When it comes to queer representation, the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Life is Strange universe is one of the most progressive in triple-A gaming. Dontnod’s original nar🍌rative adventure featured a queer romance between Max and Chloe, while a further expression of queerness ไwould then be defined in Before the Storm, Life is Strange 2, and comics that would expand upon the first game’s narrative.
It was clear that LGBTQ+ themes were tied into this series’ identity, with it becoming a safe haven for young, queer people hoping to express themselves and explore stories that sympathise with the struggles and trauma that so many of us encounter. These games have a special place in my heart for that very reason, they were a formative part of discovering who I was and wanted to be in a world that felt increasingly unwelcoming. I doubt I’m alone in that fact, given how successful Liඣfe is Strange has proven to be over the years.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:True Colors would double down on things by providing a more nuanced take on sexuality. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Alex Chen is canonically bisexual, showing clear attraction to male and female characters throughout the narrative regardless of what choices the player decided to make. You could date a boy, a girl, or nobody and her sexuality is never once invalidated. In a medium filled with RPGs and similar narrative adventures where characters are playersexual, this was a refreshing take on things. The ga🐟me is something special, and remains the most meaningful story the series has told thus far, but it still doesn’t trump Tell Me Why.
I might be cheating a bit here by labelling 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Tell Me Why as a game that exists within the Life is Strange universe, but there are so many connective tissues between the two that they were always going to be compared. It was Dontnod’s swansong to the universe before it would begin work on Twin Mirror, a three-part masterpiece that took a deep, relatable look at the transgender experience and how it feels to return to a past life after everything about you has changed. A place that has hardly c🐟hanged at all in the face of a person who has.
Given it launched a couple of years ago, here’s a quick refresher - Tell Me Why follows twins Tyler and Alyson Ronan as Tyler returns to their hometown of Delos Crossing, a place he hasn’t visited since the mysterious death of their mother almost a decade earl🍰ier. It was an event that shook the town, with Tyler shipped off to a juvenile detention centre while Alyson stayed behind to deal with the fallout. This separation meant they grew up in vastly different circumstances, with Alyson adopted by the local cop and raised in a nearby town. Tyler is our lead protagonist, a transgender man who is returning home with a new look, new identity, and new outlook on life. Familiar faces initially look upon him with confusion before reacting with kindness or scorn, which the player is free to react to in ways that feel surprisingly realistic. Tyler takes no shit, and that rules.
In the world of triple-A games we often see transgender characters in supporting roles, or their identities aren’t strictly stated, like the basic act of making it clear that you happen to be trans is a dꦏirty act in itself. We saw this with Lev in The Last of Us Part 2, while Claire in Cyberpunk 2077 admits to her identity in a way that actually feels kinda clumsy. Tell Me Why is different, and it remains the most profound expression of transgender identity in the medium away from smaller, more personal indie titles.
Dontnod made it clear that extensive research was done to be respectful to Tyler’s character, which included the release of an extensive Q&A before the game’s release that showcased how it would explore LGBTQ+ themes and the problems its queer characters would face throughout the narrative. Perhaps this was overki🐎ll and a trigger warning would have sufficed, but it was so groundbreaking in what it was hoping to achieve that I can’t blame the studio for being careful. It worked, and Tell Me Why remains a benchmark for queer storytelling that I point to whenever someone asks me about worthwhile trans stories in games.
Despite following the story of a trans man, as a trans woman it still felt like I could relate to so much of the bullshit Tyler had to put up with. The act of pursuing hormone treatment, changing personal details across myriad documents, and even accepting yourself in the presence of others are all explored to fantastic effect. There is opposition to be found, but these are all trumped by an element of support in favour of Ty💯ler that rings true. Tell Me Why laid the foundation, and now I’d love to see a similar trans story explored in whatever Life is Strange decides to pursue next. I’m surprised we didn’t see a trans character tied into True Colours, but I’d rather a story like this feel natural instead of forced.
Trans people are unique in their life experiences, and I can see the circumstances of such an identity tying brilliantly into a protagonist with superpowers that play on either the manipulation of time, empathy, or something entirely new. Life is Strange has always used the supernatural as a hook to tell stories that would still stand on their own otherwise, with them merely acting as a mechanic that supports who our character is and how they are able to influence the people and events around them. Alex can choose to rid the inhabitants of Haven Springs of their emotions at certain moments, but doinꦫg so is labelled as a wrongful act. People feel things for a reason, and often have to struggle through anger, confusion, and grief in order to grow and come to terms with things in life.
Tell Me Why was such a deliberate transgender story that I’m unsure Life is Strange could tackle a similar idea without retreading familiar ground. A core character in the ensemble cast being trans and playing a major role in the unfolding narrative would be the best approach, with their identity or place in society being a dilemma you can help with and strongly accept. That would be super cute, especially labelling a transgender character as a valid choice in a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:straight and/or gay romance that dispels the damaging stigma that transgender people have so place in such relationships🍨. Life is Strange has always been about standing up for young people and exploring social issues, even if it ain’t subtle about it, so taking a stand for the transgender community in a world that has become increasingly volatile for us would be incredible, and befitting of everything the series hopes to stand for.
Queer stories in games are often criticised for being far too blatant or needless misery porn, but I’ve always been a believer that progress is never a straight line when it comes to representation, and we’ll need to struggle through trials and tribulations in order to take true steps forward. Life is Strange feels like it can be a realistic middle ground for a transgender story. We know it will be respectful and ambitious, while inhabiting a youthful idealism that many queer people strive for in their liv🅰es but never reach. We want to see ourselves reflected in games like this with all of the beautiful positives and glaringly obvious flaws that come with being trans. I love who I am, and I’d love to see that in Life is Strange.
