, Columnist
Black Myth, Black Samurai and Gaming Nationalism
Two games set in China and Japan are attracting starkly differing takes for their approach to cultural authenticity. Studios will have to tread carefully.
Artistic license?
Photographer: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
Cultural authenticity hasn’t always been crucial to video games.
Few Italians complain about Super Mario’s stereotypical accent or Indians about limb-stretching Street Fighter yogi Dhalsim. Yet authenticity — or lack thereof — is becoming increasingly important, at least given the mixed reception of two recent multimillion-dollar titles.
