Throughout the years it’s been something of a controversy to see women in video games since a lot of them have been seen as over-sexualized and simply there for men to look at as they bounce and jiggle about thanks to programmer that thought it was necessary to give a character as skimpy an outfit as possible and make them little more than eye candy. But when it comes to modern video games, and even some from the past, the female protagonists have thankfully taken on a much larger role and have even been garbed in outfits that are still somewhat revealing but are far more practical for their situations. In truth, some of the women in these games are far better than many of the male characters not only in their abilities, but in the stories they provide and push throughout the game.
Here are just a few of the best female protagonists in some of the best games.
5. Final Fantasy X
The idea of Final Fantasy is something that kind of ebbs and flows throughout one generation to another. But back in the day Final Fantasy X was great since it was a world-spanning type of game that created a rich narrative and a story that was ultimately quite popular with many fans. Yuna is initially a very physically weak and less than ideal character since throughout the game she has to level up so much in order to be worth more as a healer and as a summoner. But once she reaches her ideal power level she’s one of those characters that you tend to defend religiously since she contains the power to summon backup that can save the entire party and obliterate an enemy. In other words, she’s the character you don’t depend on initially, but absolutely prize when she reaches her peak.
4. Tomb Raider
Lara Croft has been a woman that many gamers, men mostly, have lusted after for years, but once you get past her looks she is absolutely one of the best characters around since from a very simplistic standpoint she’s tougher than many male characters and highly intelligent. The fact that she’s been given a more realistic outlook these days is even better since it leaves her looking human and at the same time as a strong and determined woman that’s not going to back down to those that think she must be weaker and less intelligent because she’s a woman. While the movies didn’t do her character as much justice as they could, they were still pretty accurate when it came to her attitude.
3. Alien: Isolation
Ellen Ripley was by far the baddest woman in the entire Alien franchise and revolutionized the role of the strong women in science fiction movies. In this game her daughter, Amanda, is forced to find her way through an abandoned station while being hunted by a xenomorph. As you can see from the trailer she’s a great deal like her mother, possibly from Alien since she’s on the run more than anything and is able to surprise the xenomorph at certain junctions while getting away to give herself some breathing room. But if she’s really like her mother, then the alien is likely walking into a fight it won’t be able to win.
2. Bayonetta
Bayonetta just looks and sounds tough and thankfully she can back it up since her entire character, despite looking like a sexy librarian in appearance, is geared towards being as aggressive and as forthright as possible. Some people might want to cry about her outfits and how she appears to those that get so easily offended by anything that seems too sexual, but considering how most of her outfit can and is weaponized in some form, it’s a great deal more functional than a lot of other characters that aren’t nearly as tough but are somehow allowed to be sexualized and are never talked about.
1. Horizon: Zero Dawn
Aloy is as good as it gets to be honest since she’s not given an image that makes no sense for her surroundings, she’s not made into a stereotype that might otherwise make a lot of people roll their yes, and she’s undeniably tough and highly skilled in a manner that allows her to survive and even dominate the landscape in which she lives. When your world is inhabited by strange, robotic dinosaurs that are bent on your destruction, it’s not exactly the time to worry about much save for survival. Aloy is the kind of woman that gets out there, is fully-dressed and armed, and is able to protect herself and others as she makes her way through this dangerous world in an attempt to find out who she is. Out of a great many of video game protagonists, she’s without a doubt one of the best.
Women in video games have become awesome. (mic drop)
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