The Last of Us II is a step towards a holistic inclusion because it features many diverse characters whose identities are not plot points or MacGuffins —with one, to-be-mentioned, exception. Characters’ identities are still an essential aspect of their journey: informing their decisions, making them unique and well-realized, and overall, creating a fleshed-out, authentic world. This part of inclusion allows storytelling to function at its purest: allowing all audiences to identify with characters. As Neil Druckman says in an interview with BBC News, “there’s something magical when people see themselves in games, it broadens our audience and I think that’s important.”
Another important aspect of inclusivity is accessibility. Naughty Dog shows a dedication to its players with over 60 accessibility settings available — benefitting players with a range of fine motor, hearing, and vision disabilities — which is far beyond current industry standards.
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Room for improvement
Naughty Dog’s efforts to diversify are impressive but not all of them are perfect. Lev’s storyline has been criticized. Several sequences with Lev include deadnaming (using a transgender person’s birth name without permission) from the members of his religious faction. Critics of Lev’s story suggest the deadnaming in the game is an exploitation of the transgender community’s pain. And without giving away any spoilers, the role of Lev’s identity in the latter half of the plot is the game’s one exception to it’s otherwise very ‘holistically-minded’ approach to inclusivity. Nevertheless, Lev’s inclusion alone represents a significant leap for trans representation in the media.
The gaming industry’s recent strides in diversity hint at a more inclusive future: with The Last of Us Part II becoming PlayStation’s fastest-selling exclusive. Still, there are many other areas of improvement that the gaming industry needs to address. Casting diverse actors, inclusion within studios, and the representation of disabilities are conversations that must be continued.
Click here to read Hollywood Insider’s CEO Pritan Ambroase’s love letter to Black Lives Matter, in which he tackles more than just police reform, press freedom and more – click here.
An excerpt from the love letter: Hollywood Insider’s CEO/editor-in-chief Pritan Ambroase affirms, “Hollywood Insider fully supports the much-needed Black Lives Matter movement. We are actively, physically and digitally a part of this global movement. We will continue reporting on this major issue of police brutality and legal murders of Black people to hold the system accountable. We will continue reporting on this major issue with kindness and respect to all Black people, as each and every one of them are seen and heard. Just a reminder, that the Black Lives Matter movement is about more than just police brutality and extends into banking, housing, education, medical, infrastructure, etc. We have the space and time for all your stories. We believe in peaceful/non-violent protests and I would like to request the rest of media to focus on 95% of the protests that are peaceful and working effectively with positive changes happening daily. Media has a responsibility to better the world and Hollywood Insider will continue to do so.”
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