There are a lot of things to say about female video game characters which have already been said. They dress ridiculously (often pandering to male fantasies), they act stereotypically, and generally don't stray too far from standardized gender roles. They are often static, one dimensional, and lack a sense of realism. Female characters are created to appeal to the majority of players, which has always been men. However, recent statistics show that over 40% of gamers are actually women (ESRB). With a growing female population of gamers, video game design will have to adapt and evolve to appeal to both men and women.
I believe the most important aspect of female video game characters that will have to evolve is identity. As mentioned most female characters lack any agency and are very static in character growth and development. In order to move forward in creating believable female characters with their own identity, it's important to acknowledge examples done right and done horribly wrong.
In this edition of Boobs, Beauty & Bad-Assery, I'm going to investigate several examples of the voice of female characters and how it influences their identity.
I would like to first look at Portal and Portal 2, one of few games with almost all female characters. When Portal begins, you find yourself looking around a small chamber with absolutely no instruction on what to do next. You can't see yourself, but you know that you are trapped. As the game continues, you begin to learn how to solve the tests with portals and soon you're calculating your next jump like a physicist. Your character never speaks, and you begin to assume it's just a way to better align you with the character. I played almost the entire game without even thinking about seeing or hearing the protagonist. Then, as I placed two portals in view of each other, I saw her. You play as a young woman, probably in her early 20s. She's in an orange jumpsuit, similar to that of a prisonner uniform, with her dark hair tied up in a ponytail. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was playing as a female character. I was even more surprised that the game didn't rely on showing her off. You have to work to even see her. Apart from her not sexual look, what surprised me even more is her lack of a voice. She did not speak once the entire game. She simply follows commands. Her silence begs the question, does she have an identity or agency of any kind?
It is very difficult to learn anything about her on your first play-through of Portal. Anything information about her is found, not given. The player isn't spoon fed anything. I believe this tactic aligns the player with Chell (You find out her name in the game) due to her own state of confusion. She is looking to uncover information about her past and who she is, just as much as the player is. This search for identity allows the character to grow with the more information they learn about themselves. Portal 2 does an excellent job of providing more back story to the game's protagonist and even offers multiple interpretations of the character's relationship to the lab she is trapped in. I believe Portal and Portal 2 do an excellent job of using voice, or lack thereof, to allow the player to fill in their own interpretations of Chell's identity, further aligning the player and the protagonist.
In contrast to the character of Chell, my next example is the ever popular Lara Croft. Past games aside, I'd like to focus on her newest segment of the Tomb Raider franchise due out in 2012. I'd also like to note that I'm basing my opinions on the trailer and game demo released, so it may change as more information about the game is unveiled. Lara Croft is essentially the female version of Indiana Jones. She raids tombs, collects artifacts, and prevents powerful items from falling into the wrong hands. She is athletic, beautiful, wealthy and has a high social standing. The new game is a prequel of sorts featuring a younger, less "sexy" version of the traditional Lady Croft. As much as I believe this new Lara is a step in the right direction, her voice leaves the residue of her past sex appeal.
Throughout the 2011 E3 demo of Tomb Raider, Lara Croft is beaten, lost, and injured. She isn't confident in her adventuring skills and it's interesting to see such a vulnerable protagonist. The developers took a step backwards with her character development by diving into what made Lara into the Lara she is today. At first glance, Lara appears to have lost her famed sex appeal - but by just listening to the demo, you can easily find it. Her moans of pain sound more like the moans of a porn star. Without the visuals, her voice doesn't arouse images of pain and injury, but of sex and pleasure. Even though her character is developing and growing, she still portrays a sexualized, fantasized character. To me, this sexualization isn't necessary and is even odd in this new Tomb Raider game and for that, I believe it's a bad example of voice and character identity.
These two examples highlight how voice can function very differently in developing character identity. Hopefully we can see more female characters in the future with unconventional uses of voice, that aren't always oversexualized or stereotypical.
Next Boobs, Beauty & Bad-Assery, I'm going to focus on costumes and apparel of female characters and how that influences their identity.
As always,
LadySnip3r
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