HBO's 'The Last of Us' adaptation is a milestone for LGBTQ gamers
Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO’s “The Last of Us,” and the video games “The Last of Us Part I” and “The Last of Us Part II.”
Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO’s “The Last of Us,” and the video games “The Last of Us Part I” and “The Last of Us Part II.”
For some LGBTQ gamers, their first exposure to a queer character in a video game was the curmudgeonly Bill in the 2013 blockbuster hit “The Last of Us.”
On Sunday, a decade later, those gamers watched in awe as Bill’s story — a romance with his partner, Frank — became the focal point in episode three of HBO’s wildly popular adaptation of the game.
“It was gorgeous, and I was so not expecting it,” said Darion Lowenstein, 41, a video game consultant, who is gay. “Obviously, I’ve played the games religiously and I know there’s gay characters in there, but I was not expecting an 80-minute … tearworthy piece of art.”
Queer gamers who tuned in said it felt like a watershed moment for LGBTQ representation in video games.
Rating: 5