by Jet Tue May 27, 2014 6:32 am
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2014-05-21-always-sometimes-monsters-reviewIn its sentimental presentation, Always Sometimes Monsters runs a lot closer to critically insignificant and yet massively influential choices than it does to the kind of grand world-saving fodder typical of games. One path that I thought insignificant ended with the murder of a child at the hand of his drug-dealing uncle. I had no idea, nor any hint that I'd done anything wrong. In fact, up until that point, I was expecting the kid to mug me.
We all make snap judgments about the people around us, and they do the same. Once again, Always Sometimes Monsters cuts really close to home by encouraging you to judge others and letting them judge you. You can play as almost any race, gender or sexual orientation - all of which you pick via a series of apparently meaningless decisions. I chose to be a soft-spoken, kind-hearted gay black man, and that was significant.
was called "faggot" a few times, and "deadbeat" some others. Usually, though, the racism and homophobia were so subtle I couldn't be totally sure whether anyone was a threat. As I spent more time in this man's body, I became not only more wary, but more hostile to the people around me. I tilted into paranoia, constantly fearing that the straight white guy across the counter didn't use the word "monkey" coincidentally. Before long I felt openly hostile to just about everyone. If they're going to treat me like this, I thought, then I'll gladly return the favour. Lying and stealing to secure a place for me and mine became the norm, but only because I was out of options and constantly pushed out into the fringes of a broken society.
