custardly]

I don't think video-games, especially those with an action focus where people are being brutally murdered as the main hook is the correct or a comfortable medium for presenting positive "black" people. Or any character in a positive light nor a chance to avoid stereotypes or tropes, and why should it . Therefore, this is a pointless discussion unless as I said earlier the game's focus is primarily about the struggles of a particular race. Deathloop isn't that game. It's a father daughter relationship story warped within a fantastical groundhog-day like gameplay feature. Just because the main character is black doesn't mean it deserves this level of discussion.

Speaking for myself, I don't buy games based on the race of the main character, and I don't enjoy them based on the race of the main character either. I might enjoy a game based on the design of the character, but that in itself transcends race.

[Christopher]

***we want more characters that have black skin color and aren't really different than any other characters of other races"***

That's not it either. Not being stereotypical doesn't mean not black or just like everyone else, let alone you're ignoring that it's about the players who want to identify with characters more like them having that as well.

I think you're thinking that being not stereotypical means being like everyone else. Perhaps you think being black is stereotypical? I'm not sure.

[fitofficial]

"I think you're thinking that being not stereotypical means being like everyone else. Perhaps you think being black is stereotypical? I'm not sure."

So what does "being black" mean in this context? It means "not stereotypical" and also "not like everyone else" according to you, so what ground is left? Define your parameters, because it seems to me like you're talking in circles.

[fitofficial]

I literally turned off the dialogue volume within five minutes of starting the game. It's insufferable from every angle.

Whomever wrote the dialogue for Deathloop should probably change their high school career trajectory from writer to maybe... I dunno... something that doesn't involve writing. Marine biologist, perhaps?

[Shiore2u]

My favorite thing about this game is despite all the peculiar 10/10 praise, barely anyone talks about it. It fell off the radar almost immediately after it's release. It got a $20 discount after only a month, can get it for less now even.

[fitofficial]

Game ratings from media outlets are completely meaningless. People here live and die by them for whatever reason (brand loyalty being one), but the amount of games getting above 8s in the past few years that are really 5s and 6s is just criminal.

[Omegasyde]

Payola and swag bags influence along with “first preview” or early/free review copies and /or exclusive behind the scenes.

Review X game from Y developer badly, and you might not get Z game from Y developer ie stuff mentioned above.

Sad really. That’s why I like Metacritic aggregate scores and Reddit for game purchasing decisions.

[GameZenith]

The general public barely talked about Bladerunner 2049 after it got great scores. It eventually was a box office "flop".

But would you say BR2049 lacks quality and doesnt deserve the ratings it got simply because of box office numbers?

[chicken_in_the_corn]

Anybody else not like this game?

[antikbaka]

wut...

[z2g]

the writing/dialog in this game is f***ing great. Got so many laughs out of it.

[KingofBandits]

This article and its writer redefine the pointlessness of "games journalism" pander harder.

[GameZenith]

Translation: I dont agree with the context of the article so therefore it is pointless journalism.

[Hofstaderman]

Can't we play video games for fun anymore?

[Knightofelemia]

How does one define blackness? All I see is a game with a black character no different then GTA, Watch Dogs 2, or Mafia 3. So a game with a female lead is redefining feminism? So a game with a white character is redefining whiteness? This is why I hate it when video games get race thrown in and gender as well all I want is a game to be good, entertaining, mind numbing fun.

[Kakashi Hatake]

I'm Black and don't understand what Blackness is. I could've sworn it was just being of African descent.

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

Not all Africans see black. North Africans, are more akin to Mediterraneans and middle eastern people. As an FYI I am off Jamaican descent, in my home country a lot of African Americans such as :Stephen Curry, Beyoncé, etc. wouldn’t be considered black, because of their mixed appearance. Same could be said about Deathloop’s female lead, Juliana Blake.

[Kakashi Hatake]

I wouldn't consider Steph Curry Black. He's obviously mixed. Ignorant people in America won't acknowledge the half Whiteness in mixed people. It's quite frustrating. When I say of African descent, I mean only of African descent or obviously just Black.

[Omegasyde]

Don’t forget about Former US President Obama…. everyone somehow forgot he was biracial.

[esherwood]

Why is it always black, never have this over sensitivity with anyone else

[siLENTEsKI]

Does it do anything for brownness? How about whiteness?

[TheDoomedGuy]

Enough with the blatant racism.

[MocBistro]

What?

[SIdepocket]

Just nipping in to confirm my suspicions that…yup, of course… it’s Kotaku.

Yawn.

[Acecalibur]

The ignorance in these comments is staggering. Discussing Black characters isn't "woke". If you are a White individual who can't relate to representation topics, it's ok to not comment and move on.

[AKS]

Or one can comment if he or she feels like it, and you can't do anything about it.

[Omegasyde]

Your comment is racist. Assuming people whom disagree are “white” is part of the problem.

[TheDoomedGuy]

Another aspect of racism. Making the assumption that we can't relate simply because of skin color...lol

Racism is definitely making a comeback in the most peculiar way.

FYI white skin toned people have been enslaved and oppressed since the dawn of time. Those who think only the slavery in the Americas ever existed are just ignorant and are only aware of about 200 years of world history.

[ActualWhiteMan]

Too bad the game sucked.

[Lord_Sloth]

It's really quite simple. Don't write a "black character" just write a character who happens to be black. Stop thinking of ethnicities as different groups of people and just think of them as people whose aesthetic is whatever it is.

[TheDoomedGuy]

In the current spectrum we are supposed to identify as colors or letters...otherwise it gets too damn complicated with how diverse we all are.

[PatriotOfIron]

Good opinion piece but of course a certain group of people are butthurt

[PatriotOfIron]

I like all the people acting coy like they dont have a defined set of what blackness is to them LOL. Only when you call people out on obvious racism now we are all humans...

[Pedrof]

Is there really something as a Black "Essence" ? Not sure there is a White Essence...

[Michiel1989]

why does the author write black character with a capital B?

[CoNn3rB]

I'm not a black person so forgive my ignorance but, I've played several games where you play as people of colour and to be honest I don't get how Deathloop is different. Barring some games that really play into racial stereotypes most games just treat black people like they treat everyone else, my question is, isn't that a good thing? Most of the time people complain when black people are treated differently from white people so why should we always moan when
the majority of games do just that

[NukeDaHippies]

Go look up Nagoryuki in Guilty Gear Strive, I'll wait.

[KINGS47]

Weird article about race but nonetheless it is a fantastic game.

[gazgriff2k12]

WTF! is blackness, so retarted

[anast]

I think this article is well intentioned, but only summarizes issues and does nothing to help change disinheritance.

[StarkR3ality]

Can we stop this shit. There have been many amazing Black characters in games.

Stop trying to push this racial segregation bs. We are all Human, all gamers. Refer to each other as such.

All love.

[kevinsheeks]

I won't even read the comments in this thread I can sense the negativity without even scrolling down.

[Bronbron92]

This is something no one asked for to be reported