Band of Bloggers - September 2018 Edition

I’d like to start this Band of Bloggers prompt with a story. 

The very first game I ever beat, completely on my own, was Pokémon (Red Version). I was obsessed with Pokémon as a kid. So much so that I would eventually play, and complete, many games in the series for years to come. However, one entry in this illustrious series is the main focus of this story. Pokémon Crystal. You see, Pokemon Crystal brought several new ideas into the series that would help shape what the franchise would offer for years to come. None of these was quite as simple, yet huge, as allowing the player to choose to a play as a female trainer for the first time in the series. Despite being male myself, I chose to play as a girl in Crystal, if only because it was a new option and I thought, "Why the hell not?"

So he’s where the story gets stupid. You see, my time with Pokémon Crystal was the most effective of all the times I had played a game in the series, at that time. I caught more Pokemon than ever before, I lost fewer times than ever, and over all I found myself having a much easier time with the game than the previous entries. Now, as an adult I have come to realize that this was due to having played and beaten 3 other Pokemon games (some more than once) and having developed more skill as a gamer altogether. But as a kid, I had a different explanation. 

It was because I was playing as a girl.

Silly I know, but kids tend to see the world in very odd, innocent ways. And for me that meant believing that somehow girls were just better Pokemon trainers. And so began a trend in my gaming habits. Whenever I was given the chance to in games, I would. choose to play as female characters, even to this day when I now know the real reason why I was doing better in Crystal. I also find myself more drawn towards games with female protagonists. What started as a silly superstition turned into a legitimate preference for female leads.

Which (finally) leads to this month’s theme: Leading Ladies. Yes, for this month I am encouraging you to play and/or write about games with female leads. Like with all of the other Band of Bloggers prompts thus far, this theme is open to interpretation. So feel free to play around with the idea and have fun with it. Write about a game with a female lead, your favorite female lead(s), whatever you can think of that fits the theme. Share your love of gaming’s leading ladies however you so choose. 

If you're looking for some good, female-led games to play for this theme, here are some of my personal favorites.

Horizon Zero Dawn 

I will try to find a way to recommend this game in every one of my Band of Bloggers themes if I can. It’s a great game starring a very cool leading lady, Aloy. She’s strong, determined, and has a thirst for knowledge. And quite good at killing robots.

NieR Automata

2B is already an iconic video game character, and NieR: Automata is just over a year old. One of Platinumgames’ finest titles ever, which in my opinion is high praise. This is a game that truly does live up to it’s hype, and one that can not be recommended enough.

Okami

The Goddess Amaterasu is the protagonist of my personal favorite game ever. This game is available on lots of platforms, so there’s really no excuse to try it out if you haven’t already. It’s a great journey starring a very unique leading lady.

Gravity Rush/Gravity Rush 2

A great series that stars the ever adorable and plucky leading lady, Kat. These games aren’t perfect, but they ooze charm and have a great world to explore. You can’t really go wrong with either one, and they are both must have titles for any PS4 owners.

The Metroid Series

Perhaps the most iconic lady in gaming, Samus Aran has multiple titles that you could choose to play for this month’s theme. Some standouts though would include the Metroid Prime games (Gamecube/Wii), Metroid Fusion (GBA), Metroid: Zero Mission (GBA), and the remake of the second entry Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS).

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

I love all the Uncharted games, but The Lost Legacy might be my personal favorite. And a part of that might be it’s two main stars, Chloe Frazer and Nadine Ross. Yes, this game stars two bad ass leading ladies and is also quite a fun romp of an adventure. It’s shorter than Uncharted 4, which personally I think works in its favor. It also has one hell of a finale.

Bayonetta 1 & 2

I would be insane not to include Platinumgames’ umbran witch on this list. The Bayonetta games are incredibly fun and star a very cool, stylish leading lady in the titular Bayonetta. If you’re a fan of kicking ass in over-the-top, flashy style and you haven’t played either of these games yet, now is the time.

As for me, I will be playing this month’s new release, Shadow of the Tomb Raider (by the way you could also play any of the Tomb Raider games as well). I played the previous two entires in the trilogy and enjoyed them well enough. Ironically though, I found it’s leading lady to be the weakest link in the game. But I’m hoping they can salvage Lara in this new entry and make her not dumb as dirt this time. Or at least provide her with a personality.

And that wraps it up for this month’s theme. If there are any games starring female leads you would like to recommend feel free to shout them out in the comments. And if you are so inclined to participate in this month’s theme make sure to preface your blog title with either Band of Bloggers or BoB. I’m looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with to write for this month’s prompt. 

Now go forth and game (and write).

- Thank You For Reading, And Remember: Hot Dogs are Sandwiches. #TeamSandwich

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