Winged Things: Feminism in video games
This is the Sorceress from Vanillaware’s Dragon’s Crown. Lately, this character has been getting a lot of heat, becoming the new icon of sexism in video games. Are you offended by this character? Do you…
Actually in a way, it’s smart character design. The game is a 2d sidescroller beat ‘em up and every character has to be entirely unique and distinct from the others on the screen so you don’t lose track of where you are.
Broad-shouldered, top-heavy, silver colour.
Tall, long-limbed, dark robes with light under-clothes and white hair.
Horrible ball of muscle for a dwarf. Distinct headgear to boot.
VVery small, large weapon, uses a lot of brown with some green for highlight to make herself a different colour palette than the others.
….Okay well the Amazon is obvious. Very little covering her and a huge weapon.
The Sorceress, in the first post, has her huge hat, staff and rack.
I’m pretty sure people are looking too far into this.
Uniqueness can be accomplished without her tits falling out all over the place. A simple unique color palette is really all she needs, and she has that. She doesn’t need her tits to be falling out and she doesn’t need to be put on display like that.
It’s kind of like— okay, I can see that outfit working. I like the blouse, I like the purple robe, I like the hat. Those are all good designs. But did she really need to be posed like that? Do her tits really need to be busting out of there so ridiculously? Why not demonstrate her in a pose of strength or power like the male characters?
I know jack shit about the game in question, and I’ll agree that for a side scroller, uniqueness is necessary—but that can be accomplished without reducing the female characters to sexual objects, as has been done in these sample images.
The easy way out for the questions in your second paragraph is pretty much ‘LOL JAPAN’ (but western developers also go overboard now and then too). While the animators did a fantastic job of making everything look kind of alive from stuff as simple as idle/walking animations, it does look goofy to see the Sorceress’ tits flopping around everywhere.
Just as goofy as it is to see the dwarf’s thighs physically ripple with each step he takes in his walk cycle. Except it’s all blatantly stylized and super exaggerated to draw an eye to the style, where anatomy is thrown out the window for fun.
It’s not just the female characters, too. And, well, me? I’m not bothered by the male characters while still understanding others aren’t privvy to the females.
I’m just saying that it’s for gameplay purposes (picking yourself out on the screen) as well as the style choice for the entire game. Some of the monsters look kinda like two-dimensional Dark Souls.
It’s deliberate, if offensive. Kind of reminds me of stuff from the ‘days of yore’ like Golden Axe and Gauntlet. They didn’t just wind up getting carried away. It’s all stereotypical on purpose.
Dwarf’s the big typical beefcake. Fighter’s the go-to armour character. Warlock’s the bishie guy. Sorceress is the sexy female spellcaster. Amazon’s the ‘DON’T NEED NO MAN’ musclechick. Elf is the cute little ‘light’ character.
AHEM
Winged Things: Feminism in video games
This is the Sorceress from Vanillaware’s Dragon’s Crown. Lately, this character has been getting a lot of heat, becoming the new icon of sexism in video games. Are you offended by this character? Do you…
Actually in a way, it’s smart character design. The game is a 2d sidescroller beat ‘em up and every character has to be entirely unique and distinct from the others on the screen so you don’t lose track of where you are.
Broad-shouldered, top-heavy, silver colour.
Tall, long-limbed, dark robes with light under-clothes and white hair.
Horrible ball of muscle for a dwarf. Distinct headgear to boot.
….Okay well the Amazon is obvious. Very little covering her and a huge weapon.
The Sorceress, in the first post, has her huge hat, staff and rack.
I’m pretty sure people are looking too far into this.
Uniqueness can be accomplished without her tits falling out all over the place. A simple unique color palette is really all she needs, and she has that. She doesn’t need her tits to be falling out and she doesn’t need to be put on display like that.
It’s kind of like— okay, I can see that outfit working. I like the blouse, I like the purple robe, I like the hat. Those are all good designs. But did she really need to be posed like that? Do her tits really need to be busting out of there so ridiculously? Why not demonstrate her in a pose of strength or power like the male characters?
I know jack shit about the game in question, and I’ll agree that for a side scroller, uniqueness is necessary—but that can be accomplished without reducing the female characters to sexual objects, as has been done in these sample images.
Lol she’s butt-humping her staff how can anyone not find this problematic XD
Give me half an hour, guys- I’ll redesign her and the amazon.
Seriously, time me on this.
GUYS GUYS FINALLY A CHAT OPTION ON TUMBLR
Finally, there’s a way for Tumblr users to communicate in real-time. Babblr hopes to increase Tumblr’s functionality by providing a simple chat service.PLEASE ADD YOURSELF TO THIS LIST, IT’LL BE FREE UNTIL MAY 7TH AND WE CAN FINALLY CHAT.
okay but can we talk about that sample chat accompanying the article:
GUYSG UYS GUYS!
You can yell at me IN REAL TIME to finish art :D
I lost a follower :C
hate drawing feet/shoes. how do they work????
Magic.
They work by magic.
Prepare a sigil on the floor, summon a demon, and sell your first born for the ability.
