2017 has been an absolute banner year for our leading ladies, in both major releases and indie darlings. But what sticks out to me the most isn't just the quality of these characters, but the variety.
We've come a long way since arguably the first female icon of gaming, Samus Aran, made her debut in 1986. If only she could see how our ladies have taken the industry by storm since then...
...wait a minute.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen! Call it luck, call it destiny, call it not wanting to be left out of the festivities - call it whatever you like, but don't call it a comeback! The Great Dame of Video Games herself hit the limelight once again in 2017, and it wasgood great cool fantastic MOTHERF*****G AWESOME!
2017 was a time of uncertainty and anxiety in our lives, perhaps particularly in America, but certainly the world over as well. Speaking about gaming in particular, we've seen a lot of controversies and a lot of systemic issues in the way the industry works today. Winston Churchill once described history as "one damn thing after another," and to be frank, that's often how I've felt reading gaming news over the course of this year. Even in the stricter context of female representation, we've also dealt with our fair share of issues, many of which have been discussed eloquently and passionately in another currently active thread.
But despite all that, despite loot boxes, despite GamerGaters sticking around like the chewed gum smeared in dogsh*t on the bottom of the industry's shoe - despite all of that, I really want to celebrate the amazing work our developers have done in bringing to life so many fantastic female leads. Whether they were archetypal badasses or grappled with complex questions of self-identity - each and every single one of them brought something unique to players around the world, and they should all be recognized, together, as the characters who made this one of the BEST YEARS EVER for gaming.
So, without further ado - give it up for the leading ladies themselves! Let me know what your favorite character was, and definitely let me know if I've missed any!
2B (NieR: Automata)
Aloy (Horizon: Zero Dawn)
Alyssa (Cosmic Star Heroine)
Amy (Tacoma)
Billie (Dishonored: Death of the Outsider)
Chloe and Nadine (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy)
Chloe (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)
Edie Finch (What Remains of Edith Finch)
Hat Kid (A Hat in Time)
Kat (Gravity Rush 2)
Mae (Night in the Woods)
SamusFUCKING Aran (Metroid: Samus Returns)
Sebille (Divinity: Original Sin 2)
Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice)
- There were the no-nonsense badasses. 2B from NieR: Automata might wrestle with her own emotions and humanity, but she also eats killer robots for breakfast. Alyssa from Cosmic Star Heroine is a master-class covert specialist that can solo entire enemy teams when she gets in a groove. Chloe and Nadine from Uncharted: The Lost Legacy pulled off some crazy stunts that redefined the word "epic." And of course - who could forget our favorite robot dinosaur slayer, Aloy from Horizon: Zero Dawn?!
- There were the leads who were cute as a button. Kat from Gravity Rush 2 continues to melt hearts faster than a microwave melts chocolate - and Hat Kid from A Hat in Time makes you want to reach through the TV and give her a big ol' hug!
- There were the complex, multifaceted characters with their own vulnerabilities and uncertainties. Senua from Hellblade grappled with her own mental health as she embarked on a powerful journey of self-acceptance and forgiveness. Edie from What Remains of Edith Finch developed into a heartbreakingly powerful character as we explored the Finch family tree. And Mae Borowski from Night in the Woods was perhaps the most relatable protagonist of the year, an anthropomorphic cat exploring the uncertainty of transitioning from adolescence into adulthood.
We've come a long way since arguably the first female icon of gaming, Samus Aran, made her debut in 1986. If only she could see how our ladies have taken the industry by storm since then...
...wait a minute.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen! Call it luck, call it destiny, call it not wanting to be left out of the festivities - call it whatever you like, but don't call it a comeback! The Great Dame of Video Games herself hit the limelight once again in 2017, and it was
2017 was a time of uncertainty and anxiety in our lives, perhaps particularly in America, but certainly the world over as well. Speaking about gaming in particular, we've seen a lot of controversies and a lot of systemic issues in the way the industry works today. Winston Churchill once described history as "one damn thing after another," and to be frank, that's often how I've felt reading gaming news over the course of this year. Even in the stricter context of female representation, we've also dealt with our fair share of issues, many of which have been discussed eloquently and passionately in another currently active thread.
But despite all that, despite loot boxes, despite GamerGaters sticking around like the chewed gum smeared in dogsh*t on the bottom of the industry's shoe - despite all of that, I really want to celebrate the amazing work our developers have done in bringing to life so many fantastic female leads. Whether they were archetypal badasses or grappled with complex questions of self-identity - each and every single one of them brought something unique to players around the world, and they should all be recognized, together, as the characters who made this one of the BEST YEARS EVER for gaming.
So, without further ado - give it up for the leading ladies themselves! Let me know what your favorite character was, and definitely let me know if I've missed any!
2B (NieR: Automata)
Aloy (Horizon: Zero Dawn)
Alyssa (Cosmic Star Heroine)
Amy (Tacoma)
Billie (Dishonored: Death of the Outsider)
Chloe and Nadine (Uncharted: The Lost Legacy)
Chloe (Life is Strange: Before the Storm)
Edie Finch (What Remains of Edith Finch)
Hat Kid (A Hat in Time)
Kat (Gravity Rush 2)
Mae (Night in the Woods)
Samus
Sebille (Divinity: Original Sin 2)
Senua (Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice)
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