As a bisexual man, I, of course, love seeing my sexuality represented in media that I enjoy. However, bisexuality being used as a game mechanic is a growing issue within the gaming industry.
In the last decade, the video game industry has taken huge strides when it comes to representation for gender and sexuality. This representation has been great for the most part. Characters like Dina from The Last of Us Part 2 or Zagreus from Hades are two great examples of inherently bisexual characters.
The thing is, the previously mentioned characters are NPCs rather than playable. So how is the representation of bisexuality for playable characters?
In RPG games, you are often given the option between many different love interests, regardless of gender, they will always be attracted to the main character.
For example, a straight person could play Fallout 4 as a man, follow the romance plotline with Piper, and never know that she is technically bisexual because a queer person could do the same thing, but play as a woman. This is known as mechanical sexuality: your love interest is only queer if you make them queer.
I’m not a huge fan of this trend as I find it more destructive to building up characterization than anything. Of course, sexuality is going to be a major aspect of a character so why does it change depending on the gender of my main character?
This representation doesn’t mean anything. Having a “bisexual” character that is only bisexual if the player character is the same gender as them, means that those who play as the opposite gender would never even know.
Another issue is that playing as a bisexual character is nearly impossible in most video games. There isn’t a checkbox to be bisexual as there may be for being straight or gay. You can never tell if a character is bisexual unless you try to romance them.
An old stereotype that is, sadly, used in Life Is Strange, is being bisexual means that you are polyamorous. Lead character Max can only be bisexual if you cheat on either one of the love interests with the other one.
Bisexuality often isn’t as simple as being gay or straight, you are an outlier in both groups. Never able to be one or the other. It’s something video games often don’t explore, but it’s an intrinsic part of the bisexual experience.
The only games that are pushing the envelope for bisexual representation are indie games like Stardew Valley or Hades. Games that a majority of gamers won’t play.
I think I just want a player character that is inherently bisexual, not by player choice. There are plenty of games focusing on gay or straight characters in a leading role, but there are barely any that focus on a bisexual character.
I think being able to play as a queer character at all in video games is fantastic. It shows how the industry is progressive, it’s just a shame that bisexuality often doesn’t get much representation outside of player choice.
featured image credit: Fandom.com
Third year Film and journalism student
Gaming and Tech editor
Horror fanatic
