This game, while lovely on the surface, has a storyline with some terrifying implications. Halfway into the game, you arrive at a fascist state of gray squirrels where squirrels of color and LGBTQ squirrels are oppressed. The dictator on the throne says he just loves dominating over people, I mean squirrels. And it is revealed later, now a little spoiler warning here, that the original gray squirrel settlers in the past massacred innocent squirrels of color and brought their peaceful country to utter ruin. Today's fascist state of gray squirrels, no matter how glorious it may seem, is just a sorry mockery of this ancient nation of squirrels of color. Now our heroic rodents raid the fascist state to take down the gray squirrels. At one point, the dictator asks the heroes, "Do I have to be punished for the sins of my ancestors?" The dev's answer is a resounding yes. The dictator dies a horrible, painful death. The squirrels of color seize the assets and take over the whole country afterwards.
What makes this storyline terrifying is the way the dev presents the gray squirrels. From top to bottom, the gray squirrels are depicted as cardboard villains with no redeeming quality, who the dev implies deserve not only revenge genocide but also to be tortured in the process. There is no "Gray squirrels are squirrels too" moment. If you are a gray squirrel, you are a fascist and you must die. Doesn't this rhetoric sound familiar to you.
It's a shame because this really is a lovely game otherwise. The setting is interesting, the graphics are charming, nice music, etc. It's just the political messaging is so ominous and in-your-face, that it actually kills a chunk of the fun. If you sympathize with the oppressed rebel squirrels, you won't have any problem probably. But if you are more likely to be classified as a gray squirrel yourself, you'll feel uncomfortable playing these parts of the game.
← Return to game
Comments
Log in with itch.io to leave a comment.
This game, while lovely on the surface, has a storyline with some terrifying implications. Halfway into the game, you arrive at a fascist state of gray squirrels where squirrels of color and LGBTQ squirrels are oppressed. The dictator on the throne says he just loves dominating over people, I mean squirrels. And it is revealed later, now a little spoiler warning here, that the original gray squirrel settlers in the past massacred innocent squirrels of color and brought their peaceful country to utter ruin. Today's fascist state of gray squirrels, no matter how glorious it may seem, is just a sorry mockery of this ancient nation of squirrels of color. Now our heroic rodents raid the fascist state to take down the gray squirrels. At one point, the dictator asks the heroes, "Do I have to be punished for the sins of my ancestors?" The dev's answer is a resounding yes. The dictator dies a horrible, painful death. The squirrels of color seize the assets and take over the whole country afterwards.
What makes this storyline terrifying is the way the dev presents the gray squirrels. From top to bottom, the gray squirrels are depicted as cardboard villains with no redeeming quality, who the dev implies deserve not only revenge genocide but also to be tortured in the process. There is no "Gray squirrels are squirrels too" moment. If you are a gray squirrel, you are a fascist and you must die. Doesn't this rhetoric sound familiar to you.
It's a shame because this really is a lovely game otherwise. The setting is interesting, the graphics are charming, nice music, etc. It's just the political messaging is so ominous and in-your-face, that it actually kills a chunk of the fun. If you sympathize with the oppressed rebel squirrels, you won't have any problem probably. But if you are more likely to be classified as a gray squirrel yourself, you'll feel uncomfortable playing these parts of the game.