Taiwanese FPG "Devotion" Review Bombed by Chinese for Cursing Mainlanders to "Die"

[Megalith]

Taiwan-based Red Candle Games’ first-person horror title “Devotion” is the latest title targeted by review bombers, but some argue it is well deserved, as the developer offended its neighboring giant in what was marketed as a patriotic, cultural title: a flood of Chinese gamers have taken to Steam to bash the game after a variety of insults were discovered, which allegedly include all mainlanders being cursed to die and decorations mocking President Xi Jinping. Some believe this could escalate to not only Devotion being banned in China, but Steam itself.

It’s a matter of utmost importance for Chinese players and the entire Chinese gaming community in general. Upon skimming through dozens of the recent reviews, we found one thing that was in common. If the concerned authority of the People’s Republic of China finds out about the discussed controversy, not just will they ban the game, but there’s a possibility they’ll ban Steam entirely. In a country where games are constantly banned, modified and restricted to users due to several cultural and ideological conflicts, a reference like Devotion’s could turn disastrous.

 

[EODetroit]

No one cares what slave-China thinks, only free-China counts.

 

[shansoft]

I bought an extra copy as a gift just for this. Aside from the Pooh meme, this is such a great game IMO....

 

[DukenukemX]

Looks cool but I can't understand a thing they say.

 

[sfsuphysics]

So country refuses to acknowledge Taiwan exists as a country because it's part of China, uses it's clout as a permanent member of the UN to push this narrative, uses it's clout as a permanent member of the Olympic committee to not let athletes from Taiwan fly under it's own flag, but oh no some developer said everyone was cursed to die and that's crossing the line.

 

[Zarathustra[H]]

So country refuses to acknowledge Taiwan exists as a country because it's part of China, uses it's clout as a permanent member of the UN to push this narrative, uses it's clout as a permanent member of the Olympic committee to not let athletes from Taiwan fly under it's own flag, but oh no some developer said everyone was cursed to die and that's crossing the line.

Yeah,

I tend to fall on the side of the Republic of China (Taiwan) whenever there is a conflict between them a the Peoples Republic of China. If we are the free country we claim to be, we should support other democratic nations being threatened by dictatorial giants.

I'd recognize RoC in a heartbeat. I don't give a shit what authoritarian regimes think.

Wishing death on an entire people does seem like it is in poor taste though...

I doubt this will result in Steam being banned in China, but if it does, that might not be a bad thing...

 

[Reimu]

Behold, the best DRM measure you can have for your game. Just stick this seal and piracy sites will stay the hell away from your title.

This is the offending Easter egg. It's written in Rune script, which is the first of the formal Chinese script that was first used in Qin to early Han era (Think Punic wars)
Read right to left
習近平
小
維尼熊
Xi Jinping
[the cute]
Winnie the Pooh

I purchased the game right away just as a matter of principle. (yes, it does look decent, but that's beside the point)

 

[theBrownLlama]

Valve should just make a official offshoot of Steam just for China.
They can comply to whatever the gov want in that,
and the good thing would be having Chinese players being geogated to their own region.

 

[Laowai]

This makes me smile.

 

[SecretStash]

Hopefully steam won't be forced to choose to ban this game in all countries or else steam gets banned in China.

 

[PantherBlitz]

Promo looks cool. I hope that they release an English edition.

 

[Reimu]

Hopefully steam won't be forced to choose to ban this game in all countries or else steam gets banned in China.

It's currently down on Steam worldwide. I don't know what's up with that.

 

[Nebell]

So country refuses to acknowledge Taiwan exists as a country because it's part of China, uses it's clout as a permanent member of the UN to push this narrative, uses it's clout as a permanent member of the Olympic committee to not let athletes from Taiwan fly under it's own flag, but oh no some developer said everyone was cursed to die and that's crossing the line.

On a serious note, while Taiwan is basically China, it's a much better, much, much better China.

 

[Reimu]

View attachment 144351

On a serious note, while Taiwan is basically China, it's a much better, much, much better China.

I thought Nixon agreed that there was only the shitty China. That other one is just a so-called poser, but I digress.

Still, the funny thing is that you wouldnt have found the Easter Egg if you got the game legitimately. This placeholder texture for the purity seal and ward was patched out. Only pirates would have seen the seal.

 

[Reimu]

Ok. I've playing through this game, and the graphics are not super demanding, but but aesthetics and acoustics are spot-on. The damp, wearing interiors of a cement flat built in the 70s Taiwan with a plot that takes place in the 80s is not something that the west is used to (not even experienced by Japan) for that matter.
As for the content, I have say that the jumpscare is not what got me, for Red Candle wrote themselves a Taiwanese equivalent of a Greco- Shakespearean tragedy bathed in the tendrils of superstition, with a silent yet unreliable protagonist to boot.

Shame that one placeholder texture made this once darling of Venus into a taboo by the no2 economy in the world.