Video games are a creative and daring medium that frequently features vibrant worlds and characters in epic, memorable stories. We can play through and display a wide variety of experiences because to the interactive, participatory character of games.
Through realistic acts and tales, marginalised characters in video games can be used to engage students in learning about the sometimes ignored facets of others’ lives. This list includes video games with intriguing and distinctive characters that positively portray trans viewpoints.
Borderlands 3
The anarchic looter-shooter series has always had a diverse cast of colorful characters, but Borderlands 3 pushed the envelope by introducing a playable non-binary robot seeking self-discovery and an NPC that struggles with their gender identity.
Both of these characters were handled in-game with skill. Outside of the discourse, FL4K features non-binary representation in their design, including a badge that has computer binary crossed out. FL4K was created by a non-binary developer. In the third game, Lor first shows up to disclose their hidden dysphoria. The sequel, Tales of The Borderlands, however, makes a groundbreaking decision for the genre by introducing a new trans guy to the series, demonstrating the benefits of creating a gay character over the course of several games.
Celeste
Platformer followers were moved by this personal journey in 2018 about the insecurities of acceptance and accomplishments. This ground-breaking work garnered numerous honours and assisted Maddy Thorson, the game’s director, in accepting her own gender identity.
The Farewell DLC, where a pill bottle, an early photo of protagonist Madeline, and a trans flag may be seen in the game’s closing scenes, serves as the game’s official trans confirmation. There were many rumours when this video was first made public because there aren’t any clear-cut lines of conversation establishing the identity of the figure. But the introduction of Madeline would be necessary for Celeste’s ludonarrative journey to have the significant impact it has had on gamers.
Tell Me Why
The Life is Strange Series’ creators Don’t Nod produced Tell Me Why, the first high-profile video game with a playable, outwardly trans protagonist. This groundbreaking title involved a lot of work, including trans voice actors and experts from the LGBTQ+ organisation GLAAD.
Tell Me Why focuses on the minute particulars of being a trans man. Watching Tyler utilise a binder and take testosterone as part of his daily regimen is quite instructive. It’s intriguing to witness a trans person who is properly presented and who isn’t constantly struggling to prove their worth.
Guilty Gear: Strife
Fighting games host a surprising amount of trans characters in their rosters; Street Fighter has Poison, Tekken has Leo, and King of Fighters has a lot of feminine acting guys. But Guilty Gear’s Bridget has become a trans icon in the world of gaming.
Bridget was first presented in 2002 as a classic cross-dresser whose identity was frequently misunderstood due to her comfortable and overprotective upbringing. Because she wanted to be viewed as the strong, male defender of her tribe, she insisted on correcting other characters. Since Bridget hasn’t been in the series in 20 years, Arc System Works decided to explore the character’s self-identity difficulties with a master and close friends in a surprisingly sweet and wholesome plot for a fighting game in anticipation of her triumphant return in 2022.
The Monster Prom Series
The three playable trans characters that Monster Prom has introduced over the course of three role-playing party games all excellently illustrate gender exploration and relationships at a crucial juncture in life.
Apex Legends
Players were first exposed to the non-binary hunter Bloodhound when this unassuming game first came out in 2020. Bloodhound’s tragic history is about a hard-to-impress father who is determined to nurture his child with traditional ideals. After Bloodhound employed creative problem-solving to save the lives of others, they experienced one last tender moment in which they felt finally accepted and free to choose their own course in life.
2064: Read Only Memories
With numerous created non-binary and trans characters, including a cute robot who served as the mascot for a queer games conference, Read Only Memories manages to have its cake and eat it too. But the central theme of this point-and-click adventure is how transhumanism has succeeded to provide the people of Neo-San Francisco a sense of security and contentment. A custom pronoun input field is available when characters refer to the non-verbal player insert on top of all of this.
Undertale
The player-character Frisk (also known as Chara), who is mute and serves as a non-binary blank slate for everyone to experience the adventure from a different point of view, is the most prominent example of this. Other non-binary characters include Monster Kid, a bumbling but good-hearted super-fan of the fighter Undyne, and Napstablook, a peaceful ghost who leads the player on a trippy musical excursion. Shape-shifter Mad Dummy becomes the trans character Mad Mew Mew on the Switch only after discovering their ideal body.
Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door
This case is special in that geographical variations determine how much of Vivian’s background tale, in which she overcomes her brothers’ transphobia, contains trans material. This is true of both the American release, which omits all allusions to transitioning, and the Italian language version, which utilises pride to refute the claim. The majority of versions, marketed in Japanese and English-speaking Europe, portray this moment as a sorrowful past where she formerly felt rejected by her classmates but becomes happier and more comfortable during the voyage.
source from: msn.com
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