Video Games, Censorship, Cultural Differences & Misunderstandings – Looking for Insight

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ChiakiShura 5 hours ago

A few weeks ago, I wrote a “review” complaining about the censorship introduced in the Onimusha 2 remaster.
I wish I hadn’t: the tone I used (which, in hindsight, I admit was too alarmist) attracted a flood of sarcastic, aggressive, and even outright offensive comments. I ended up deleting some for decency’s sake.

As you can imagine, I had to remove the harshest comments out of respect and decency—not just towards myself but also towards other readers.

That said, I want to make it clear that I do not regret writing it, because I still believe that altering original content to fit “new sensibilities” is a serious issue—especially for those who see video games as cultural heritage, not just entertainment.

But I’m still wondering: how is it possible that criticizing an editorial decision is automatically associated with misogyny, the alt-right, incels, or some other toxic ideology?

For clarity:

- I haven’t even played the game

- I actually find the scene in question (the naked woman in the intro) rather ridiculous, and
I’m certainly not defending it for artistic value (While acknowledging that there are works
especially in cinema and literature that use sexuality as a form of expression with an
artistic purpose)

- I am not against LGBTQ+ representation; in fact, I consider myself an ally

- I am not against DEI, and I have no issue with inclusive or “modern” games

I’m European, and I wonder: could cultural differences be a factor behind these heated reactions? Many users who responded seem to come from Anglophone countries, and perhaps sensitivities around these topics differ.

Someone told me that “if you criticize censorship, you’re automatically labeled anti-woke.” Is that really the case? Is there truly a connection between “wokeness” and censorship, or is it just a narrative built by some groups to discredit social justice efforts?

I just want to understand:

Why is criticizing censorship taken as an attack on minorities?

How can we have a serious discussion about preserving works without these misunderstandings?

Is it still possible to discuss these topics without it turning into an ideological war?

This will be a serious discussion, one way or another.
Everyone should feel free to comment, whether expressing agreement or deep disagreement.
However, all comments containing insults, mockery, memes, or attempts at trolling will be removed out of decency and mutual respect.
So, if you want to troll, please take it elsewhere.

Last edited by ChiakiShura; 4 hours ago

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Originally posted by Elucidator:

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
But I’m still wondering: how is it possible that criticizing an editorial decision is automatically associated with misogyny, the alt-right, incels, or some other toxic ideology?

[...]

I’m European, and I wonder: could cultural differences be a factor behind these heated reactions? Many users who responded seem to come from Anglophone countries, and perhaps sensitivities around these topics differ.

Someone told me that “if you criticize censorship, you’re automatically labeled anti-woke.” Is that really the case? Is there truly a connection between “wokeness” and censorship, or is it just a narrative built by some groups to discredit social justice efforts?

I just want to understand:

Why is criticizing censorship taken as an attack on minorities?

How can we have a serious discussion about preserving works without these misunderstandings?

Is it still possible to discuss these topics without it turning into an ideological war?

I'll share my thoughts. (No offense intended, it's a speculation.)
Unfortunately, what I noticed at least is that a number of English natives tend to stay within their own bubble and imagination. These people only take input from their surroundings that either validate their thoughts and feelings directly or indirectly. Being a feeling based observer, looking for the things normally algorithms on platforms like tiktok and youtube feed to them based on their past search results, they glance at either the top or bottom of your post, without actually reading anything written in it, nor entirely understanding the context. I am not sure what it originally said there, but this is in my guess what happened at least.

Whatever they then find in the quick skim of the text is then used in their head to form a fantasy, a narrative, an explanation for why you posted whatever they are imagining you have just posted. Everything that you actually put out didn't matter. The context behind your intentions or your words doesn't matter either. The slippery slope that plays in their minds is all they see, and because of that, you get reactions that make no sense to you, but somehow makes sense to them.

The reactions are often fueled by feelings of being hurt or having hurt whatever they associate with or stand up for. I think of this behavior as 'associated narcissism', because basically they turn themselves into the main character fighting evil; so they make it about themselves, make themselves big, belittle others, things become based on their version of events and arrogantly keep up believing that as the truth, they feel strongly entitled to an apology and strongly feel you should be punished, etc.

The people who are most bothered by this kind of behavior are other English natives- especially the more open-minded people. Yes, even other English natives as such feel feel this insane cultural difference, even when they live in the same country.

I fear that, the reason why these things happen is mostly because people stay in the same information bubble, one most often created by the platforms they stay on (tiktok, youtube, facebook, etc.), and the limited friend circle who basically echo everything, instead of feeding them with new and different perspectives. People who stay in the same bubble feel as if their castle is being attacked when you throw in other ideas about something and have no clue how to deal with this at all. They cannot take critique, they lash out, etc.

It's sad. One consequence is that this avoidance of pain makes them reject people, sometimes even their close friends. They're intolerant of thoughts, ideas even when simply calling them, not even in public. However, these same people are usually more open if you meet them one on one in real life- so they depend a lot on subconscious signals and the tone of your voice to decide your intention.

On the internet you see no face, you hear no voice; people imagine these things and unfortunately, it is very easy for something to sound arrogant in an indirect language culture such as english.

When you use direct language, you may sound like a know-it-all, or a teacher looking down on others to some people, due to them assuming an indirect, high context language culture. So they are not looking at your words, but rather at what kind of a person might say that, and why, and then associate it with themselves + some imagined tone of voice.
This is difficult to deal with when you're from a direct low context language culture. When you try to share information, you might have been too direct about it --- causing people who read it to become upset due to an imagined arrogant tone. It's just an example.

Anyway, yeah- I think some combination of this may have happened basically.

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Showing 1-15 of 22 comments

Shreddy 5 hours ago

You can turn the comments off in your reviews, if seeing people upset at you about a review is bothering you then simply switch them off.

Woke ideology is closely tied to censorship due to it having no bearing in logic or reality so it relies heavily on censorship to hide opposing views that prove it completely incorrect. For example woke views on gender can be easily disproven using simple biological facts so it’s necessary to censor these facts wherever said gender ideology is parroted (Reddit, bluesky etc). It’s important to realise that far-left ideology has no interest in “social justice efforts” and is merely a facade for spreading identity politics.

datCookie 5 hours ago

Before I read the entire post, I have to ask:

Why did you post a review for a game that you haven't even played? If you wanted to post an opinion, that's what the game hub is for. I couldn't honestly read your "review" because you openly state that it isn't one.

ChiakiShura 5 hours ago

@Shreddy
This isn’t about whether woke ideology is right or wrong. Please keep the discussion focused on video game censorship so we can talk about that without going off-topic.

fluxtorrent 4 hours ago

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
@datCookie
That wasn’t a review but rather a personal stance on the censorship decision. I made that clear in the post, but I understand it might have caused some confusion. My goal was to discuss the principle behind the changes, not to review the gameplay.

I chose to post this opinion in the review section to reach as many players as possible, since that’s where the discussion about the game happens. Also, I bought the game and requested a refund as a form of direct protest—this way, my action has a small impact beyond just words, showing disagreement through consumer choice.

That is even worse. Not only are you leaving a false review, you are costing the STORE money, not the developers.

This is peak selfish entitlement.

ChiakiShura 4 hours ago

Originally posted by fluxtorrent:
Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
@datCookie
That wasn’t a review but rather a personal stance on the censorship decision. I made that clear in the post, but I understand it might have caused some confusion. My goal was to discuss the principle behind the changes, not to review the gameplay.

I chose to post this opinion in the review section to reach as many players as possible, since that’s where the discussion about the game happens. Also, I bought the game and requested a refund as a form of direct protest—this way, my action has a small impact beyond just words, showing disagreement through consumer choice.
That is even worse. Not only are you leaving a false review, you are costing the STORE money, not the developers.

This is peak selfish entitlement.

I never claimed it was a review in the traditional sense—it was clearly labeled as a statement about the censorship choices. I even revised the post later to make that point even clearer.

As for the refund: I didn’t do it to hurt the store or out of “entitlement,” but to express disagreement in the only way a consumer really can—through their wallet. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s one of the few direct tools players have to signal dissatisfaction with a product or the direction it’s taken.

For the record, this was the first time I’ve ever requested a refund on Steam. I don’t take that lightly.

datCookie 4 hours ago

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
@datCookie
That wasn’t a review but rather a personal stance on the censorship decision. I made that clear in the post, but I understand it might have caused some confusion. My goal was to discuss the principle behind the changes, not to review the gameplay.

I chose to post this opinion in the review section to reach as many players as possible, since that’s where the discussion about the game happens. Also, I bought the game and requested a refund as a form of direct protest—this way, my action has a small impact beyond just words, showing disagreement through consumer choice.

Then the best thing to do would have been to make a thread on their discussion board about this "issue". Posting a negative review on a product you've never played and only have an opinion on is misleading and a misrepresentation of the product.

Reviews don't reach as many people as you think, but it's also not where discussion about a game happens. That's why game hubs with a discussion board exist, so people can discuss the game.

I'd be careful abusing the refund system the way you did, because if you do it too many times, Valve will prevent you from making refund requests in the future.

76561198407601200 4 hours ago

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
@Shreddy
This isn’t about whether woke ideology is right or wrong. Please keep the discussion focused on video game censorship so we can talk about that without going off-topic.

Then bring it up with the game developers, posting here just seems to be a way to get others to agree with your opinion on someone else's opinion.

ChiakiShura 4 hours ago

Originally posted by datCookie:
Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
@datCookie
That wasn’t a review but rather a personal stance on the censorship decision. I made that clear in the post, but I understand it might have caused some confusion. My goal was to discuss the principle behind the changes, not to review the gameplay.

I chose to post this opinion in the review section to reach as many players as possible, since that’s where the discussion about the game happens. Also, I bought the game and requested a refund as a form of direct protest—this way, my action has a small impact beyond just words, showing disagreement through consumer choice.

Then the best thing to do would have been to make a thread on their discussion board about this "issue". Posting a negative review on a product you've never played and only have an opinion on is misleading and a misrepresentation of the product.

Reviews don't reach as many people as you think, but it's also not where discussion about a game happens. That's why game hubs with a discussion board exist, so people can discuss the game.

I'd be careful abusing the refund system the way you did, because if you do it too many times, Valve will prevent you from making refund requests in the future.

If you’d like to have a discussion about whether it’s appropriate to use Steam’s review section for this kind of message, that’s a valid topic — and I’d be happy to talk about it in a separate thread.

But that’s not the focus here.

fluxtorrent 4 hours ago

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
Originally posted by datCookie:

Then the best thing to do would have been to make a thread on their discussion board about this "issue". Posting a negative review on a product you've never played and only have an opinion on is misleading and a misrepresentation of the product.

Reviews don't reach as many people as you think, but it's also not where discussion about a game happens. That's why game hubs with a discussion board exist, so people can discuss the game.

I'd be careful abusing the refund system the way you did, because if you do it too many times, Valve will prevent you from making refund requests in the future.
If you’d like to have a discussion about whether it’s appropriate to use Steam’s review section for this kind of message, that’s a valid topic — and I’d be happy to talk about it in a separate thread.

But that’s not the focus here.

There is no discussion to be had, what you did is strictly laid out as abuse in the refund policy. Good bet your review will get banned now as well since it is also against the code of conduct to do what you did.

ChiakiShura 4 hours ago

Originally posted by The Living Tribunal:
Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
@Shreddy
This isn’t about whether woke ideology is right or wrong. Please keep the discussion focused on video game censorship so we can talk about that without going off-topic.
Then bring it up with the game developers, posting here just seems to be a way to get others to agree with your opinion on someone else's opinion.

I think it's totally valid for users to discuss broader cultural issues like censorship in public spaces like this. A review can be more than just about the game itself—it can open a wider conversation.

In this case, the goal wasn’t to “gather support,” but to understand why a personal stance was so strongly misread, and to reflect on the reactions it triggered.

#10

ChiakiShura 4 hours ago

Originally posted by fluxtorrent:
Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
If you’d like to have a discussion about whether it’s appropriate to use Steam’s review section for this kind of message, that’s a valid topic — and I’d be happy to talk about it in a separate thread.

But that’s not the focus here.
There is no discussion to be had, what you did is strictly laid out as abuse in the refund policy. Good bet your review will get banned now as well since it is also against the code of conduct to do what you did.

I’m aware of Steam’s refund policy, and I made my request through the standard process, honestly stating my reason — that I disagreed with the censorship in the remaster. The request was accepted without issue, which suggests it wasn’t considered abuse.

If Steam had seen it as a violation of their rules, I imagine the refund would have been denied, or I would have received a warning. Neither happened.

I understand you disagree with my approach, and that’s fine — but accusing me of abuse when I followed the system in good faith feels a bit excessive.

#11

datCookie 4 hours ago

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
Originally posted by The Living Tribunal:
Then bring it up with the game developers, posting here just seems to be a way to get others to agree with your opinion on someone else's opinion.
I think it's totally valid for users to discuss broader cultural issues like censorship in public spaces like this. A review can be more than just about the game itself—it can open a wider conversation.

In this case, the goal wasn’t to “gather support,” but to understand why a personal stance was so strongly misread, and to reflect on the reactions it triggered.

That's not what the review system is for, at all. If you want to have a discussion on a topic, be it here or on the game discussion board, that's where you need to post it. Reviews are intended for players to review gameplay and other aspects of the game after having played it, which you did not do, at all.

Comments on reviews are an echo chamber, because the reviewer can delete any comment they don't like and even turn comments off altogether if they wish.

The reason I'm focusing on this, rather than the overall topic here, is because it shows a level of dishonesty that has me hesitant to believe the topic is genuine.

#12

ChiakiShura 4 hours ago

Originally posted by datCookie:
Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
I think it's totally valid for users to discuss broader cultural issues like censorship in public spaces like this. A review can be more than just about the game itself—it can open a wider conversation.

In this case, the goal wasn’t to “gather support,” but to understand why a personal stance was so strongly misread, and to reflect on the reactions it triggered.

That's not what the review system is for, at all. If you want to have a discussion on a topic, be it here or on the game discussion board, that's where you need to post it. Reviews are intended for players to review gameplay and other aspects of the game after having played it, which you did not do, at all.

Comments on reviews are an echo chamber, because the reviewer can delete any comment they don't like and even turn comments off altogether if they wish.

The reason I'm focusing on this, rather than the overall topic here, is because it shows a level of dishonesty that has me hesitant to believe the topic is genuine.

Most of the insulting comments are still visible under the review, and you’re welcome to read them yourself. I even kept a calm, thoughtful comment that made me reflect on whether my tone was too alarmist.

#13

Boblin the Goblin 4 hours ago

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
Originally posted by fluxtorrent:
There is no discussion to be had, what you did is strictly laid out as abuse in the refund policy. Good bet your review will get banned now as well since it is also against the code of conduct to do what you did.
I’m aware of Steam’s refund policy, and I made my request through the standard process, honestly stating my reason — that I disagreed with the censorship in the remaster. The request was accepted without issue, which suggests it wasn’t considered abuse.

If Steam had seen it as a violation of their rules, I imagine the refund would have been denied, or I would have received a warning. Neither happened.

I understand you disagree with my approach, and that’s fine — but accusing me of abuse when I followed the system in good faith feels a bit excessive.

You bought the game to leave a review with no intention of playing it.

That isn't "good faith".

#14

The author of this thread has indicated that this post answers the original topic.

Elucidator 4 hours ago

Originally posted by ChiakiShura:
But I’m still wondering: how is it possible that criticizing an editorial decision is automatically associated with misogyny, the alt-right, incels, or some other toxic ideology?

[...]

I’m European, and I wonder: could cultural differences be a factor behind these heated reactions? Many users who responded seem to come from Anglophone countries, and perhaps sensitivities around these topics differ.

Someone told me that “if you criticize censorship, you’re automatically labeled anti-woke.” Is that really the case? Is there truly a connection between “wokeness” and censorship, or is it just a narrative built by some groups to discredit social justice efforts?

I just want to understand:

Why is criticizing censorship taken as an attack on minorities?

How can we have a serious discussion about preserving works without these misunderstandings?

Is it still possible to discuss these topics without it turning into an ideological war?