AmericanWiki: Cultural Practices: Women as Characters in Video Games: Voice of God
Women as the Voice of God
This is a sub-page of Women Characters in Video Games
Even when women do appear as characters on the battlefield, they are often incorporeal or out of reach, guiding the player and sometimes giving help in puzzles
Halo fits this perfectly with Cortana, an artificial-intelligence character who is almost never seen but constantly heard, directing the player in nearly every move. Occasionally she removes obstacles via hacking
She is integral to the plot, but though she has an appealingly constructed image, never has a physical body. Instead, she is part of the player-character and her health is dependent on his well-being
Halo also includes a support female, Foehammer, whose portrayal is somewhat positive
Drop-ship pilot, obviously highly skilled in a traditionally male role
Does not enter into any romantic relationship
But she is never seen, only heard
Still, her character is established enough that her death near the end is emotionally significant
Gears of War features a slightly more complex character, Anya Stroud
Communications officer, she gives the player orders
Is sometimes present in the front-lines, but always just before or after danger
Develops a romantic interest with one of the player-characters
In later games does join the player as a fellow front-line combat soldier (positive)
Borderlands has a small number of female characters, including one female enemy (though the player never actually gets to fight her) of primary interest is “Angel”
Though it is pretty obvious from the beginning, it is not explicitly stated until the end that “Angel” is actually an artificial intelligence (or at least very distant woman) operating through a satellite labeled “4N631” (“Angel” in l33tsp34k)
Other women include the “administrator” of New Haven, who also gives missions and stays out of combat
She is motherly and cares first for the people of her town
Obviously tough but damaged by a hard life (scars, prosthetic leg)
Charges the players with cleaning up their own messes
Tannis also gives the player missions, and is clearly mentally unstable, but must be rescued at one point late in the game
Lilith, the playable female character of the “siren” class, who is proficient in firearms but relies primarily on semi-magical abilities. Magician.
Works Cited
This is a list of works cited on this page. To see a list of works cited for the whole article, as well as short annotations, click here.
AmericanWiki: Cultural Practices: Women as Characters in Video Games: Voice of God
Comments (0)
You don't have permission to comment on this page.