This time around, instead of wandering on the road or staying with their estranged mother’s family, they’re working at a weed farm with a ragtag group of hippies, tourists and runaways to save money for their journey to Mexico. In the third episode of Life is Strange 2, brothers Sean and Daniel are still on the run after a confrontation with a neighbor in the first episode ended with a police officer killing their father. This brings the question: Does queer representation have to fit an arbitrary ideal? Should it be tied to notions of wholesomeness, the exploration of only positive moments, and the avoidance of the pain that comes with not just being queer, but also being human and forging intricate connections? There is no one right answer, but Life is Strange 2’s response to these questions-intentionally or otherwise-is that there is a space for ungraceful and complex depictions of queerness, and it’s a space that needs to be filled. But there are few-if any-videogame series that have done this before, and perhaps it isn’t so surprising for the dedicated fans of a series that strives to promote empathy above all else.Įven among fans, though, Dontnod Entertainment’s queer representation in the studio’s most famous IP hasn’t been perfect. As of 2017, roughly 4.5% of people in America alone reportedly identify as LGBTQ+. It’s rather revolutionary, although it shouldn’t be. When Sean talks to his friends about his sexuality, none of the four possible options imply that he is exclusively attracted to men or women. Chloe has had boyfriends and her arc largely revolves around her relationships with two women-these truths are never pitted in opposition to each other. Max is a shy photographer who is into boys and girls, and this holds true even if she doesn’t pursue Chloe or Warren. You can shape their decisions, but they aren’t blank slates like the characters you can embody in games like Dragon Age or Mass Effect. You can choose if and with whom they become romantically involved, but the existence of the romance options means there’s little room for denial. Despite how radically different Max Caulfield, Chloe Price and Sean Diaz are from each other, the three protagonists of the Life is Strange series have one thing in common: they’re queer as hell.Įven with the hesitation that was present in the first season, the protagonists of this series are irrevocably queer.
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