Top 10 Female Protagonists in Video Games [WatchMojo's version] - General

[QUOTE=Ganerumo;45248225]Every time one of these lists includes Lara Croft, Chell or Faith it's immediately wrong because all three of these characters are fucking cardboard. Chell is literally built around being a silent protagonist. Faith is bland as fuck. Lara Croft has always been and will always be a shitty characters because the only two things you can do with her is either make her an immense badass that's a stereotype in itself, or make her a weakling that eventually grows into an immense badass - there isn't even a need for Lara Croft to be a good character, she's an excuse to bring the player to pretty locations where weird shit including but not limited to tomb raiding shenanigans happen. To be fairly honest as far as video games go the main character is rarely the most interesting part of any story, which is why there's so few good female playable characters in video games (there isn't that many good male playable characters in video games either). Like, seriously, take the example of Portal. Chell is the most boring fucking character in existence (which was basically a design decision from the start, hence her name), while GladOs is actually a lot more interesting and despite not being the protagonist (as in not being the PC). Hell, GladOs actually has proper character development, she goes through two character arcs in the two games, she has a defined past and her actions have a rhyme and reason. She is a thousand times more interesting than Chell will ever be.[/QUOTE] Most game's protagonists are cardboard though

[QUOTE=HumanAbyss;45249285]At the end of the game she seems to be coping with what happened really well.[/QUOTE] yeah but still, the whole thing kinda feels like assassin creed's "killing you won't bring my family back" (after slaughtering hundreds of people only to get to that target) gameplay doesn't have to be COMPLETELY dictated by the plot but some of it is a bit ridiculous

[QUOTE=SoaringScout;45249118]Because character designs that exist almost solely to attract straight male consumers by sexualizing a female character aren't the way to go in an increasingly diverse form of media. I'm not criticizing the creators of Lara Croft (after all, her design is merely a product of the times), but Lara Croft isn't exactly an example of what you should be doing nowadays. [/QUOTE] What's wrong with having a sexy, strong female character?

I'm just saying I didn't feel she was weak or wimpy. She's tough as nails

[QUOTE=katbug;45249323]Most game's protagonists are cardboard though[/QUOTE] i'd say most of them are really generic but that's not the same as cardboard

[QUOTE=SoaringScout;45249118]Because character designs that exist almost solely to attract straight male consumers by sexualizing a female character aren't the way to go in an increasingly diverse form of media. I'm not criticizing the creators of Lara Croft (after all, her design is merely a product of the times), but Lara Croft isn't exactly an example of what you should be doing nowadays. How the fuck is anything that has been said extremist?[/QUOTE] Remember, kids make sure your female lead isn't too attractive, isn't too ugly, and still sells your game make sure your female lead is dependent, but not too strong, or she'll be an archetype of "overly strong female" make sure your female character is intelligent, but not too intelligent, so she isn't a "girly nerd" make sure your female character dresses well, but not sexily, not boringly, and not too much like a man [editline]29th June 2014[/editline] Oh, and also make sure she isn't moderate in any of the categories, two dimensional, and if we catch you pandering to our interests, god help us.

[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;45249459]What's wrong with having a sexy, strong female character?[/QUOTE] It's outdated and objectifying. Developers should at least try to make an original character. [QUOTE=katbug;45249572]Remember, kids make sure your female lead isn't too attractive, isn't too ugly, and still sells your game make sure your female lead is dependent, but not too strong, or she'll be an archetype of "overly strong female" make sure your female character is intelligent, but not too intelligent, so she isn't a "girly nerd" make sure your female character dresses well, but not sexily, not boringly, and not too much like a man [editline]29th June 2014[/editline] Oh, and also make sure she isn't moderate in any of the categories, two dimensional, and if we catch you pandering to our interests, god help us.[/QUOTE] Congratulations on making groundless assumptions about my opinions when all I said was that Lara Croft's appearance is over-sexualized and shouldn't be used as an example in modern games. Her personality, sure, but not her appearance.

[QUOTE=katbug;45249572]Remember, kids make sure your female lead isn't too attractive, isn't too ugly, and still sells your game make sure your female lead is dependent, but not too strong, or she'll be an archetype of "overly strong female" make sure your female character is intelligent, but not too intelligent, so she isn't a "girly nerd" make sure your female character dresses well, but not sexily, not boringly, and not too much like a man[/QUOTE] cant all that be applied to most male characters tho? ezio, nathan drake, booker dewitt etc etc are all relatively attractive but not supermodel material they can always solve problems on their own but often need the help of others they're not stupid, but aren't geniuses either (or, if they are, there's always someone who's smarter) most of them also don't walk around shirtless unless the game calls for it, and they almost always have unique looking or alternate outfits

are you kidding, Nathan Drake is total supermodel material I could see him in an underwear ad (and I wouldn't mind it either)

[QUOTE=Diet Kane;45249712]are you kidding, Nathan Drake is total supermodel material I could see him in an underwear ad (and I wouldn't mind it either)[/QUOTE] Same with Ezio

There's much more to Laras popularity than her looks. A lot of younger posters may not realize the sort of cultural impact she had. [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lara_Croft#Cultural_impact"]Wikipedia has a good article on it.[/URL]

[QUOTE=SoaringScout;45249690]It's outdated and objectifying. Developers should at least try to make an original character. [/QUOTE] How is she objectifying? Because she's attractive?

[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;45249771]How is she objectifying? Because she's attractive?[/QUOTE] Because there's almost nothing to the original design beyond that and her guns. Also, while Faith and Chell were pretty meh characters, they weren't completely bland, they were at least given a little motivation for their actions, and Faith had some backstory to her.

[QUOTE=Zukriuchen;45249705]cant all that be applied to most male characters tho? ezio, nathan drake, booker dewitt etc etc are all relatively attractive but not supermodel material they can always solve problems on their own but often need the help of others they're not stupid, but aren't geniuses either (or, if they are, there's always someone who's smarter) most of them also don't walk around shirtless unless the game calls for it, and they almost always have unique looking or alternate outfits[/QUOTE] Nobody's getting mad if you make male characters in ANY fashion. They can be as flamboyant, sexy, stereotypical, whatever, as ANYONE wants to make them, with zero negative consequences. Meanwhile if Female characters are made in certain ways, people get up in arms in two seconds flat.

[img]http://vividgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Duke-Nukem-Forever1-1.jpg[/img] Strong character with idealised body. Unoffensive. [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8NCz4G62Vc/UVC9Sd-8PzI/AAAAAAAADFo/v0PVwLDVIlo/s640/Lara+Croft+Tomb+Raider+Classic+1+pistol.jpg[/img] Strong character with idealised body. [B]Offensive.[/B] [img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ezr3_AyX59Q/UVC9bXadLfI/AAAAAAAADFw/QqHcu5FdRRI/s640/Lara+Croft+Tomb+Raider+PC+Screenshot.jpg[/img] She's weaker, cries a lot and almost gets raped. A real woman!

[QUOTE=Canuhearme?;45249771]How is she objectifying? Because she's attractive?[/QUOTE] It's objectifying because she has exaggerated features generally considered attractive with a lot of focus put on how attractive she is. I read that the developers intended her to be sexy for the sake of being empowering and I understand that her character was revolutionary for it's time as it opened up the industry to stronger female protagonists, but she obviously sexualized for a specific audience and a lot of the [url=https://flic.kr/p/Ns6MP]marketing[/url] for her sells her as a sex object. And like I said, it's forgivable as it's a product of its time, but it's not something modern developers should consider exemplary.

[QUOTE=SoaringScout;45249882]It's objectifying because she has exaggerated features generally considered attractive with a lot of focus put on how attractive she is. I read that the developers intended her to be sexy for the sake of being empowering and I understand that her character was revolutionary for it's time as it opened up the industry to stronger female protagonists, but she obviously sexualized for a specific audience and a lot of the [url=https://flic.kr/p/Ns6MP]marketing[/url] for her sells her as a sex object. And like I said, it's forgivable as it's a product of its time, but it's not something modern developers should consider exemplary.[/QUOTE] Have you played a Tomb Raider game? Lara Croft is basically some kind of übermensch. Yes, she is sexually attractive but she was also rasied an aristocrat and owns a manor. She's intelligent and fluent in a dozen languages. She's an archaeologist and a master athlete. She raids tombs and defeats monsters.

[QUOTE=MoonlessNight;45249878] -snip- She's weaker, cries a lot and almost gets raped. A real woman![/QUOTE] Well, you have to remember that it was an origin story. She isn't the Tomb Raider we know, both in skillset and experience. Yeah, the 2013 game beat the living hell out of her through the story, but I never felt like she was weak. I just thought it was a more realistic treatment of the kind of thing Nathan Drake goes through in the Uncharted games. [editline]29th June 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=asteroidrules;45249795]Because there's almost nothing to the original design beyond that and her guns. Also, while Faith and Chell were pretty meh characters, they weren't completely bland, they were at least given a little motivation for their actions, and Faith had some backstory to her.[/QUOTE] Faith had some backstory, but Chell was a nonexistent character beyond her physical appearance. No voice, no personality, no backstory, nothing.

[QUOTE=SoaringScout;45249882]It's objectifying because she has exaggerated features generally considered attractive with a lot of focus put on how attractive she is. I read that the developers intended her to be sexy for the sake of being empowering and I understand that her character was revolutionary for it's time as it opened up the industry to stronger female protagonists, but she obviously sexualized for a specific audience and a lot of the [URL="https://flic.kr/p/Ns6MP"]marketing[/URL] for her sells her as a sex object. And like I said, it's forgivable as it's a product of its time, [B]but it's not something modern developers should consider exemplary[/B].[/QUOTE] I don't know dude, it's working really well for Bayonetta. Maybe it has less to do with cup size and more to do with the character's actions, I mean just because people flaunt their sizable assets doesn't mean they're incompetent floozies!

[QUOTE=katbug;45249856]Nobody's getting mad if you make male characters in ANY fashion. They can be as flamboyant, sexy, stereotypical, whatever, as ANYONE wants to make them, with zero negative consequences. Meanwhile if Female characters are made in certain ways, people get up in arms in two seconds flat.[/QUOTE] i get your point but lead characters are almost always limited to the same archetypes regardless of gender

[QUOTE=JeanLuc761;45249934]Faith had some backstory, but Chell was a nonexistent character beyond her physical appearance. No voice, no personality, no backstory, nothing.[/QUOTE] She was described slightly in the comics as being the type who'd never give up, it was also hinted that she was related to someone who worked at Aperture, and at the time of Portal 2 you see that she's sort of become a bit of a legend to the other denizens of the facility. Not much, but something. Although, I just said she was given some motivation, I admit her backstory was near nonexistent. She had an actual goal she was trying to achieve, that right there is the bare minimum for any character.

[QUOTE=Zukriuchen;45249965]i get your point but lead characters are almost always limited to the same archetypes regardless of gender[/QUOTE] Characters in general need to follow those guidelines, or the characters are complained about by groups. and if you'll notice, several of the groups are contradictory

[QUOTE=katbug;45250042]Characters in general need to follow those guidelines, or the characters are complained about by groups. and if you'll notice, several of the groups are contradictory[/QUOTE] i was talking about lead characters specifically though, as were you

[QUOTE=MoonlessNight;45249878][img]http://vividgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Duke-Nukem-Forever1-1.jpg[/img] Strong character with idealised body. Unoffensive. [img]http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M8NCz4G62Vc/UVC9Sd-8PzI/AAAAAAAADFo/v0PVwLDVIlo/s640/Lara+Croft+Tomb+Raider+Classic+1+pistol.jpg[/img] Strong character with idealised body. [B]Offensive.[/B] [img]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ezr3_AyX59Q/UVC9bXadLfI/AAAAAAAADFw/QqHcu5FdRRI/s640/Lara+Croft+Tomb+Raider+PC+Screenshot.jpg[/img] She's weaker, cries a lot and almost gets raped. A real woman![/QUOTE] Duke Nukem is an idealized body for your average male (and not to mention a parody). Lara Croft is an idealized body for a woman according to a straight male. She's a strong, revolutionary character, but marketing treats her like a sex object. I'm not denying that she's empowering, but she shouldn't be the only type of female character considered good, and while her appearance can definitely be argued as empowering in itself, it's marketed to appeal to straight male gamers. In modern times, a female character being marketed in the mainstream the same way would be disrespectful to the obviously huge portion of gamers who are straight females. Also, the new Lara Croft is strong in the sense that she overcomes great adversity regardless of her being a somewhat normal person. She has a pretty appearance, but it's not in a blatantly objectifying way. She looks a lot more like a normal person. Nice-looking enough to be appealing as a character to anybody, but not sexually objectifying.

[QUOTE=SoaringScout;45250077]Duke Nukem is an idealized body for your average male (and not to mention a parody). [B]Lara Croft is an idealized body for a woman according to a straight male.[/B] She's a strong, revolutionary character, but marketing treats her like a sex object. I'm not denying that she's empowering, but she shouldn't be the only type of female character considered good, and while her appearance can definitely be argued as empowering in itself, it's marketed to appeal to straight male gamers. In modern times, a female character being marketed in the mainstream the same way would be disrespectful to the obviously huge portion of gamers who are straight females. Also, the new Lara Croft is strong in the sense that she overcomes great adversity regardless of her being a somewhat normal person. She has a pretty appearance, but it's not in a blatantly objectifying way. She looks a lot more like a normal person. Nice-looking enough to be appealing as a character to anybody, but not sexually objectifying.[/QUOTE] I don't know dude, I've met plenty of women who like that kind of body.

I don't think Faith is as bad as you guys make her out to be! The only thing they really do wrong in Mirror's Edge is brush the (originally rich before it was cut) backstory under the rug. Besides this the cutscenes do provide a fair amount of good stuff. It's not a problem with the character itself. Mirror's Edge 2, from what we've seen in the trailers, fixes the shallowness of the scenario, so that will be great.

faith isn't a bad character, just needs more depth to her and like you said, hopefully Mirrors Edge 2 will fix that.

Also, Faith was asian, whereas the huge majority of video game protagonists are caucasian, so that's +1 for diversity [editline]30th June 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Canuhearme?;45249959]I don't know dude, it's working really well for Bayonetta. Maybe it has less to do with cup size and more to do with the character's actions, I mean just because people flaunt their sizable assets doesn't mean they're incompetent floozies![/QUOTE] There are feminist critiques of Bayonetta, however there are feminists who see Bayonetta as an empowering representation of femininity, even with her entirely unrealistic proportions. When I played the game I thought they were trying to flip the statu quo on its head, sometimes it worked really well, sometimes it didn't. I don't think anyone is advocating for the total elimination of sexy ladies in games. I think they would prefer if there were more dimensions to their personalities though!

[QUOTE=MaxOfS2D;45250131] There are feminist critiques of Bayonetta, however there are feminists who see Bayonetta as an empowering representation of femininity, even with her entirely unrealistic proportions. When I played the game I thought they were trying to flip the statu quo on its head, sometimes it worked really well, sometimes it didn't. I don't think anyone is advocating for the total elimination of sexy ladies in games. I think they would prefer if there were more dimensions to their personalities though![/QUOTE] But then why are people whining about old Lara when she's a perfect example of a sexy lady done right?!

I don't see how people are comparing the 2013 Lara to the old one. "hurr she isnt a strong emotionless badass anymore" Well yeah, unless I missed something the reboot is a kind of 'prequel', before she turns into a badass. That game is what turns her into the badass. And of course during the gameplay she's merciless, what are they going to do, make your screen blur out every time you try and kill someone? If you want to roleplay her emotional difficulties killing people you're free to do so but she's just killing to survive.