Female Game Characters: The Good, The Bad, and The Sexist.

[Ares Tyr]

And whats so bad about the Innocent Youth?

Even though I like the "Tales of..." series, I have a problem (the same with D.O.A. type characters) where either extremely tiny, young girls or model-looking, wouldn't break a nail type girl characters run around laying the smack down on super soldiers and stuff. If it's a character like the Boss, then I'm cool. Or like Vanessa from Virtua Fighter, women who look like they could stomp someone's ass and perform it out in a believable manner.

Vanessa is still a beautiful looking character, but she has muscles and looks as though she can and does fight, ya know? And when they have half-exposed pink clad Ninja girls pulling Izuna Drops on like, Russian War veteran Sambo masters, I'm just like "What the fuck ever man"... Again, in the scenario of The Boss vs. Volgin (which is pretty much the same match up) she wins and its believable because of her look and her style, and the way she went about it).

Ya dig?

 

[DFish]

Horribly unfinished though KotOR 2 is, I think an honourable mention should go to Kreia. Her two main advantages being:

1) Definitely not a love-interest. When was the last time the "mentor" role was filled by a blind, wizened old woman? Never?

2) Ambiguous morality. At no point does she ever nail her colours to the mast and become openly good or evil. Even right at the end of the game it's still far from straightforward.

Add to that the fact that KotOR 2 has one of the strongest systems for NPC interaction that I've seen, and you get a very compelling character. She also gets quite an easy ride since the other female NPCs are all quite simple stereotypes, albeit still well-executed. It's just a shame about the hurriedly tacked-on ending to the game.

 

[Skrapt]

My vote goes for Alyx Vance too, one of the best female characters in a game imo.

 

[Ares Tyr]

And whats so bad about the Innocent Youth?

Even though I like the "Tales of..." series, I have a problem (the same with D.O.A. type characters) where either extremely tiny, young girls or model-looking, wouldn't break a nail type girl characters run around laying the smack down on super soldiers and stuff. If it's a character like the Boss, then I'm cool. Or like Vanessa from Virtua Fighter, women who look like they could stomp someone's ass and perform it out in a believable manner.

Vanessa is still a beautiful looking character, but she has muscles and looks as though she can and does fight, ya know? And when they have half-exposed pink clad Ninja girls pulling Izuna Drops on like, Russian War veteran Sambo masters, I'm just like "What the fuck ever man"... Again, in the scenario of The Boss vs. Volgin (which is pretty much the same match up) she wins and its believable because of her look and her style, and the way she went about it).

Ya dig?

Yeah, I sort of dig...

Ok, how would you define Heavenly Swords Nariko? On the one hand, she actually has a clearly defined reason for fighting, as well as a clear source of power (her cultural training and her GIANT GODLY SWORD), and her clothing is actually relatively restrained showing absolutely no cleavage, and only a functional amount of leg (you ever tried wall-running in a tunic?). Theres also her whole past, of being ostracized for being a girl, and kicking the crap out of her peoples beliefs that woman are not as good as men (its a long story). On the other, as you said, her body type is not the traditional fighter type. Then again, belonging as she does to a culture built around swordfighting, it seems natural that she wouldn't be covered in muscles, and be instead built relatively lightly.

I can sympathize and agree with that then, I suppose. I mean, again, being that she is a young woman who has a clearly combat-trained past, it makes more sense and is more acceptible to me.

I mean, I don't know how other people see this stuff as, but its just a personal pet peeve I have about games myself. I have an armor-covered Samurai Warrior who's been in war and on the battlefield his whole life fighting a clearly teenage girl using basically sharp-tonfas, and she's kicking the shit out of this burly, fast, strong life-long warrior. It just kinda makes me go "Why is she even involved, here?!".

 

[TaborMallory]

Ironically, there is an advertisement at the bottom of this page; one (of a great many) that I really can't stand any longer. It depicts a female in a skimpy outfit (fu fu fu, imagine that), is covered in jewelry, and has blonde hair. Now, before anybody yells at me for wailing on blondes, let me mention just one person: Princess Peach.

Back to the topic (though I only scanned one page), I haven't seen any mentions of Miranda Keys from Halo. She seems to be just as realistic as Alyx Vince from Half Life, though the player doesn't make as big of a connection. Even so, Miranda is one of the few very real (and magically delicious) characters from the Halo series, and must receive an honorable mention. I'm feeling too lazy to list some of the things about Miranda, so I'll leave it up to the internets and its many children >

 

[Vortigar]

Strangely enough the girl from God Hand is pretty well characterized. In fact, she's the best character in the game, with the hero being pretty much a Terrence Hill stand in. She's still eye-candy though.

My fave female character is King from Art of Fighting/King of Fighters (see avatar). She looks pretty far from your regular Muay Thai practicioner (aka the dude in shorts). She doesn't rely on speed or prissy maneauvres to win (as most girls in fighters), rather her greatest asset is raw power. She doesn't dress overtly sexy yet isn't cold towards the guys either as she has a romantic relationship with Ryo Sakazaki.

Nico from Broken Sword is also a well rounded female character in video games.
And then there's the Longest Journey of course.

 

[syrinx black]

Well, I am a Mona Sax fan... can you tell?

 

[sammyfreak]

I would like to note the female cast from Mass Effect aswell. Lily from Psychonauts is also a favorite. Silk Fox from Jade Empire also is a strong but not stone-hearted character. Tifa (Advent Children version) is also one of the better love interest out there, if she hadn't been completely ignored by the protagonist.

But the most ultimate female character of all time is Beatrix Kiddo, shame she isen't in a game.

 

[NeedAUserName]

For "The Innocent Youth" You forgot the creepy girl in Heavenly Sword (you know the one)

 

[Limos]

Samus Aran is all business. ;-)

She has her own category,

That's a Girl?: A female character that shows no femininity or any signs of gender so that everyone assumes they are male. Being female is just an interesting tidbit the designers decided to tell you and has no impact on story, gameplay or anything else.

So...wait a minute, so by definition you are saying that a character being female SHOULD impact on story, gameplay etc. yet get pissed when it is a typical impact (like the maneater/damsel/youth etc.). Just to place things in perspective, women aren't the only ones who recieve stereotypes in games, like men for example:

1. The cleft chin hero- Useually amounts to purely being a guy who is good with guns, more recent games may include a sordid history to brood over just for dramatic effect (eg: Marcus Fenix, Master Chief, Serious Sam, Duke Nukem...the list goes on) there will also be (more than likely) jokes surrounding their intellegence (made by their female support character).
2. The voice in your head- can also be (and sometimes is) female but has prominent enough male examples to have mention here (Otacon), the main purpose of these fellows is to scream down your ear piece when things go wrong and to give you a constant update to your 'to do' list.
3. The villain- That generic evil guy who will often include most (if not all) of these properties 1. psychotic/sadistic/masochistic 2. hatred of the hero 3. evil scheme will one blatant flaw 4. is delightfully insane and 5. superiority complex. examples being: Volgin (MGS3), Liquid Snake (MGS1), Dr. M Betruger (DOOM 3), Atlas/Fontaine (Bioshock)

This is not me disregarding the entire issue (far from it) what I am trying to say is look on both sides, for example, here someone made the issue that female stereotypes in games are restricting (which they are) but you have to realise that male stereotypes aren't much better (other than the single bonus of being the protaganist most of the time).

Please don't sue me

No, what I meant was that being female was not apparent at first and the designers just told everyone she was for no apparent reason. Being female doesn't have to affect the gameplay or story or anything, I just mean that for all intents and purposes Samus was gender neutral. More like a robot than a person. I didn't know she was a girl until Super Smash bros brawl.

 

[mrnelsby]

Fat Princess FTW! She dominates all categories!!

 

[fix-the-spade]

Lian Xing from the Syphon Filter PS1 games.

In the first she more or less fills the damsel in distress, but in 2 and 3 she graduates to independant bad ass. But without going over the top.

 

[BallPtPenTheif]

aren't most videogame characters cliched archetypes anyways? singling out female videogame characters as being shallow, cliched, and stereotypical is a bit like complaining about the color scheme on the Hinderburgh.

do you people expect a game to come out with a female protagonist who is pregnant, sassy, witty, and whimsicly referential to 80's children pop culture?

 

[PedroSteckecilo]

My vote for a good female character is Bastila Shan from KOTOR. But I definitely agree with what you are saying.

I like Bastilla, she grows throughout the story, making her more dynamic that other game characters PERIOD. Truly excellent.