Women in video games: which ones do it right?

[aPod]

I don't see what's wrong with Bayonetta. She's pretty much the feminist movement personified. She's a powerful, strong woman who does not hide her sexuality. In fact she hangs it in front of your face just to tease. Never hiding in the shadows of a dominant male character you very quickly understand she is the badass and if you don't like it i'll shoot you with my shoe gun. Actually i'll shoot you anyways, then i'll suck on this lolipop.

I think a lot of the ladies who don't like her are the same ones who wear "showy" clothes but are offended if you are looking at her.

Plus, I thought the game kicked ass.

 

[Lust]

Lost Odyssey: Seth Balmore .

She was once a criminal in a point in her life. Having lived a dangerous lifestyle, she still maintains a compassionate and loving personality. She may be immortal, but, that doesn't mean that she has thrown away her humanity. Her friends and family are what keeps her from going insane.

She's a good, solid, character if I do say so myself.

 

[Vault101]

Fallout 3 though that charachter is more a projection of yourself than anything, though with a little imagination it makes for a compelling story

dragon age, yeah pretty much the same thing except your charachter is given more context, the female city elf is pretty awsome in particualr

Lt stokes from F.E.A.R. 2 average game but she was my favorite charachter

then there's Dead space for example, ok so the two main women there weren;t amazon wariors or anything but they were like real people which isn;t always bad

I guess there are quite a few good female charachters just not enough ones where you can play as one

 

[Thaius]

Beyond Good and Evil is my favorite example. Jade is freaking amazing.

I would also nominate Lightning from Final Fantasy XIII and Terra from Final Fantasy VI.

 

[mirror's edgy]

Absolutely no doubt in my mind:

April Ryan from The Longest Journey isn't just my favorite female game protagonist, but probably my favorite overall. Her voice-acting is perfect, her dialogue well written, her reactions throughout the game to what happens believable, and her commentary entertaining and often funny. All that thrown together not only makes her an extremely believable and sympathetic character, but also makes the series so much more heartbreaking when bad things simply continue to happen to her.

I honestly can't think of a single other game character from any genre to match, regardless of genre.

Well, I did not think any one would ninja me on that one. Also, if they had given more than, oh, five minutes to Faith's backstory in Mirror's Edge, she could have been a much more interesting and sympathetic protagonist. Other than that, I think they nailed it

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Most people have taken all the easy answers so far (Samus, Alyx, Female Shepard, etc), though.. I am surprised to find two Lightning endorsers! I'm completely joining the club for her in specific, I love the stingy attitude and acrobatic hero nature of her character.

 

[bjj hero]

Fable 2. That boat sinking priestess with a hammer is far from your typical gaming sex kitten.

 

[mParadox]

Half Life 2
Fallout 3
Bioshock
Mass Effect
Beyond Good and Evil

/thread

 

[Dark Knifer]

And I really adore Rosalina from Mario Galaxy. She's one of my most favorite characters ever.

Do you mind expanding that. I played mario galaxy and she didn't seem that special at all. I am somewhat perplexed now.

 

[Kenko]

Alyx Vance.

/thread?

Yeah i'll have to agree with this one. She's got personality and is more like a real life normal woman rather then the typical gaming stereotypes of "Cumbucket" or "Super-*****".

 

[SimuLord]

Maybe because I'm a complete misogynist by nature (or just someone who doesn't want character development to get in the way of killing people and breaking things if I'm playing a non-simulation), but I quite like the way women are portrayed by Team Ninja.

 

[Ldude893]

Alyx Vance.

/thread?

If I saw my companion the stereotypical dull oversexed video game bimbo being stabbed on the chest by a Hunter, I'd simply get out of there while she lies there unconscious and let her get eaten by Antilions. I care nothing for a companion with extreme mindset of a puma that just consumed two pounds of hashish.

That's what makes Alyx Vance so different. She's got an actual personality (a great one in fact), she's toughened up by the post-apocalyptic world around her, and she can take down an entire squad of metrocops without a single weapon. You actually care for her when she gets hurt instead of leaving her there while she bleeds to death.

 

[Fanta Grape]

Alyx. First reply wins.

 

[blekx]

Dragon Age women! Especially interactions like when Sten asks you how you can be a woman and a fighter at the same time. IRL I would just punch him in the face at that point :>

 

[JaysonM]

The grandma who I hit in my car in grand theft auto did it right.

But nah, I'm good ol' fashioned sexist and hate females in games. HL2 Alice or whatever her name is pisses me off so much. Can't really think of many I like...

 

[jamesworkshop]

Wow because this topic hasn't been done before