Poll: Hitman Absolution hates women

[CannibalCorpses]

I'm baffled so much is being made of a game where the main character in the first game shows directly that he isn't interested in sex. It's probably the main reason why everyone in absolution is a sexually depraved psychopath...to highlight that 47 is an assassin who murders people for cash but isn't really a bad guy.

The strip club manager that you execute for birdy who sets up his 'ladies' with wade the lady killer...he earns his assassination for being a **** and people moan because there are some strippers in a strip club...almost like fiction matching reality. Sad thing is nobody mentions that in some strip clubs in real life the women are victims of trafficking or forced to work for drug habits formed through association with the owner. Change the fiction! Change the fiction! Too sexist!

The saints who are basically abused women who have been conditioned to be like 47. They seem to be there to highlight yet again how 47 is exceptional. He is a super assassin but isn't emotional, he isn't a psychopath...he's superman. He isn't distracted by sexy women and he lives where others die because of it. Their clothing is pure fetish to match their damaged psychology, broken by the main bastard bad guy. They show just how bad Travis is, setting the stage for his final moment and how he 'earned' it.

Layla, the tough assistant who tries to take on 47 where her powerful boss cowardly runs away and leaves her. She is a strong character that has put up with tons of shit from Dexter and still ends up out-manning him in the end. But in 1 of the 9-12 different assassination options she tries to use her feminine charms on 47 and suddenly she becomes a weak female? Bollocks, she is probably the strongest character in the game. She shows emotion at the pointless killings, puts up some minor defence against the endless crazy antics that every other character in the game gets upto. She doesn't show any depravity other than a desire for cash and loyalty to her shitty boss.

It's annoying how 1 person writes some shit about a game and suddenly people start parroting what she says without thinking about it. Women in absolution are shown to be just as insane as the men, just as ruthless and capable of dodgy tactics yet the only people alive at the end are 47, the girl and dianne. Hell, Dianne fakes her own death, rescues an innocent girl from being used like 47 was and then sets up Travis to fuck himself with a ruthless assassination agency. The poll was 'does hitman absolution hate women?'...i'd say it's quite the opposite. 2 VERY strong female characters and the only strong male character is a guy who isn't interested in sex at all (barely male). All the other males are self-centered twats, psychopaths or just there to get slaughtered/be avoided on the way to the next section.

 

[MetalDooley]

Can I just remind everybody that the game felt the need to heavily sexualize a 14-year old girl?! That on its own is pretty damn fucked up.

Can I just ask where this heavily sexualised 14 year old is?Because all I can remember is a girl wearing a pretty generic school uniform similar to what I can see hundreds of girls wearing if I walk around my town.I mean she's not wearing skin tight clothes,she's not wearing a low cut top and flashing cleavage constantly,she's not constantly making suggestive poses or stripping.In fact the game never shows her nude or even in underwear or a bikini or in any kind of compromising position that I can remember.So basically you're saying she's "heavily sexualised" because she's wearing a skirt,a skirt that isn't even that short compared to what you can see women wearing any day of the week

 

[Fox12]

If you can give me a more honest reason for why women would go into battle dressed as dominatrix stripper nuns, I'd love to hear it. I can't for the life of me figure out what tactical advantage it offers.

Why does 47 always wear a suit and tie? What "tactical advantage" does that offer?

First of all, a suit and tie doesn't stand out, certainly not like a stripper nun outfit. He is an assassin, correct? I assume the reason he isn't walking around in battle gear is because the idea is that he's supposed to avoid heavy combat in the first place. But that's ignoring much more important issue.

Lets look at what these outfits say. A suit and tie exudes professionalism and self confidence. It represents success. It's a symbol unto itself, creating a certain mental image in your head about the character. They could have given him more tactical gear, but they chose a suit and tie because it embodied personality traits that they wanted the audience to connect to his character. But what does the stripper nun outfit convey? Eroticism and sexuality, but also a degree of subservience. The outfit was specifically created to act as fetish gear for other people. Whereas the suit and tie builds up agent 47, the stripper nun outfit tears down the female assasins. Their respective outfits are status symbols in our society, but where a suit represents success, wealth, and confidence, a stripper outfit represents subservience, exploitation, and sometimes poverty.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

Allow me to correct myself. You kill a sexualized woman who can defend herself. Doesn't make me feel any more comfortable though.

What makes you feel uncomfortable has nothing to do with the quality of the game. If that was the case horror games would all be terrible and a reviewer could score down a game if it involved spiders and they were arachnophobic.

 

[SillySam]

The first guy that you are forced to kill in the game is talking on the phone with his doctor about the results of his medical tests that show that he doesnt have prostate cancer, the guy is all happy and shit that he gets another chance in life and all you can do is throw him out the window to his death.

If I recall correctly, you can wait for the guard to move away.
I did chuckle at the irony when he said 'no one can piss on this day', maybe I'm just a horrible person

 

[Username Redacted]

Can I just remind everybody that the game felt the need to heavily sexualize a 14-year old girl?! That on its own is pretty damn fucked up.

Can I just ask where this heavily sexualised 14 year old is?Because all I can remember is a girl wearing a pretty generic school uniform similar to what I can see hundreds of girls wearing if I walk around my town.I mean she's not wearing skin tight clothes,she's not wearing a low cut top and flashing cleavage constantly,she's not constantly making suggestive poses or stripping.In fact the game never shows her nude or even in underwear or a bikini or in any kind of compromising position that I can remember.So basically you're saying she's "heavily sexualised" because she's wearing a skirt,a skirt that isn't even that short compared to what you can see women wearing any day of the week

Yeah, not really seeing that one either. In general I'm getting the impression that a lot of the people who're criticizing this game haven't actually played it or even watched a 'Let's Play' of it.

 

[zumbledum]

I came across this blog post by Elizabeth Edwards (Creative Assembly artist) linked at Rock Paper Shotgun. Warning, there are spoilers.

http://lizedwardsart.tumblr.com/post/43226499697/hitman-absolution

What do you think? Is Elizabeth correct that Hitman Absolution hates women?

Really what I'm interested in here is the poll result but please leave a comment explaining your vote.

well if she cant tell the difference between Hate and puerile teen spank fantasy i think shes best off sticking to the junior character artistry. but this is just the sort of bullshit people put on CV's. she might be just trying to hitch herself to that bandwagon and exploit being female.

 

[Verlander]

More of a case that Hitman doesn't consider them at all.

 

[Fox12]

Lets look at what these outfits say. A suit and tie exudes professionalism and self confidence. It represents success. It's a symbol unto itself, creating a certain mental image in your head about the character. They could have given him more tactical gear, but they chose a suit and tie because it embodied personality traits that they wanted the audience to connect to his character.

No I disagree.
To me Agent 47 was given the suit and tie to spotlight how he is essentially a tool, a weapon to be used. He is given the generic business suit to highlight his lack of personality or will. It's generic, it has no defining features, it makes him look like a standard businessman who is nothing but a cog for the business he works for (an accurate description of Agent 47).
The barcode on the back of his head is the only identifying feature he has but even that serves to show him as a replaceable tool.

But what does the stripper nun outfit convey? Eroticism and sexuality, but also a degree of subservience.

Eroticism and sexuality maybe but certainly not subservience. You literally couldn't be further from the truth.
Search "Dominatrix" on google and you'll see that it is they who the Saints resemble, not the subs (submissives).

You misunderstand me. Not subservience to agent 47, or necessarily even to their leader/boss, though I think there's an argument to be made there. Rather, subservience to the designers or players. They are put into the game to appeal to fetishes of male gamers, putting them in less than a dominant position, regardless of whether or no their a dominatrix or not. You're essentially arguing that their outfit is empowering, an argument that holds no weight. They are dressed that way because the developers felt that MALE gamers would enjoy it, and it was made from a male mentality. They appear in one level, hold no real plot relevance, and have no real personality to speak of. What purpose, then, do they serve other than fanservice? Also, this idea that my opinion is based on prudishness is frankly ridiculous. Sexuality in gaming is fine. Female sexuality in gaming is fine. You assume my problem is with the sexuality, and not with the fact that women are being degraded. It is actually possible to explore female sexuality without degrading them.

Also: http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=311

 

[peruvianskys]

You misunderstand me. Not subservience to agent 47, or necessarily even to their leader/boss, though I think there's an argument to be made there. Rather, subservience to the designers or players. They are put into the game to appeal to fetishes of male gamers, putting them in less than a dominant position, regardless of whether or no their a dominatrix or not. You're essentially arguing that their outfit is empowering, an argument that holds no weight. They are dressed that way because the developers felt that MALE gamers would enjoy it, and it was made from a male mentality. They appear in one level, hold no real plot relevance, and have no real personality to speak of. What purpose, then, do they serve other than fanservice? Also, this idea that my opinion is based on prudishness is frankly ridiculous. Sexuality in gaming is fine. Female sexuality in gaming is fine. You assume my problem is with the sexuality, and not with the fact that women are being degraded. It is actually possible to explore female sexuality without degrading them.

Also: http://harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=311

When men can't imagine female sexuality without degradation and objectification, attacking that degradation and objectification sounds to them like like attacking sexuality. SMH.

I find it absolutely incredible that there are men here defending this. If you are a man and you don't care about opposing misogyny, then shame on you. And if you claim you do care and then pretend there's nothing wrong with a video game that straps its female characters into BDSM gear or stripper clothes and lets you strangle them one by one, I call bullshit. Sexualizing violence against women is absolutely unacceptable, especially considering that sexual violence by men against women is one of the most common, least addressed, and most horrible scourges in our society.

 

[cikame]

It speaks to tone-deafness on many levels of their development process and a lack of thought and clarity in regard to their vision.

What if their vision was schlocky grindhouse?
It may not be that specific, but i certainly get that low budget, low morals sense from a few of the scenarios in the game. I prefer some of the more clever ideas in the previous games, but i can't fault someones creation if it seems like they put exactly what they wanted into it.