You're not wrong, they said something to that effect, and to their treatment of communism in general. Yet I can't critique what's not in front of me, I can only critique what was actually released. I can only hope that one day they put out a game with better politics. As for the game we did get, I would say that it's not a game with good politics, or a game about communism, it's a game that happens to have communism in it. To wit, you can absolutely ignore all that and play the whole way through as a lib, which unlike being an out and out racist, does not have any kind meaningful punishment attached. (I could argue that for a fascist, Kim abandoning you is not a punishment at all, but a vindication, but I digress.)
I did think the game was really unique and fun. CRPGs are for sure in a post-Disco Elysium world now. I didn't play the game twice while gnashing my teeth in order to own the revisionists on the internet. It was a very enjoyable experience. I liked the "Smallest Church in Saint-Seans". My fave quote was telling the girl outside the church that we were supposed to make a better world for her but we all failed. It made me tear up.
Alas, I don't think there's an easy way to fix the politics of the game, because the story itself was not made to outline good politics. It's a very personal story about people being driven to shitty places. And I feel like the writers having (at a minimum) the very basic of political literacy coupled with the nonchalance of post-soviet Europeans, made people think it some unique W that Harry, after the mother of all bumps on his head, among other varied and weirdly deeply held beliefs he could spontaneously develop, could think himself a communist. I won't repeat my points from above, if you live in a place where saying that maybe Sweden does some OK things paints you as a communist radical, then sure, I will relent, enjoy it as a W, but as far as I'm concerned, it's just doing the bare minimum and then nothing else.
You're not wrong, they said something to that effect, and to their treatment of communism in general. Yet I can't critique what's not in front of me, I can only critique what was actually released. I can only hope that one day they put out a game with better politics. As for the game we did get, I would say that it's not a game with good politics, or a game about communism, it's a game that happens to have communism in it. To wit, you can absolutely ignore all that and play the whole way through as a lib, which unlike being an out and out racist, does not have any kind meaningful punishment attached. (I could argue that for a fascist, Kim abandoning you is not a punishment at all, but a vindication, but I digress.)
I did think the game was really unique and fun. CRPGs are for sure in a post-Disco Elysium world now. I didn't play the game twice while gnashing my teeth in order to own the revisionists on the internet. It was a very enjoyable experience. I liked the "Smallest Church in Saint-Seans". My fave quote was telling the girl outside the church that we were supposed to make a better world for her but we all failed. It made me tear up.
Alas, I don't think there's an easy way to fix the politics of the game, because the story itself was not made to outline good politics. It's a very personal story about people being driven to shitty places. And I feel like the writers having (at a minimum) the very basic of political literacy coupled with the nonchalance of post-soviet Europeans, made people think it some unique W that Harry, after the mother of all bumps on his head, among other varied and weirdly deeply held beliefs he could spontaneously develop, could think himself a communist. I won't repeat my points from above, if you live in a place where saying that maybe Sweden does some OK things paints you as a communist radical, then sure, I will relent, enjoy it as a W, but as far as I'm concerned, it's just doing the bare minimum and then nothing else.