October 5, 2023
10. Celeste
Celeste is an indie platform game released in 2018. The protagonist of the game is Madeline, and the game follows her as she works to climb the titular mountain, Celeste Mountain. The game has been praised for its difficulty, art style, and music.
The game won Best Indie Game and the Games for Impact Award at the Game Awards in 2018. The Games for Impact Award recognizes a “thought-provoking game with pro-socials meaning.” In addition to having a woman protagonist, the game tackles themes of mental illness, including anxiety and depression.
9 . Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man is a classic. First released in 1981, Ms. Pac-Man was one of the first arcade style games with a female protagonist. A year after the original Pac-Man game was released, Ms. Pac-Man breathed new life into the series by changing its look (and main character). Many people considered Ms. Pac-Man superior in gameplay and style to the original Pac-Man game.
The game introduced more randomized ghost movements, making it more challenging to master. It also changed up other mechanics making the game harder, including the movement of the fruit in mazes.
8. The Walking Dead
If you haven’t played this “point and click” adventure, you are missing out. This game won several awards, including the BAFTA Games Award for the story, the VGX Award for Game of the Year, and the Kerrang! Award for Best Game of the Year.
The story follows a young girl named Clementine in the world of The Walking Dead. Early in the game she is left alone in this post apocalyptic world, and she finds an unlikely friend in Lee Everett. The story follows their journey throughout the zombie-ridden world. It will tug on your heart strings in ways you didn’t even know were possible.
7. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Like many other games, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey offers you the choice of gender for your protagonist. In this game, however, Ubisoft did a great job of fully fleshing out the female option, Kassandra. She is strong, with a great personality and powerful demeanor.
As Kassandra (or her male counterpart Alexios), the player journeys across ancient Greece by land and sea to destroy a secret cult and find their lost family. It’s an incredibly in-depth game that offers a very immersive experience. If you like ancient Greece and strong women, you should definitely check out this title.
6. Bayonetta
Besides Princess Peach, Bayonetta is Nintendo’s leading lady. The first iteration of Bayonetta was released in 2009, with the second coming out in 2014. Bayonetta 3 is slated to release later this year on the Nintendo Switch.
Bayonetta offers players a strong protagonist with an attitude for this action-adventure series. The titular character is the playable character in the series. In the original game, Bayonetta, a witch, wakes up from a long slumber underneath a lake and battles through enemies to discover her past. Though the story can sometimes come off as convoluted and confusing, the mechanics of gameplay more than make up for it.
5.Mass Effect Series
Like Assassin’s Creed, this game gives the option to play as either a man or a woman. Both versions of the character will be referred to as Commander Shepard.
Mass Effect is one of the greatest games of all time. In it, players take control of Commander Shepard on his or her spaceship and travel throughout the galaxies. On the journey, players will be met with characters that each have their own individual story. Everything about this game works. From the combat mechanics, RPG elements, to the relationship building, BioWare knocked it out of the galaxy with this one.
4. Tomb Raider
The first modern Tomb Raider game was released in 2013, and it won several awards for every element of its design. It won multiple game of the year awards, awards for voice performance, sound design, music, best trailer, and best poster.
The main character, Lara Croft, is the epitome of a strong female lead in this game. Like her character in the movies, she possesses many incredible skills and a lot of strength, both physical and mental. Several sequels to this game were made, including Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. None, however, captured the magic of the first game.
3. Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn sees a different type of post-apocalyptic setting in which the world is overrun with robotic machines. The main character players take control of is Aloy, a huntress. Like many other characters on this list, Aloy is strong and independent, a woman depicted healthily and realistically.
This action-adventure title received many great reviews, averaging 89% on Metacritic. This year, the game’s sequel Horizon Forbidden West came out. If you enjoyed the first title, you should definitely check that one out.
2. Metroid
In 1986, the original Metroid was released. It was not until players finished the game that it was revealed that Samus was a woman the whole time. As one of the most epic moments in gaming history, Metroid certainly deserves one of the top spots on this list.
Metroid is one of the most successful franchises in gaming history, as games are still being made, with the most recent released in 2021. Likewise, Samus continues to be one of the most iconic women in gaming.
1. The Last of Us Part I and II
The Last of Us is yet another post-apocalyptic game, yet it sets itself apart because of its characters and gameplay. Ellie is one of the main two protagonists in the games. In part I, Ellie is fourteen years old and represents everything a badass teenager in a zombie apocalypse should be.
The Last of Us boasts incredible storytelling and characterization that will have you both laughing and crying. In addition to being a woman, Ellie is revealed in part II to be a part of the LGBT community, making her an even more representative and inclusive character. The game tackles Ellie’s coming out with her father figure and friend, Joel, and many in the community found this storyline relatable.
If you’re looking for a game with a woman protagonist, these are far from all your choices. If you haven’t played all of the games on this list, however, you should definitely check them out, as their characters represent some of the strongest out there!