Many iconic female protagonists exist in gaming, but the usual names tend to come to the fore every time we have this conversation. We all love Lara and Aloy, but there are more awesome ladies in gaming who deserve the spotlight.
There are also many if you take the time to dig deeper, and you’re missing out if you don’t. With this in mind, here’s a list of fantastic, if underrated, female leads you must check out.
10Evie Frye
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicateis one of my favorites, set in a superb recreation ofVictorian London.
We’re kicking the list off with Evie Frye, who’s part of a playable duo with her brother, Jacob. Both have great chemistry and seeing the sibling dynamic executed so well is refreshing.
Evie plays entirely differently from Jacob as well. Jacob is more bullish and headstrong, as evidenced by his fighting style and mission approach.Evie is cooler and more calculated, taking the role of a more traditional “Assassin.”
Calculated or not, Evie is still an absolute boss and is capable of racking up a tremendous body count if you prefer that play style.
Wetis a game I rarely hear about nowadays, but it’s a kickass third-person shooter starring Rubi Malone.
Wetfeels like a gloriouscombination of the Max Payne games and Stranglehold. Rubi can use bullet time to dodge gunfire and pull off ridiculous death-defying stunts. She’s not shy about a bit of blood either and is just as dangerous with firearms as she is up close with a sword.
In many ways, Wet plays like an old-school 90’s action flick.Rubisurvives impossible situations, racks up an absurd body count, and takes everything in her stride.
Rubiis a joy to play as and isunapologetically violent and potty-mouthed. If you’re able to suspend your disbelief for a few hours and don’t mind a few Quick Time Events, you’ll have a ton of fun in this intense 3D adventure game.
8Jesse Faden
Control Ultimate Edition
Controlis an eclectic single-player adventure game where you play as Jesse Faden, the new Director of the Federal Bureau of Control. The Bureau studiesParanatural Phenomenon, including “The Hiss.”
It’s tricky to reveal too much about Jesse as the story is such a critical part of the experience. That said,Jesse unlocks numerous supernatural powersthroughout the game, including telekinesis, which she can use to manipulate objects.
Jesse also wields the Service Weapon, a shapeshifting pistolthat can assume multiple forms to deal with different threats.
Compared to every other game on the list, Control has the most complicated story, and while its execution isa little divisive, Jesse is almost unanimously adored among fans.
Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
Final Fantasy Xis one of the best RPGs on the PlayStation 2.X-2is aspin-off starring Yuna, and while it’s nowhere near as good as the legendaryX, it’s still a solid title.
Honestly, Yuna, Rikku, or Paine could have made the list, butFinal Fantasy X-2is undoubtedlyYuna’s storyas she searches for Tidus, who disappeared from her life at the end of Final Fantasy X.
Yuna ditches her summoning staff for more contemporary weaponry and usesthe new Dress Sphere system. It’s essential a “job system,” with refreshingly creative skill sets.
The main story ofFinal Fantasy Xwas about Yuna’s journey to become a summoner.X-2proves she’s darn good in the spotlight as well.
It Only Took Me 25 Years To Warm To Final Fantasy 8’s Junction System
The oft-maligned system had a lot of potential.
6Aveline de Grandpre
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation
Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD
We’ve already talked aboutAssassin’s Creed Syndicate, but fewer players know about the smaller titles between mainline entries.
Assassin’s Creed Liberationstars Aveline, who can usethree different personasdepending on the situation. She can pose as a slave, lady of the house, or an Assassin, each with unique perks and abilities.
Aveline is comfortable mingling with the upper class and uses that for reconnaissance. Naturally,she’s adept at slitting throatsfrom the shadows, as you’d expect from any Assassin worth their salt.
Liberationis notably more basic than otherAssassin’s Creedgames, as it wasoriginally a PS Vita title. That said, the HD version is decent, and optimized for consoles and PCs if you want to try it.
Portal Series
Portal 1 and 2are exceptional first-person adventure games that reward precision shooting and the ability to think outside the box.The series is belovedworldwide, but I bet more people are familiar withGLaDOSand the Portal Gun than the protagonist.
You play as Chell in bothPortalgames as she navigates and escapes the Aperture Science Laboratories. Chell has no special abilities besides wieldingone of the coolest guns in gaming. She’s alsoimmune to fall damagethanks to a pair of mechanical devices around her ankles.
Chell may be a silent protagonist, but that’s to be expected from Valve, considering Gordan Freeman inHalf-Life. If you line up Portals in a certain way, you can still catch a glimpse of Portal’s enigmatic main character.
4Emily Kaldwin
Dishonored 2
TheDishonoredgames are some of my favorites, so much so that I even speedrun the original. The first game is all about Corvo, butDishonored 2also allows us to play as Emily Kaldwin, and she’s one tough cookie.
You’ll notice this theme with a few characters on the list, butEmily relies on stealth and cunningto stack the odds in her favor in combat. She’s notably more nimble than Corvo, preferring a less direct approach to fights.
Less direct or not, Emily is deadly inDishonored 2. She can summon doppelgangers to confuse enemies, and herDark Vision basically gives her wall hacks.
Thanks to arespectable list of abilities, Emily is just as lethal as Corvo and a superb addition to theDishonoreduniverse. Now, can they hurry up and announceDishonored 3, please?
Mirror’s Edge
Faith is the protagonist of theMirror’s Edgegames, a stylish and original franchise from EA.
Mirror’s Edgeis a unique series that shows offfree running from a first-person perspective. It’s a bit disorienting initially, but you’ll be wall-running like a boss before you know it.
Faith is a badass with acrobatic abilities that feel satisfyingly grounded, and she can hold her own in a fight if she needs to disarm her opponents. While she can’t defy gravity like thePrince of Persia, each stage feels like a playground, and Faith has dozens of options to approach each scenario.
It’s a crying shame that we only have twoMirror’s Edgegames, as they both showcase Faith’s parkour skills from such a sleek perspective.
Still,both titles are bangers, and the original has aged remarkably well.
2Alyx Vance
Half-Life: Alyx
As a big fan of VR gaming, I’m thrilled to talk aboutHalf-Life: Alyx.
Half-Life: Alyxis an ambitious entry in the franchise where you play as Alyx Vance,a member of the human resistance. Civilization has fallen to a lethal alien race called the Combine, and it’s up to Alyx to face them head-on.
Alyx is incredibly resourceful and feels like so much more than just a reskin of Gordan Freeman. She also feels far more relatable asshe isn’t a silent protagonist. Most of her adventures feel grounded in reality, and it’s a joy exploring the world in her shoes.
Alyx is mostly underrated because of the lofty requirements to even play her game.
First,Half-Life Alyxis aVR-only title, significantly reducing the potential player base. Even if you own a headset, you must also use Steam VR specifically and need a beefy PC to play at a comfortable frame rate.
Despite the requirements,Half-Life Alyxis an incredible VR title that I can’t recommend highly enough.
Beyond Good and Evil
Beyond Good & Evil - 20th Anniversary Edition
Jade is the protagonist of UbiSoft’sBeyond Good and Evil, and it’s a cult classic with a passionate fanbase.
At first,Beyond Good and Evilfeels like a decent 3D platformer/adventure game, but itdramatically switches gearsduring the second half. The title gets a healthy injection of Stealth gameplay later, and it’s a combination and twist that still holds up today.
Jade is a charismatic main character. She’s handy in a fight, is great at sneaking around, and is handy with a camera to boot.
Taking photos is a big part of the game and rounds off Jade’s unusual skill set.
A sequel toBeyond Good and Evilwas teased years ago, and we’ve not heard much since.I’m eagerly awaiting Jade’s return, but the cynic in me thinks it is more likely a Wii U 2 or Dreamcast 2 will show up first.
