20 Best Female Protagonist Video Games
There are plenty of great games where you play as a male protagonist. If you want to play an action hero, detective, or space marine, numerous titles are available for selection. What if you want to play a female action hero, detective, or space marine?
Well, then, you are in luck. There are also plenty of great games where you can play as a female protagonist. The games on this list are the pinnacle of female empowerment in gaming.
Female Protagonist Games
Gone are the days when it was difficult to find female protagonist games. The time is changing, and now you can find various games featuring female protagonists. Continue reading to explore these amazing games.
Wonderbook: Walking with Dinosaurs
In Wonderbook: Walking with Dinosaurs, you can take on the role of an intrepid palaeontologist as you travel around the world, collecting fossils and learning about prehistoric life.
The game combines a book and a video game; it features touch-enabled and interactive pages, with illustrations of dinosaurs and other animals in the middle of each page. You'll be able to flip through each page from start to finish by tapping on them, but you can also zoom in or out using your fingers.
You'll have to use your wits to collect fossils while travelling around the globe. Some are concealed from view, while others require skilful sleuthing. Once you've found all the fossils within a specific area (whether a city or an island), you'll be able to examine them at a museum, where they'll be displayed for viewing by other players who have also explored that area.
If you want to learn anything about dinosaurs while having fun without memorising facts or reading boring textbooks, this game is just what you need. You can use your wand in Wonderbook: Walking with Dinosaurs as an interactive object that allows you to explore different parts of the world. And if that's not enough for you, there are plenty of mini-games and activities to keep everyone busy.
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a third-person action-adventure game among female protagonist games developed by Ninja Theory and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The game was released in 2017 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Senua is a Celtic warrior who travels to the land of Norse gods after receiving a vision from her deceased lover. Her journey takes her through the wilderness, where she must overcome many obstacles, including her mental illness. Senua's psychosis causes her to hallucinate visions of a demon who attempts to drive Senua insane.
Based on Norse mythology, the game features a combat system that allows players to engage in melee combat, use dual-wielding weapons, dodge rolls, and evade enemy attacks.
Child of Light
Child of Light is a game about a young girl named Aurora who must save her hometown from a mysterious force that has devastated the land. She does this by travelling to other worlds and meeting with spirits to learn how to defeat this evil.
It's an RPG with a simple premise, but it's got some interesting ideas and gameplay mechanics. You control Aurora's movements with the left stick, and the right stick controls her magic attacks. The game lets you switch between two playable characters at any time, which adds another layer of strategy since each character has different skills and abilities.
The art style is beautiful, with lots of brightly-coloured backgrounds that pop when you're in them! It looks like they took inspiration from Lewis Carroll's Alice books at first glance; the characters are all characterised by their eyes and hair colour (or lack thereof), making them look like they stepped out of one of Carroll's illustrations.
She comes across many obstacles along the way and must make choices that will affect her relationships with others and the game's outcome.
Alien: Isolation
The Creative Assembly and Sega worked together to create the first-person horror game Alien: Isolation. It was made available on PlayStation 4 in 2014. The player takes on the role of Amanda Ripley, daughter of Ellen Ripley, who has gone missing after venturing out into space in search of answers about her mother's disappearance. Aliens and Alien: Isolation events are interspersed throughout the game.
Ripley is trying to escape an alien threat that has infected her ship with a pathogen that turns humans into hostile creatures known as "infected." It is possible to play as either Amanda Ripley or Dallas, a rookie member of the crew who finds herself infected early in the game.
In your quest to escape the station, you'll need to avoid getting caught by aliens and ensure you don't get too close to other humans if you want them alive. You'll also need to find supplies for yourself and others so that everyone has enough food for their journey out.
If you're playing alone or with friends, these are simple tasks. Still, if you are playing solo in an alien-infested environment with limited resources like water and batteries daily, it gets harder every day.
Bayonetta
It is a video game series created by Hideki Kamiya and produced by Platinum Games. The first title in the series, Bayonetta, was released in 2009 on the Wii. The game follows protagonist Bayonetta as she fights angels to save her town from their assault. She uses magical powers to fight them and other demons throughout the game.
The second instalment in the series, Bayonetta 2, was released in Japan in 2014 for the PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows. The game follows Bayonetta as she continues her fight against angels and demons. It was available worldwide on PC, PS4, and Xbox One with enhanced graphics and additional content.
Bayonetta is a third-person shooter video game. The virtual metropolis of Vigrid serves as the setting for the game, where players take control of Bayonetta, a witch who uses guns in battle. The story follows her as she fights demons, angels, and other supernatural beings.
Bayonetta is an original story about a woman who fights demons using her hair, legs, and weapons of choice. Bayonetta has been described as "fast-paced" and "memorable."
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
In Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, you play Chloe Frazer, a young woman looking to get back the treasure she lost in her last adventure. The game has a lot of action and adventure gameplay. It also has puzzles, fighting enemies, and platforming elements. You'll find yourself running from one place to another with very little time for rest or relaxation because there are so many things going on in this game.
The graphics are amazing, making the environments vivid and beautiful. The music adds to the atmosphere of each level and makes it more realistic than other games today. It is an exciting ride with many twists and turns as Chloe and Nadine try to get their hands on this legendary artefact.
This game features many different types of characters from different cultures and backgrounds, making it more enjoyable than most games of its genre. There are also many locations around Madagascar where you can explore and fight against enemies like pirates or wild animals.
Celeste
Celeste is a game about a girl who has to rescue her family member from a monster. The player controls Celeste and must use her skills to climb and jump around the world, finding items to help her in her quest for the sister. She can also use a grappling hook, which allows her to swing across gaps.
The game's story follows Celeste as she seeks out her missing sister in an abandoned tower where monsters hide. The environment changes depending on where you are in the tower; if you're close to an exit, the walls may be old and crumbling; if you're further down a corridor, they may have been recreated and painted recently.
Celeste can jump up onto ledges that lead to new areas of the tower. For example: if she jumps on top of a platform but doesn't have enough momentum to continue climbing onto it, she'll slide down and fall into another room instead.
The game opens with you waking up on the side of a mountain, disoriented and confused but determined to continue your climb. You don't know why you're there or what happened, but you need to keep moving forward.
As you climb, the world around you changes, but not all at once. It's a slow transformation that requires intense focus on your surroundings and careful consideration of each step you take.
The Quarry
Supermassive Games and 2K are behind the interactive drama/horror video game The Quarry. Under the power of the players, nine teenage counsellors must make it through their final night at Hackett's Quarry Summer Camp while dodging otherworldly beings and hostile campers.
Playing this game isn't difficult, but that's actually to its advantage. Compared to the other Supermassive games, there are only a few straightforward QTEs, but they feel much more natural here.
The Quarry's gameplay actions can take many different shapes. You'll need to react to unforeseen Quick Time Events, and split-second decision prompts, define your counsellor's personality with dialogue choices, and occasionally even use an excellent ol' shotgun.
The Quarry lasts approximately 10 hours while concentrating on the significant goals. It will probably take about 18 hours to finish the game if you're a gamer who wants to explore every aspect.
Tomb Raider
Tom Raider is an action-adventure video game series created by British company Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive. The series follows the adventures of the female archaeologist Lara Croft as she travels the world in search of ancient artefacts and lost cities. The games combine elements of exploration and puzzle-solving with action sequences and platforming.
The original games in the series were developed for DOS, PlayStation, and Sega Saturn and were released between 1996 and 1998. The games were widely acclaimed, spawning numerous sequels and spin-offs.
As of 2018, Shadow of the Tomb Raider has been released as the series's latest instalment. The series has also inspired a film adaptation and several comic books. The games are known for their detailed environments and puzzles and the iconic character of Lara Croft. The games have sold over 60 million units worldwide and have been praised for their wide variety of gameplay styles and their strong female protagonist.
Tales of Berseria
Tales of Berseria is a story-driven RPG for the PlayStation 4. You play as Velvet, a half-elf raised by humans in a world where calamities have brought humanity dangerously close to extinction.
The story follows Velvet, a woman who wants to become more than what she was born into, life as a soldier for the empire, with no room for anything else. In her quest to establish herself in society, she is drawn into an epic conflict between two magical beings fighting for control over an entire kingdom.
The game is filled with fighting scenes, but it's also full of moments where you can see how Velvet is developing as a person, whether through conversations with other characters or just by learning more about her past as she gets closer to completing her quest. You'll see plenty of female characters throughout the game, from bosses like Laphicet and Zaveid to minor NPCs like Velvet's mentor, who helps guide her along the way.
The Last of Us Part II
For the PlayStation 4, Naughty Dog and Sony Interactive Entertainment created the post-apocalyptic action-adventure game The Last of Us Part II. It is the follow-up to the video game The Last of Us from 2013.
Set five years after the events of its predecessor, the game follows Ellie, who sets out on a revenge mission after discovering a devastating truth. The game's development began in 2014 and was first announced at PlayStation Experience 2016.
On June 19, 2020, a second instalment of The Last of Us was made available. The game received universal acclaim upon release, with critics praising its narrative, characterisation, thematic depth, visual fidelity, and improved gameplay mechanics.
Players take control of Ellie while playing the game from a third-person perspective. Players can employ firearms, homemade weapons, and stealth to protect themselves against hostile people and cannibalistic creatures infected by a mutant strain of the Cordyceps fungus.
Players must scavenge limited resources from the environment, such as ammunition and crafting items, to survive. Using collected items, players can craft and upgrade items, such as health kits, shivs, and weapons. Players can also upgrade their skills, such as increasing health and listening abilities, with earned skill points.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a game that focuses on the character development of its female characters, which is an important and unique feature of this game. The main character is Kassandra, a woman raised to be a general's daughter. As such, she has been trained in war and combat since she was young. She has also spent time as one of the most trusted members of her father's army.
Kassandra may have learned how to fight and survive in war, but this does not mean that she has always been good at it. She has made many mistakes throughout her life which have caused pain to both herself and those around her. However, through these experiences, she has learned something invaluable, like forgiving others who have wronged her. Her role in this game will be important because it will allow her to forgive others when they are also wrong here.
Another important aspect of Kassandra's character development is that she does not take things at face value. She can see things from multiple angles and can think outside of the box when looking at problems or issues within society.
Many different things make this game stand out from other games, such as the ability to customise your character's appearance and having different outfits available at all times, giving you even more options when creating your character's look while playing. You also have access to different weapons.
Mirror's Edge: Catalyst
A first-person arcade shooter called Mirror's Edge: Catalyst was created by DICE and released by Electronic Arts. Like its predecessors, the game takes place in a future where people live in large cities and use technology to communicate with each other.
The player takes on the role of Faith Connors, an experienced runner who works for a company called Mirror's Edge Catalyst. She must evade authorities while running through the city streets and escaping from various groups of people who are trying to kill her.
Rhianna Pratchett authored the narrative and focused on themes such as freedom and oppression in present-day society. The player controls Faith as she runs through various environments to complete objectives while dodging obstacles that impede her progress, such as security cameras.
Bright Memory
Bright Memory is a fast-paced first-person shooter developed and published by Chinese indie game studio FYQD-Studio. Microsoft Windows is a platform on which the game is playable, and it also on Xbox One on April 30, 2020.
A sci-fi future is shown in the game's setting and follows the story of an agent named Shelia. Players take control of Shelia as she investigates a mysterious organisation called the 'Supernatural Science Research Organization.'
The organisation is responsible for various strange phenomena occurring worldwide, and it is up to Shelia to uncover the truth behind their plans. The gameplay in Bright Memory revolves around various weapons and abilities and fast and furious platforming sections.
Players can use various weapons, such as assault rifles, shotguns, pistols, grenades, and more. In addition, the player has access to various special abilities, such as a bullet-time effect, slow motion, wall-running, and a special teleportation ability. The game also features various enemies, ranging from robotic drones to giant monsters.
Players must use the variety of weapons and abilities at their disposal to defeat these enemies, as well as complete a variety of environmental puzzles. Bright Memory is an action-packed experience, providing players with an intense and thrilling experience they'll be glued to their seats. The various weapons and abilities at the player's disposal and the intense platforming sections make for a unique and engaging experience.
Half-Life: Alyx
Alyx Vance is one of the most important characters in Half-Life. She was the first person Valve developed for Half-Life, and her role in the game's events was central to everything that followed.
Alyx's real name is Alyxandra Valera, but she changed it to Alyx after becoming a Resistance member. Before that, though, she had a pretty rough childhood. Her mother was a recovering alcoholic who frequently abandoned her alone without food or water when she was a little child. Her father passed away when she was just a newborn.
It led to Alyx developing a fear of being alone, so when Gordon Freeman first came into contact with her in Half-Life 2: Episode Two, he offered her protection from other scavengers by joining him on his journey through City 17. During their time together, Alyx learned how to protect herself from harm and use weapons like assault rifles and shotguns, all skills that would prove vital during both games.
Alyx has been with Gordon Freeman since Half-Life 1. In Half-Life 2, Alyx becomes more involved with fighting against Combine forces and helping Gordon Freeman. Alyx often talks with her best friend and co-worker, Gordon Freeman, and helps him fight the Combine in their mission to destroy their alien enemies.
In Half-Life 2: Episode One, Alyx is captured by the Combine and becomes one of their test subjects to discover what happened to her missing friend Alyx Vance.
Resident Evil 3
The survival horror video game Resident Evil 3 (RE3) was created and released by Capcom. The events of Resident Evil 2 are continued in this third entry in the Resident Evil series. The game was released for the PlayStation, Dreamcast, and Microsoft Windows in 1999.
The game follows Jill Valentine, a former Special Tactics And Rescue Service (S.T.A.R.S.) operative, as she attempts to escape a zombie-infested Raccoon City while being pursued by the relentless bio-weapon Nemesis.
The gameplay in RE3 is similar to its predecessor. It uses a third-person perspective, and the player must explore and solve puzzles while battling enemies. The player can use various weapons, including handguns, shotguns, and special weapons.
The game also features a dodge mechanic allowing players to evade enemy attacks quickly. In addition, the game has an online option that lets players compete against one another in a range of various game styles, including team deathmatch and hardcore match.
The game's story follows the events of RE2 and is set in the same fictional Raccoon City. The city has been circumfused with horrifying zombies and other monsters due to the previous game's events.
Jill Valentine is one of the few survivors of the incident and must escape the city while pursued by the relentless bio-weapon Nemesis. She must solve puzzles, battle enemies, and find a way to survive in the dead city.
Overall, Resident Evil 3 is an intense and thrilling survival horror game. Fans of the franchise will find plenty to enjoy in its compelling narrative and challenging gameplay.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate
The main character, Evie Frye, is a young woman raised by her father as his apprentice. When he dies, she goes on an adventure to discover what happened to him and learn more about her past. She also begins working for one of the most powerful men in London: Charles Dickens.
Evie's abilities are limited at first because she does not yet know how to use them properly. However, as she gets used to using her abilities more often and later in the game, she becomes capable of doing pretty cool things like controlling people's minds or changing their appearances just by thinking about it. This ability also makes her a great partner for Jack the Ripper since he can use this ability too.
This game is full of action sequences that keep you on your toes as you try not to fall off buildings or get killed by guards while trying to escape from someone or something else.
Players can choose between playing as Jacob Frye or Evie Frye, two characters who are unrelated but have grown up together in London's underworld. The player can switch between these two characters anytime during the game by pressing L1 (PS4) or R1 (Xbox One).
The Walking Dead
It is a story-driven game where you play as Clementine, a young girl who must survive a zombie apocalypse. The game is set in 2012 when most of humanity has been wiped out by zombies.
The Walking Dead follows Clementine's childhood as she encounters many characters along her journey to finding safety. There are five episodes in total where you can choose to play as one of 16 characters. You can also choose your fate by making decisions that affect how Clementine behaves throughout the game.
The Walking Dead has received critical acclaim from various outlets, including Game Informer, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and many more. The gameplay is very similar to other zombie games; however, the main difference is that it is set in Washington, D.C.
Portal 2
When it comes to the best female protagonist games, Portal 2 has to be on the list. The puzzles are challenging and fun, and the story is interesting and entertaining. The characters are all well-written, but there's something that makes me love this game even more: the protagonist.
The protagonist of Portal 2 is Chell, who wakes up in a test chamber with no memory of anything. She has to solve puzzles to get out of there and return home. She uses her hands as portals to travel through space and time. It's not just a fun gameplay mechanic; it also adds an emotional depth to the story that makes you care about what happens to Chell throughout the game.
There's also an antagonist in Portal 2 named GLaDOS, voiced by Ellen McLain (who also played GLaDOS in Portal 1). Her personality is easy to dislike, but she's also someone you want to be successful with because she has a strong drive for survival.
The game has two campaigns played separately: When playing in "cooperative" mode, participants collaborate to solve problems and in "Solo" mode, where players solve puzzles independently.
Horizon: Zero Dawn
Horizon: Zero Dawn is a game full of female characters. There are lots of strong women in this world who can save the day, and you get to learn about them as the events unfold.
You meet a few different characters, but Aloy is your favourite. She's a young woman who lives in the Nora tribe, which isn't very powerful but does have some interesting technology. She's also an outcast for being female and having darker skin than most other people in the area (although it doesn't seem to be a huge deal). But she's determined to prove herself and save her people from dying out, and she does it with great style.
It would be ideal if you took every precaution to avoid being wiped off by strong robotic monsters and mankind societies. To survive in this world where even the necessities are hard to come by, you will need to learn how to make your weapons, armour, and other gear.
You will need to explore the world around you and collect resources from animals or machines so that you can build better weapons and tools for yourself.
Conclusion
In the gaming industry, female protagonists are typically the exception, not the norm. Some series have proven otherwise, but they are few and far between. This blog gives you a better view of the best female protagonist games of all time. These games have been examined why they are so notable and what makes them stand out. Hope you enjoyed reading it.
FAQ's
Many video games with female protagonists, including Tomb Raider, Uncharted, The Last of Us, Bayonetta, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Life is Strange.
Yes, depending on the game. For example, some games may contain violence or mature themes, making them suitable for older audiences only.
There are many online games with female protagonists, such as League of Legends, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft.