Power Pak - Jack Nicholls
patreon
Update: Current Project is VILE
🕑 Added 2025-08-18 15:27:57 +0000 UTC
Hello everyone,
I'd meant to write this update sooner, but I wanted to be sure in what I was doing before writing this.
I am underway on the new project now which will be on a game called VILE: EXHUMED. It's a recently released horror game that, in short, was wrongfully banned from Steam days before it was due to release for "sexual content with depictions of real people." This is despite, in the developers own words, "there is no uncensored nudity, no depictions of sex acts, and no pornography whatsoever".
The game does contain some intense and shocking imagery, and explores some heavy themes that other videogames either shy away from or often mishandle, but it does not, in my opinion, deserve to have been banned and for reasoning I don't think holds water. It isn't anymore explicit than some of the movies that have been released by even mainstream studios, and I don't think anyone could interpret a game like this as having the intention to be exploitative or to elicit arousal.
I am aware of the recent purging of erotic games by puritanical payment processors. It is not clear if this is what caused VILE to be banned, or if this is all Steam, as I am aware they have been arbitrary in the past.
I want to cover the game, detailing this mistreatment but also give it a full review and analysis, as a way to give it my own support. It's a game that makes me uncomfortable, but it is a form of art that frankly should make you uncomfortable.
The developer released the game for free on vileisbanned.com and (if you are okay with the heavy content presented, PLEASE read the developer statement on the website) I recommend playing it yourself. There is also an option to donate and support the developer on what was meant to be their first commercial venture.
Working out how to make the video is proving to be a challenge. I do not want to censor my own discussion when talking about the games themes. I can't stand when a video will replace or cover up words when talking about certain subjects. I won't move on this point. Some of the imagery might be too much for YouTube, though not the nudity which is already censored, and instead the violence which Steam seems to be fine with. I would rather not censor anything, so this will be a process of finding out what can and cannot fly.
I hope I can share more with you soon.
Stay safe,
- Jack
Comments
Justin Wood
And this is what I pay you for, Jack. You're never content to just farm out a video on well known titles that are covered by the big names. Sure, you'll cover stuff during Steam Demo Fest, and it's not like Signalis or Life is Strange are unknowns, but I love how much of the time there's no real way to predict what you'll share with us next. Looking forward to this, even if it's with some amount of trepidation due to spooks and uncomfortable themes.
