None
The Resident Evil 5 trailer shown as this year’s E3 is already causing controversy, but not for the typical reasons of violence. Black Looks , a blog dedicated to African women, is accusing the trailer of racism, citing its Caucasian protagonist and the African setting. The following is from the blog entry.
The new Resident Evil video game depicts a white man in what appears to be
Africa killing Black people. The Black people are supposed to be zombies and the white man’s job is to destroy them and save humanity…This is problematic on so many levels, including the depiction of Black people as inhuman savages, the killing of Black people by a white man in military clothing, and the fact that this video game is marketed to children and young adults. Start them young… fearing, hating, and destroying Black people.
Of course, the bloggist is uninformed on a number of points. Resident Evil games have always earned a Mature Rating, which means that their audience is intended to be gamers over the age of 17. Also, the blog makes no mention of previous RE titles, which featured primarily Caucasian zombies while RE4 featured enemies of Spanish descent.