Indie Review: The Slaying of Sandy Hook Elementary | Fate of the Game

First, you get to kill the protagonist’s mother as she sleeps. The game instructs you to shoot her four times. The narrative continues when you arrive at the school, kicking doors in and shooting scared children and teachers begging for mercy.

The question must be raised: when will all gamers and developers entertain the idea that video game violence can be taken too far?

[RIPSKATEDESTROY]

Giving this publicity, really?

[FateoftheGame]

It's no better or worse than reviewing the latest GTA game. Not to mention the fact that one might feel led to write about a game that one has recently played.

[Sarcasm]

Except GTA is 100% fictional.

This is based on a real horrific tragic event that shouldn't be romanticized.

[FateoftheGame]

No one said GTA is non-fiction. But unlike the equally immoral The Slaying of Sandy Hook Elementary, GTA glorifies criminal behavior.

Neither this game nor the review romanticizes the Sandy Hook murders, so your criticism falls flat.

[SpiralTear]

This is a very recent event about how real people got murdered. Seriously, their families are still grieving. The actuality of this game's subject matter makes it seem incredibly neglectful and tasteless.

[Hicken]

There's NO excuse. This game deserves ZERO publicity, ZERO acknowledgement.

The "review" was written purely for the hits I won't be giving. There's no social commentary or satire that makes this game okay, just as there's no scenario where a game that takes you through a campaign of killing Jews in WWII is okay, or a game where you capture, ship, and sell off slaves is okay.

You should stop. Really. Even if I weren't sick, I'd be disgusted by your decision to play and review this, and revolted by your attempt to defend that ill-advised choice.

[Korix]

@FateoftheGame

Your biggest failure is thinking that violence in a fictional world (GTA) is as immoral as violence in a game inspired by real events.

[ttb1984]

@Korix, that doesn't change the fact that GTA's violence can be offensive to victims of violent crime, such as those who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook tragedy.

[Hitman0769]

@Hicken pretty much nailed it.

Shame on you Fate of the Game for comparing GTA V which is on the level of film storytelling with this atrocity of a production.

Seriously man, think about what you say before you say it and think about what you do before you do it. Are you 12 or something?

[KonsoruMasuta]

You know what this reminds me of? That Super Columbine Highschool Massacre (Or something like that) game. It was based on the Columbine shooting.

It was a horrible game too.

Oh, I just read that this is by the guy who made that other horrible game about the V tech school shooting. This guy has a couple of screws loose.

[Conzul]

Except Columbine actually happened.

[Hitman0769]

I'm with @RIPSKATEDESTROY. Article reported.

Extremely Offensive Content Inappropriate for Professional Publication

[FateoftheGame]

You should actually read the article before reporting it. The review clearly says the game is inappropriate.

[Bigpappy]

this will bring the kind of attention the gaming industry doesn't need from politians.

not surprised it got approved here though. Some in this community are a bit off. Just like who ever decided to develope this nonsense.

[FateoftheGame]

Why is the gaming community so afraid of politicians? It is because many gamers can't make a coherent argument citing the First Amendment?

[Bigpappy]

Well you kind of answered your own question. What is an amendment? Any thing can be changed if there is a large enough majority. Stuff like this will grab the emotions of the masses.

But besides the politics, it is just in very bad taste. The person who developed this isn't looking for sales. He is trying to make a stamen with disregard for the families of these young children. It is just in very bad taste.

[sonic_boom]

Here, you show your ignorance of history and precedent. The First Amendment has come under a lot of legal fire over the course of American history, yet it has remained very strong compared to many other amendments (I recommend doing a review of the relevant Supreme Court cases). Moreover, EVERY state would have to vote to change the First Amendment to include language about video games; the chances of this happening are laughably slim.

[Bigpappy]

It doesn't matter how strong anything is. Change can happen no matter the odds. You keep doing crap like this and hide behind the constitution. It all comes down to which judges are selected to the supreme court (that depends on who is president), the make up of the House and senate and the mood of the people.

But you can sit there thinking it can't happen, until it happens.

I don't need to read the history of attempts to amend the first amendment. I am very aware of the fights evolving the first and second amendments. Anything can change.

@sonic_boom: F**K you. You don't know shit a me and what I know.

[Hitman0769]

@Big fappy for once we are in perfect sync.

@Fate of the game sorry I don't read reviews about mass shootings nor their virtual re-enactments. I voted down your site too and encourage others to do so as well.

Free speech will be rendered useless without the responsible use of it.

[SpiralTear]

The creator of this game must have sure put a lot of effort into reminding everyone of a horrific (and incredibly recent) tragedy where innocent children and teachers were murdered...

[KonsoruMasuta]

Not the first time he did this.
This is the second game he has made about a school shooting. He made one about the Virginia Tech Massacre.

This guy needs to be put into a mental ward, pronto.

[SpiralTear]

I read another article where the creator explains that the game was made to make a point about gun violence and how lenient gun regulation is, but man...this is no way to do it.

[XboxFun]

You know we should really stop submitting this type of news. It has nothing to do with true gaming and it is offensive and just plain sick.

We as a gaming community get enough flack from the media as games are blamed for every thing violent that happens. We should not condone or even promote anything like this story or game on this site.

[ttb1984]

The review doesn't condone the game. None of the comments here condone it. Is it bad for the public to see that the gaming community at large probably doesn't condone such a game?

[KonsoruMasuta]

There are people here defending this review and game. People are comparing it to works of fiction and satire.

This game doesn't need any attention, and that's all this reviewer is giving it. I'm familiar with this developer's (If you can even call him that. This game looks like it came out for the commodore) previous game. He doesn't do anything special. He makes these in hope of gaining publicity and claiming it was to spread a message. Give me a break.

[XboxFun]

Doesn't matter if the reviewer doesn't condone the game. That is not the point. There should be ZERO publicity for this game period.

It's a sick piece of trash that was only made to get a rise out of people and to piss them off. It offers nothing to the gaming community and is completely inconsiderate to the very tragic event that occurred over there.

I wouldn't want the public to even know that this lower than frog pond sh#t exists.

[ttb1984]

The game is available online, thousands have played it, and some of the affected families of the Sandy Hook tragedy have denounced it. You can't sweep this game under the rug. Seriously, what childish world do you live in?

[Hicken]

I don't agree with you on much, but we are 100% in accord on this.

This game deserves to get no attention from anyone. It deserves to be taken out back and buried in cement. There is no one in the world that is better for having found out this game exists. That this review condemns the game does not offset the attention it calls to the game, and that's attention it should not have, in the slightest.

[JasonKCK]

This game will end up being used by anti game politicians as a platform for banning games. The person who made just game just set the industry back 5 years.

[JasonKCK]

"The person who made "this" game just set the industry back 5 years.

[Wingsfan24]

Wow, why else would you review this title other than for traffic? I mean, seriously. If you're comparing this to GTA then you need a brain check. Yes, they both involve violence, but this is based on a real crime, not the fictional shit you do in GTA.

You should feel ashamed of yourselves for publicizing this game. Publicizing it, imo, makes you look just as bad as the guy who made the game.

[sonic_boom]

Or: the reviewer played the game and was legitimately disappointed by its "moral insensitivity."

[Wingsfan24]

You really think, "The Slaying of Sandy Hook Elementary", would have any moral sensitivity behind it? All you have to do is look at a screenshot of the game to know that much, or hell, even the guy who made the game. He has a history of creating junk like this.

[sonic_boom]

@PockyKing, so you're mad about someone calling the developer out for making trash? Sorry, that just strikes me as strange.

[Wingsfan24]

Uh, this is titled as a review buddy. All they did was give publicity to this.

[jambola]

i think people should play the game before any judgement on it.
It really isn't that bad, it's not great but I played it about 5-6 times