SUPERHOT VR update removes key story elements involving self-harm
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On July 21, 2021, SUPERHOT VR received a patch[1] that removed all scenes in which the player commits suicide, despite those scenes being key story elements. This change was received poorly by the players, and the game was review-bombed on Steam.
Background
[edit | edit source]SUPERHOT VR is a VR First-Person Shooter released on May 25, 2017, developed and published by Superhot Team.
The "Important Update"
[edit | edit source]The update labeled "Important Update (1.0.22.1)" removed all scenes in which the player is instructed to commit suicide, which are a big part of the game's story.
Understandably, some players may find these scenes distressing and may want to skip them entirely, which is why a "Skip disturbing scenes" option was added in an update prior to the incident. This approach is common in games, going back as far as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's controversial "No Russian" mission.
One of the developers acknowledged this issue in December 2019 in a thread on the game's forum[2] on Steam, saying:
We acknowledge the issue and we'll make it possible to automatically skip such scenes in future patches. Right now we're working on implementing it properly.
The developer made another comment in the same thread in January 2020, clarifying that:
The idea is to allow for a general setting that would affect the entirety of the game. We are not planning on simply deleting these scenes from the game ;)
Despite the option to skip these scenes being added in a previous update, all scenes involving self-harm were removed from the game on July 21, 2021.
In the patch notes for the update[1], Superhot Team wrote:
Considering [the] sensitive time we’re living in, we can do better than that. You deserve better. All scenes alluding to self harm are now completely removed from the game. These scenes have no place in SUPERHOT virtual reality. We regret it took us so long. We’re committed to shipping this update to all VR platforms.
As a result of this update, the game was review-bombed on Steam, but it's overall rating returned to "Mostly Positive" as new players bought the game without knowing it was missing important story elements. The review-bombing period has been marked as "Off-topic" on the game's Steam page.
Superhot Team's response
[edit | edit source]After the backlash, Superhot Team CEO and designer Piotr Iwanicki made a statement[3] on the official SUPERHOT Discord server:
piotr here, designer and ceo of superhot.
I just saw steam reviews for superhot vr moderated, which feels weird. Crushing game's reviews like that was a valid message. It's not the most pleasant, but I get it: something was taken from a game, as if stolen remotely. This didn't feel right and you reacted.
SUPERHOT VR is now a scarred experience, as its' 'story' hinges on the offending scenes removed. If you played before the update: you played a classic. This version is now history and we are not erasing it - we're simply living on, responsibly. I don't want us to sell this version any more. It does not feel right.
We're still commited to removing these scenes on all VR platforms.
Place where time freezes until you move is far more interesting on its own, without the edgy narrative that forces you through a set of levels and until you get a "you win" message. Further updates will sharpen focus on gameplay and presence.
When I wrote "you deserve better", I really really meant it. We first developed superhot for a 7 Day FPS Jam in 2013 and it was a massive success ever since. This was a taxing experience for everyone involved, myself included. Almost 8 years have passed and we're still stuck making games about self-destructive loops: this is a fingerprint of this pressure. You deserve better than the product of stress and depression that we feel obliged to preserve because of the possible outrage of content removal.
superhot is a place where time stops until you move. You cannot possibly experience that without virtual reality. This place is made of hard concrete and brittle crystal exacly because this physics of shattering can be so mesmerising in slow motion. This place is safe in a weird way: even if it's crumbling around you, the danger will not reach you until you move. If you ever froze still, scared of an object fast approaching - we deliver what your instincts wanted in that moment. This is the core of superhot virtual reality.
Scenes alluding to self-harm will not be part of this place. Neither will I allow for manipulative design and illusion of achievement. In Poland we call this 'dzidzi-bobo design'. We're past that. Time freezing for you means you are in control and let this be foundation for all things superhot from now on.
I hope this clears up our intentions behind this important update. It was not easy to do and is not easy to communicate. I kept the original message minimal, but that only spawned confusion and in the end you deserve to know what is happening. I'm open to suggestions on how to preserve the old version, but maybe it's better off as a folk tale rather than a working software.
Peace.
Later, Piotr also added, "The deleted scenes are not coming back"[4] and, "Toggle is a lame solution. This toggle wasn't really visible: you had to know about it to use it so it's not a real interface solution"[5]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Important Update (1.0.22.1)". Steam. 2021-07-21.
- ↑ ""Possible to proceed without shooting yourself in the head?" (SUPERHOT VR General Discussions)". Steam. 2019-12-14.
- ↑ Iwanicki, Piotr (2021-07-23). "Piotr's statement". Discord.
- ↑ Iwanicki, Piotr (2021-07-23). ""The deleted scenes are not coming back"". Discord.
- ↑ Iwanicki, Piotr (2021-07-23). ""Toggle is a lame solution. [...]"". Discord.