Femme Fatale. It’s French for 'deadly woman'. According to Wikipedia - also known as The Bible of the internet - a femme fatale is a "dangerous and seductive woman", who often leads men into "compromising, dangerous and deadly situations". To me, a femme fatale is a chick who kicks ass, and if you know anything about me you know I love a kickass chick.

Lucky for me as a gamer, those nerdy game developers seem to love feisty ladies just as much as I do, and I’m guessing some of you geeks can appreciate the allure of a tough-as-nails female as well. Given the rampant interest on the subject, and in no way motivated by an inappropriate obsession with these gaming gals, I have taken it upon myself to put together a little list of my favorite femmes fatales of gaming. A powerful protagonist can and will completely change your experience with a game, so take a look at this list and check these ladies and their games out, and remember: most of them could beat you senseless.

Samus Aran, Metroid

Anyone who played Metroid back in the day will remember the exact moment when you realised Samus Aran, the futuristic bounty hunter in the suit that would give Iron Man a run for his money, wasn’t a cool dude. Nope, he wasn’t actually a he at all. He was a she, and she was tougher than any man could ever hope to be.

For the two of you out there who are unaware of Metroid, here’s the 411: Samus Aran walks around in some manly looking (yet strangely flattering) body armor, is armed to the teeth with futuristic laser guns, bombs and all manner of snazzy gadgets, and can basically walk onto a planet, take out every ugly alien on it, blow the goddamn rock up and head back home in time for lunch. She’s badass and don’t you doubt it. Oh, and one more thing: as of late, Samus has taken to wearing more fitted outfits. She’s pretty hot under that manly armor.

Samus made her latest outing in Metroid: Other M, infused with 25% more badass mojo, courtesy of Team Ninja. Some fans have frowned upon how the developers choose to flesh out Samus’ back-story and make her out to be somewhat of a fragile little girl. I’ll leave you guys to judge whether Other M has a higher 'win' or 'fail' quota, as long as you don’t for a second doubt just how awesome Samus is.

Not. One. Second.

Jill Valentine, Resident Evil

Not only is she a femme fatale, she is also the infamous 'master of unlocking'. The original Resident Evil girl, many have tried to win over Jill Valentine's title but, in my humble opinion, no other digital girl has succeeded.

Jill Valentine blew out her first zombie brain - and won over the hearts of gamers everywhere - back in 1996, in the first Resident Evil. She turned out to be more than just 'the girl character' of the game, thanks to some clever design choices by Capcom. Instead of just inserting a character with breasts, meant for one Mr. Chris Redfield, into an adventure, Capcom gave Ms. Valentine her own distinct storyline and adventure. Somehow, despite atrocious dialogue and voice acting, Capcom managed to create not only a long-lasting series but also characters that would withstand the test of time.

Jill went on to star in what I still consider to be the scariest game in the series, Resident Evil 3: Nemesis (available now for download from the PlayStation Store), and made a semi-triumphant return in Resident Evil 5, proving to us all that she was still the girl that a zombie wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley.

Look for her to appear sometime soon in the upcoming 3DS game Resident Evil: Revelations. Just the thought of Jill Valentine blowing out zombie brains in an awesome 3D handheld format makes me get all giddy. You should go ahead and get excited too.

Fun fact: Jill was simply not content with kicking zombie booty, and made the jump to fighting games in 2002 in Marvel vs. Capcom 2, a role she is set to reprise this year in the game's sequel.

Jill Valentine is, simply put, all that and then some.

Lightning, Final Fantasy XIII

If the last two girls on the list could be considered old-school, then Lightning, of Final Fantasy fame, is about as 'new-school' as you can get. Making her first appearance in last year’s Final Fantasy XIII, Lightning showed up with a definite bang. Benefiting from all the power the PS3 and the 360 have to offer, the visuals of Final Fantasy XIII and the lovely Lightning are awe-inspiring, and to see this girl in motion is a thing of beauty. Trust me, you don’t forget the first time you see Lightning turn her gun into a sword with nothing but a flick of her wrist. Yeah, that’s right, her gun is also a sword. Awesome.

Speaking of weaponry, you should know that Lightning has more than enough talent to sweep the floor with any of the male Final Fantasy protagonists that came before her. With military training under her belt, Lightning could just as easily dropkick you as light you on fire courtesy of some nifty magic. I should probably also mention that she has the ability to invoke the power of Odin in one of the series' trademark 'summons'.

Yeah, I mean Odin as in King of the Norse Gods. Again, awesome.

Anything but a damsel in distress, Lightning is a woman on a mission, driven and focussed; say what you will of the linear nature of Final Fantasy XIII, but Lightning had business to care of, and no town full of NPC’s was going to get in her way. If you, like me, can’t get enough of this gun-blade toting woman, fear not: Lightning is poised to make a comeback in two upcoming Square Enix games, Final Fantasy XIII-2 and Dissidia: Duodecim.

Bayonetta, Bayonetta

A group of Angels swoop down from the heavens, wielding celestial weapons and intent on putting an end to you. Who are you? A curvaceous, cheeky, and absolutely deadly witch. As you lunge forward with your samurai sword you quickly go from slicing the angels up into feathery bits to shooting them up with your dual guns, swiftly interchanging punches with deadly shots. You finish off your enemies with a couple of well placed bullets. These bullets, however, aren’t fired from the guns in your hands, oh no; these are shots from the guns attached to the heels of your fabulous boots.

Oh, Bayonetta: you are one crazy chick.

I’ve played quite a few action games in my day and have witnessed all kinds of ludicrous things that insane game developers the world over have cooked up in their twisted little heads. After four Devil May Cry games, a couple of Ninja Gaidens, and a few God of Wars, I’d thought that I couldn’t be completely floored anymore. Yet Bayonetta went ahead and proved me wrong...

...in the best possible way.

Sure we’re talking about an extremely solid action game, with tight controls, great visuals and incredible art direction, but what really pulls the whole package together is Bayonetta herself. Overtly sexual, riddled with clichés and an all-round badass, Bayonetta is a character who gamers, such as me, will not soon forget. If you haven’t given this game a try, please do, immediately. Personally, I can only hope that we haven’t seen the last of this pole-dancing witch.

Yes, I said pole dancing. No, it wasn’t a typo.

Chun Li, Street Fighter

The number one, undisputed fighting game vixen is without a doubt Chun Li of Street Fighter fame. The tiny little Chinese girl, with the pretty blue dress and the lighting fast legs, changed the landscape of fighting games for the better back in 1991, with her appearance as a playable character in Street Fighter II – The World Warrior. Chun-Li was the first ever playable female character in a fighting game. The first ever. If you’re wondering, now is a good time to be impressed.

Chun-Li literally invaded a man’s world, and kicked serious butt while doing it. This nimble lady let little gaming boys the world over know that it was alright to pick the girl, especially if you beat the other guys to the ground while doing it. Again, we have Capcom to thank for this one. Instead of making a flimsy, cardboard cutout pretty girl who wanted to see the world and throw some kicks, they make a Chun-Li an undercover cop with a dead dad and revenge on her mind. Armed with quick hits and Princess Leia hair, a legend was born.

Chun-Li continues to be a popular character today, and has been featured prominently in most of Capcom’s Street Fighter games, as well as in most of the spin off franchises Capcom has cooked up, most prominently the Capcom vs. games. You can find Chun-Li spin-bird-kicking her way into Marvel vs. Capcom 3 right now.

Aya Brea, Parasite Eve

I’m guessing a few of you are saying "Aya who?" right about now. Fear not, all shall be revealed.

Aya Brea was just your regular, run-of-the-mill NYPD detective, minding her own business, trying to live the good life and catch an opera at Carnegie Hall when BAM, the prima donna of the opera gets all glowy eyed and makes everyone in the room catch on fire. Spontaneous combustion is not as fun as it sounds. Of course, our heroine didn’t catch a bad case of "I’m on fire!" like everyone else; instead, she got some nifty superpowers out of it all.

And, lo, a hero is born! Aya Brea proceeded to fight said Prima Donna and the mutant creatures she created in her wake, with New York City hanging in the balance, all the while looking all kinds of foxy in her leather jacket and blue jeans. Not quite an action game, and not quite an RPG, Parasite Eve was something else. In addition to the very cool abilities Aya developed in the course of the game she also had access to all kinds of weaponry, which you could upgrade in all sorts of ways. Think Resident Evil with magic that isn’t magic but superpowers... got it?

The interesting game mechanics plus pretty blonde lead made a hit of Parasite Eve on the PlayStation back in 1998. A sequel was released in 2000, and despite being packed with more lady-killing-creatures action, we haven’t heard of Aya since.

Luckily for us fans, Ms. Brea is just about ready for her comeback. A third game in the series, aptly titled The Third Birthday, is set to mutate the mitochondria of a PSP near you this March. After over ten years, I think that deserves a great big HUZZAH!

YRP, Final Fantasy X-2

I get it. Many hated Final Fantasy X-2. The roster was reduced to three playable characters, all of whom were girls. The tone of the game was much camper and upbeat, and the story - as a direct continuation of Final Fantasy X - left some wanting more. I, on the other hand, absolutely loved this game, in no small part due to its three female leads: Yuna, Rikku and Paine.

Fans of Final Fantasy X were more than familiar with Rikku and Yuna, however no one was expecting the massive makeover given to Yuna, who went from a princess-like summoner to a gun slinging acrobat straight out of Charlie’s Angels. And then, there was Paine. A sombre, cold and all-business warrior, the only way to describe her is badass, in an extreme sense. The game made a switch back to the job system, a classic Final Fantasy battle system by means of which you can change a characters job (thief, gunner, black mage, white mage, etc.) in order to gain access to the abilities corresponding to each job. The special thing about FFX-2 is that you could switch jobs mid-battle, leading to some very flashy over the top wardrobe change animations and some even flashier strategy.

I played this game to death, and wholeheartedly recommend it to any RPG enthusiasts willing to give it a chance. Hopefully these ladies will win you over as they did me.

Rubi Malone, WET

WET was a game which, to me, was filled with promise. Poised to be a great, stylish and clever action game, the end result just wasn’t running on all cylinders and ultimately didn’t deliver. However, if there was one aspect of the game I truly liked it was the character created to star in it: Rubi Malone.

This is a list of tough ladies, correct? Well, Ms. Malone packs dual pistols, uzis and shotguns; can run on walls like nobody’s business; and there’s also that useful Samurai sword she just loves to carry around. She is a bad-mouthed, dangerous mercenary for hire, and I love her for it.

WET was just oozing with style, trying its hardest to be the game Quentin Tarantino would love to make and play. If we’re lucky the recently announced sequel will be a bit more Tarantino and a bit less B-movie.

Trish, Devil May Cry Series

Granted, in constructing my list I’ve taken a few liberties with the term 'femme fatale', but if ever there was one, Trish of the Devil May Cry series is definitely it. Covered in sexy leather and leathery sex appeal? Check. Using her cunning to lure our hero into danger? Check. Powerful enough to take us all to hell and back, and not break a sweat? Check check check.

Trish made her debut in the first Devil May Cry on the PlayStation 2 way back in 2001. Created by the evil demon Mundus to look just like Dante’s mother, and imbued with enough strength and power to take our hybrid demon/human hero on, Trish was central to the story, as she served as the bait, foe and eventual ally of Dante. At the end of the first game Dante finds himself with a new partner, and we find ourselves with a new femme fatale to love.

Sadly Trish has found herself with a downplayed role in the series, and we craving fanboys have always been left wanting more of this blonde bombshell. Playable as a secret character in the disappointing Devil May Cry 2, and making scant appearances in Devil May Cry 4, it's left to be seen what Trish’s fate will be in the reboot of the series, known simply as DMC.

Lara Croft, Tomb Raider Series

It’s no secret: I love Lara Croft with a passion. Dig deep enough around the site and you’ll find my ode to both Lara and her franchise around here somewhere. And honestly, what’s not to love? There’s the lovely British accent, the acrobatic prowess and handy dual-wielded guns, the archeological knowledge. She isn't too difficult on the eyes either.

Lara Croft has been a staple of the videogame industry since she made her debut in the 1996 Tomb Raider. In an era when 2D gaming was still king, Tomb Raider not only took part in the 3D gaming revolution, but also changed the landscape of female characters in gaming. Lara Croft, just like most of the other women on this list, is tough, unapologetic and very kickass, whilst at the same time maintaining her femininity and charm.

With the recent Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, the folks at Crystal Dynamics proved to us all that Lara Croft was a compelling character even when you take a Tomb Raider game and turn it on its head. I harbour a deep hope that they’ll be able to pull that off again with the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot/prequel.



So there you have it, boys and girls; my top ten gaming femmes fatales. I’m sure that I’ve left hundreds of amazing characters off the list, but these ladies just float my boat and I’m not ashamed to admit it. Sound off in the comments section and let us know who your favourite femmes fatales are.

Labels: 2011, Bayonetta, Columns, Devil May Cry, Dissidia Final Fantasy, DMC, Final Fantasy, Joey Núñez, Metroid, Parasite Eve, RePlay, Resident Evil, Street Fighter, The Third Birthday, Tomb Raider, Wet

It’s a new year in the videogame kingdom and that means out with the old and in with the shiny. But, before we traverse the pleasantries of 2011, how about revisiting some gems that might have passed you by from the last three-hundred-and-sixty-five days? Here are the games that I found to be 2010’s defining moments.

Before we get to the juicy, tender centrepiece you should know that I didn’t possess the innate power to manipulate time this year, and so I missed a lot of critically-acclaimed titles. For that, I am ashamed. Still, I think you’ll find my choices to be a mixture of unique and awesome. Mostly awesome.

7: Super Meat Boy

What else can I say? The name of the developer is 'Team Meat'. These guys know how to make a game that harkens back to the days of brutalisation. Thankfully, though the difficulty is through the roof, it’s so much fun you’ll forget that you’re actually attempting to cross the demon-hydra-laser-spinner-of-doom for the eighty-ninth time. The controls are solid, the visuals are captivating, and the game is riddled with hordes of homages to videogames of the past. I couldn’t ask for much more. Oh, the music is pretty damn catchy too.

6: NHL 11

Woah: a sports game in someone’s best of the year list?! You better believe it. NHL 11 builds upon the incredibly streamlined and intuitive gameplay of last year’s title. Not only does it add a multitude of varying gameplay quirks, like breakable sticks and the best passing system yet to enter an NHL game, but the Ultimate Team mode isn’t bad either. Whether you want to create your own pro, control behind-the-scenes action or just jump into a match carefree, it’s all readily available and accessed within a few button presses.

5: God of War III

I still remember the first day I placed the original God of War in my Playstation 2. The game, being so shockingly gorgeous and smooth to play, set the bar for how action games were conceived. Saying that, with how stunningly cinematic the third instalment is, it’s hard not to assess the prize for 'Best of Series' to number three. Gameplay wise, not much has changed but Sony Santa Monica managed to keep the experience fresh with newfound weapons, moves, and the most savage boss fights you could hope for. The only game to rival the cinematic quality of Sony’s masterpiece would be the sly folks over at Konami and their classic Metal Gear Solid 4. Now that’s saying something.

4: Bayonetta

You will probably argue that God of War’s combat and cinematics are superior in quality to Bayonetta’s, but I’d tell you you’re wrong. You see, there’s nothing out there that can match the quirky habitat that Platinum Games' feminine star resides in. Witches killing angels, suits made out of hair, shooting dudes in all directions with high-heeled bullet hoses. Quite honestly, I can’t even begin to explain what’s what in this damn universe, but once again, I don’t have to. I guess that’s what makes Bayonetta so delightfully original; it doesn’t care about anything and pays homage to everything. It also doesn’t hurt that Hideki Kamiya blends his famed Devil May Cry gameplay perfectly with a host of over the top moments that must be experienced to be believed. By the way, the fight against the final boss... it’s the best in gaming. No joke.

3: Mega Man 10

You won’t find a more hardcore, purist Mega Man fan than yours truly. After the holy grail of Mega Man’s in number nine, I was pumped when the tenth made its way onto my screen. Exacerbated and classic in every way, Capcom outdid themselves this time around. First off, let me stress how gut-wrenchingly difficult some of the bosses are. THEY ARE GUT-WRENCHINGLY DIFFICULT! If you can beat Solar Man with only your Mega Buster and no Energy Tanks, you’re as awesome as I am. But in true Mega Man fashion, after your ass gets handed to you many, many times you adapt to the pain and pull through in glorious victory. The music is still completely rockin’ - not as good as Mega Man 9’s was, but still excellent (see Nitro Man and Staff Roll). Being able to play as Proto Man was just icing on the cake and for ten smackers, it doesn’t get much better than this.

2: StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

Maybe you knew this was coming. Maybe. The original StarCraft was a personal favourite of mine, and after that heinous wait for the sequel, just looking at the title screen sent tingles down my spine. Yes, yes it’s the same ole’ formula but think of it like this; it’s a revitalisation formula which resurrects and rejuvenates classic RTS gameplay. Build orders still exist but the balance of this game is so near perfection that it almost hurts to deliberate it. Every single thing has a counter in this game so think about that when you declare that Void Rays are the devil incarnate; they are but you get what I mean. The single player mode lacks the emotional grasp the original held over me but it remains entertaining nonetheless. I love the Wing Commander throwback style of the ship screens and the new Battle.net is refined beyond belief. Even if you don’t care about the single player or competitive multiplayer experience, you can still build maps or play custom ones all night long. In summation, there’s way too much to like here.

1: Mass Effect 2

BioWare’s follow up to the praised original is miles – no, light-years - ahead of its predecessor. As a matter of fact, if you play Mass Effect 2 there’s no possible way you can ever retreat back to the clunky, cluttered mess that was the first game. That’s not to say that Mass Effect was bad, but when a sequel is this refined it’s pretty hard to go back to the roots.

Anyway, so much has changed that you could pretty much call Mass Effect 2 a completely different game. The combat, menu systems, weapons, classes: every single thing has seen an overhaul and it’s all the better for it. Classes, like the Vanguard, have specialised functions like warping through solid matter, that make combat engaging and pure fun. There’s nothing like sitting behind some cover, waiting for several guards to come running your way when, like the magic-space-ninja you are, you throw out a ball that bursts into a void of energy that tosses the cretins around like little Geisha dolls with bobbling heads.

Combat is great but the number one factor in Mass Effect 2’s victory is its unparalleled writing. Never have I been more interested and enticed to find out more about my crew members in a game – save perhaps Baldur’s Gate II. Conversations are twice as good this time around and, to make matters even more awesome, you're sometimes allowed to interrupt conversations. Don’t like how this guy is treating your dudes? If the renegade icon jumps on-screen you just might take that laser-wrench and... well, you know. This kind of characterisation only augments an already stunning story, and with the DLC and extra support the title’s been getting, the wait for Mass Effect 3 is a little easier. There’s still so much more to tell. Alas, space and its constraints.

If I had to say one thing to describe my experience in its entirety with this game - and I still can’t believe I’m saying this - it would be that I consider Mass Effect 2 to be one of the greatest games I’ve ever played.

Labels: 2011, Andrew Whipple III, Bayonetta, Feature, Games of 2010, God of War III, Mass Effect 2, Mega Man 10, NHL 11, Starcraft II, Super Meat Boy

Game Information


Basic information
Bayonetta
Developer: Platinum Games (PS3 port: SEGA)
Publisher: SEGA
Released: 29th October, 2009 (Japan)
5th January, 2010 (North America)
7th January, 2010 (Australia and New Zealand)
8th January, 2010 (Europe)

Platforms
PlayStation 3
Xbox 360

Genres
Action

Certification
BBFC: 15
CERO: D
ESRB: M
OFLC: MA15+ (Australia)
OFLC: R16 (New Zealand)
PEGI: 18

Before picking up Platinum Games' first title, Bayonetta, there are a few questions you must ask yourself. Do I enjoy crazy, Japanese style action? Have I enjoyed games such as Devil May Cry? Am I tolerant of the sexual objectification of women? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, Bayonetta might be a game for you. Although this is Platinum Games' first game as a studio, don't think that they are inexperienced. The group is made up of mostly of former members of the now closed Clover Studios, who were responsible for Viewtiful Joe and Okami. Bayonetta also has the pedigree of having Hideki Kamiya - creator of the Devil May Cry series - on board. Bayonetta easily stands on the same ground as these games. That being said, it is not a game for everybody, and your enjoyment will come solely from how accepting you are of the game.

Bayonetta places you in the seductive, black, gun-attached shoes of the titular character, Bayonetta. Bayonetta is a witch suffering from amnesia, trying to piece together her past, all while bashing her way through hordes of angels and demons. Upon waking up at the bottom of a lake after a 500 year nap, our heroine finds herself thrust into the middle of a battle between her clan, the Umbra Witches, and the Lumen Sages. Of course, there is a lot more to the story of Bayonetta, more than you would expect from an action game such as this. You will often find yourself in near-Metal-Gear-Solid-length cutscenes depicting the drama between the game's colourful and exciting characters. The game's cutscenes are shown in two varieties, either in standard, full motion videos, or in animated photographs in a "film reel" style. I found the latter to be more of a nuisance rather than a compelling way to portray the story, and would have preferred to have all of the scenes done with full motion. Although there is a heavy focus on the story in Bayonetta, most gamers will find themselves lost trying to comprehend all of the intricacies of the narrative on their first, or even second, play through.

The real enjoyment of Bayonetta comes from the fast-paced, gun slinging gameplay, which - as mentioned before - is in the vein of games such as Devil May Cry. With a complex combo system, as well as unlockable weapons and moves, gamers will find plenty of depth and incentive for replayability. Starting the game with only four, hell-crafted pistols (one for each appendage) Bayonetta will quickly find other toys such as a powerful shotgun and a sword. Controlling Bayonetta during the chaos is rather straight forward; there are buttons for light and heavy attacks - or hands and feet respectively - and a button dedicated to shooting which I found to be rather useless. While veterans of the character action genre will find Bayonetta easy to pick up, the main innovation lies in the "Witch Time" mechanic. This activates when the player dodges an enemy's attack just before impact, and causes the world to slow down around Bayonetta, letting her let loose impressive yet simple combos.

Story aside, Bayonetta is simply crazy. The game starts off while fighting angels, standing on rubble, falling though the night sky, and it does not let up. If at any point while playing Bayonetta you tell yourself that it can't get any more insane than this, you will find yourself sorely mistaken. I will refrain from giving away any of these jaw-dropping moments, but I can guarantee that during the first play through of Bayonetta, players will be dumbfounded, or even have a chuckle, at the absurdities and relentless exploits of this game.

Bayonetta is by no means a perfect game. Like many games released since the original God of War, Bayonetta includes quick time events. These feel tacked on, and often have such a small window for response that players will fail them the first time. This is particularly frustrating because they usually result in instant death, and consequently lower your rank on the stage. Another problem I encountered with Bayonetta was the difficulty. Now, there is a place for hard games, and I do enjoy a good challenge, but I found the difficulty to be uneven and fluctuate throughout the story. By that, I mean that some sections of the game can be extremely frustrating, especially for players focused on obtaining good ranks, and then be followed by an easy part. Apart from a few other minor complaints, these are the bulk of the things I did not enjoy about Bayonetta, although they do not ultimately dampen the experience enough to make it not worth a try.

The final piece of Bayonetta I would like to highlight are the boss fights. Often very large in scale and offering multiple sections, the boss battles in Bayonetta are, in my opinion, the high point of the game. From large, multiple headed dragons to other witches with similar abilities to your own, most of the bosses in Bayonetta are very enjoyable and offer a great challenge. That being said, a lot of the bosses are recycled and show up a little too much, leaving room for a bit more variety to be desired.

Bayonetta, while an excellent game, is not for everybody. Gamers who do not have interests in Japanese game design, or are not drawn in by anime-esque story lines will find little to be enjoyed in Bayonetta. However, Bayonetta's intended audience will be able to get the most out of this ridiculous and fun game, and with rewards obtainable only through the second and third playthroughs, there is no shortage of content. If you are on the fence with Bayonetta, I recommend giving it a rental first, but if you have a feeling that it is a game for you, I can say with confidence that Bayonetta is a game you will be glad you played.

8/10

Tyson

Labels: 360, Bayonetta, Platinum Games, PlayStation3, PS3, Review, SEGA, Tyson, Tyson Breen, Xbox 360