Nearly half of gamers are women, a fact that has mysteriously been ignored by a majority of game developers and fellow gamers, but there may be a hint of progress in the air. It’s still early to say, but it’s quite possible that the video game industry has actually listened to its female (and that includes lesbian, bisexual and queer) players. This week, while the major gaming companies unveiled their new releases for 2015/16, female protagonists were the real talk of the town. It turns out that people actually like playing as women characters. Who knew? (We did.)
Here’s a breakdown of some of the titles we are most excited about.
Mass Effect is arguably one of the finest RPG games series ever made. After three games playing as Commander Shepherd, I’ll admit I openly wept at the end of Mass Effect 3. Mass Effect: Andromeda will feature an entirely new universe and cast of characters. Bioware has made a big commitment to its queer players and it is almost a certainty you will be able to play as a queer female character just as you can in the original ME and Dragon Age games. Andromeda has a very space western feel, and the use of Johnny Cash in the trailer definitely sets the tone. I have faith that MEA will not disappoint and Bioware will continue to break new ground. Dragon Age: Inquisition featured a trans character, Krem, so I’m crossing my fingers that MEA will also contain transgender and genderqueer characters.
The first Dishonored by Arkane Studios was a solid stealth game that was much more than sneaking around in a cape (I’m looking at you Assassin’s Creed). Dishonored 2 features the choice of playing as either Corvo Attano and Emily Kaldwin, the latter staring in the trailer. Frankly, after laying eyes on Emily, how could you play as anyone else. The jacket, the alternative lifestyle haircut, the badassery.
Lara Croft sure has come a long way from the days where she was scaling caves in a sports bra and short shorts. In fact, the recent 2013 Tomb Raider game imbued its heroine with the dignity and excellent gameplay she truly deserved. Lara also reads as queer in that game, spending the entire game trying desperately to rescue her “friend,” Samantha Nishimura. While it’s never explicitly said, gamers were left to make their own call about the relationship. (I’m firmly in the “hell yeah, she’s queer” camp.) Rise of the Tomb Raider takes Lara through new terrains and adventures, and the whole game looks incredibly beautiful. Lara is once again voiced by Grey’s Anatomy actress Camilla Luddington.
It’s been seven years since the original Mirror’s Edge game came out, so the announcement of the prequel from EA Games caused a lot of excitement. The slick and shiny action adventure game stars Faith, who is a courier in the not too distant dystopian future. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst will actually take place before the events in the original Mirror’s Edge, and give you our heroine Faith’s origin story. I’m not quite sure is Faith is queer or not, or if that even comes up in this prequel, but I’m excited to find out.
When I saw the trailer for this long awaited action RPG, all I could say was “holy shit!” The game has been in the works for years and it shows. It’s unbelievably cool looking. The lead character is like a post modern cave woman named Aloy, who lives in a world after the fall of man and the rise of machines. Machines that are dinosaurs. I know it’s crazy but it works. This premise is enough to get me pumped to play, and Aloy appears to be a hell of a heroine. No idea if romance is an option in this game, but I’m content to watch Aloy battle these massive metal creatures all day long.
As a gamer who has been watching the industry slowly change to embrace it’s female, queer and trans players, I’m very hopeful about this group of new titles. It shows a clarity that I haven’t seen before, and a real effort to include players who aren’t just cis men. I’m a sucker for RPGs and romance in games, so I’ll be paying close attention as more information about these games becomes available. Could 2016 be the year of the queer female gamer?
In the meanwhile, may I suggest a stunner of an RPG called Life is Strange. Life is Strange follows Max, a young photography student as she realizes she has the power to turn back time on the same day she is reunited with her old best friend, Chloe. The thing about time travel is that it has consequences, which Max realizes more and more as the game progresses. The relationship between Max and Chloe is complex and as the game prepares to launch the forth installment (there will be five total) they definitely shows signs of budding romance. If you were a fan of 2013’s Gone Home, Life is Strange will likely appeal to you.
What games are you looking forward to in 2015/16?
