Upcoming FPS game Far Cry 5 includes a mission asking players to steal President Donald Trump’s infamous alleged “pee tape.” At one time, the thought of something this salacious and politically charged appearing in a video game would have seemed surprising, but at this point, it feels almost par for the course. No matter what end of the political spectrum one resides on, it’s impossible to deny that the current American landscape is one of the most sharply divided on political issues ever, especially since the 2016 presidential election.
This sharp divide has also very much permeated American pop culture, with movies, TV shows, comic books, and video games all seeing an uptick in the amount of politically charged content included within their respective medias. In some respects, this has worked successfully, with NBC’s Saturday Night Live and CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert both seeing their ratings shoot skyward once they took an increased focus on bashing Trump and his administration. Still, many potential viewers are sure to get turned off of something that incorporates real life political arguments, preferring to keep their politics and entertainment separate.
According to a new report by Polygon, the latest pop culture property to take a stab at incorporating politics into its narrative is Ubisoft’s Far Cry 5, a highly anticipated FPS action-adventure sequel soon to arrive on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In the Far Cry 5 mission entitled “Patriot Acts” - a clear reference to the controversial Patriot Act, which was signed into law by president George W. Bush in 2001 - the player is tasked with stealing a tape, the contents of which would cause embarrassment for one of the game’s antagonists if revealed to the public. While that character is not named Trump - and what the tape in question contains is not made explicit - the game drops several unsubtle hints in that direction, saying that the tape was made “in a luxury suite” in “Kremlandia.”
For anyone needing a refresher, the Donald Trump “pee tape” has become a popular cultural punchline since the accusation that it existed was first made as part of a “dossier” on Trump that was compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele prior to the 2016 election. The dossier’s contents were made public in early 2017, but the alleged “pee tape” - supposedly recorded without Trump’s knowledge in a Moscow hotel room - has in no way ever been confirmed to be a real thing.
While Far Cry 5’s inclusion of the Trump “pee tape” is already raising lots of eyebrows online, it’s also - quite understandably - drawing derision from supporters of the president. One wonders if Ubisoft’s choice to reference the alleged tape in such a big release will end up biting them, as Trump supporters might opt not to purchase a title that takes shots at their candidate - and now president - of choice. As America’s stark political divide deepens though, it’s likely that political references similar to the one above will continue to find their way into more and more games.
More: Far Cry 5’s Arcade Mode and Map Editor Are DLC Game-Changers
Far Cry 5 releases March 27 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Source: Polygon
