Steam gets a lot of new games all the time, but there has been one make headlines this week for its absurdly exorbitant $2,000 price tag. that game Hidden and Unknown, is not worth your time, especially given this extremely long opening text about men’s rights and the “human age” of reproduction. Ew.
Developed by ProX.team, Hidden and Unknown is the latest indie Steam game to grab the internet’s attention for several reasons. Yes, he is indeed 2000 dollars. Yes, he is really gets it less than two hours to complete. And yes, he is it really does there is Star Wars-like the opening reel, which is eight minutes long and completely impenetrable. These aspects alone make the game somewhat interesting for gamers like myself, who are interested in what’s going on with Valve’s PC distribution platform. Ho“Most western men today are women” and “unable to lead” is the thesis of the opening sequence, which makes me raise my eyebrows. In other words, soy boys are a no-no.
“There is an idea called the Age of Man, which is unstoppable as long as humanity exists.” Hidden and UnknownScroll ‘s opening text. “It has been this way since the dawn of civilization, but with unprecedented advances in science, things may not be the same. If earlier only a small part of people could be weak, today the situation is different. Today, most Western men are women, and most Western women are men. Men mistake weakness for good to avoid offending women, and women assume more masculine roles because their men are pathetic, weak, and unable to lead.” This goes on for exactly eight minutes, y’all.
But what Hidden and Unknown? It’s a non-interactive visual novel about a kid named Brian you’ve never met. Like most kids, Brian plays soccer, goes to school, sleeps in his bedroom, hangs out with friends (that you don’t even see) and plays browser-based video games. The only difference is that after Brian loses his friends and is teased by the (identical) girls, he somehow comes into contact with Super AI 2123, who is actually Brian trying to save the figure in the future. the world is on the brink of extinction due to lack of baby production. You see, Brian, now disillusioned and cut off from everyone and everything, has no interest in relationships or procreation now that boys are turning their backs on him and girls are making fun of him. 2123, this artificial intelligence that balances masculine and feminine energies, wants to help Brian make friends again and find love in order to prevent “this extinction-level threat” that is the resulting non-population growth.
There is so much to uncover here that I don’t even know where to begin. However, if you are familiar men’s rights activisma political movement centered around the concept of structural discrimination against men, then these talking points should be in focus. This is dangerous rhetoric peddled and promoted by self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate. Broadcasters like Adin Rossall of which basically advocate the supremacy of men in a horribly patriarchal society that still exploits women.
G/O Media may receive a commission
health
The Lyma Supplement
10 ingredients. One super-supplement.
Lyma makes the next generation of supplements—peer-reviewed and formulated to unlock your potential.
In Discord DMs with Kotaku, a The Hidden and Unknown developer known only as ThePro said the game is “loosely following my own experiences,” though it’s not “an exact copy.” ThePro explained that, though the game calls “most western men” feminine and weak, they don’t necessarily believe that “men generally are weak.” However, “anyone who has had an easy life” will be weak, ThePro said, breaking down how the game has been received so far and what they’ve learned.
“I’ve heard the world has become much worse than it used to be, but I admit that I prefer doing my own research before jumping to conclusions and the reception definitely proved to me that people are too consumed by the wrong things,” ThePro said. “They make a big deal out of a price tag that doesn’t affect their life in any way, instead of focusing on improving not only themselves, but the lives of people around them.”
ThePro said they fear we might “[lose] something that makes us all human,” but declined to elaborate on what that might mean. Instead, they simply explained that “both men and women have testosterone and estrogen” and these energies need to be balanced.
“I’ve been accused of being ‘transphobic’ and ‘misogynistic’ and more, but I want to let everyone know that I have no problem with men, women, trans people or any other group. Respect me too,” he said. “People who accused me did not respect me and came to direct conclusions, which does not create a good image for them. We have to live in a world where everyone is instantly aggressive, but I would like to positively believe that if we start working together, not against each other, we will find a way to avoid the dangers. Extinction is very possible in the current climate.”
ThePro then spoke at length about the “multiple possibilities” that could contribute to or cause human extinction: nuclear war, global economic hardship, overuse of lithium, estrogen in plastic products, etc. At the end of the day, ThePro seems to be using it Hidden and Unknown promoting some form of ideological rhetoric about the need for men to “take charge” because if not, we’re all doomed. What a revelation.
So yes, no need to check Hidden and Unknown. If you had the money and beat it in less than two hours (which is totally doable), you can refund accordingly. Steam’s return policy. Why you subject yourself to such a boring and frankly philosophically barren game is beyond me.