Natural Attraction: The Fascination With Eroticizing Localities

Have you ever played a game that allegedly depicts your culture or home, and thought to yourself, “wait, it’s nothing like that.” Well, you are not alone. In fact, it’s been happening for hundreds of years and is still very prevalent in video games. 

Think of characters like Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series or Lara Croft from Tomb Raider; protagonists who travel all over the world, meeting people from non-Western territories and use these moments as backdrops to their grand adventures. But was your life really like this? A bustling bazaar filled with danger or a lush paradise full of exotic vegetation? A slim chance, yes, but a much larger chance is no. 

What is Orientalism?

In its simplest form, Orientalism is the fantasy that Western hegemonic culture projects onto territories that are not their own. Edward Said coined the idea in 1978, but he used Western art and literature to expose the phenomenon. Today, it can still be seen in our media, particularly in the depiction of Asian and Middle Eastern territories. 

Today, video games still fall into the same pattern, portraying these locations as mystical, dangerous, or exotic lands. Not only does this reinforce the "otherness" of these cultures, but it fails to represent them authentically.

How Does It Affect Games?