Adventuring Through Sexuality Part 1: Excitement

Sexuality, i.e. the depiction of sex, nudity and sexual themes, has long been a hot topic when it comes to videogames.  I'm going to take a look at the past, the present, and the future of sexuality in video games in this three-part series of articles.

Leisure Suit Larry box art (Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leisure_Suit_Larry_Collection_Series.jpg)

Leisure Suit Larry, released in 1987, is one of the earliest, and arguably the most famous, examples of a video game that featured sexual innuendo and sexual humour, albeit no actual sex.  It was very much a heterocentric game (nothing wrong with it), and featured detailed portraits of the various attractive women that Larry met, who often had their boobs prominently displayed.  It clearly didn't try to portray sex in any meaningful or explicit way, and instead treated the topic with (often adolescent) humour.  The game was subject to a fair amount of controversy upon its release, with much clutching of pearls from the media and religious "watchdogs" alike.  It wasn't a particularly special game, either in terms of mechanics or visuals, but its content was still fairly novel (if slightly greasy and creepy at times).

Screenshot from Dōkyūsei (The Visual Novel Database, https://s.vndb.org/st/79/17179.jpg)

The depiction of sexual content and sexuality took a leap forward in 1992, with the release of Dōkyūsei in 1992, which was one of the first, if not the first, "dating sims". As the genre name implies, the game revolves around learning where various girls will be in a town, and then choosing which virtual girl(s) you want to date. This is one of the games that arguably may have contributed to many straight/bi male gamers viewing women as rewards for doing well, or objectives to be reached.

Publishers such as SEGA had already implemented their own (voluntary) ratings systems prior to this, but due to the threat of federal regulations regarding the growing number of sexually-themed games and games containing sexual content, a group of publishers, including Acclaim Entertainment and Electronic Arts, formed a political trade group called the Interactive Digital Software Associaton in 1994. Things reached a boiling point later that year, with the formation of the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board), which was partially in response to the growing number of games that contained sexual content. The ESRB's ratings system is fundamentally flawed, as it puts the depiction of sex and nudity on the same level as that of violence and swearing, when, in fact, sex should not even be a factor in a game's age rating, unless rape, molestation, pedophilia, bestiality, and other harmful sexual activities are depicted. But that is a topic I will delve into later in this series of articles. Please look forward to these installments, and feel free to leave your comments on this topic.

Adventuring Through Consent With Hurt Me Plenty

There aren't many games brave enough to explore the issue of consent and rough-play, especially with partial nudity and sexual overtones involved.  Hurt Me Plenty is one of those games.

The game started me off by shaking the hand of a man with my mouse as a means of introduction.  It used the speed and frequency of my virtual handshake as factors in determining how hard I was allowed to spank this virtual guy's buttocks, as well as giving me a randomly-generated safeword which the guy would use when he'd had enough.

Once those things were out of the way, the actual action began.  I was required to spank by moving the mouse up and down.  Unfortunately, I did so rather too vigorously and ended up causing the guy to cry out in pain and shout the safeword multiple times.  Once the action halted, I felt strangely guilty because of how downcast and resentful this virtual being seemed, and the accusatory language he used whilst discussing what I put him through.  It really resonated with my prior life experiences regarding consent and consideration for others.  Consent is one of the most important factors in relationships and emotional and physical interactions with others, and it's great to see a video-game tackle the subject, even if it's in a rather surreal and perhaps clumsy way.  It may not have a set narrative per se, but it forms a convincing, if fairly succinct, narrative between the game, the player, and the guy who gets spanked, depending on the player's actions.

Hurt Me Plenty can be downloaded (for free, or for a donation of your choice) at its page on itch.io.

Five Awesome Story-Rich JRPGs

There is an almost overwhelming abundance of JRPGs with great narratives out there, but I'm going to list off five really memorable/worthwhile ones (in no particular order):

The Legend of Heroes:  Trails in the Sky



A modern classic, with cheerful, jazzy music, and a narrative that burns slowly at the start, but soon builds up the tension and drama.  It also has enough difficulty options (e.g. retry offset) for players of all skill levels.  Buy it from GOG.com

Shin Megami Tensei IV



A dark, somewhat brutal game, but with a fascinating, choice driven narrative of Law, Chaos and Neutrality, set against a post-apocalyptic background, and buttressed with addictive demon negotiation and fusion mechanics.  Buy it from the Nintendo eShop

Final Fantasy X



A somewhat divisive installment in the Final Fantasy series, perhaps, due to its linearity and occasionally cringeworthy acting, but still a very worthwhile JRPG experience, with a deep Sphere Grid system for character customisation, and an engaging narrative centred around faith, doubt, and duty.  Get it from the PlayStation Store (Note:  US PlayStation Store link provided)

Persona 3 Portable



A slightly stripped down, but still very worthwhile, PSP port of Persona 3, with refined game mechanics and the option of playing as a female main character, which opens up new Social Links.  A narrative themed around facing death and making the most of life is enhanced by compelling characters and a sense of urgency.  This article goes into the game's narrative a bit further.  Buy it from the PlayStation Store

Costume Quest



Technically not a JRPG in terms of its origins, but certainly in terms of its battle mechanics and overworld.  Cute and charming as all getout (how can you not love those costumes?), and doesn't take itself seriously at all.  Plus, collecting all the Creepy Treats cards is a rabbit hole into addiction.  Buy it from GOG.com

Feel free to comment below - give your thoughts on my choices, or even your picks for great JRPGs.