The Maoist International Movement (MIM) has devoted part of their home page to discussing popular culture, including computer games.
The games are discussed from a class-struggle perspective: In which way do the games represent late capitalistic bourgeois assumptions or criticism thereof? Do they accurately describe the actions of imperialist powers or the social mechanics of religion? Do they have hidden feudal implications or do they contain relevant social commentary?
Two reviews may be of particular interest to Gamebanshee members: the reviews of Knights of the Old Republic and Fallout (actually BOTH Fallout games). KotoR recieves what is, perhaps, the harshest review of all the games for its open feudalist assumptions:
"The universe of Star Wars is not unlike our own. There are the common people, and there are the "great" people. Unlike in our own world, however, the "great" people in Star Wars have their own caste of warrior slaves with special powers who, under the guise of "maintaining stability" move against any insurrection and crush any move to advance the society(*).
In this game, the player takes a role of one such warrior that calls him/herself a Jedi KNIGHT. The manufacturer doesn't even try to hide the connection to the exploitative feudal system of the Middle Ages. "
(* Said move to advance society obviously referring to the Sith, an interesting interpretation of the Star Wars universe).
Fallout 1 and 2, on the other hand, recieves very positive reviews. The games have intelligent commentary on the destructive actions of imperialist powers, racism and economic exploitation, religion as a scam and the perversion of science under oppresive, capitalist governments. The reviewer goes as far as to actually use the adjective "Maoist" in relation to the Fallout games:
"In this way, in the opinion of this reviewer, Fallout is more of a Maoist Role Playing Game than "linear" RPGs such as Myst. Just like there are many roads to socialism, where some are better than others and some are false turns, the player in Fallout will discover ways to do much better or play the game from an entirely different perspective the second, third, and further times through the game."
Some criticism is given due to the gore, the individualist assumptions and the gender-specificity of the skill "outdoors
man". However, the game is clearly recommended by the reviewer.
Note: The spelling may be initially confusing. "Wommyn" means woman in bourgeois English, but the latter is discarded due to its implication that women are a kind of inferior men. Likewise AmerKKKa means America, particulary the United States, a comment on the racist tendencies of bourgeois society.
Knights of the Old Republic Review:
Science fiction strategy games: Star Wars: "Knights of the Old Republic"
Fallout review:
Fallout 1 and 2
Overview of game reviews:
MIM bookstore
Mim homepage:
Maoist Internationalist Movement (MIM)
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post do not necessarily reflect or represent those of its author.
