¡°Video games are so loud and violent, it doesn¡¯t interest me¡±
¡°It¡¯s all about shooting people and looking at women in skimpy clothes¡±
¡°Video games are meant for guys, there is nothing in them for women¡±
If you think I am making these statements up then think again because unfortunately, this is exactly what women think about video games. To be very honest, before I was properly introduced to the magical world of gaming, I thought it was a ¡°guy thing¡± as well.?
So what changed? What was that moment that made me realise that gaming is way more than people shooting at each other or playing FIFA??
ALSO READ:?Last Of Us 2 Taught Me About Life, Grief And Friendship More Than Any Book Or Movie
Well, it was a rainy night and I had exhausted all viewing options and that was the moment I was introduced to a game called ¡°Wolf Among Us¡± and I was a goner. While navigating the game, I realised that this was the perfect source of entertainment.?
Don¡¯t believe me? Then, let me tell you exactly why gaming is the perfect entertainment for women:
Most of us grew up watching our brothers play games like Street Fighter, The Legend Of Zelda, Tekken, GTA and many more where the main objective was fighting and more fighting but if you think that the world of gaming is limited to it, then you can¡¯t be further from the truth.?
There are many games that have stories so intricate that they will trump any movie or show you have ever watched. Don¡¯t believe me??
Well, what if I told you a story about an orphan who went from being a petty thief to going on a journey to look for some of the biggest treasures. How he with the help of his friends discovered El-Dorado or the look for the mystical golden tusk of Ganesha. On this journey, he falls in love, fights for his life and builds relationships.?
Sounds like one hell of a story, right? Well, this is the story of Nathan Drake who is the protagonist of the Uncharted series, a game created by Naughty Dog.?
It doesn¡¯t end there. The world of immersive games is huge and the options are endless. There are games like Last Of Us that tracks the journey of a young girl as she fights to survive in a zombie-ridden world and survive the loss of many loved ones or you can choose Wolf Among Us which gives us a fascinating story where all your favourite childhood characters from Red Riding Hood to the Big Bad Wolf are shown living in a city like normal people.?
I am not denying that violence and fighting are a huge part of most games but if you look beyond it, you will realise why gaming is not a ¡°man¡¯s world¡±, it is for anyone who loves a good story and would want to dive into the world instead of just watching it.
Just like the world of pop-culture, gaming has a category for everyone. When we look at movie genres we meet people who love rom-coms while some love horror movies or superhero movies or a good-old action flick.?
But, what if you could choose a genre of games to love just like you do with movies? Let me walk you through it.?
Let¡¯s say you are someone who loves to watch Anime. You are obsessed with Japanese culture, their language and their storytelling, be it with Manga or Anime. Now, you have another area to explore with games like Doki Doki Literature Club. This story is told from a guy's perspective who joins a literature club at the request of his friend Sayori. The game is crazy and will bewilder you because the story is not what you expect.?
If you love Greek Mythology and are obsessed with reading about Zeus and his empire and watched the shows like Blood Of Zeus the day they dropped then there is no way that you can miss out on playing God Of War. This game follows Kratos as he goes to war against the Gods Of Olympus and on this journey, we interact with every Norse lore you have heard of. It's a super immersive experience that is filled with a world so beautiful that I wanted it to be real.?
Gaming is an expansive world that has its fingers in every genre, there are horror games like Resident Evil that will scare you to death or fun, multiplayer games like Fortnite, FIFA and so much more. There really is something for EVERYONE.?
There are many reasons why some shows and movies become our favourites, we like the characters and the story resonates with us but the one thing that gives it an extra nudge is having some real heartthrobs to look at. Be it, Chris Hemsworth as Thor or Hrithik Roshan in any role, every woman loves to see hot actors flex their abs on screen.?
What if I told you that games have their own share of dashing protagonists that will become a part of your fantasy?
In my personal opinion, at the top of the list is Nathan Drake. Why? Well, he is funny, outdoorsy, super agile and he looks amazing in his 20s and his 40s. Plus, a man who can climb a tower, swim, run and make puns at the same time is for sure a keeper.?
If you like the brooding kind, men with broad shoulders, smouldering eyes and an intense expression then Geralt of Rivia is your man. Yes, this is the same character that Henry Cavill plays in Witcher. So, just imagine having a chance to play and look at him for hours at end instead of just a few episodes.?
That¡¯s not all, a young Joel from Last Of Us or Leon from Resident Evil are not far behind on the list. Almost every immersive game has a good-looking protagonist, be it a man or woman, which definitely deserves a brownie point.?
As a gamer, the one thing that helped me was finding a genre that I loved playing because once I realised that I was a goddess with a controller, everything changed.?
Plus, choosing games like God Of War, Detroit Become Human and Cyberpunk 2077 which have multiple endings and vast universes, you can spend endless hours just exploring new areas which is much better than watching reruns of The Office.?
What makes immersive gaming special is the fact that it's not limited to one experience. While you do play as one character in most games, the perspective keeps changing. Like in Uncharted, 90% of the time you are looking at the world as Nathan Drake but there is a point where you get to play as Chloe or in Last Of Us 2 where you get to experience both Ellie and Abby which completely changes your idea of the story.?
Plus, with games like Cyberpunk 2077, you get to live in the same universe three times as the same character living three different lives, one as a Nomad, Street Kid and Corpo, which is a unique experience in its own.?
The point is that for most women who are starting out as gamers, immersive gaming allows us to form a connection with the art and effort that goes into creating an engaging game and it also helps us figure out how good we are with controls, shooting and quick decision making. Doesn¡¯t that sound like a win-win?
If you think that gaming takes away from your feminism in any way then it's time to rethink your worldview because the one thing that I know for sure is that games are not all about men and their masculinity or just about women with huge breasts and skimpy clothes. The world is changing, women are taking charge and telling their stories in print, on the big screen and the small one. It¡¯s the same when it comes to gaming.?
There are many games that are played from a woman¡¯s perspective and are not at all focused on sexualising her. Let¡¯s look at Lara Croft who is the main protagonist of the franchise, Tomb Raider. She is a highly intelligent and athletic English archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world which makes her a total badass.?
Then we have Ellie who has been fighting zombies since the age of 14 in Last Of Us and then went on to take revenge for the death of Joel at 19 in last Of Us 2. What is more female-centric than that?
These are just a few examples, Uncharted as Elena, Chloe & Nadine, Abby is a total fighter in Last of Us 2, Aloy is the heart and soul of Horizon: Zero Dawn and while Bayonetta might dress sexy but she is the last survivor of an ancient witch clan who keeps the balance between light, dark and chaos. Plus, when the world was taken over by aliens, Nintendo didn't rely on the Italian plumber named Mario, they got a kickass woman named Samus who saved the world.
?All this sounds like women empowerment to me!
While gaming is the ultimate form of entertainment for all hard-core gamers, it can be the best hobby any of us have. Just like every other thing in the world, women have already made their mark in gaming, we have gamers like Marjorie Bartell and Sarah Hanson who are acing gaming tournaments or streamers like Imane Anys (Pokimane) who has millions of followers on Twitch. So, all you have to do is download one game on your PC and laptop and I promise you that you will fall in love with it and start saving for a console the moment it is over.?