It’s Pride Month! Here are my favorite games with LGBT+ characters

THE LAST OF US PART II (for PS4)

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The first The Last of Us did a great job of introducing Ellie to the public, but I want to give a shout-out to Part II. This sequel introduced players to Lev and Dina. Dina is Ellie’s partner and assists in her quest for revenge, while Lev is a warrior on the run with his sister Yara from a primitivist cult called the Seraphites. Some players hated Abby, but I thought her side of the story was awesome, in large part thanks to complex characters like Lev. I loved learning about his relationship with his family, group, and transgender identity. It shows the complexity of queer stories, even in an apocalyptic world.

METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol.1 PS4 & PS5

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Action

The entire Metal Gear Solid series rules, and I can’t wait to check out the Master Collection when it arrives later this year. But for this list, I’d specifically like to draw attention to Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. 2001 was a year that signified a massive shift in travel, politics, and war. It’s only fitting that Sons of Liberty came out this year.

While the deeper parts of Metal Gear Solid 2 were great, the game was also awesome thanks to the incredibly memorable list of bad guys known as Dead Cell, including a badass, seemingly unkillable knife expert who just might be a vampire. With a little investigation, the player can learn that Vamp was involved in a same-sex relationship with the father of one of his allies. While this tidbit is relegated to a bit of lore, not a major plot point, it was still a big deal in 2001, especially for a triple-A release like Metal Gear.

Street Fighter™ 6

8.6

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CompetitiveSandboxAction RPGAction

Street Fighter 6 has been a hit for many reasons, not least of all cool new characters like Marisa. Marisa is a jewelry designer from Italy who claims ancestry from ancient Greek warriors. Not only is she an awesome hulk of a fighter, but she's also the series’s first openly bisexual and polyamorous character. That info is even incorporated into the game in small but clever ways; if you play on world tour mode, you’ll learn more about Marisa's approach to love. It’s cool to see a series as old as Street Fighter incorporating representation of all kinds.

Life is Strange

9.2

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Interactive storyActionMemesPoint & Click

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: No Pride list would be complete without the inclusion of Life Is Strange, which has always been able to bring diversity and inclusion into the narrative. Chloe Price has a huge fan following as the flirty best friend of the game’s main character, but there are so many other great examples throughout the series These include Finn McNamara, Jacob Hackerman, and of course, Max Caulfield, the player character from the first game, where players had the option of choosing who she would romance.

Cyberpunk 2077

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Sci-fiRPGOpen WorldCyberpunk

This open-world action role-player is known for the multiple paths and customizations a player can make, so it’s pretty cool that V, the player-created main character, can be customized to be transgender or nonbinary, choices that can affect your interaction with other characters. But it’s not just the main player character that identifies as LGBTQ+. Judy Álvarez will enter a relationship with V only if V has a feminine voice and body type and Claire Russell is a transgender woman.

Crash Team Rumble™ - Standard Edition

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Action

I’ve recently talked about how much I’ve enjoyed this new Crash Bandicoot spin-off game for its battles and characters. That colorful cast includes the first nonbinary character in the series: Catbat! While there’s not a ton of plot or character development in this game (or any Crash Bandicoot title), they/them pronouns are notably used to refer to Catbat throughout the game. Those small, subtle bits of representation can be really important!