|
Opinion
|
|
Video games are still a relatively young and immature entertainment medium, and sadly it is the female characters of that medium that suffer the most for it. More often than not females are portrayed as either helpless victims, or gun toting vixens in clothing that would be more fitting for burlesque than combat.
I understand that these faults are not entirely that of the video game industry but that of film and TV as well. Video games, as a younger entertainment medium have inherited many of the themes I have mentioned from these genres. That said, TV and film are light years ahead of where they used to be in terms of their portrayal of woman but sadly video games are still clinging to the old clichés.
With that said I feel there are a few game franchises that have given woman more realistic and mature roles. One of them, believe it or not, is Final Fantasy. With the launch of Final Fantasy XIII, many have praised the game (including me) for its ground breaking achievements. One achievement, however, that I feel has been overlooked is how the game has helped reinforce a more realistic image of woman with its leading lady Lightning.
At first glance Lightning doesn't appear to be any great beacon of female strength but looks can be deceiving. If you have played the game you learn early on that Lightning has more grit than any other heroine in Final Fantasy history.
At the opening of the game you learn that Lightning is on a mission to save her sister. She doesn't seek the help or guidance of anyone else, she chooses on her own to go save her and nothing is going to stop her. You also learn that Lightning served in the military and is a born leader. She also has a temper and will often take it out on her sister's Fiancée by punching him in the face. Trust us he kind of deserved it at the time.
The thing about Lightning that impresses me the most is that she is a strong female character but she avoids the terrible cliché of being a vixen. I will admit that Lightning's clothing is not really indicative of a member of the military but it is no where near the overly sexed garb we are subjected to in many action games. It is a sad truth but there are very few games that portray woman as strong without being lewd. Except for a few gems, the majority of games within the action genre will only portray woman as strong if they ware next to nothing and are promiscuous.
The point I am trying to make is this; woman can be portrayed as beautiful and strong while being realistic. Trust us, it is possible, Lightning along with a number of other great examples are proof of that. I am not saying that it is unrealistic for a woman to be strong and provocative at the same time. What I am saying is that gaming pushes the overly sexed female role to the point of being totally unbelievable. It is one of the oldest clichés of the industry and one the things that is holding us back from becoming a more mature entertainment medium.
 |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
