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by foldr 358 days ago
As you probably know, the misconception that Abby was trans was fed by online commentary made before the game was released, when people had just seen the trailer and only knew that there was a trans character in the game. No-one who actually plays the game would get the impression that Abby is trans. For all that you play up Abby’s physique, I’m sure you’re perfectly well aware that cis women can have big muscles and that trans women don’t usually spend hours at the gym developing physical traits that would be perceived as masculine. But for some reason you’re repeating these nonsense complaints made years ago by people who hadn’t even played the game.

Your only specific complaint about Ellie and her girlfriend is that they’re lesbians. And you keep mentioning the fact that the game has some LGBTQ characters as if that in itself is some kind of gotcha that proves your point (“she then teams up with a trans man”). I’m not trans but I don’t feel that a game is any less aimed at me just because one of the characters is trans. Why on Earth would I?

You’re obviously entitled to have whatever subjective reaction you have to the game or the characters. But you chose to frame your reaction primarily in terms of the LGBT themes in the game, and that’s the part of your comment I’m responding to.

1 comments

I played the game and didn't read any online stories about the game and experienced Abby as trans for a very long time into the game. I wasn't influenced by anyone. Her sexuality/gender was very unclear to me (this is about the video game).

There is no gotcha attempts in any of my writing (honestly).

I do think Abby (hyper muscular seemed trans), her transmale friend, Ellie having no interesting gravity and being a lesbian and her girlfriend being uninteresting and long romantic scenes of the two of them, all back up my perspective. But it's just an opinion.

What's undeniable is that these characters are a stark contrast to the original game. Naughty dog took the feel of the game in a very different direction.

I also know you will dismiss my viewpoint and insist I'm not seeing it "correctly". I will be strawmanned, my experience denied, and my opinions explained away.

But as I also said I have no problem with people making a diverse range of games.

TLOU2 is a very marmite game - and a lot of people loved it and a lot of people didn't like it. And the people it appeals to clearly is different from part 1. I appreciate you disagree.

Best wishes

>hyper muscular seemed trans

What about trans women is hyper muscular to you? I'm asking genuinely, have you ever interacted with a trans woman in real life?

Not sure why you are doubling down on this weird claim that Abby “seems trans”. Apart from that, you’re just making vague criticisms that characters “lack gravity”, etc. The only specific thing you don’t like about them is that they’re LGBT. Repeating over and over again that the game has (gasp!) a lesbian couple in it isn’t going to actually substantiate your claim that it’s not aimed to appeal to straight men.