Male Game Characters

[Mercen-X]

there's some weapon dealer in shadow hearts that's homosexual.

Gerard Magimel! "OH Buigen!"
(SPOILER)

Beyond that, he looks way too feminine. I've seen a few vgc's that are gay males, but the few that exist are portrayed in the most cliche and stereotypical/generic mannerisms than you can possibly think of. Just once I'd like to see a gay guy in any JRPG that acts like a "normal" guy [I use this term loosely, I think it's easy to figure out what I mean]. Zevran from Dragon Age is an example.

Do not fret, dove. For long is it not that Square Enix will realize the error of its ways and reveal Cloud's true leanings. That despite his masculine and somber overtones, he's a true meat-eater.

Y'know, I think a major problem with portraying a gay guy as "normal" is finding the right way to do it. How do you actually define a guy in a game as gay without cliche short of showing him actually making out with another guy?
(SPOILER)

The stereotypical idea of a gay man is a girly effeminate weakling of a nancy boy. Vaan is pretty effeminate. Kratos is a manly muscle man with a staunch deep voice who slices stuff up, bathes in it's blood, then screws women in the cabin of his stolen pirate ship. That's pretty much the epitome of masculinity, in video games at least.

So to be "straight", you have to have deeper issues. lol.
(SPOILER)

I'm not... QUITE sure what you mean by "pretty boys". I do think however, that some western-straight guys [JUST SOME, I'M NOT SAYING ALL OF THEM] feel a little offended or threatened by attractive male characters.

Does anybody call you a pretty boy? I think I recall being called that at least once. I was late teens, slim, just starting to benchpress, short hair, acne-free, and was not yet entirely engrossed in facial hair.
Personally, I do feel threatened by "pretty boys", 'cause they stir a lot of attention from girls. At least, that was previous understanding. I later came to realize girls like to blab and a guy is nothing without something clever to say. That's why I spent so many years alone because I never opened my mouth other than to answer math equations.

That if Vaan maybe had super powers and slapped some people around he might not be seen as such a sissy-boy

Personally, I believe Vaan's are the coolest-looking attacks in the game. Then again, I'm a bit of pyro by nature so I'm biased. But it's not about power or physique, the main problem is personality. Vaan would be cooler if he rocked the pirate leadership flaunted by Balthier or the soldier mannerisms of Basch. We wouldn't really care too much about his looks by then. In fact, given Basch's looks, if he had carried Vaan's attitude and mannerisms through the game, you'd probably just think he was "lighthearted."

BTW, how would it be if someone like Barret was revealed to be gay?