Gaming has given us strong, independent, and fun female characters for decades. Recently, Rockstar confirmed that their GTA franchise will get its first female protagonist, Lucia, in GTA 6. The studio even released the reveal trailer for the upcoming game on October 5, 2023, and we are going to celebrate that by looking at the best games featuring female protagonists.
We are going to look at five games that are worthy of exploring just because of how the studios have built up their protagonist and the execution of their character.
Contents
- Top Five Games With Female Protagonists
- 5. Tomb Raider Reboot
- 4. Bayonetta
- 3. The Last of Us II
- 2. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- 1. Horizon Zero Dawn
Top Five Games With Female Protagonists
Games with standout female protagonists are sadly a rarity in today’s industry. While it is difficult to comprehend why developers tend to gravitate towards males when making a new video game character, the already established female ones like Claire Redfield, Lara Croft, Ellie Williams, Faith Connors, and more are known throughout gaming culture as reliable anchors in terms of plot and development.
However, we believe that the introduction of Lucia in the GTA VI trailer and the confirmation that she is going to be the main character will give other studios more incentive to make females the stars of their games. With that being said, let us drive into some of the best games with female protagonists available today.
5. Tomb Raider Reboot
- Developer: Crystal Dynamics
- Publisher: Square Enix Europe
The Tomb Raider Reboot gave us Lara Croft in uncharted territory and laid her character out bare in the first ten minutes of gameplay. She started as a rookie, scared girl who was stuck in a creepy cave but had the guts to venture forward and get herself out of trouble. Her intelligence combined with her survival instinct grew as the players advanced in the story.
The players grew with Lara in the first game while the second game titled, ‘The Rise of the Tomb Raider’ gave us a Lara who is a little more confident and in her element. The franchise reboot portrayed Lara’s resourcefulness, adaptability, and combat prowess as Camilla Luddington’s portrayal of the character steals the show.
Nevertheless, the reboot isn’t just known for its brilliant portrayal of our favorite explorer. As a matter of fact, it has great gameplay, an equally good progression and upgrade system, adventurous set pieces, beautiful graphics, well-established side characters, and thrilling boss fights. This franchise is undoubtedly the complete Lara Croft experience and you will no doubt have the time of your life as you see Lara mature throughout the games.
The franchise also borrows heavily from already established titles like Uncharted but it quickly builds its own personality. If you want a game that is an adventure and a completely new experience, then this franchise is your best bet. It is a modernized version of Lara Croft with stronger characteristics and an even bigger semi-open world.
4. Bayonetta
- Developer: Platinum Games
- Publisher: SEGA
Bayonetta was meant to be alluring from the start and the developers nailed that right from the first game. There are three different titles one can play if one wants to experience this character in her full glory. The first game was released for PC and last-generation consoles. However, the current titles released for Nintendo Switch and Wii U exclusively.
Now, talking about Bayonetta herself, the director Hideki Kamiya borrowed heavily from Scandinavian Mythology and played DMC for inspiration. Bayonetta’s core appeal is her street smarts and combat awareness even though she is closely associated with the wild side of female characters. We get a glimpse of her personality right from the start as she is portrayed as a badass, no-holds-barred character with nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Bayonetta’s moveset is flashy and that is not even the beginning of it. However, that flashiness is the major appeal of her character as she is fully confident in her combat capabilities. As the game progresses, you unlock more ways to decimate your opponents and look cool while doing it. The game’s combat does borrow from established franchises like Devil May Cry as it has a combo system and a counter that keeps track of every hit.
The game’s story is easy to understand and the pacing is quick. Bayonetta wastes no time in establishing grandiose in its set pieces as you will fight larger-than-life bosses. The game does not shy away from its innuendos and its dry humor is not for everyone. However, it steals the show in regards to gameplay. Plus, there are tons of weapons you can use to inflict pain on your enemies and learn multiple combos with.
3. The Last of Us II
- Developer: Naughty Dog
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
The Last of Us franchise gave us one of the best female characters of all time in the form of Ellie and the second game made her vengeful for all the right reasons. Our introduction to Ellie was as a goofy teenager tagging along on a journey to save the world. However, the first part of The Last of Us was focused solely on Joel, both gameplay and story-wise.
The second part is a different ball game altogether. Ellie is at the center of suffering, pain, and all those familiar emotions that started her journey in the first place. At the start of the game, she was finally in a place with Joel where she belonged. However, there was a rift between the two, and just when things started to heal, there were problems in the settlement. Hence, her journey is one of regret, pain, realization, and healing.
The second game makes her one of the most memorable female protagonists of all time. Although a lot of people disliked the direction the second part of the franchise took, it made a solid character out of Ellie. She went through a ton of emotions and that is what made her the character she is today. Plus the game has Naughty Dog’s signature gameplay with horror elements lodged into it.
The progression and upgrade system is slow and the game progresses steadily allowing you to take in the scale and absorb the story properly. The ending is not everyone would like but it is the right one for Ellie as a character.
2. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
- Developer: Ninja Theory
- Publisher: Ninja Theory
This is one of the greatest games ever made and that is a fact. It follows the story of Senua, a warrior who journeys to Helheim to free the soul of her dead lover, Dillion from Hela, the Goddess of Death. She suffers from psychosis which in the game, is portrayed as voices in her head talking to her and sometimes breaking the fourth wall. The voices are also believed to be a curse also referred to as “The Furies.”
The gameplay has elements of horror, melee combat, and puzzles. It is divided into two sections, one where Senua can freely explore her surroundings, and the other features progression through storytelling, mainly by the Furies. There is no HUD for the game as everything is kept as authentic and life-like as possible. Senua is brave and goes through a myriad of emotions throughout her journey but her determination to save her lover is never in question.
At the end of the game, you will subtly understand that the quest was never about saving her lover, it was about her and only her. The good news is, a sequel is in development. Trust us, you will need that sequel when you are done with this story.
1. Horizon Zero Dawn
- Developer: Guerilla Games
- Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
There is not a female character that is more complete and satisfying to support than Aloy. Ever since the start of her journey, we always saw her as an outsider and with no one to call her own. However, the game’s story shows her no sympathy. She keeps experiencing hardships but rises above all of her difficulties to emerge victorious. The journey of Aloy sees her fighting against a world of machines to uncover her past.
You will have adversaries of all sorts and get entangled in multiple quests, both main and side that enhance Aloy’s resolve and character even further. Moreover, Aloy has tons of equipment that can help her on the quest. We have weapons ranging from lethal tripwires, bows, and arrows to various passive buffs from the skill trees. This makes Horizon one of the most complete games out there.
One thing that stands out other than Aloy’s characterization is the game’s score. It is beautiful and often goes under the bridge just like the voice acting in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. Horizon Zero Dawn is worth investing in if you want a female character who is willing to commit and does not shy away from who she is.
There is also a sequel to this story that is currently out for consoles only. However, a PC version is set to release next year.
