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New Tropes vs. Women series explores positive female characters in gaming

New Tropes vs. Women series explores positive female characters in gaming

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Anita Sarkeesian and Feminist Frequency are now taking an ongoing look at some of the more positive representations of women in gaming. In the latest "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games" segment, Sarkeesian delves into the critically acclaimed 2011 indie title Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, which happens to feature a female protagonist known only as the Scythian. That it happens to feature one is significant. Sword & Sworcery has earned praise for its subtle depiction of a female adventurer in a traditional epic not at all unlike The Legend of Zelda. The Scythian lacks the signifiers that would clue most gamers in about her gender, and the player only learns about her being female through character interactions. It's a big leap from the surprise twist the Metroid famously employed back in 1986.

The short comes with the promise that future videos will delve into such titles as Beyond Good and Evil, Mirror's Edge, and Portal, and it's the first new undertaking Feminist Frequency has taken up in 2015. Last year was a landmark one for the group and particularly for Sarkeesian, as she became one of the many prominent faces taking on the Gamergate movement, helping to bring sexist representations in gaming to mainstream attention in the process. Per the group's first annual report, the new series will also be followed up by another that focuses on depictions of masculinity in video games.