lacktheknack said:
That doesn't constitute sexual assault, let alone rape. It's almost spectacular how safe Crystal Dynamics are playing it. But hey, don't let THAT get in the way of a good obsession for us to fight about over the course of 9001 threads.
EDIT: To avoid the quote flood: No, touching someone's thigh does not constitute sexual assault any more than grabbing someone's arm. Had he of succeeded in kissing or properly groping her, that would be sexual assault... he doesn't.
First off, dig the name. Catchy. Secondly, 'sexual assault' is usually a legal term that can include everything from groping to violent gang-rape. And I don't think you can honestly defend the scene as anything other than an attempt. Attempted rape is about motive, not about what was actually accomplished; attempted murder is the same way. When a guy yanks a fearful and bound woman against him, then begins sliding his hand down to her crotch, and it ends with a fight to the death, there are pretty heavy odds that it was attempted rape. Similar situation in real life, minus the death, would end with jail time and a lifetime membership to the sex offenders' registry.
It's a legitimate debate whether rape is acceptable in a game, and even whether how it was handled was okay. You and many other posters insisting that it was just a little bit of grab-ass is not cool. It's factually wrong and kind of insulting to people affected by sexual crimes.
As for several other posters equating criticism with knee-jerk feminism (with 'feminism' said with special slurring emphasis), I call bull. There's criticism for crappy handling of women in video games, end of story. This isn't new. It's not like we all suddenly woke up and noticed. These criticisms have been around for a long time; the only reason they're getting louder is because more adult women are becoming gamers and gaming itself is becoming a major hobby. It's simply an example of an industry still trying to figure itself out rather than any "feminist agenda." And even when it does, there will still be idiotic games with insulting caricatures of women. But the balance will be enough that the idiotic games won't be held up as industry standards. [Plus, Lara Croft is a fair example of the dichotomy - on the one hand, sexualized in every game; on the other, a still respectable heroine simply because she's tough, clever and has a recognizable personality.]
So yeah, if the gaming industry is still working on getting a fairly decent handle on reflecting actual women into games rather than sexual fantasies of women, then you can bet having a questionable attempted rape scene is going to push a few buttons. Here's the real question: What is more offensive, people complaining about women being misrepresented in games through female characters and rape scenes, or people complaining that those people should just shut up? Cuz last I checked, it's not misogyny that prompts the last, just good old-fashioned patronization.