I found the announcement (quoted in the article) interesting and worth sharing, even without knowing or seeing the game.
Excerpts (I recommend reading the full thing):
My primary inspirations were the Japanese living doll myth and my experiences urban exploring in Germany (many backgrounds were crafted from photos I had taken).
The final act obviously deals with a difficult topic, sexual assault. I wanted the ending to be shocking, that was intentional, but never to cause harm. Instead, I thought I had crafted things in a way that would act as a jumping off point for some difficult discussions.
Secondly, the girl was never meant to look underage. In retrospect, I should have been more careful to ensure there was no ambiguity. Because she’s a doll (not human), I didn’t consider the possibility of misinterpretation as thoroughly as I should have.
This was also written long before the #MeToo movement, and I was a lot less educated on all the nuances of topics like these at the time.
If I had written it now, in my mid-30s, in 2025, it would be very different. Still, some choices I stand behind:
Do you have experience representing difficult topics in art? Weighing or deciding on respectful or acceptable representations, on the degree of deliberately shocking or uncomfortable representation?
Or do you remember scenes in games or otherwise in art that you found uncomfortable or shocking? In a good (well-represented or tactful) way or a bad way?