Video games were often called out for their lack of proper representation for women. However, there are plenty of video games since the early days that feature great female protagonists and female leads. Diverse representation has become a big talking point in the industry, so many games are working towards creating more room for diverse characters in their stories. With that being said, here are the ten best video games with female leads:
10. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Assassin’s Creed is a popular franchise overall, with Assassin’s Creed Syndicate taking you to Industrial-era London. In AC: Syndicate, you get to play as Evie Frye and Jacob Frye. Although Evie is not playable on her own like some of the other games let you do on this list, she’s still a great character.
9. Resident Evil 3 (2020)
The remake of Resident Evil 3 back in 2020 gave us the story of Jill Valentine. She is one of the lead roles, alongside Carlos Riviera.
Resident Evil 3 tells the story of Jill and her escape from Racoon City. It also tells the story of her being pursued by Nemesis. Resident Evil is arguably one of the most famous franchises in all of horror, so it makes sense to include it on this list.
8. Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst
Faith Connors from Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is definitely a great female lead. She is a “runner,” which is a person who transports items to groups trying to hide from the government. Her role has often been praised and her abilities are great. Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is certainly a fun game.
7. Silent Hill 3
Silent Hill 3 is technically a sequel to the first Silent Hill game, but it’s the third released in the franchise. A bit confusing, I know. However, Silent Hill 3 features a female lead named Heather Mason. She is a teenager who gets separated from her father in a shopping mall. Heather tries to find him, but the world she’s in begins to take a very dark turn.
6. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey features a canon main character named Kassandra. Players can also choose to take on the role of Alexios, but Kassandra is the true lead of the title.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a very popular game that lets you go through Ancient Greece as a mercenary, taking down cultists and going head-on in side missions and battles.
5. Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best PlayStation exclusive titles and also features one of the most popular female leads in video games: Aloy.
She is considered one of the best as well due to her character being smart, resourceful, adventurous, and more. Aloy lives in a post-apocalyptic world that is overrun with mechanical dinosaurs and conflicts all over.
4. Tomb Raider
Lara Croft may have gotten her start as being a bit of an oversexualized female lead, but since then, she has gotten a lot of changes. Lara Croft is resourceful, adventurous, feminine, and powerful. She’s also famous and iconic for a reason.
The Tomb Raider reboots have been big hits for a reason, and Lara Croft is definitely one of them. She is really a pioneer for female protagonists in video games.
3. The Walking Dead
The Walking Dead features one of the coolest female leads: Clementine. She isn’t the focus of the games at first, but her story is very great in the series.
Clementine must take on a survival role in this world overrun by zombies. Although she’s pretty young, she helps protect others and is very brave. Overall, she’s a great female lead.
2. Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is pretty terrifying as far as games go. Hellblade is all about Senua grappling with psychosis and mental illness as she tries to rescue the sole of her dead lover. The game is pretty terrifying, with plenty of violence and horror throughout. However, Senua tackles the monsters head-on and is a well-written character.
1. Resident Evil 2 (2019)
We’re back to Resident Evil, but this time we’re taking a look at the remake of Resident Evil 2. Claire is certainly one of the most beloved characters by fans in the Resident Evil franchise. She’s strong and has great development in the story.
Aside from that, Resident Evil 2 is insanely popular and is regarded as one of the best in the series. So, you’ll definitely have no shortage of fun with this. Claire is definitely one of the best female leads in video games.
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