It was announced back in May Final Fantasy XVI were banned in Saudi Arabia. Officially, it was because developer Square Enix refused to change in-game scenes for the area, leading to this rumors and speculation that the 16th game in the long-running RPG franchise would feature explicit gay sex scenes stemming from it memes and serious excitement. Turns out, yes, there is a same-sex couple (and implied bisexual hero), but while one of the two men involved is one of them Final Fantasy XVIDespite the standout characters, the romance never goes as far as the internet has speculated, and the game seems hesitant to even show it.
spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI consequences.
Dion and Terence’s relationship is promising but falls by the wayside
Dion Lesage is many things. He is the Prince of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, loved by his people for his empathy in an otherwise callous monarchy. He is Bahamut’s Dominant who can harness the power of the dragon and transform into it in battle (Bahamut is a gay icon now, sorry). And he’s also the lover of Sir Terence, his devoted right-hand man.
From what little we see of the relationship, it’s clear that Terence is shaped almost entirely by his devotion to his boyfriend. Overall, this feels like a missed opportunity, but I have to admit I’m intrigued by the desperation and unbridled loyalty Terence shows at Dion’s side. It’s a dynamic ripe for fan fiction and gamers filling in the blanks, and if I wasn’t writing every day for my job I’d probably be inclined to get involved. Dion is nothing but caring for Terence, although it would have been easier for him A king and his loyal knight fall into toxic, abusive tropes. The two idolize each other, and while Dion’s entire family dynamic is destructive, physically enacted fantasy politics, this guy has clearly broken the cycle and made an effort to be more than just a prince to Terence.
All that wonderful character development and potential ultimately makes the places where Final Fantasy XVI It’s all the more disappointing when it hits. Be inspired by game of ThronesSquare focuses on physical intimacy Final Fantasy XVI. There aren’t many scenes that you would call obvious sex scenes, but there’s a lot of romance happening, characters kissing and being naked together, and for the most part it’s enjoyable to watch the game up close. However, Dion and Terence are an exception.
As the two might kiss mid-game, the camera moves away from them and we see it from afar, while just before we saw a scene of Terence tending to Dion’s wounds from an intimate angle. The two are obviously kissing, but the distance the scene is shot from suggests they didn’t.
The tragedy of the whole thing is that Dion and Terence aren’t together for most of the game, so there isn’t much opportunity to be Final Fantasy XVI To rectify this by further expanding that relationship and giving them more opportunities to express the clear love they share on screen. As the dangers of Dion’s mission escalate, he sends Terence away to settle a debt he owes and to keep his beloved out of harm’s way. It’s a poignant scene and underscores just how bad the risk is Final Fantasy XVIIt’s the war of the two and it underscores the devotion the two have for each other. Terence is willing to do whatever Dion asks of him, and Dion knows that and uses it to put him out of the line of fire. It’s a beautiful, tragic, terrifying moment that would make my heart sing if I hadn’t already been disappointed by how little the focus and fear of this relationship was Final Fantasy XVI seems to be handling it.
The final fantasy The series seems to be gradually embracing its own innate quirkiness, with characters like Andrea Rhodea being an unabashedly queer man Final Fantasy VII Remake‘S Honey Bee Inn sequence. Proclaiming that beauty is about expressing yourself regardless of gender perceptions, he dances the night away with Cloud, never letting the camera shy away from the extravagant display. But when it comes to actually depicting the intimate expressions of queer identity, such as a kiss between two men in love, Final Fantasy XVI falls short of his own uncompromising ideals but sticks with the straight contemporaries of Dion and Terence.
Video games almost always refer gay men to options
Unfortunately, this is par for the course in the video game industry. While there’s a lot of incredible work being done in the indie space, queer men and their relationships in AAA games are still largely an option and not something for a player to reckon with, much less a role to take on. Sure, games like mass effect And Assassin’s Creed may let you play as a gay man (although the latter series has now subverted that twice). Odyssey And Valhalla), but male-on-male intimacy is almost never a priority in AAA video games unless it’s sought after by gay gamers.
Many rightfully rolled their eyes when Ellie left The last of us was recognized as the “first” queer protagonist in an AAA game because there have been many characters who have done so could Be LGBTQIA+ in front of her but when you actually go back and watch one List of queer characters in video gamesMost of the time, these characters are options for the player to express themselves and not the only perspective the game offers. The choice is welcome, but engaging with stories that by default center on queer characters and experiences, as so many straight character stories do, is the natural next step that video games still can’t take.
Even if Dion and Terence’s relationship had had more screen time and the cameraman hadn’t suddenly sprinted to the other side of the room as they were kissing, that wouldn’t have solved this issue. It’s not Dion Final Fantasy XVIClive is the protagonist of the series and a lot of attention is paid to his romance with Jill, albeit one of them the least convincing relationships in the game. But the fact that Square Enix is gun-shy in the most intimate moments of the game’s gay relationship is a symptom of a larger problem. The video game industry is quick to stick a Pride logo on its social media posts or sell Pride-branded merchandise, but the biggest franchises are still afraid to put queer people front and center. particularly Men who like to kiss other men.
We shouldn’t strive for it final fantasy to save us By and large, queer people shouldn’t pay attention to it any Business or media as a barometer of where queer liberation stands in the face of conservative movements seeking to strip queer people of their rights, particularly the onslaught of attacks against the trans community. But in a world where we are constantly confronted with real-world hate and regression, media acceptance can sometimes seem like the only measure of acceptance we have. So it’s a shame to see that Final Fantasy XVI I want to be clear about that, but refrain from committing myself to it when it matters. Queer men are still waiting for her The Last of Us Part II Hang on, and if the biggest games can’t even stand the proximity of two men kissing unless the player has expressed a desire to initiate it, I don’t think we’ll be able to do it any time soon.
