This is a worthwhile read, and a compelling reading of Byleth from Fire Emblem: Three Houses as non-binary representation.
Fire Emblem 's Byleth Is A Great Example Of A Nonbinary Video Game Character
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lol i loved kanji tatsumi’s character. some of them seemed a bit shallow and generic in that game but yeah, he has a fascinating inner struggle that you could certainly see or draw a parallel with.
Kanji’s character is made even more interesting because it seems’ inspired off the bosozoku trope. or that of a yak/hooligan. so in a way it’s almost parody. So rather than a real serious dialogue, its a gimmick… or joke. That could piss people off. (And yeah we’ve had this discussion on the site more than once!)
You also have Nonbinary Naoto. (They’re much more fleshed out in the anime.)
I still think some of these characters from P4 are pretty decent. But I dont know if this is a really good representation or ‘inclusivity’ thats not the angle on the game at all. Still notable.
Random list of RetroGames made by a girl. Many have a lot of female-protagonists/about girls. I feel like in the gaming world you could add women in with the need for inclusion/representation. These games are more fun if you use RetroAchievements. Salsa is an ACE developer!
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There’s also tons, and I mean TONS of visual novels with LGBTI themes.
According to some, Dream Daddy and Butterfly Soup are the best of the bunch.
I also interpreted some of the themes in a favorite game of mine, Lucah: Born of a Dream, as LGBTI. That’s an action/RPG inspired by Dark Souls and Bayonetta.
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Hello @Prin! I have a fell suggestions about games with LGBTQ representations and elements, that I think are really important. I’am not from the community, but as a feminist it’s a topic that interests me. If you played any of them - I would love to discuss the representations.
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Gone Home (2009). Is a walk simulator. The plot is about a woman that goes to her parentes house and can’t find anyone. And well the LGBT side will appear while you explore. It’s kind of a spoiler - but well, is a game that deserves playing. The story is nice and short.
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Tell me Why (2020) . It’s similar in gameplay to Life is Strange ( wich actually has a prequel with inclusive narrative). The game is about twin brothers trying to understand their past ( I do enjoy a good mistery!). One of them is a transgender man, and the plot deals with his childhood and posterior effects. It is really respectful. Talks about feminism, other cultures, and LGBTQ in a educative way, always concerned in not causing anny triggers .
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The Missing: JJ. Macfield and the Island of Memories (2018). This is my absolute favorite. It’s dark, its sweet and really smart. I don’t want to give any details, for not ruining the experience if you haven’t played. But it’s an awesome game that brings the LGBTQ not only in the script, but also as main mecanism of the gameplay.
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Sayonara Wild Hearts (2019). It’s a musical game. Has inclusive elements in its plot but also has a really Queer Vibe. With a lot o Synth Pop and color. It’s short and sweet, and is nice seeing the subject just in a fun way.
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Bayonetta ( the series) - I actually don’t enjoy Hack and Slash games so I never finished anything in the series. But Bayonetta is a really strong and powerful persona and has been defined as Queer for quite some time. And even if this can be debatable the fact is that the Gay Community actually adore her. Especially in the Drag world. Is Full of empowerment, sassiness and Glam.
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Hello to you as well. As a fellow feminist as well (Minored in Women and Gender Studies also), This is a topic near and very dear to my heart as well. Whether or not you or I belong to the community, I don’t believe it lessens our ability to openly discuss such topics, as along with other important issues affecting our society in many areas around the world, ultimately the struggle for not only independence and the ability for people to be seen as human beings is worldwide.
Of the games you listed, I have only played Bayonetta as of yet, having played it roughly when it came out if my memory serves me right. I am a fan of beat em’ ups and hack and slashes as they seem to be cathartic and have found the character to be quite wonderful. Her demeanor and ability to break free of the mold of being a pure sex symbol as well as her unwillingness to be seen or act in a way befitting of the typical damsel cliche really brings her character to life.
I can of course see how she can be considered an icon not only for the queer community but in the world of Drag, with her boisterous appearance and personality.
In regards to the other titles I will have to play them and see them for my own eyes and once I do, I can advise further on my own feelings and experiences with them. I have wanted to play Gone Home for a while so maybe this will be a great opportunity.
I love that there is more inclusivity and openness for people of all sexes, genders, orientations, identities, etc in the world of gaming but I wish there would be more title that were considered mainstream that decided it would not go against their fanbase to not only include queer characters, but create experiences suited for them. I feel it would be a great way for the world to see us as just like them but with various differences and allow the LGBTQ community to be normalized to a wide group of people. I can still remember being in high school and college a few years back and never seeing such things. I love that the Indie gaming scene has taken that torch but only hope that it gets more widespread in the near future.
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There’s not enough games with the subject - that’s why I treasure whenever I found something new. I would also love to find these characters in Blockbuster games. But I rather enjoy new ones, with fresh perspectives - and being more idealistic, developed by these minorities. For instance I have really mixed feelings about the inclusion portraited in Mass Efect and alike ( I always get the sense that is just fulfilling a fetish). We are so far of a normalization in the game industries - that these people and stories deserves the protagonism. And it can start with us, consumers demanding more than some kind of charity. Especially in the franchises we love, rethink current toxic reprodutions is urgent ( even in that Silent Hill 2 that is so good and so problematic). So when these characters start to show up more - they will be relatable and real. And that kids in High School all over the world can fell like they belong.
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I couldn’t agree more. I would love to see more inclusion within AAA gaming and as you said not just in the form of charity with a side character here or there or a plot-line or side quest that border on fetishism or what some may see as taboo depending on their culture/ society.
When it comes to the Mass Effect series, I can certainly see both sides. I can see how deciding that your character will have a same-sex relationship can be seen as both a fetish and real or human like if that makes sense. The thing that irks me regarding that is that no matter who you choose to be with, it always kicks off with sex, and that is just not realistic of course. I believe if they ever have another game within the series, same-sex or not, the relationship side quests need to be more realistic and subtle, allowing you to truly form these deep bonds with your characters before deciding after a few dialogue choices, let’s have sex.
As I stated previously, I hope that it becomes more prevalent as the years go on, but instead of relying only on hope alone, we should also demand more representation. If you can have a straight character in a video game that doesn’t make any reference to their sexuality in an obtuse and ridiculous way, then you can have an intersex, trans, gender-queer, lesbian, gay, bi, etc character that is just as realistic as you or I but so happens to be queer in a way. It doesn’t have to be totally defining as the numerous stereotypes prevalent in the 1990’s and sadly even today in some media.
I just saw a *Feminist Frequency video, from 2019 that brings up the notion of those same stereotypes and damaging/ hurtful thoughts when it comes to trans characters within The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild when Link is trying to gain access to Gerudo Town. I believe it is worth watching as I never really noticed it right away while playing but after seeing the video, it becomes so in your face that you cannot unsee it.
Can We Do Better Than Zelda? | Queer Tropes in Video Games
As I haven’t been in school for quite some time, I can only imagine how kids these days feel and how that environment is to the overall healthy aspect of their well-being, especially when it comes to sex, sexuality, transgenderism, and gender identity.
I have stated this before but when I was in school, there was a good chance that you would be hurt if you even thought about going against what society dictates is normal, with my school following pretty closely to an idea of heteronormativity and all who didn’t fit in, being extremely ostracized. Those were terrible times to be LGBTQ, and that was 2008, so I can only hope that with time and better representation, it is not like that at all.
Also, I just finished downloading and installing Gone Home and plan on playing it after work this evening. I will keep you abreast and possibly write a detailed review when I am done.
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I watched the video! And must admit, got me kind of sad. Breath of the Wild is really close to my heart. I expend so many time in Gerudo and never felt any problem about it. Actually, I always focused in how they subverted the main problematic of the race. Mainly formed by strong women - but the true King is a man. ( and he is Ganon, what a surprise).
But it’s important to listen other point’s of view, so these kind of unneccessary and hurtful jokes - cease to exist. Although, I don’t agree that the scene is near to the other examples brought in the video - GTA, Mad Party Fucker … where everything is the problem.
Even in the games I suggested to you - there’s a lot to be debated and changed. Especially considering that the majority of the developers are straight men. But I agree - it can definitely be improved.
Well, hopefully you enjoy Gone Home! There’s some real nice references from the 90’s. And I’ll be waiting on your review so we can talk about it.
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It did for me as well, as while I played through the entire game upon release, and enjoyed it (not my favorite of course), I glanced over that section upon my play through and seeing it again was just too much cringe. Seeing the intentional play on the character dressed in a manner that Nintendo feels is not suited to their gender and how that scene is scripted to make fun of that fact just hurt me to see.
I wouldn’t say that it is as comparative to GTA: V or Mad Party Fucker, but I can see them as both examples from the distant past and recently which carry the torch of bringing up and proliferating the same stereotypes, and hurtful/ shameful rhetoric, and misconceived notions and how these are not just bygone ideas, but ones that pervade games that we wouldn’t be surprised convey such themes, and ideas, but also ones that we would be shocked to find out upon closer examination.
I believe that just because you are straight or gay or whatever, doesn’t automatically disqualify you from being able to contribute, as you can always provide your experiences with a topic, although limiting in some respects.
I am super excited about it, as being both Pan/ Queer, and a child of the 80’s 90’s, I cannot wait to experience this firsthand.
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Thanks for the recommendations!
The MIssing and Sayonara were on my wishlist but I did’t know they involved LQBTQ themes. I’ll put them higher on my list!
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Having just finished the wonderful Gone Home, I am installing The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories currently and look forward to playing that, especially with the gameplay premise and the huge focus on LGBTQ experiences.
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I actually prefer The Missing: JJ. But I don’t know what other people think, has a really morbid vibe. And there’s some problems with controls and precision - but even so, for me was really something else.
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You’re welcome @killerstar ! I love them both. But they have complete opposite atmospheres.
Sayonara is really fun and vibrant - and The Missing: JJ is darker and morbid. Just so you know it!
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I am currently 6 chapters into The Missing: JJ, and while it is indeed morbid, it is well laid out, mechanically and narrative, and I am having a blast playing. Definitely one of the more creative puzzle, platformers I have ever played, and the developers definitely deserve some credit for their creativity and boldness in telling a story in as realistic fashion as possible with such unrealistic elements. Discovering who you are, in regards to gender identity and sexuality is painful, and I can certainly not imagine first-hand the amount of torment feeling like you just don’t belong in your body can feel like, and it is through the sense of tearing yourself apart physically within the game to progress further, I can see being symbolic for the real-world pain those who are trans and intersex may feel.
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Yes! It’s so good. All the puzzles have an intrinsic meaning. Nothing is meaningless. I adored everything about the mechanics, and how it become main part of the narrative. The colect elements are really satisfying, and that the reward is knowledge - is awesome. (And I am a Koroko hunter by nature).
The game took me by surprise because Suheri is the main developer (the creator of Deadly Premonition). Wich is a really misogynistic game, with lot’s of bad taste steriotypes - and gameplay problems. So The Missing: JJ was a really nice surprise! And example - as growing and change.
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Worth reading if people haven’t, Heather Alexandra wrote a good piece on The Missing: J.J. Macfield:
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Since this is relevant, I posted a thread some time ago about Queerly Represent Me, a database attempting to index games with Queer content. It may be interesting for those participating is this thread:
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I had no idea your thread existed or the database itself. I will have to check it out when I can. Also, I came across this article written by Julie Muncy regarding the game that does well in describing the core gameplay mechanic and how it relates to how she terms, “queer existence”
It is worth a read as well.
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It was a nice reading, thank you! I always wanted to know the opinion of someone trans about The Missing:JJ.
For me, the game it’s in a fine line of taste. Depending on your personal experience it can be offensive or just too much. But it is good to know that in general it has a good acceptance - and it was relatable to someone.
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