Girlz 'N' Games comic #86: Fantasy vs. Reality

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When I first watched the trailer for Ubisoft’s We Dare, I thought it was some kind of parody. A big fat joke. I mean, come on, a group of twentysomethings harnessing the power of the Wii (or PS3 Move) for a swingers’ party? Young disturbingly giddy professionals nuzzling a controller, stripping and spanking each other while their cartoon avatars eat apples, limbo and fly through hoops? Clearly the whole project – much like its trailer – was made while under the influence of powerful hallucinogenics.

Because, who really is the audience for this thing? Sure, Ubisoft is calling it a light-hearted party game for adults, but it looks so juvenile. You might as well regress to junior school and play "spin the bottle". I mean if you’re going to make a sex game for adults, make an explicit sex game for adults. Don’t hide your intentions behind content and gameplay so inane that it lands a 12+ age restriction – which only adds to the controversy about We Dare’s easy accessibility to children.

For the record, while the game is available in Mainland Europe, Australia and South Africa, it will not be released in the prudish UK or US, where parental groups and politicians already have their knives out.

For me, though, I just can’t get past the delusions that the game makers apparently have about how We Dare will be played. These flirty fantasies are in stark contrast to the cynical, or disinterested, response the game is likely to receive in reality.



Side note: Well, it turns out that the comic before this one, Girlz 'N' Games #85 is now completely pointless. After publicly expressing excitement about his involvement, director Darren Aronofsky has withdrawn from the Japan-set Wolverine sequel. This leaves star Hugh Jackman all buffed up with nothing to do. Bah!

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