I thought this was a pretty neat occurrence that deserved some praise and attention. It's great to see that publishers are a lot more comfortable having black protagonists in their biggest products, and that (at least as far as I can currently tell) all of them seem to be serious characters instead of caricatures.
The games?
Mafia III (Take-Two): Lincoln Clay
Other Notes: The game takes place in 1960s New Orleans and stars Lincoln Clay, a man who was betrayed by the mob. It even uses racism as a game mechanic to try and impart some of what it was like living in the area in that time period to the player.
Watch Dogs 2 (Ubisoft): Marcus Holloway
Other Notes: Marcus Holloway is very tech savvy and is able to plan, sneak, and hack his way through a near-future San Francisco technological landscape as he exposes corruption in the city. You can also play through the game without killing anyone. He seems quite affable based on the E3 demo.
Battefield 1 (Electronic Arts): Harlem Hellfighter
Other Notes: Battlefield 1 features the Harlem Hellfighters, who are both playable in the campaign, and one features as the main character on the box art. We don't yet know his name, but they were an African-American infantry unit during World War 1 who spent more time in combat than any other American unit and received little thanks in return. Many were surprised to even learn they existed when Battlefield 1 unveiled.
Bonus Section:
People pointed out a few other games, that while not the #1 flagships of the publisher, are major titles for them.
Destiny: Rise of Iron (Activision Blizzard): Lord Saladin
Other Notes: While not a playable character (as you make your own in Destiny), Lord Saladin is the main story NPC of Destiny's new expansion pack.
FIFA 17: The Journey Story Mode (Electronic Arts): Alex Hunter
Other Notes: In FIFA 17's new story mode, you play as Alex Hunter, a rising soccer star who plays for your Premier League club of choice. The campaign has an actual plotline about the struggles and triumphs of his career and surrounding life. This is arguably EA's second biggest game of the year.
The games?
Mafia III (Take-Two): Lincoln Clay
Other Notes: The game takes place in 1960s New Orleans and stars Lincoln Clay, a man who was betrayed by the mob. It even uses racism as a game mechanic to try and impart some of what it was like living in the area in that time period to the player.
Watch Dogs 2 (Ubisoft): Marcus Holloway
Other Notes: Marcus Holloway is very tech savvy and is able to plan, sneak, and hack his way through a near-future San Francisco technological landscape as he exposes corruption in the city. You can also play through the game without killing anyone. He seems quite affable based on the E3 demo.
Battefield 1 (Electronic Arts): Harlem Hellfighter
Other Notes: Battlefield 1 features the Harlem Hellfighters, who are both playable in the campaign, and one features as the main character on the box art. We don't yet know his name, but they were an African-American infantry unit during World War 1 who spent more time in combat than any other American unit and received little thanks in return. Many were surprised to even learn they existed when Battlefield 1 unveiled.
Bonus Section:
People pointed out a few other games, that while not the #1 flagships of the publisher, are major titles for them.
Destiny: Rise of Iron (Activision Blizzard): Lord Saladin
Other Notes: While not a playable character (as you make your own in Destiny), Lord Saladin is the main story NPC of Destiny's new expansion pack.
FIFA 17: The Journey Story Mode (Electronic Arts): Alex Hunter
Other Notes: In FIFA 17's new story mode, you play as Alex Hunter, a rising soccer star who plays for your Premier League club of choice. The campaign has an actual plotline about the struggles and triumphs of his career and surrounding life. This is arguably EA's second biggest game of the year.
