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Alyx Vance is the best female character in a game.

daebo said:
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I loved her in that game. It was VERY fresh idea and character.

Oh and Captain Syrup too.
 
chandoog said:
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Don't see what so many others see in her. She's a good character who fits the paternal theme of the game nicely, but come on folks, she's not as great as Liquid and Solidus.
 
I NEED SCISSORS said:
Samus is not a good female character at all - mainly because her androgynous looking armour disguises the fact too much. Yes, you know there is a woman inside, but it's not until she's bent over in a leather catsuit at the ending screen that you fully recognise this. This is just my opinion, but a good female character exudes power while still retaining feminine attributes. That's why a character like Alyx is so good imo, because she has obvious feminine features like kind eyes and a loving smile, yet still has a powerful personality. She is the perfect balance between feminism and the masculinity required for her role.

A hulking great suit ruins any idea of Samus as a woman. Sure, you could argue that the chest plate looks a little bit like bewbs, but I don't really buy it - plenty of armour, such as the armour in ZOE, has featured such plating. You could also argue that Samus is just such a badass female character that she blurs the line between sexes, but again, I don't buy it - if it could just as easily be a man in there, then it may as well not be a woman, which just makes her a failure as a 'good female character'. And then there is the fact that she has absolutely no personality - she is like an empty shell who exhibits zero emotional depth (and that doesn't even relate to her being a woman - she could be a man and still absolutely blow as a character). But I guess that's just down to Nintendo not being able to tell complex stories or create characters that aren't cutesy mascots.
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And that's exactly why I think that she's a good character. Her feminine side doesn't have to be overexposed and I don't have to be constantly reminded that she's a woman, it makes it even more effective when a bit of that fragility shines through. It's just the way the story in the Metroid games is told. Basically, I take "I kick ass... oh btw I happen to be a woman" over "I kick as AND I'M A WOMAN!" any day of the week.
 
I'm not going to claim she is "the best" but Bonnie Macfarlane in Red Dead Redemption is a pretty solid character. Sadly, we don't really get that many missions with her, but I thought she was very nicely done.
 
Net_Wrecker said:
Winrar. Over the top > realistic portrayal.
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Uh, I can tell you that many people see her as a perfectly straight representation of the sexualization of women, and not an 'over the top' portrayal in any way.
 
Glass Soldier said:
And that's exactly why I think that she's a good character. Her feminine side doesn't have to be overexposed and I don't have to be constantly reminded that she's a woman, it makes it even more effective when a bit of that fragility shines through. It's just the way the story in the Metroid games is told. Basically, I take "I kick ass... oh btw I happen to be a woman" over "I kick as AND I'M A WOMAN!" any day of the week.
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That doesn't make her a good character though
 
One I like that hasn't been mentioned yet is Rydia from Final Fantasy IV:

200px-FFIV-Rydia_artwork.jpg


She starts off as a bratty kid, but after she is kidnapped by a giant sea monster, she comes back as a badass summoner who is vital to your team. They actually try to kick her out later in the game, but she ignores this and decides to save the world anyways.

Also, Celes

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She puts the player through an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.
 
I like Samus but I would like to see her show a bit more expression in future games. I remember liking how she came across in Metroid Fusion with the talks in the elevators(though this is her thoughts) and the sequences toward the end. It wasn't much but it gave a better idea of her personality. I love the Metroid Prime series but she doesn't come across particularly interesting in the games.

Now I feel like replaying Metroid Fusion, really liked that game.
 
Despite Lori Alan's somewhat annoying voice, I nominate THE BOSS.
She is a strong character. Stronger than most men, both intellectually and physically, and although the character has a nice feminine form her sexuality isn't exploited really. She's fully clothed the entire game and thank science for that.
 
Yoboman said:
That doesn't make her a good character though
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What does though? Samus is an extension of the player in a series that puts the most emphasis on isolated exploration. You can't tackle a character like her in the same way you'd do it with Alyx, Jade or Elena. Does a character in a video game really need a thousand lines of dialogue or, in this case, monologue to be great? I'm not one to say that games can't be story- or dialogue-heavy but I find it a bit short-sighted to ignore Samus because Sakamoto took a different approach from movies.

Also, I can't help but laugh at the people bringing up something like "Nintendo immunity". Because we can all clearly see that every single female Nintendo character has been mentioned!
 
How can anyone possibly nominate a character that falls in love with a pair of mute, floating hands as the winner of any best character contest? :lol
 
Glass Soldier said:
What does though? Samus is an extension of the player in a series that puts the most emphasis on isolated exploration. You can't tackle a character like her in the same way you'd do it with Alyx, Jade or Elena. Does a character in a video game really need a thousand lines of dialogue or, in this case, monologue to be great? I'm not one to say that games can't be story- or dialogue-heavy but I find it a bit short-sighted to ignore Samus because Sakamoto took a different approach from movies.

Also, I can't help but laugh at the people bringing up something like "Nintendo immunity". Because we can all clearly see that every single female Nintendo character has been mentioned!
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Naija from Aquaria is a better character than Samus is in the 3D Metroid games, and that's largely due to a few lines of simple but effective voiceover during your exploration.

I haven't played the Metroid games that work harder on Samus's characterization (from what I can tell, Fusion goes for this more than any other game I'm aware of), but generally, unless the stakes get very personal, it's hard to develop a mute character. In many of the Metroid games, this is how Samus comes across. She's usually completely inexpressive inside that power suit, and she never says anything.

Aquaria isn't perfect by any means, but I felt that the development of its protagonist was one of the things it really delivered on.
 
Glass Soldier said:
What does though? Samus is an extension of the player in a series that puts the most emphasis on isolated exploration. You can't tackle a character like her in the same way you'd do it with Alyx, Jade or Elena. Does a character in a video game really need a thousand lines of dialogue or, in this case, monologue to be great? I'm not one to say that games can't be story- or dialogue-heavy but I find it a bit short-sighted to ignore Samus because Sakamoto took a different approach from movies.

Also, I can't help but laugh at the people bringing up something like "Nintendo immunity". Because we can all clearly see that every single female Nintendo character has been mentioned!
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I think the assertion is that the approach they took basically kills any chance of her being a good character (female or otherwise). There are other things gained though, so it is not a problem.

Same thing with the likes of Gordon Freeman, or Link.
 
EviLore said:
Huh, looked it up and yeah, Chis Avellone wrote Kaelyn and Gannayev-of-Dreams, arguably the two best characters in MotB. I'm more of an Avellone fanboy by the hour.

Absolutely agreed on Kreia, too. I'm replaying KotOR2 right now with the restoration mod and Kreia is written tremendously. So much subtlety and nuance, no rigid moral compass, and she's actually capable of kicking Lucas in the balls and making the force an interesting part of your character.
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Wait, the restoration mod is done!?
 
April Ryan was alright until Dreamfall where her personality did a complete 180 in the interim and she became insufferable. But I don't care for Dreamfall in its entirety so maybe that is coloring my opinion.
 
MvmntInGrn said:
I like Samus but I would like to see her show a bit more expression in future games. I remember liking how she came across in Metroid Fusion with the talks in the elevators(though this is her thoughts) and the sequences toward the end. It wasn't much but it gave a better idea of her personality. I love the Metroid Prime series but she doesn't come across particularly interesting in the games.

Now I feel like replaying Metroid Fusion, really liked that game.
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Other M hopefully expand on Samus' persona , so no one doubts about her appearance in this thread :P


BTW, Chun-li. And in before: she shows skin.
 
Forkball said:
One I like that hasn't been mentioned yet is Rydia from Final Fantasy IV:

200px-FFIV-Rydia_artwork.jpg


She starts off as a bratty kid, but after she is kidnapped by a giant sea monster, she comes back as a badass summoner who is vital to your team. They actually try to kick her out later in the game, but she ignores this and decides to save the world anyways.

Also, Celes

200px-Celes_II.jpg


She puts the player through an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.
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http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/upload/2010/04/did_the_universe_start_from_a/High Five.jpeg

Though I was going to throw in

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Suck it, Lightning fans!

I think there are a lot of awesome females in the SNK Universe too. Yuki, Hibiki, Blue Mary, and King
 
sonicmj1 said:
Naija from Aquaria is a better character than Samus is in the 3D Metroid games, and that's largely due to a few lines of simple but effective voiceover during your exploration.

I haven't played the Metroid games that work harder on Samus's characterization (from what I can tell, Fusion goes for this more than any other game I'm aware of), but generally, unless the stakes get very personal, it's hard to develop a mute character. In many of the Metroid games, this is how Samus comes across. She's usually completely inexpressive inside that power suit, and she never says anything.

Aquaria isn't perfect by any means, but I felt that the development of its protagonist was one of the things it really delivered on.
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Honestly, I haven't played Aquaria but I'm not exactly talking about the 3D games as they don't really expand on the character of Samus Aran. The manga and the 2D-games do a much better job, I think.

Her interactions with other characters and species have some kind of subtlety and reflect her closed nature she imposed on herself. They are also very rare (which is in line with Samus' lonely personality). Take the Metroids for example. She's assigned to exterminate them in Metroid (Zero Mission), decides to let the Metroid infant live at the end of Metroid II, is saved by the same (now grown) Metroid at the end of Super Metroid and is finally saved thanks to Metroid-DNA in Metroid Fusion. Adam Malkovich is the other case.

Samus as a character seems interesting to me because she decided to act as the "Protector of the Universe", basically an entity without gender, as intended by the Chozo, but struggles to suppress her feminine side and humanity. That's at least how I see it.

Cep said:
I think the assertion is that the approach they took basically kills any chance of her being a good character (female or otherwise). There are other things gained though, so it is not a problem.

Same thing with the likes of Gordon Freeman, or Link.
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Oh well, I think that's a question of preference and what you want or need from the medium. I wouldn't really compare Samus to Freeman or Link. Freeman comes close but Link is just the hero-archetype.
 
I throw my vote in for Jade too. My kind of gal. Really wish BG&E2 would come out. :(

Also, runner up, GlaDOS. I don't care if she's not human, she's still alive.
 
My favorite gaming ladies?

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5. Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII)
Ok, So I know a lot of people don't like Lighting. But hey a lot of people just seem to be down on FFXIII overall. So let me start by saying that I think she is the only female FF character I have ever remotely liked. She doesn't fill the role of "damsel in distress" that has been all too common for females in FF. She's got enough melodrama, coldness, gunblades, and belt buckles to hold her own with the best male FF protagonists and she does it all with a female grace that Cloud and Squall just can't quite capture for obvious reasons (FF or not XD). She is definitely one of the few realistically designed (minus the ridiculous "Final Fantasyness") and strong willed female characters to thrive in this industry. We all knew SE wasn't about to make the protagonist of the latest entry in their top franchise a half-baked damsel in distress.


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4. Elaina Fisher (Uncharted)
Nathan Drake's right hand lady is definitely not one to be forgotten any time soon. Elaina perfectly captures the role of the strong female characters seen in action flicks. This is a pretty big deal because she is able to successfully do this with a realistic female appearance in an industry where this type of character is usually padded with T&A and no personality. She knows what she wants and she's spunky enough to prevent people from screwing her over. She can also hold her own in firefights or duels of smart ass sarcasm. Elaina is one of the few characters that can capture the female charm, sympathy, and natural beauty and bring it to the explosions and firefights of Nathan Drake's adventures.


Nariko_Heavenly_Sword_11.jpg

3. Nariko (Heavenly Sword)
Nariko is an interesting character. She almost falls in line with the "scantily clad battle bitches" that are all too common in the industry today. But Nariko doesn't have massive juggs, she doesn't exist solely to fuck the hero, the most skin she even shows is some leg. There is a believability that Ninja Theory was able to bring to the table with Nariko that really made tons of gamers all over the world show interest in a female protagonist for once. I dunno if it's the attention to detail NT put into designing/animating her, or the role of the strong female she plays in the tale of the Heavenly Sword. She is a strong female character with a back story of oppression, thrust into an epic adventure that stands up against any of the shit Kratos and Master Chief have seen. She brings some much needed beauty to the hack and slash genre and I'd definitely love to see more of her in the future.


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2. Samus Aran (Metroid)
Samus is a legendary character rooted into gaming since the 8bit era. She brings some much needed female charm to gaming's gritty Sci-fi scene with her curvy space suite and her impressive arsenal of weaponry. She is one of the few truly original female gaming creations that has stood the test of time by rolling into the hearts of fans since the early days of gaming and she has continued to draw interest with recent high-profile sequels like Metroid Prime and the upcoming Other M. She is paved the way for kickass female gaming protagonists and she aint going anywhere any time soon :D.


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1. Alyx Vance (Half-Life 2)
Like many of the other female protagonist on this list. Alyx Vance brings some believable female personality to the gaming industry. She isn't a half-naked ninja assassin or sex slave that exists only to please hundreds of sex-starved gamers. She know how to hold her own in combat and adds some nice charm to Half-life 2's narrative (hell she makes up like half of the narrative :lol). As of right now I think she is the best female character in gaming. Nuff said
 
Whoever said The Boss from MGS3 wins my vote. If ever there was a deeply conflicted, yet adamant character, that was her through and through. Made for a hell of an ending too.
 
In recent memory the best female character that I have personally come across is going to have to be Elena, just seems to be believable and very well done.

Im sure there are going to be others that I cant remember but this was my first thought when I saw the thread title.
 
Shepard because his/her personalities & mannerisms can work as a male or female character!

I also like are Chris (Suikoden III), Fran (FFXII), & Celes (FFVI).
 
Mr Jared said:
I never cared for Alyx. She never really says or does anything particularly interesting or novel. Like most of the cast of Half-Life she just sort of.. exists. Samus has always been a horrible choice. She has no character to her or personality and the only reason why we know she's a girl is because Nintendo likes to strip her naked or put her in something skin tight every so often. She's basically become their go-to source of exploitable sex appeal. She's the T-rated Bayonetta.

Jade from Beyond Good & Evil is one of my favorites but she's no Commander Shepard.

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Because if you're playing it as a dude, you're doing it wrong.
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Came to post this. Jared is the man. Although the fact it took 3 pages for this shit to appear is a disgrace. A fucking disgrace. Shame on you GAF.
 
Ducky_McGee said:
http://i30.tinypic.com/28le1br.jpg[IMG]

Your reward for completing the games with high percentages in most Metroid games is seeing her in skimpy outfits.[/QUOTE]

For some reason, people tend to forget this. Samus isn't really any better than any other female lead, but she's just a silent protagonist so no one notices.

+1 million for Boss

+1 for Elena. Even though there isn't a whole lot of character depth in those games in general, everyone is very believable.
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