In all forms of media, long-running franchises evolve to reflect cultural changes or simply to take the story in a new direction. While the series is like tomb raider And naturally, mario Many video game franchises have swapped protagonists over the decades because they're too inherently tied to their icons for mainline entries to fully progress. Devil May Cry, metal gear solidand Ninja Gaiden Everyone has demoted their awesome heroes to secondary or non-existent players.
Over the last decade or so we have seen a slight increase. Male-led game series switches to female MCAnd it looks like it's going to continue Laufey, God of War and The Witcher 4. This tendency is by no means uncommon, and tends to appear after the original protagonist's story has (for the time being) come to a natural conclusion. Although rare, the opposite sometimes happens. control resonance Here is a current example.
Let's highlight a few major series that have decided to give the men a break and introduce female protagonists, even if the replacement only lasts for a game or two.
Pac-Man to Miss Pac-Man
Original male to female switch
Yes, this trend by no means started in this century. In fact, the first big mascot-centric franchise bent the gender of its main character in its first sequel. pacman's legacy was set in stone, paving the way for: miss pacman To complete the formula. With smarter AI and less predictable mazes, the sequel helped broaden the overall appeal of the game and proved to be just as important as the first entry.
10 of Pac-Man's strangest powers
Pac-Man's powers have varied greatly over the past 40 years. Take a look at some of his strangers:
In reality, Miss Pac-Man is just Pac-Man with a pink ribbon and lipstick, and she plays virtually the same way. Nonetheless, she became an iconic figure in her own right, and even appeared in several standalone games around the turn of the century. Pac-Man has never ceased to be considered the franchise's primary mascot, but his wife's influence on the game should not be ignored.
The Walking Dead – Lee to Clementine
It's always been Clementine's story
Sometimes these transitions can be a bit clunky, but the best franchises integrate them seamlessly into the narrative. Telltale's definitive masterpiece, the walking dead, Lee handled passing the torch better than any other game series, as he effectively devoted all of his time to preparing Clementine for a future without him. Throughout Season 1, Lee (and the player) shapes her character and constantly makes choices that shape her into a true survivor, building a very strong emotional connection between the two leads.
By the time the transition occurs, Clementine already feels: the walking deadand she went on to successfully carry the franchise for the next few seasons. We see this terrified 8-year-old girl become a hardened survivor over the course of nearly a decade. Fantastic stuff.
The Last of Us – Joel to Ellie
Perhaps the most famous protagonist Switch in gaming history.
-
the last of us part 2
system
10/10
- released
-
June 19, 2020
- ESRB
-
M (Mature): Blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, sexual content, strong language, drug use.
Essentially, the last of us Followed the walking deadIt's a blueprint for when Joel steps aside and lets Ellie take charge. Famously, this transition has proven to be a bit polarizing, but that's not really the point of this article. Even in the first game, Ellie is by far the most important character, and her presence is both an inciting incident and the cause of Joel's gradual change. In addition to appearing in the brilliant “Left Behind” expansion pack, she also got her own expansion section called “Winter,” which is the best chapter in the series.
the last of us It tells perhaps the most beloved surrogate father/daughter story in gaming history. Part 2 We explore the aftermath of that dynamic. In the sequel's reveal and marketing, Naughty Dog put Ellie front and center, showing that she would be playing the lead role. These changes translated into an improved combat system that emphasized agility and stealth over brute strength, the latter being left to Abby's section.
Who is that character?
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
start
Check out the silhouette before time runs out.
Easy (7.5 seconds) Medium (5.0 seconds) Hard (2.5 seconds) Eternal Death (2.5 seconds)
Dishonored – Emily & Corvo
Corvo shares the spotlight with Emily.
Okay, let's look at something a little different here. Corvo doesn't disappear from the numbers. disgrace entry and he serves as the dual protagonist of the sequel alongside Emily. Early on, players decide whether to play the campaign as one or the other, both offering fully developed unique skill sets that give them infinite freedom in how they approach scenarios.
Gameplay-wise, both Corvo and Emily are completely valid options. Story-wise, the latter fits a little better because it has a more personal dynamic with the main villain, Delilah. According to a 2016 Mashable article, Arkane Studios initially think Dishonored 2 Emily's game features Corvo as the secondary protagonist.degree.
At this point, Dishonored 3 Although it seems unlikely, there's always hope that another item will come to fruition.
Silent Hill – Harry to Heather
step aside for his daughter
-
silent hill
system- released
-
January 31, 1999
- ESRB
-
M (for adults 17+) Due to animated blood and gore and animated violence.
- engine
-
Unreal Engine
-
Silent Hill 3
- released
-
August 6, 2003
- ESRB
-
M For adults 17+ Due to blood, gore and violence
- engine
-
Unreal Engine
In most cases, quiet hill says It is a standalone story that introduces new protagonists, almost all of whom are male. konami set Silent Hill 3 It stands apart from the rest of the series in some ways. Firstly, this game is a direct sequel to the original game. Second, it deviates from the “everyman” protagonist archetype based on the previous work. Lastly, it is the only one among the first seven works to feature a female protagonist.
All Silent Hill games are ranked from worst to best.
Konami's Silent Hill has created some of the scariest horror games of all time, but some nightmares are creepier than others.
As Harry's daughter introduced last. silent hillHeather stood out because she looked and acted like a relatively realistic 17-year-old girl. resident evilThe famous female protagonist of . Her vulnerability further intensifies the fear, creating an incredibly intense psychological experience filled with startling images.
Nier – From Gestalt to 2B
Nier:Automata made the series a household name.
All franchises mentioned in this article were already highly successful at the time of their transition. Near. Don't misunderstand. Drakengard The 2010 game gained a cult following, but definitely wasn't on the level of being a huge hit.
then, Nier: Automata Arrived and immediately started the series as a relative superstar. It became 2B nearThe faces of the two former protagonists were completely obscured. In 2017 automata had It has already sold over 2 million copies, which is a ridiculous amount for what was once an amazing niche IP. Obviously, those numbers are much higher these days. The sequel's success also gave its predecessor a second chance at life through a remake.
10 best female leads in horror games
The scream queens of horror gaming won't back down from a fight.
