By Female-led games are hard to come by. I mean, good ones.
Back in the day, movies and video games showcased female empowerment quite brilliantly without offending the other gender or trying to incorporate bullshit agendas.
Characters like Ripley from Aliens and Lara Croft from Tomb Raider are loved by millions, including both male and female fans, for a reason. It’s because those characters were written without modern agendas.
In this list, I showcase some of my favorite action games with female protagonists, while avoiding ones with hidden agendas.
Most RPGs these days allow you to create male or female characters and play as both genders. This list does not include those games.
Instead, I focused on the best female lead games that have stories centered around the character. Have a look.
1. Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn is an open-world RPG that features a stunning post-apocalyptic world where machines have taken over, and humans survive by using primitive technology.
This is a rare game that balances many different aspects to create a memorable and engaging experience for players. The game features a decent story with great progression, missions, side quests, and a highly interactive world where exploration is rewarded well.
The main female lead, Aloy, is also a very energetic and likeable character. The outside world is new to her, so she discovers things with you as you explore different areas of the map.
HZW is packed with action, where you have to battle giant robot dinosaurs as well as evil humans.
The second title of this franchise, Horizon Forbidden West, is also great. But some players say it forces some SJW and gender equality aspects in a way that affects the story and flow of the game. I’ll let you be the judge of that.
2. Control
Jesse Faden, the main character in Control, is a badass woman who explores a weird building filled with supernatural anomalies and phenomena.
Developed by the same folks who brought you Max Payne, this game features similar gunplay mechanics, featuring action-packed missions, puzzles, and engaging boss battles.
Control feels a lot like a psychological horror game with guns. It has the same vibes as games like Resident Evil, with more interactive environments. I loved it so much I finished the game twice.
Jesse Faden is a badass character as well. She stands tall and strong to face the challenges, and the actor Courtney Hope does a phenomenal job as Jesse.
3. Tomb Raider
While there were many female-led games before Tomb Raider, Lara Croft is the character who made the most impactful and meaningful change for the gaming industry.
Since 1996, Lara Croft has been a character loved by many fans for her brave, strong, sexy, and intelligent charisma. She never backs down from a fight, is not afraid to take risks, and can handle dual pistols like a pro.
After inspiring multiple Hollywood movies featuring Angelina Jolie and another with Alicia Vikander, Lara is now coming to TV in a new TV series featuring Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. A new reboot of the game franchise is also in the works.
The recent Tomb Raider trilogy is the perfect place to start your journey to get to know Lara Croft. But the OG Tomb Raider games are also perfect for a nostalgic trip down memory lane.
4. Cyberpunk 2077
In Cyberpunk 2077, you play the character called V. You can choose between male and female genders to play the game, but your choice determines how the story progresses.
Both voice actors for the female and male roles deliver perfect performances, but I personally enjoyed the female V more than the male version.
When playing the female V character, you will have a more badass voice in your ears, and it adds as an extra layer of immersion to the gameplay experience.
Not to mention that when playing as female V, you will get to romance Judy as well.
5. The Last of Us 2
The first title of The Last of Us is mainly focused on Joel but you also get to play some missions as Ellie. To get a better understanding of the story, you should start by playing the first game and then move on to the second title.
The Last of Us 2 revolves around Ellie as the main character. This game has some same-sex romances and hints of SJW. But I made an exception for this title after considering the quality of gameplay, story, and mission variety.
6. Stellar Blade
Stellar Blade is a souls-like hack-and-slash game that features a badass female lead.
The game takes you to a post-apocalyptic world where you battle monsters with unique weapons and special abilities.
In the game, you play as EVE, a badass and sexy character who’s on a mission to save humanity. This game takes female empowerment to the next level and features sexually suggestive characters and fashion design.
While it’s a feature that makes the game more attractive to men, it doesn’t get in the way of the overall story, gameplay, or engagement.
7. Bayonetta
Bayonetta is a slightly older title on the list that was first released in 2009 for PS3 and released on PC in 2017. So it shows its age but gameplay-wise, it still holds up.
Bayonetta is famous for its badass protagonist, a wisecracking, gun-toting woman in a sexy outfit. What’s not to love about that?
Bayonetta is more like the female version of Devil May Cry. To this day, this character lives among gamers, and you’ll especially see her in comic cosplay conventions.
8. Ghost of Yotei
Ghost of Yotei is the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima but this title offers a standalone experience so you don’t need to play the first game to enjoy this.
Since Ghost of Yotei is still exclusive to PlayStation 5, I haven’t been able to play this game. But according to the schedule, it should arrive on PC very soon.
In this game, you take the role of Atsu a female warrior on a revenge killing spree to take down the people who killed her family. Atsu is a badass who’s capable of handling various weapons quite well. The game is action-packed in a beautiful open-world environment.
9. Resident Evil 3
The Resident Evil remake series have been a massive success and it truly revitalized the franchise by bringing it to the new generations.
One of my favorites among the series is Resident Evil 3. In this title, you get to see the full capabilities of Jill Valentine as she goes against the most badass villain in the series, NEMESIS.
When I first played the original RE3, I was blown away. Every time the Nemesis appears I had goosebumps. In the remake, that experience was even better.
Jill shows such strong character in this game, not only with emotional maturity but with her badass skills and actions.
10. A Plague Tale
Both A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem are brilliant narrative-driven games that tell a beautiful story.
In both games, you get to play as a strong female character named Amicia, who goes through hell to protect her brother and survive the French Inquisition.
The game takes place in mid-14th century France, a time when the Black Plague was terrorizing Europe.
As Amicia, you will fight not only soldiers but swarms of rats and solve puzzles while surviving harsh landscapes. This game features stunning visuals and impressive voice acting that deliver an immersive experience as well.
11. NieR: Automata
The NieR series takes you to a world run by aliens and machines. And it features another badass female lead and engaging action-packed combat.
NieR: Automata and NieR: Replicant are action RPGs that puts you against alien-made machines with boss battles.
In this game, you take the role of an android named 2B, who can not only handle multiple weapons and combat scenarios but also stay calm and violent at the same time.
The game has a souls-like aspect to it, but mixes things up with the classic Square Enix style of narrative-driven gameplay.
12. Lollipop Chainsaw
Lollipop Chainsaw is a classic title loved by many old-school gamers. It recently made its way over to Steam as Lollipop Chainsaw RePop, featuring enhanced graphics.
This off-beat and playful title is perfect for having a laugh while enjoying goryful gameplay.
In this game, you take the role of a badass high-school student named Juliet Starling, whose favorite thing to do is chainsaw zombies in half.
This game surely shows its age but gameplay is still fun and engaging as ever before.
