Following Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) announcement of a remake for the "God of War" Greek trilogy, the player community has reignited discussions about whether the controversial "sex minigames" from the series' early installments will return.
Recently, Alanah Pearce, a former SIE Santa Monica Studio writer who worked on "God of War Ragnarök," revealed during a livestream that these segments were primarily designed by female developers, challenging a long-held perception among many players.
In the early "God of War" series and "God of War: Chains of Olympus," players could trigger sex scenes via button prompts. The screen typically cut away or used quick-time events to imply the interaction rather than showing it directly. While these sequences have long been viewed by some players as typical male-gaze designs, Pearce noted that the reality was quite different.
Pearce stated during the livestream that she had worked with one of the designers, and that "most of the sex minigames in 'God of War' were actually done by women." She further explained that the scene where players enter Aphrodite's chamber in "God of War III" featured an overall spatial design with a hidden meaning.
"When you walk into that room, the structure is actually deliberately designed to look like a vulva, and that concept was also proposed by the female team," Pearce explained.
She also recalled one of the female designers involved in the development being very proud of this content. Pearce added, "She was very proud of that outcome, and it was really cool. I think a lot of players actually didn't notice those details."
Pearce also noted that video games often handle sexual themes awkwardly. She stated, "Sex is just a part of life, but in game development, many people feel uncomfortable proposing such mechanics because they require animators and actors to be involved."
Regarding whether these elements should be retained in future remakes, Pearce expressed support.
"I actually support keeping the sex minigames. I know they're presented a bit absurdly in 'God of War,' but they are definitely part of the series," she said. She added that she doesn't believe the segments are disrespectful to women, suggesting that "to some extent, they actually reflect Kratos's character and internal state."
via： Eurogamer