The Games We Play with Women.

Unrelated Red Vs. Blue Update: They knocked Church into Marathon. [voice="Guinness commercial cutout man"] Brilliant! [/voice]

Female Video Games Characters: Strength, vulnerability, and purpose.

For the record, after this paragraph ends I will make no mention of Lara Croft, or the Tomb Raider series in any way. I realize that any discussion of female video game characters is incomplete without her, but I feel that too much text has been devoted to her already, and I don't want to just add to the detritus. So in summary: Big Jugs. Brave Girl. Wohoo.

With that out of the way, let us get on to the real discussion.

I've been noticing that I am attracted to video game characters lately.

Er, that sounds pathetic. Let me back up.

I've been frustrated by how incapable of rising above their circumstances so many people are (both men and women) and fascinated by how, in many kinds of media, heros and heroines alike are so often presented as people who share a single common feature: they rise above their circumstances to succeed. I've been playing video games for years, and the Interactive Narrative Tale has always been my favorite style of game (DF2: Jedi Knight, Max Payne, Half-Life, etc.).

Within that medium there are many female characters to choose from that spark a perculiar respect and admiration (even affection) in me. If you think its odd that I spend so much time discussing the video game characters, bear in mind that they are full-fledged fictional characters and are no less valid as subjects of discussion than are Captain Ahab or Forrest Gump, then go off and surround yourself with only nonfiction books and documentaries and we'll see how long your patience holds out.

Let me talk about a couple of women in particular. The two I will refer to here are Mercury.exe and Alyx Vance. Mercury can be found in the fantastic and escapist Tron 2.0, and Alyx Vance in the gritty sci-fi thriller Half-Life 2. If you're a video gamer, even a casual one, I recommend both of these games as fantastic iterations of the First-Person-Shooter genre.

I'm mainly interested here in elaborating on that universal trait I mentioned earlier: Heroines rise above their circumstances to succeed. I'm going to discuss each character and what traits I feel she possesses that enable her to capture the spirit of a heroine and (simultaneously) make me find her attractive.

Mercury (voiced by the lovely and talented Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) is the computer-world representation of a program that you encounter on your travels after you have been 'digitized'. She's smart, sexy, and brave, and helps you escape danger and aids you in your work. Your character finds her somewhat mesmerizing, but in the end leaves her in the computer world because he knows she would be incapable of surviving in such a different environment (can you even de-digitize a non-user?). However, her maturity and knowledge of the self are evident throughout the game.

She's tough, smart, and aids you often. I find myself attracted to her single-minded focus and her professionalism. She engages in discussion with your character both to communicate vital information and to learn from you (which she obviously enjoys), but she never devolves to flirting with you, or whining about how the algorithm that controls her hips really needs to be slimmed down.

In HL2, you play ex-Theoretical/Experimental Physicist Gordon Freeman. You find that you have been reinvented as a guerrila resistance leader and find several of your old friends from the Black Mesa Research facility in the first game will meet you in this one. Alyx Vance (voiced by Merle Dandridge of the Broadway productions of Rent and Jesus Christ Superstar) is the daughter of a colleague from that facility, and a charming and able fighter. She not only plays a crucial role in several missions, she also possesses skills that your character does not, and uses them to further the cause for which you both fight without regret or apology.

Alyx earns special mention as the first character I've ever demanded should be made manifest and marry me. She simply has the opportunity to do some very cool things in the game that not only secure her place as an effective fighter, but also as a strong and compassionate leader, and a brave lady. She's portrayed as the kind of person that I could see myself sitting back and have a beer with and exchanging stories, which I believe is the hallmark of any successful fictional character.

Both of them are self-motivated, purpose oriented, brave, and willing to do what it takes to get the job done. Both of them find themselves in difficult situations facing appearantly insurmountable odds and gather the strength to aid you in your quest and see to their own desires (Alyx's need to save her father, Mercury's drive to carry out the commands of "Guest"--her User/Creator). In short, they are strong, able characters that unapologetically choose to do their best, rather than ever fearing that they might do their worst.

These are the kind of people I want to know. People who are not concerned with failure, but rather make choices based on successes. People who want to be better versions of themselves, and while not afraid to admit they aren't perfect, do not spend their time fretting about what someone at a party might think.

Alyx in particular is a very attractive girl but seems (mostly due to circumstances and upbringing, one guesses) unconcerned with her appearance in the face of greater dangers. I find that kind of subtle grasp of confidence and humility invigorating, and very different from many girls inoculated with American culture.

I have more to write on this topic (I'm going somewhere with all this, actually), but at the moment I'm getting distracted and I have some Asimov to read (Caves of Steel), so I'll complete this chain of thoughts later.

As a warning: sometime within the next few weeks I think I'll be writing a rant about women in general. Be on the lookout for it.