Games That Challenge Traditional Gender Roles

Games That Challenge Traditional Gender Roles

• Omori challenges gender norms with characters like Basil, a non-masculine male, and Aubrey, a tough young girl breaking stereotypes.
• Monster Prom features a diverse cast of characters, including non-binary options, promoting inclusivity and authenticity without judgment.
• The Last of Us Part 2 showcases characters like Ellie and Abby, who defy traditional views of femininity, focusing on their complexities and strength.

While video games have been the stage for many important topics, their treatment of women, and gender in general, has often been less than stellar. The industry has been criticized in the past for reinforcing gender stereotypes, and presenting characters that don’t challenge the status quo. Typically, a gender stereotype supports the idea that a certain gender behaves or thinks in specific ways. For example, men being tough and unemotional, or women being passive and in need of rescuing, are typical video-game gender conventions. Additionally, although the video game industry is known for inventive and sometimes scandalous character design, female-presenting characters are often hyper-sexualized and dressed in highly inappropriate clothing.

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Despite this, there are plenty of games, both old and new, that defy these gender conventions – with some even flipping the stereotypes on their heads. Ultimately, all people have dimension and individual characteristics, and should not be categorized or dismissed because of their gender. If the story demands it, then there’s no shame in tropes, but they should not ever be gender-exclusive scenarios. Today, there are plenty of examples of complex and brilliantly designed characters that challenge gender norms, and call into question why they ever existed in the first place.

Omori

Non-Traditional, Emotionally Charged Characters

OMORI

Platform(s)Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X, Switch, PS4, PC, Xbox OneReleasedDecember 25, 2020DeveloperOmocatGenre(s)RPG, Horror

The thought-provoking and deeply emotional RPG Omori is a great example of a game nonchalantly defying gender expectations with its characters, which are a varied cast of people who are authentically themselves. Alongside Omori, who is a very shy and emotional teenager, both Basil and Aubrey very much defy traditional gender conventions.

Basil is a refreshing example of a non-masculine male character. He likes things that are typically viewed as feminine, like flowers and art, and forms strong emotional connections to both people and inanimate objects. In Headspace, Basil has pastel green hair and wears a flower crown, demonstrating his defiance of traditional masculinity. Additionally, Aubrey assumes the role of a troublesome bully, which is a role typically assigned to boys. Because of her experiences and unresolved trauma, Aubrey is tough and cold. It’s rare to see a girl – especially a young girl – depicted as difficult or violent in any media, let alone video games, furthering Omori’s subversive nature.

Monster Prom

Zany Cast with Varying Traits And Attributes

Monster Prom

Platform(s)Switch, PS4, PCReleasedApril 27, 2018Genre(s)Social SimulationDeveloper(s)Beautiful Glitch

Monster Prom is a dating sim that features a wide selection of unique and distinctive characters that can be romanced. Players can choose a playable character, name them, and choose their pronouns. Among the selection of romanceable characters are several non-binary characters, as well as both men and women who don’t conform to gender norms.

Some might find love with party girl Polly, while others will prefer flirtatious influencer Milo. No matter what players are looking for, there is somebody in Monster Prom or its various DLCs that will meet their preferences. The importance of the game is that everybody is authentically themselves, without judgment or shame. Many of the endings and events are incredibly inclusive, with multiple LGBTQ+ characters who express themselves in a variety of ways. Along with this, the player will always get to choose who they ask to prom, which is subversive in itself, since traditionally the concept is considered very gendered.

Resident Evil

Legitimate Soldier Jill Valentine

Resident Evil

Platform(s)Sega Saturn, PC, Nintendo DS, PS1ReleasedMarch 30, 1996Genre(s)Survival HorrorDeveloper(s)Capcom

Jill Valentine is often cited as one of the first examples of a strong female character, thanks to her totally equal treatment as a playable character in Resident Evil. Speaking to The Guardian, the game’s director Shinji Mikami stated that he disliked the typical depiction of women in the media – especially in the 90s – and refused to objectify Jill the way others might have.

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From her design to her behavior, there’s no doubt that Jill is a highly trained soldier. While it might seem like a basic thing, it was relatively rare for a female character to be dressed in actually sensible, combat-ready clothes back in this game’s era, and Jill’s non-sexualized appearance was a big step towards overturning gender norms. Additionally, Jill is well-equipped to take on the task at hand, but is not portrayed as unnecessarily brutal or selfish. Jill is dimensional, and just as capable of fear as she is bravery – which permits her to be an actual person, rather than being controlled by the conventions or non-conventions of her gender. Jill has gone on to become an iconic character, and is still one of the best examples of a well-written female character in gaming.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Resilient And Confident Female Characters

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Platform(s)PS3, PS4ReleasedOctober 13, 2009Genre(s)Third-Person Shooter, AdventureDeveloper(s)Naughty Dog

Both Elena and Chloe have numerous appearances in the Uncharted series, but Uncharted 2 is a great example of these two complex and independent female characters defying typical gender conventions. This game specifically showcases a subversion of gender norms because Chloe and Elena are both well-developed but completely different. When they interact, it’s starkly obvious that they’re both brilliant characters in their own right.

Even as Nate’s love interest, Elena is a fully realized person with plenty of opinions and agency. She has a strong moral compass, which compliments her journalism career, and refuses to let Nate’s often less-than-legal goals influence her beliefs. Although she and Drake are often at opposing ends, ultimately they bond over their love of history and adventure, making them one of the most fitting and fleshed-out couples in video game history.

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Meanwhile, Chloe operates in a very selfish way. While she can be a great ally, she’s willing to switch sides and play the part to get what she wants. She’s certainly more akin to the ‘femme fatale’ convention, but nevertheless has a complicated history and can easily hold her own against her enemies – which is further explored in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. Both Elena and Chloe wear clothes that actually fit the situations they’re in, and the Uncharted series continues to treat them both like real people who are tough, brave, and driven – and absolutely equals to Nate.

The Last Of Us Part 2

A Whole Cast Of Gender-Defying Characters

The Last of Us Part 2

Platform(s)PS4ReleasedJune 19, 2020Genre(s)Action, AdventureDeveloper(s)Naughty Dog

The Last of Us Part 2 is massively important to the movement of breaking down conventions and subverting traditional views of gender. The three characters at the center of this are Lev, Ellie, and Abby – each of them extraordinary in their own way. In fact, the post-apocalyptic setting of the game, alongside the traumatic events that some characters experience, essentially negates the relevance of gender conventions at all.

Ellie has quite rightly grown into a hardened and tough person, who is a confident fighter and brave person. She is one of the few lesbian main characters in a AAA video game, and she doesn’t engage in most of the typical notions of femininity. In this way, and in many others, Ellie is not dissimilar to Abby, who is also a rare example of a woman being depicted as not traditionally feminine. Abby is very strong, and her character is designed accordingly. Her intense musculature and brute strength make her one of the few women in gaming who doesn’t have softer features or non-strength based combat abilities. Abby was subject to intense criticism for both her actions and her appearance, which only proves how rarely women are portrayed this way. Both Abby and Ellie are such complicated and human characters that their gender almost becomes irrelevant to themselves and their stories, which means they’re treated the same way that a male character would be.

Additionally, Lev is an incredibly brave and resilient character who goes against the highly traditional expectations of the Seraphites in order to be his authentic self. It’s rare to have a transgender character represented in a big video game, and although it’s devastating that Lev has had to endure so much horror, his perseverance and acknowledgment of his identity is admirable and a true testament to his strength.

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