The first video in Sarkeesian’s new video series, Positive Female Characters in Video Games, launched yesterday. In this video she covers the Scythian from Sword & Sworcery. While there are bound to be some growing pains as she begins this new series, Sarkeesian does a solid analysis of the game’s mechanics and aesthetics, but her analysis of the character herself as a positive female character was a little weak. In future episodes in the series I would like to see more discussion of the individual characters and how they exist within the game as well as how they stack up against other female characters in games in the same or similar genres.
While it is interesting to hear comparisons to Link as an adventurer character, a more fruitful discussion might include comparisons to Zelda as the Sheik, Rosella from King’s Quest, April from The Longest Journey, or Aurora from Child of Light. For example, how does the Scythian’s fighting style stand up to the styles of these other characters? Why is Sarkeesian see the deterioration of health mechanic as a positive thing? Why can’t she maintain her 5 heart meter for the duration of the game? Why must the Scythian make the ultimate sacrifice at the end of the game when this is something that is rarely, if ever, required of male protagonists. I would love to hear more of a discussion about what elements of the Scythian’s character make her a positive female character as well as a detailed discussion of what her limitations are. How have female characters grown (or not) since Rosella was offered up as a sacrifice to a dragon by the same father she later has to save? How does the choice to make female characters, like April Ryan, bridges between magic and science rather than sword wielding badasses, like the Scythian, change the way that we think about heroines (if at all)? And how does camouflaging the sex of the Scythian (at least for the first chapter of the game) change the player’s perception of the game compared to her sword bearing sister-in-arms in a dress with flowing red hair change the player’s perception of the character as she plays through.
Sarkeesian’s first video is definitely taking us in a direction that we need to go and I am hopeful that we will see her go further down the analytical path in her future videos.
