Failing marriages, religious fanaticism, child neglect, verbal abuse, abandonment, self-harm, self-loathing, self-portraits. For those of you in couples therapy, I’m not talking about your family. I’m talking about the video game Devotion – my favorite horror title of all time.
In 2019, Devotion was released on Steam to very positive reviews and was on its way to becoming a modern classic. It drew inspiration from atmospheric horror games like PT and immersive walking simulators such as Gone Home or What Remains of Edith Finch. Interestingly, Devotion wasn’t initially planned to be in 3D but 2D.
Red Candle Games, to accurately fulfill their vision, had to transition to Unity 3D, pushing 12 hardworking developers into learning a new medium.
What sets Devotion apart is its setting in Taiwan, a country rarely explored in video games. Red Candle Games recognized the lack of representation of Taiwanese culture in gaming and aimed to provide a new setting for gamers while being nostalgic and familiar to Taiwanese audiences.
Cultural accuracy isn’t the only praise Devotion has received on Steam. The game has garnered very positive reviews for its narrative and gameplay. According to Wikipedia, there are only 11 titles that take place in Taiwan, two of which are from Red Candle Games, with the most popular being Black Ops 2.
Devotion was never intended to be political, but a critique on religious fanaticism drives the plot. However, a political statement within the game led to angry Chinese gamers review-bombing it on Steam. The game’s removal wasn’t due to offensive content but to contain an unfair review bombing in response to a joke about a Chinese political figure.
One infamous aspect of Devotion was a Talisman within the game. Initially innocuous, the Talisman’s original version sparked controversy as when pronounced, the characters read an insulting phrase. This led to backlash from Chinese players.
For more details, watch the video.
