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2021 And Beyond

In terms of diversity, 2021’s AAA games lineup at first blush looks just okay. Some of the only big games I can think of starring POCs (or protagonists of color) are Deathloop and Far Cry 6. There’s also a healthy smattering of upcoming games starring women: Horizon: Forbidden West, Bayonetta 3 (please!), Chorus, and Returnal.

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In 2020, the indie devs were the ones doing diversity the best. Raji: An Ancient Epic is a game developed by Nodding Heads Games based in Pune, India and tells the story of a girl’s quest to find her kidnapped brother and how the Hindu gods aid in her search. Umurangi Generation is a pre-apocalyptic photography game starring an indigenous Maori character created by Maori solo dev Naphtali Faulkner. These games delighted me and my colleagues and they represent the best of video games when the industry makes space for marginalized people to tell their stories. I’m looking forward to games like Goodbye, Volcano High and Kena: Bridge of Spirits to fill the void the bigger studios sometimes leave in favor of their corporate-approved dudeguy protagonists. And I will look to indies to lead the way again next year.

And while I appreciate what 2020 has done in giving me diverse protagonists, character creator options, and stories, I am greedy and I want more in 2021.