Summary
- Female protagonist options in historical games provide unique gameplay experiences.
- Games like The Guild 2 and Assassin's Creed: Odyssey offer strong female characters for players.
- Historical games like A Plague Tale: Innocence offer narrative-driven horror survival gameplay.
Sometimes, there is nothing better than plunging into a science fiction future dystopia of a game, but there is truly nothing better than traveling back in time and enjoying some authentic historical gameplay. Up until relatively recently, it was usually only possible to play the lead protagonist as a male. Now, thankfully, the tide has turned.
Across the plethora of gaming genres, historical games have truly taken off and now, there are plenty of female-led historical games to choose from, with the following being a strong selection of the best. Some of these games can be played as either a male or a female character and some are female only.
6 The Guild 2
Fully Fleshed-Out Female Avatar
The Guild 2
- Released
- September 15, 2006
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Main Character: The Matriarch
The entirety of The Guild 2 takes place in the fifteenth century across various provinces on the European continent. Even though players can choose to play as a male or a female, it is definitely much more fun as the latter. A key attribute of The Guild 2 is that it contains entirely nonlinear gameplay and, what's more, players can zoom in and out on any area they like when constructing or during battle.
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Due to the game being set in the medieval period, another fact that sets this game apart is that, when players choose to play as a female, nothing changes in terms of authority or responsibilities. During the character creation section at the beginning of the game, different horoscopes depict different benefits further on in the game. What really makes the game, though, is the talents players will apply to their female hero, which can also be upgraded. These talents range from martial arts and construction skills to empathy, charisma, and bargaining.
5 Call Of She Sea
Driven To Rescue Her Lover
Call of the Sea
- Released
- December 8, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Blood, Use of Tobacco, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
- Main Character: Norah
Call of the Sea is set in the 1930s and takes place on an unspecified island in the South Pacific. Norah, the game's protagonist, sets out to locate her missing husband, Harry, who has disappeared after leaving on an expedition.
The reason Harry left in the first place was to scour the island for a cure for a fatal illness that every single member of Norah's family is inflicted with. C all of the Sea is an adventure mystery, with impressive graphics and viewed through an atmospheric historical lens.
4 Gerda: A Flame In Winter
A Poignant Journey In WWII
- Released: September 2022
- Main Character: Gerda Larsen
- Genre: Adventure RPG
The harrowing impact of World War 2 on individuals who have no connection or relation to the politics of Germany is explored in-depth in Gerda: A Flame in Winter.
Set in Denmark in 1945, Gerda is half-German and half-Danish and is living in German-occupied territory in Denmark. Gameplay is centered around Gerda attempting to rescue her husband, Anders, who has been arrested and subsequently incarcerated by the Gestapo.
3 Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
Her Mind Is Her Friend & Foe
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
- Released
- August 16, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- Main Character: Senua
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is a poignant, heartfelt action-adventure game made by British game developer Ninja Theory. Set amid a combination of Norse and Celtic mythology, Senua, the warrior protagonist, travels through a dark and disturbing underworld.
Combining combat skills with weapon and melee development, along with traversing a wide variety of landscapes, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice also has a wonderfully unique automatic saving system. When the story begins, a portion of Senua's flesh is corrupted and, essentially, the further the corruption creeps up her arm, the more progress the player will lose. Senua suffers from perpetual psychosis and her journey throughout the story seeks to heal, at least some, of her troubled wounds.
2 A Plague Tale: Innocence
Enraged Sister Seeking Vengeance
A Plague Tale: Innocence
- Released
- May 14, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- Main Character: Amicia de Rune
The epic A Plague Tale: Innocence is a fascinating, narrative-driven horror game focused on survival in the most extreme, and often harrowing, circumstances. Amicia de Rune, the main character, is a teenager with a horrific childhood who lives in France in the first few years of the Hundred Years War.
Amicia and her sick younger brother, Hugo, have to battle not one but two foes; the gray rats spreading the Bubonic Plague, and the cutthroat soldiers of the French Army. What is truly engaging about this game is that it is not only a horror survival adventure, but there are also deeply embedded puzzles and logic challenges to challenge players too.
1 Assassin's Creed Odyssey
The Ultimate Grecian Revenge
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
- Released
- October 15, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
- Main Character: Kassandra
Even though Assassin's Creed Odyssey's lead character can be played as male or a female, there are huge knock-on effects for the character not chosen, meaning that the player's decision matters. Kassandra, the female protagonist, is actually considered to be the main character by the majority of fans. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is set between the years 431 and 422 BC and charts the historical devastation that the outbreak of the plague caused in Athens, Greece.
Kassandra is a mercenary from Sparta who enters into a bloody conflict with the Cult of Kosmos, whose only mission is to control the entirety of Greece. Kassandra discovers that this cult is controlling her entire bloodline and, livid with rage, she embarks upon the ultimate quest for revenge.
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