LIFE

Did you know that women are the protagonists of these video games?

Diana Rojas June 28, 2018

242 5 minutes read

These three video games are notable for having as main character female figures that break the gender stereotypes within this industry. Do you know of what games we are talking about?

Tres videojuegos que tienen como protagonista a una mujer

The video game industry is still a sector dominated by games with male protagonists, with respect to the female characters. According to data collected by Female Frequency for its annual report on the gender breakdown of the games presented at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), of 118 games shown at E3 24% focus on men and only 8% on women. This demonstrates the inequality that still exists in this industry, in terms of representation of women. However, something remarkable is that in recent years have been developing more main and secondary characters that break the female stereotypes that still persist in video games.

Leer en español: Tres videojuegos que tienen como protagonista a una mujer

Among the most common gender stereotypes stand out two, according to Cultura Colectiva: the lady in distress and the hypersexualized woman. However, nowadays we can find strong, intelligent female characters, with a more realistic physical appearance in video games, that is, heroines with whom women can feel more identified. Here we present three video games that have as the main character a woman, which you have to know.

Tomb Raider

Lara Croft is the protagonist of the well-known adventure and action video game series Tomb Raider and one of the most famous and important female characters in the video game industry. Since 1996, when she had her first appearance, Lara Croft was consolidated as both a symbol of empowerment and a sexual object, according to Forbes magazine. This is because, although this character was presented as a strong and intelligent figure, her physical appearance was not realistic. However, with the passage of time, its design changed. In this sense, Lara Croft went from being a sexualized female character to one with which women can feel identified.

According to Forbes, "this new Lara is less pneumatic, more athletic. Instead of strappy short shorts, she wears cargo pants. Because of the fabulous motion-capture technology Crystal Dynamics (developer of Tomb Raider) uses, we can focus more on her face and her expressions more than her overall physical assets. This Lara is fantastically expressive and conveys pain, frustration, wonder, hope, and even more pain".

On September 14, 2018, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the latest version of the popular franchise, is going to be released. According to the official page of this, "Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will be forged IGNORE INTO the Tomb Raider she is destined to be." If you like adventure and action video games or if you are a fan of Tomb Raider, you can not miss this new game that you can play on Xbox One, Xbox One X, PS4, PS4 Pro, and PC.

The first gameplay trailer for Shadow of the Tomb Raider showcases the high-octane action, inner conflict, and challenges that will lead to Lara Croft's defining moment. pic.twitter.com/SHEUpyVcpM

– Tomb Raider (@tombraider) June 10, 2018

You can also read: Women in the video game industry: representation or forgetting?

Life is Strange

Life is Strange is an episodic adventure game that is which Max is the protagonist, a teenager who after five years returns to the fictional city of Arcadia Bay, Oregon, to reunite with Chloe, her childhood friend, according to 3DJuegos. It is in this place where the young woman will discover that she has the ability to return to the past, a talent that will be used in the game to solve the mystery of the disappearance of Rachel Amber, a classmate. This video game consists of five episodes and is characterized by allowing the player to get involved in the plot, as he or she will have to make different decisions that will affect the development of the plot.

As for its main character, Max is a female figure with which many teenagers can feel identified. This character is characterized by being intelligent, creative and a lover of photography, although serious. According to Mike Diver in an article for Vice UK, "Max was a fairly accurate rendering of so many socially reserved women that" he has known in his life, "fiercely intelligent and creative but almost ashamed to present those sides of their personalities beside louder, more "popular" peers." Thus, Max is a realistic vision of many young people of her age, not only in the American, context but in all parts of the world.

This video game, whose first chapter was released to the public in 2015, will have a second part which is going to be released on September 27, 2018: Life is Strange 2. If you like interactive games, in which you have to solve mysteries and experiment with different arcs in the plot from the decisions you make, this is the video game for you.

A publication shared by Life is Strange (@lifeisstrangegame) on Apr 9, 2018 at 10:26 PDT

Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn is an action-and-role video game whose story revolves around Aloy, "a skilled hunter who depends on her speed, cunning and agility to survive and protect her tribe against the force, size and power of the machines", according to the official Playstation page. This is a character that has given much to talk about within the community, being one of the few female protagonists that is not sexualized, as mentioned by various media such as The Guardian and specialized platforms such as Comicsverse. "A Lara Croft designed for the 21st century, designed to inspire players not only with their strength, complexity and ferocity, but also with their femininity. However, for what seems to be the first time in years, we have a protagonist female that is not sexualized at all, "says The Guardian in reference to Aloy.

This is a video game that will take you through different stages of Aloy's life, beginning with her childhood, who is configured as a strong and empowered female figure. Also, in this game, you will move IGNORE INTO a post-apocalyptic world where large machines have seized a territory that was taken from humanity, according to the PlayStation page, which you can explore. In the process, you will learn about the past of this character and unearth "the mysterious secrets of a forgotten land." So, if you like adventure games in which you can move within the expanded universe, do not hesitate to play Horizon Zero Dawn.