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There is always a slew of great video games releasing into the marketplace regularly. However, if you’re after some games with female heroine leads then we have you covered. We’re going to highlight fifteen games that we enjoy and happened to feature a female lead protagonist as well. Of course, these games are not ranked in any particular order and there are certainly plenty more games out there to pick from. With that said, we would love to hear some of your suggestions as well. Without further ado, check out our list of game recommendations down below.
#22 Bayonetta 3
Platform: Switch
Release Date: October 28, 2022
Who’s ready to be a witch again? She may have taken her sweet time to return to the gaming space, but Bayonetta 3 proves that sometimes waiting is its own reward.
In the title, you again play the beloved Umbra Witch. But this time, you won’t simply be saying your world. You’ll be saving the entire multiverse! An enemy known as the Singularity is wiping out universes one by one. When a survivor of the destruction, Viola, tells Bayonetta of this, and their vile plot, the race is on to stop key universes from being destroyed and stop The Singularity at its source.
An intense and over-the-top action romp awaits you!
#21 Cyberpunk 2077 – V
V is the player character in Cyberpunk 2077, which means you’ll get to control her and have complete autonomy over how they look over time. After all, the game prides itself on you being able to fuse metal and skin to create the character of your dreams.
Watching V as she works with Johnny Silverhand is a treat, but the city is also full of life. You’ll guide her on the journey you take and make every choice that will influence her fate. Who she is at the end of the game and story is based entirely on what you do.
#20 Kena: Bridge of Spirits – Kena
Here’s a title that came out not too long ago and won a lot of people over because of who Kena was.
Kena: Bridge of Spirits, you’ll play the spirit guide as she seeks out a lost mountain temple. Along the way, you’ll help the spirits that have been trapped in the surrounding areas cross over. You won’t be alone, though; you’ll have the help of spirit companions known as The Rot. As you wander through your village, you’ll find more of them, so be on the lookout.
You’ll enjoy Kena and her adventure as you play and hopefully find the balance between the living and spirit worlds.
#19 Tales of Berseria – Velvet
You know you have to be an epic lead if you’re the focus of the box art. Tales of Berseria continues the long-standing RPG saga with the story of Velvet. She is a woman who had a traumatic experience that transformed her personality, and now she seeks the truth behind it all.
She’ll band together with fellow pirates to sail across the realm and fight villains that come across their path. With striking visuals and cutscenes, you’ll feel connected to Velvet very quickly, and as her story unfolds, you’ll experience the truth behind her anger.
But what will become of her when she gets that revelation? Dive in and find out!
#18 Nier Automata – 2B
Nier Automata just celebrated its 5th anniversary, meaning that the character of 2B is technically five years old.
The character stood out in the game because of her looks and abilities. Players controlled the android and other characters as a part of humanity’s fight for survival. They were created to fight the robots that took over the world, but as time passed, 2B and the others learned more of the truth.
Fans sympathized a lot with 2B, which made their attachment to her even stronger. Now, the character is not only iconic but has been featured in other games and will be in an anime soon!
#17 Beyond Two Souls – Jodie Holmes
There was a point in time with games where it was more important to have the “big names” from Hollywood helping make the titles more distinct. Beyond Two Souls did that with Jodie Holmes by bringing Elliot Page to play her.
To be clear, Elliot’s performance was excellent. As Jodie, they play someone who is not alone within their own body. There’s another soul named Aiden within her, and Aiden is incredibly powerful. A journey unfolds to discover the truth about Aiden and why the two are connected. But such trips do not happen without great cost.
So journey with these two souls, and see what choices they’ll make on their journey.
#16 Horizon Zero Dawn – Aloy
Guerrilla Games was known for delivering the Killzone franchise for Sony but when the PlayStation 4 came out they switched things up a bit and brought out an open-world action RPG. Horizon Zero Dawn was a massive hit and fans were quick to purchase this Sony exclusive title at the time. Of course, now the game has since been brought out for the PC platform as well so if you happen to have a gaming PC you’re able to jump into this game as well. With that said, Horizon Zero Dawn is based around the future long after mankind had fallen. Now what’s left of humanity has resorted back into small tribes as cities were quickly taken over by nature. Little to nothing is known about the metal world from years ago but what we do have is a new apex predators which takes the form of large mechanical beasts that roam the world. Players are stepping into the role of Aloy, a young female hunter that was banished from her tribe as a newborn baby. Taken in by an outsider and raised to know how to handle herself in the harsh world, Aloy has one journey in mind, to find out where she came from and why the tribe kicked her out from the tribe as a baby.
#15 Horizon Forbidden West – Aloy
Horizon Zero Dawn was a huge hit that was set in the distant future long after mankind had fallen, leaving humanity to live among themselves in small tribal groups. The narrative mainly revolved around Aloy, who was banished from her tribe as a baby, and as a result, she sets out on a quest to figure out where she belongs in this world that giant mechanical beasts dominate. Now we have a new video game installment called Horizon Forbidden West.
Aloy has a new challenging quest to take on. After a plague has taken over the world, dooming all living things, players will have to venture to the west coast in hopes of finding the source of this plague and saving humanity from destruction. With that said, Aloy will find new mechanical beasts and other hostile tribes that have taken control of these robotic creatures while also claiming territories she will need to venture through.
#14 Half-Life Alyx – Alyx Vance
Half-Life is a massive video game franchise and we’ve waited years now for a Half-Life 3 installment. While that game hasn’t come out yet, a surprise announcement and eventual release came in the form of Half-Life: Alyx. This is a VR title where players are taking the role of Alyx from the series. Set before the events of Half-Life 2, Alyx is working to fight off the Combine with her father Eli. It’s a stunning game and incredibly well-done in VR from Valve. Now the question is if we’ll get to dive back into this game franchise again anytime soon or are we left waiting years to pass by once more before this IP is touched once again by the talented development studio. Unfortunately, this is strictly only available on the PC platform right now so if you’re wanting to step into the world of Half-Life and get a story based on Alyx then you’ll need to have a compatible PC headset and system to run the game.
#13 Metroid – Samus Aran
Come on, you knew this one was going to be on the list. It was a big surprise when players found out that the entire time going through the classic Metroid title we were a female protagonist. It was a surprise at the time and the response was the same as fans would have given if the character was a male. Metroid was an incredible action-adventure series and fans can’t get enough of Samus Aran as she battles against hostile alien creatures. We have quite a few installments we can go back and play right now, but more eyes are on the future. Nintendo has confirmed that Metroid Prime is making a return with a fourth installment on the Nintendo Switch. Currently, the game is in development over at Retro Studios so we’re left waiting on new details as all we’ve had so far is just a logo teaser trailer that came out back in E3 2017.
#12 Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – Kassandra
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has several installments that feature a female lead so we’re just picking out one of the latest to use as an example. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was released back in 2018 which was set in ancient Greece. In this game, players are given the choice of whether they want to take a female or male lead protagonist as their character. The gameplay and narrative didn’t change at all as it was just a change of character design and voice actor. In this game, players were given the option of playing as Kassandra who was raised under a loving family. However, when a religious cult attempts to take the life of her brother, she revolts which ultimately causes her family to toss the protagonist off a cliff. From there, long believed to be dead, Kassandra managed to survive and ended up on another island where she grew up to become a mercenary. Now, years later Kassandra comes face to face with her past family once again to uncover a new conspiracy. If you were a fan of Assassin’s Creed Origins then you’ll have more of that style of gameplay with plenty of loot, weapons to pick from, action-packed combat, and tons of exploration throughout the open-world environment.
#11 The Last of Us Part Two – Ellie
Naughty Dog knows how to make a detailed and compelling video game narrative. It was on the PlayStation 3 that we got the first thrilling installment of The Last of Us, a game set in the post-apocalypse where mankind was dealing with a pandemic turning civilians into harsh zombie-like monsters. Anyone that was bitten by one of these creatures or inhaled too much of the spores in a closed space would turn, which left plenty of paranoia and mass chaos. While the first game had players bonding over these two characters Joel and Ellie, the second installment took things to a new level. Players were stepping into the role of an older Ellie who was on a path of revenge-fueled by rage and hate. It was a dark and brutal game that was full of big moments along the way. I’d hate to spoil anything here if you haven’t played this game yet especially if you haven’t even played the first installment. With that said, this is an action-adventure series that shouldn’t be passed up.
#10 Tomb Raider – Laura Croft
Tomb Raider is a classic video game franchise with the IP getting its start back in the 1990s. The video game series follows an intelligent and athletic archaeologist named Lara Croft that goes through all sorts of exotic locations in search of lost treasure or mythical cities long believed to be nothing more than a fairy tale. She’s been front and center throughout the entire series since 1996 and it wasn’t very long ago at this point that we’ve seen the last mainline installment to her franchise come out into the public, Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Now, the older games, while much beloved by fans, can be a bit tricky for players to enjoy today with the games not only taking fans back to older graphics but also gameplay mechanics as well. With that said, the game recently had a reboot in 2013 with a new trilogy showcasing Lara Croft first starting as inexperienced but as the game trilogy progresses, turning the beloved character into a hardened survivor that can handle whatever hazardous ruins throw at her.
#9 Bayonetta – Bayonetta
Bayonetta is a game series that had a fast-paced action hack and slash combat style that was a bit like the Devil May Cry franchise. Without spoiling too much of the narrative, this game followed a witch named Bayonetta that was risen after twenty years from the bottom of a lake. Waking up, Bayonetta seeks out what happened all those years ago and fans were eager to join in on the ride. It was a thrilling game series that had players fighting off all sorts of different enemies and each move looked like an incredible combo hit. With that said, there are two installments available but with the sequel being a Nintendo exclusive. Each installment has players taking the role of Bayonetta and it looks like her journey is not done quite yet. Much like Metroid Prime 4, we have seen a teaser showcasing that Bayonetta 3 is being developed but at the time of writing this description, we don’t have any details quite yet on what to expect.
#8 Resident Evil – Jill Valentine
Resident Evil games are full of different female and male protagonist characters but we have to put Jill Valentine on this list. Jill was an OG character after first getting a start in the original Resident Evil title where players had to go through the game not only as Chris Redfield but as Jill Valentine as well. Jill has popped up several times in the video game franchise over the years and she has a pretty in-depth backstory as well. While a former American Delta Force member, Jill eventually took on a job working as a Special Tactics and Rescue Service agent at the Raccoon Police Department. This was a highly trained division of the RPD where individuals were tasked in dangerous situations. Of course, nothing had prepared Jill for what would happen as a member of the S.T.A.R.S. unit during the events of Resident Evil. Ever since then, Jill Valentine had made it her mission to stop bioterrorism for good which had eventually placed the character as an American Special Operations Agent of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance. While you can play an enhanced edition of the first Resident Evil game today, there is also the remake of Resident Evil 3 which features Jill Valentine once again.
#7 Resident Evil 2 – Claire Redfield
To name one more character from the Resident Evil franchise that players may have recently played through, we have Resident Evil 2’s, Claire Redfield. Claire is a character that got her start in the Resident Evil franchise in the sequel to Resident Evil. Resident Evil 2 was also recently remade so not only were veteran fans getting a chance to replay this game again but also plenty of newcomers as well. Claire was on a journey to Raccoon City to find her brother Chris Redfield from the first game, it’s here that she stumbles upon the zombie infection along with a rookie police officer of the city, Leon Kennedy. Similar to the first game, players were supposed to play the game twice with each character having its unique storyline. Of course, Claire Redfield has gone on to be featured in a few games as well as Leon. Resident Evil 2 was a solid entry to the franchise and certainly not a title to pass up on if you’re in the search for a new survival horror game to play.
#6 Mirror’s Edge – Faith Connors
Mirror’s Edge is quite the classic title as well and one of the games that get recommended for players that are after a parkour experience. In this game, players are taking on the role of Faith Connors who is incredibly agile and skilled at free-running around the futuristic city. With the city under strict control, Faith and other skilled parkour individuals have taken it upon themselves to deliver special packages and material around the city that the government would ordinarily destroy. This was a bit of a hit game back in the day when it first launched as players could quickly run, vault, and slide around the world environments. Meanwhile, when a hostile enemy was nearby, Faith had great hand-to-hand combat skills as well. While Mirror’s Edge did get another chance of finding a bigger following with Mirror’s Edge Catalyst, it didn’t quite take off in a way that EA was hoping for. We don’t know if we’ll see Faith make a return for this franchise again, but if not, you still have two games worth playing.
#5 Uncharted: The Lost Legacy – Chloe Frazer
Uncharted is known best for the mainline installments which stars Nathan Drake as he ventures through different exotic locations for lost treasure, much like the Tomb Raider franchise. However, after Uncharted 4 we received a spin-off title that was just as fun. Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was a shorter game but still an action-adventure third-person shooter release that follows Chloe Frazer, an old associate of Nathan Drake. Chloe teams up with Uncharted 4’s Nadine Ross and Samuel Drake as they seek out a legendary tusk of Ganesh. Of course, just like with the mainline Uncharted games, Chloe is not the only person who has their eyes on this treasure as players will once again have to battle against a seemingly unstoppable force who will stop at nothing until they have their hands on the tusk. This game might not be as long as the mainline Uncharted titles, but it’s still a very solid entry worth playing today.
#4 Alien Isolation – Amanda Ripley
Alien Isolation came out in 2014 and offered fans a slight continuation to the Aliens franchise from the first film but before the sequel was released. In Alien Isolation, players take the role of Amanda Ripley who learns that a flight recorder to the Nostromo was discovered. Hoping to figure out what happened to her mother Ellen after being missing for fifteen years, Amanda goes with a crew to recover the flight recorder. Of course, the journey has quite a few hiccups that toss players into a fight for their life. Players are having to go through an alien-infested ship where the goal is to sneak around to complete objectives all while monitoring a tool that helps pinpoint where the hostile creature is. When confronted by the creature, players will have to run and hide in hopes that the alien doesn’t discover them.
#3 Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice – Senua
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an action-adventure game set in Norse mythology. This is a hack and slash style game where players step into the role of Senua, a young warrior that is attempting to revive her deceased lover. Although suffering from psychosis, Senua has a tough journey ahead of her with plenty of hostile enemies to battle against and puzzles to solve. Fans fell in love with the game and the character Senua who was forced to confront her past and the hardships she faced along the way. Developers Ninja Theory was picked up by Microsoft but they are not done with this IP yet. We know that a sequel is being developed now with Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II but we don’t have a ton of information about it quite yet. With that said, it will be releasing exclusively for Microsoft so you can expect this game on PC and the Xbox Series X/S platforms.
#2 Life is Strange – Maxine Caulfield
Life is Strange was an episodic journey that was developed under Dontnod Entertainment and it was a breakout hit for the developers. They’ve gained some footing with this game and it helped spark an adventure series for Square Enix. Within the game, players are stepping into the role of Maxine Caulfield who was in her last year of high school. After gaining the ability to dive into Blackwell Academy from her childhood hometown of Arcadia Bay, Max can rekindle a relationship with a former best friend of hers, Chloe Price. However, a lot has changed with Chloe since Max left all those years ago. Likewise, Max discovers a supernatural power to rewind time. With this gift, Max joins Chloe on a journey to uncover a mystery that has shrouded the town for several years now, the disappearance of a teenage girl. It’s an emotional and mature journey that will keep players going through the different episodes until they reach the end.
#1 Control – Jesse Faden
Control is a relatively new game right now from Remedy Entertainment, the creators behind Max Payne and Alan Wake. In Control players are taking the role of Jesse Faden who becomes in charge of the Federal Bureau of Control, an agency that is tasked with keeping the world from dealing with supernatural entities. However, a new powerful entity managed to break through with the building being the final defense from it unleashing itself into the world. Jesse is forced to take on the supernatural entity herself with an assortment of tools and even a few unique powers as well. This game is a bit of a slow burn as you uncover the drama storyline as you progress and learn what exactly Jesse is up to. If you enjoy Metroidvania video games with third-person shooter mechanics then here’s another game that you can spend a weekend going through.
