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Assassin's Creed III dev says press gives a pass to Japanese games

Alex Hutchinson claims many Japanese games have "gibberish" narratives, but are not criticized by "subtly racist" gaming press.

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Assassin's Creed III creative director Alex Hutchinson has taken a shot at Japanese games and those who critique them. Speaking to CVG, the developer claimed the narratives in Japanese games often leave something to be desired, and reviewers give these games a free pass.

Hutchinson claims the press exhibits a biased appreciation for Japanese games.
Hutchinson claims the press exhibits a biased appreciation for Japanese games.

"Just think about how many Japanese games are released where their stories are literally gibberish," he said. "There's no way you could write it with a straight face, and the journalists say, 'Oh it is brilliant.' Then Gears of War comes out and apparently it's the worst written narrative in a game ever. I'll take Gears of War over Bayonetta any time."

Hutchinson's remarks came as a response to a question regarding how Nintendo is able to release new iterations of long-running franchises every year without drawing much criticism. To this, Hutchinson remarked, "I think there's a subtle racism in the business, especially on the journalists' side, where Japanese developers are forgiven for doing what they do. I think it's condescending to do this."

Ultimately, Hutchinson said he thinks games should be judged on a simple scale of "is the story any good?"

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