Mafia III Tackles Historical Racism Through "Raw Interactions"
Grace Mahas — March 22, 2021 — Tech
Mafia III is an action-adventure video game set in 1968 in New Bordeau, LA that was developed by Hangar 13 and published by 2K Games. The game provocatively tackles racism and bigotry through the protagonist, Lincoln Clay – a 23-year-old biracial man who is not welcomed into every landscape and must face racial slurs and hateful acts.
"One of the things I'm really, really proud of is we've kind of created this game of empathy," says Senior writer Charles Webb. "This is what it was like to occupy this space, as this particular type of person, as a young black man in 1968 in the South."
Moreover, the game is historically accurate and details tragedies like the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or the arrests of Freedom Riders in an effort to spark important dialogue, as these issues still plague many Americans in the present.
"We're not so naive as to think that a single game could cure racism — and that was never our intent," says Creative Director Haden Blackman. "But at the end of the day, if we make people think about race and we make people think about what's happening today, I think we've done something that very few games have done."
Image Credit: 2K GAMES
"One of the things I'm really, really proud of is we've kind of created this game of empathy," says Senior writer Charles Webb. "This is what it was like to occupy this space, as this particular type of person, as a young black man in 1968 in the South."
Moreover, the game is historically accurate and details tragedies like the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or the arrests of Freedom Riders in an effort to spark important dialogue, as these issues still plague many Americans in the present.
"We're not so naive as to think that a single game could cure racism — and that was never our intent," says Creative Director Haden Blackman. "But at the end of the day, if we make people think about race and we make people think about what's happening today, I think we've done something that very few games have done."
Image Credit: 2K GAMES
Trend Themes
1. Inclusive Video Games - Video games increasingly tackle social issues like racism and bigotry through immersive depictions of life as a minority
2. Historically Accurate Gaming - Video games like Mafia III seek to educate and raise awareness through accurate depictions of historical events
3. Empathetic Entertainment - Video games offer a unique opportunity to promote empathy through their immersive nature and ability to put players in the shoes of diverse characters
Industry Implications
1. Video Game Industry - The video game industry continues to evolve and expand as consumers seek out innovative and socially conscious content
2. Education Industry - Video games can be used as a tool for education and raising awareness, providing a unique avenue for interactive learning
3. Entertainment Industry - As traditional entertainment mediums falter and struggle to remain relevant, video games continue to grow and offer exciting new opportunities for storytelling and engagement
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