Article written by Samuel Burnett
So, E3 just happened and boy was there a lot to process. Lots of new games on the horizon but the one getting the most amount of buzz is probably The Last of Us Part II, the sequel to what arguably the most critically received game of all time.
While the combat, the animation and the stealth mechanics featured in the reveal trailer are rightfully lauded, what got the most amount of attention was the same sex kiss between protagonist Ellie and new character, Dina. Same sex pairings are rare in video games, maybe even rarer than they are in films. Video games cost a lot of money to make and maybe studios are scared of risking that investment by stepping on the toes of conservatives.
However, in recent years, gradually there has started to be some progress in regard to queer representation and I would like to take this moment to examine some of the prominent examples.
Ellie (The Last of Us)
Of course, we will be starting with Ellie. While there have been LGBT+ characters in video games before, as evidenced by the other examples below, Ellie might be the first on screen queer character to lead her own game. As a video game protagonist, Ellie is unique in that she is female, gay and agnostic so she represents wide range of communities rather than just a single one.
While her kiss in the trailer is certainly worthy of recognition, her sexuality was actually revealed to us way back in 2014 when the DLC Left Behind was released. In this prequel/interquel, during the flashback sequences, we watch as Ellie explores an abandoned shopping centre with her recently estranged “friend”, Riley. Riley had been missing for several weeks, leaving to join the rebel group “The Fireflies” after a massive offscreen fight with Ellie but, as the story progresses, we are left to wonder exactly what happened during that fight as they both seem too angry yet too forgiving towards each other. There are several little looks and implied references but nothing is set in concrete and everything is merely subtext.
Until it actually becomes text. After the two finally reconcile, a vulnerable Ellie quietly says, “Don’t go,” and, after barely a second of hesitation, Riley drops her Firefly dog tag to the floor, signifying her decision to stay. Immediately, an ecstatic Ellie kisses her on the mouth before shyly apologising only for Riley to grin and say, “For what?”
This moment famously brought YouTuber kathleenmms to tears, with her saying how much it would have meant for her to have seen something like that as a kid, a lesbian as lead character in a mainstream video game, showing us all the power and importance of positive representation in media.
Dorian Pavus (Dragon Age: Inquisition)
Oh Dorian, you beautiful, quippy bastard. While I have been a long-time player of RPGs, I had never played as a character attracted to the same sex. While I like to think that it was simply due to being more interested in other storylines, honesty compels me to say that this might have been the result of my own biases.
Enter Dorian.
I f***ing love this guy. While he enters the story a little later than the rest of the cast, when he finally shows up, he damn near takes over the entire game. He’s confident, charming and never short on anything to say. During my initial playthrough, the plan had always been for my character to romance Cassandra, the fierce interrogator but, as the game progressed, I found my character spending more time with Dorian. He was just a really interesting character, his dialogue was fun, his banter with my character amusing and his backstory occasionally devastating.
I wanted to see where this story went. So, after a particularly intense conversation about Dorian’s past, to my shock, I found myself selecting the appropriate romantic responses, culminating in an epic kiss.
Dorian is proof that a character can be more than just his sexuality and is not just something to be tacked on for progressive points as, even without that, he is still a thoroughly entertaining character with a rich personality.
“I'm here to set things right. Also? To look dashing. That part's less difficult.”
Max Caulfield (Life is Strange)
Max Caulfield. If you’re familiar with Life is Strange, odds are you have a pretty inflexible opinion on this girl with the polaroid camera. You either lover her, or, you hate her. There is not a whole lot of middle ground.
Personally, I am in the “Love Her” camp.
While her “hipster” vibe does rub some people the wrong way, I am constantly in awe of how well the character captures what it feels like to be an awkward high schooler. While that character archetype is nothing new, in my opinion, no work of fiction has portrayed it as accurately as this game did. How do I know that? Because I was that. I spent many a day saying the wrong things to the wrong people, wishing that I could go back and undo the stupid things that I did. Max gets the opportunity to do and act the same way I would:
Blatantly misusing for petty revenge without consequences.
Just joking.
She wants friends, for people to like her, but doesn’t actually know how to make that happen so her rewind powers seem like a gift from God, finally letting her crack the code to social interaction.
Her powers also allow her to reconnect with her estranged best friend, Chloe, leading to something much more than simple friendship by the end of the game which can culminate in one of the most heartbreaking kisses of all time.
Or you can let an entire town of people die.
If you have played the game, you know what I mean.
You
In more and more video games, specifically RPGs, you are given the option to design your character the way you want it to be, down to the race, gender and sexual orientation. This is especially prevalent in Bioware games where alternative character arcs are now to be expected.
Like my character’s romance with Dorian, this can encourage you to experience relationships that you would not ordinarily. This really opens you up to new possibilities as the choice is in your hands, unlike a book or a movie. You can decide what happens with your character based on what you think is appropriate (or, if you are my brother, you can have your character run rampant, ruining the lives of the entire cast).
The main draw of RPGs is the option to choose and sexuality plays a big part of that.
Honourable Mention: Lara Croft and Sam Nishimura (Tomb Rainder)
Okay, I know that this doesn’t really count but I am going to give a small shout out to Lara Croft and Sam Nishimura of the rebooted Tomb Raider games. While there is nothing explicitly romantically linking the two over the course of the game a lot of fans took the relationship between the two as one of a romantic couple because, if Lara and Sam were explicitly stated to be a couple or one was romantically interested in the other, absolutely nothing about their relationship would need to change.
No, I am not exaggerating.
Their first scene is practically torn from a rom-com with the more playful Sam trying to get the serious, work focused Lara to enjoy herself, calling her “Sweetie” or “Babe” on more than one occasion. They spend almost all of their onscreen time together holding or touching each other casually, like any romantic couple and, finally, Sam is Lara’s primary source of motivation throughout the entire game. All Lara cares about is protecting Sam and the final level is practically a rescue romance, culminating with Lara carrying Sam away from harm bridal style while the latter is wearing a white dress.
While the developers seem unwilling to do anything with this relationship or even feature Sam at all in the sequel, the fandom took it and ran with it, taking it for granted that it was romantic.
Author A E Dooland even wrote an epic two part story online called The Camera Loves You, dedicated to their romance.
Links
kathleenmms YouTube page can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-W99wr03PpQlHVjXcy7fVA
The Camera Love You can be found here: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9106918/1/The-Camera-Loves-You
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