Representation matters, and it matters a great deal in the entertainment that people choose to enjoy. It’s not always easy to convince people in the industry to include LGBT individuals in their games, but they have been doing so more often. Some might say that the industry is only including more LGBT individuals for the sake of earning some brownie points with the community. The truth is that companies are now seeing the importance of increasing the overall representation of LGBT people, and they know that it will be safe for them to do so, owing to the shift in the market towards acceptance.
While there are hundreds of characters in video games that are gay, lesbian, trans, and more, we have decided to show a specific subset of these players. We prepared five games with queer characters that LGBT people should consider playing when they are on a date with someone. Some of these characters are mature gay guys, and others are a lot more fluid. Not all these characters are serious and heroic, though, so people who don’t want to feel as though they are being pandered to can also enjoy them.
1. Commander Shepard from Mass Effect (With Various Partners)
Although not specifically written as a member of the LGBT community, Commander Shepard can be played as a gay, lesbian, or bisexual individual in the series. If you play as a male Shepard and make him gay, you can romance a ton of different people. As a mature gay man, he can create real relationships with crew members and NPCs alike. In the real world, many military members have used high-quality dating websites to find mature gay dating. Guys simply find the site that works best for them in terms of location, age range, and searching capabilities and use it to meet a wonderful partner.
2. Tiny Tina from Borderlands 2
Tiny Tina from Borderlands 2 is not a playable character, but they make it abundantly clear that she is more fluid in her sexuality. As a narrator in one of the major DLCs, Tiny Tina is hard to miss in the game. Although she was originally written as a lesbian, she has been portrayed as more of a bisexual person in the games. She has a crush on several female characters in the game. You and a partner can encounter this character by playing on a date.
3. Edelgard from Fire Emblem: The Three Houses
The Fire Emblem series is known for taking many risks in the development, and they pushed the latest title to the limit by including a powerful, morally gray woman as a bisexual. You can romance Edelgard as a man or a woman in the game, so that is the only indication that we’re given she is bisexual, but that should be more than enough to tell players what they need to know. On a date night, you will have to watch this game since it’s not two-player, but it’s worth it.
4. Tony Prince from Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
Tony Prince is the owner of several gay clubs in the Grand Theft Auto universe. Even though he is not a playable character, his presence is felt throughout the game. That has made him one of the most interesting characters in the game because he is in a world where people are very aggressive towards gay people, but he is out, proud, and ready to take on the underworld to get what he wants. You and your date will love his one-liners and personality.
5. Thiernax and Kadarin: World of Warcraft
When looking at mature gay men, there might be no characters that better suit the description than Thiernax and Kadarin from World of Warcraft. They were Night Warriors in life, and now they guide your characters in the afterlife. Although their story is complex, it’s one that you can experience simultaneously with your romantic partner as you play the world’s most famous MMORPG.
Each of these games offers rich enjoyment for you and a partner while also exposing you to amazing gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters in video games.
The world of video game development is very interesting in the sense that the storylines broached in video games are often right on the cusp of major happenings in the real world. As such, it should come as no surprise that people who want to play games that have LGBT representation are becoming more numerous in the present. People are more accepting of these characters, and it’s seen as less of a risk to include them in the titles. The next time you are on a date with a video game lover, you can settle in and play many video games with the full knowledge that you have many options to witness representation!