October should be a month of celebration for me; after a decade of waiting, there’ll finally be a new Dragon Age game to become hyperfixated about. Yet, despite my excitement for all the new romances I will attempt while trying to clean up Solas’ mess, I’m quite anxious about its launch. Not because I’m scared it’ll fall short of my expectations – though that’s always a worry when you’re a devoted fan – but because of the fandom.
Most of us within this community love Dragon Age, warts and all. We see reused dungeons like in Dragon Age 2 and accept them as part of the game’s charm. However, there’s a small but vocal minority that are hellbent on criticising the experience for daring to be a continued safe haven for queer players.
Taking on a dragon will be quite the challenge in Dragon Age: The Veilguard
I’m fine with constructive criticism, but this is something else; it’s bigoted ire directed at a game that’s fundamentally queer. The tiresome cries of melodramatic shock at even a hint of LGBTQIA+ content have become a part of the industry, sadly. I’m no longer surprised when these idiotic comments appear online, and I’m certainly loathe to give them attention they don’t deserve.
At the same time, pretending they don’t exist isn't feasible either, for their words are shared by others regardless of whether they actually support them or not. When BioWare’s title is available for everyone to purchase, commentary from bigots will be seen and heard because it’ll be unavoidable as news outlets look for the next story. What should be a time of joy will become another unnecessary debate over the inclusion of customisation options like top surgery scars, or being able to romance anyone regardless of sexuality or gender.
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The sense of wonder we should be feeling will be marred, albeit ever so slightly. I thoroughly dislike that this is the case, but after years of being a part of this fandom, I know that discourse will run rampant when new content is there to fuel it.
Sharing feedback is a natural part of the video games process; as the player, we have our opinions, and typically we want to share them. But the discourse that’s already raised its ugly head isn’t about gameplay mechanics or some major features, it’s about a subtle series of options that don’t impact you unless you utilise them.
Obviously, we’re going to use pronouns because contrary to what some people think, they’re an everyday aspect of life. But when it comes to the topic of same sex romance, or top surgery scars, these are features that can be ignored if you have no use for them. Your character is a heterosexual, cisgender man? Fabulous. Now move on. Having these options is no different than choosing your character’s eye or hair colour. And yes, I feel that way about deciding my character’s sexuality; though, as a queer individual, I appreciate it’s far more nuanced than that.
Although being queer isn’t a choice in real life, it is when it comes to character creation in RPGs like Dragon Age. Why bother getting upset that it’s an option when you know it’s one you’re never going to select for yourself? There’s simply no need. Yet, it’ll happen upon launch, just as it has done beforehand, and consequently, the experience is tainted. Not enough to prevent me playing, but enough to make me dread opening social media, or sharing an article about this issue.
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In a world of fantasy where dragons, magic, and a fight for the end of the world is underway, there is far more to see and do than getting hung up about inclusivity. Find your whimsy, not your bigotry when playing DA. Please, I’m beginning you.
Topics: Dragon Age, Bioware, EA, PlayStation, Xbox, PC