Monday, December 23, 2024
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Can you be gay in Maglam Lord?

Maglam Lord from PQube Games and Japanese developer Felistella released today, featuring an expansive story-focused JRPG, a loveable cast of characters and even a romance system that’ll let you get closer to your companions throughout your journey. This leads us to the question of: can you be gay in Maglam Lord?

The quick answer: yes.

The longer, but also sort of quick answer: yes, but that’s mostly due to the fact that the gender of your Bladelord isn’t really acknowledged in the same way as gender is in games like Dragon Age: Inquisition or the Mass Effect series. Does that make it any less important? Well, that’s up for you to decide. Or you can read our review.

To give a quick summary of this JRPG, you play as Bladelord Killizerk, a Demon Lord that’s meddling caused both Demons and Gods alike to gang up and attempt to exterminate them. They would have succeeded if not for the Lord’s loyal allies who rescued them. The downside? They’ve been sleeping for a long time to recover their injuries and wake up to a peaceful world where they are the very last Demon Lord – making them an endangered species. Because of this, they are eventually persuaded via a Love Guru that the only way to solve this is through breeding. Bah, and who said romance is dead?

However, finding the perfect partner isn’t exactly easy. Thankfully there are plenty of people to meet, such as other endangered species like Heroes, a mysterious Saint that has mystical powers, a snooty Administration worker, and even a mechanical robot called M.O.A.V. There’s also a beastgirl who, to be honest, is pretty off-putting considering she looks to have a childlike body, despite apparently being a lot older than she looks. A hard pass on that one.

Regardless, you’re able to get closer to all of these different love interests, who also make up the majority of your companions in Maglam Lord. The best part is you can get to know these characters regardless of gender, meaning that most conversations you partake in with characters address you in a way that’s gender-neutral. You’ll either be called Demon Lord or through they/them pronouns. It’s a really nice touch, and does feel intentionally inclusive to queer players.

Ultimately, Maglam Lord’s representation can still sometimes feel like the player is doing the heavy lifting, with same-sex partnerships and romance often only being available if the player chooses to pursue it, rather than being ingrained into the game’s world. That said, if you’re chomping at the bit for a JRPG that’s fun, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and allows you live your best gay life, then Maglam Lord is exactly what you’re looking for.

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