Yesterday Kotaku posted the article Their Bodies Our Games. The subject of the piece is Massively’s Seraphina Brennan opinion on gender physique in video games. She mentions how the most common complaint denotes the representation of women but not men. She questions why there are not more complaints about the shallow muscle bound heroes who apparently insult men everywhere. Apparently there are not enough Mario’s in the video game world.
“While our interactive media may have started with a slightly overweight plumber as the titular hero, we've certainly turned to making sure all of our character models feature strong, burly, and oversexed men who's muscles can give a woman's breasts a run for their money. I mean, look at World of Warcraft, for example — a game that we normally don't consider sexually charged. How realistic is their depiction of men compared to the average guy?” So I guess most guys don’t have buns of steel and more abdominal definition then Superman. Is this something to be upset about? Should men start lobbying developers to include more variety? Maybe, but I have my doubts. The stereotypical hero has been around since dawn of written history. Giligamesh is not depicted as a skinny boy or fat guy. That is not to say protagonists aren’t as thin as Jesus, or lack the jolly gut of Santa Clause. It simply indicates that the popular depiction of men as muscle bound handsome heroes has withstood the powerful test of time. Do not expect such a force to lose its appeal with the creation of new entertainment medians.
To be clear, I am not stating that all males should fit a stereotypical physique in video games. Variety is the spice of life, and there have been a handful of very successful characters that break the mold. The easiest examples are fighting games like Street Fighter—E. Honda and Dalsiem. The same can not be said for women. I am hard press to come up with any video game women who are not sexy in some way. Even female monsters have a strange appeal. If anyone knows a game with a less sexualized women, besides Fat Princess, then please let me know.
Sex, however, is not the only trait female protagonist represents. According to Brennan, “While VG women certainly may have overblown proportions and tight clothing, many of them aren’t exactly weak or stupid.” This I agree with completely and I would like to dub this idea the Wonder Women Scenario. Women in video games have taken up a cornucopia of roles that depict power. In Dragon Age: Origins, for example, they are depicted as high priests, queens who rule without kings, powerful mages, and skilled combatants. That doesn’t mean the disgust some women feel is nullified. All the women in Dragon Age have an hourglass figure—even the dwarves—and all female demons are topless with nipple jewelry. Until video games start producing a broader representation of the female form there will continue to be valid criticisms from various parties.
The big question going forward is will games illustrating non-traditional gender physique sell? Unfortunately I don’t think many studios will give the idea a decent college try. The industry is notorious for sticking to what makes money. The likely hood of a dramatic change diminishes with the majority of gamers—both consumer and developer—being males between the ages of 17-35. There is also the recession factor. A more likely scenario is gradual change as more women start playing and developing video games. Things will move even more slowly for the representation of men. I can’t think of any “masculinists” out there willing to fight the good fight. Regardless it will be interesting to observe the continual evolution of fictional entertainment in western society.
Dragon Age: Origins is another fantastic rpg from Bioware. This time the development team has set aside the far reaches of space and returned to the land of Tolkein like fantasy. So if you’re looking for another KOTOR forget, and if you want another adventure with Commander Shepard then you best wait to next year. If, however, you want an epic fantasy that will suck you in for hundreds of hours, then look no further.
One of the first things players will notice about Dragon Age is the vast selection of origin stories. There are a total of six starting zones that differ significantly and affect certain scenarios throughout the game. Players can choose their gender, race, background, and class. The races are as basic as it gets with the human, dwarf, and elf trio. In this fantasy land called Ferelden humans rule all, and they are their usual greedy arrogant selves. They are also very religious following their Christian like belief via the Chantry. There is only one background story for the human race involving nobility, but I have yet to play through that opening. Dwarves have their own kingdom, but are constantly warring with themselves and the Darkspawn—evil orc like creatures. There are two starting areas for dwarfs that resemble the classic tale The Prince and the Pauper. The elves are the least prosperous of the races. They are either ex-slaves trying to get by in the city slums, or nomadic Dalish elves who attempt to bring back the glory days. Each of these lifestyles represents the starting areas for elves. The final background story is not dictated by race, but by class. All mages begin at the Circle of the Magi; a school/penitentiary for all law abiding mages.
The other two classes in Dragon Age are Warrior and Rogue. Some may criticize Bioware for being so generic, but I personally found the common terminology a relief. I’ve memorized enough useless information in my life, and the last thing I need is another term for armored badass who swings giant weapons to kill things. Anyone familiar with Dungeons and Dragons or World of Warcraft will quickly realize the proper roles for each class. Mages and Rogues are support and damage classes while the Warrior is an agro hogging meat shield. There is no all powerful class, and each has its own unique advantages/experiences. The combat is set around a squad of four so pick your favorite class for the main character. By the time you finish up the first segment of the game you will have a rogue, warrior, and mage to party up with. Customization is the name of the game in Dragon Age. After selecting their gender, race, background, and class players get to shape their hero to their liking. The same facial customization features used from Mass Effect are found in Dragon Age. Now players can create ugly dwarfs and elves in addition to humans. There are also voice options that dictate basic battle chatter for your main character. This is a great feature, but sadly pales in comparison to Mass Effect which has voice acting for the main character—something rarely seen in rpgs of this nature. In addition to basic looks and class talents players are allowed to customize characters with specializations. There are four for each class, and they have to be unlocked through quests and in-game books. Once a specialization is discovered it becomes available across all playthroughs. Each build plays differently and unlocks unique abilities. Rogues, for example, can become Duelists/Assassins who focus on melee combat, or Bards/Rangers that better compliment an archery build. This extra layer of customization improves replay value, and overall enjoyment of the game.
Sticking to the fundamentals is the middle name of the game for Dragon Age. Like other Bioware titles the writing and gameplay are familiar and solid. Every bit of dialogue or text is entertaining to absorb. The plot is generic but it works. There are also dozens of hard choices and adult scenarios throughout the game. Sometimes you’ll be stuck with a bad or worse decision. SPOILER START—During one quest you get to pick between the life of the mother or child.—END SPOILER These aren’t your cookie cutter good or bad scenario. You’ll be forced to make tough decisions that may not sit well with your high morals—if that’s the type of role playing you enjoy. Your companions will also judge your actions harshly, and if they disapprove significantly they’ll leave. When I went through the game as a big jerk I ended up with only six out of nine teammates.
Gameplay is very similar to Mass Effect and KOTOR. Combat is in real time, but can be paused at any moment to dictate a characters next move. It is essential to figure out proper tactics for each class. The default AI is pretty dumb, but can be molded into a brilliant fighter. As mentioned early each class has their own role or style of play. Melee Rogues should always attempt to backstab opponents. Mages work best from a distance, and warriors charge into battle. There isn’t anything new to combat in Dragon Age, but everything is done well.
Bioware manages to uphold their awesome reputation for great writing and solid gameplay. They also, unfortunately, continue to release games full of bugs. So I guess you can say, shipping a game with numerous bugs is the last name of the game. Throughout your adventures in Ferelden an observant player will notice numerous art issues. Clothing textures disappear frequently around the neck and shoulder. Fingers lack collision and magically phase through forearms. The level of detail, or LOD, is also sporadic with backgrounds suddenly popping in and out. In addition, cut scenes will repeat themselves if a player interacts with a NPC before the proper script is triggered. The quest helping the templar in the Alienage orphanage being the worst offender. Audio bugs are also an issue. There is more then one occasion where the dialogue cuts out, and with no subtitles on you tend to miss important information. Finally each playthrough has resulted in at least one progression stopper. These issues are not enough to discourage purchasing this game, but they are an unwelcome distraction.
Hundreds upon hundreds of hours can be spent playing this game. There are numerous possibilities for each scenario, and character customization is gynormous. The combat is solid and the writing fantastic. Bioware has released the quintessential fantasy rpg for this generation of consoles. Take away the bugs and this game receives a perfect score. Unfortunately I can’t simply ignore so many small issues, and as a result Snerts Snazzy Score grants Dragon Age Origins a respectable 4.6 out of 5.
Sex, however, is not the only trait female protagonist represents. According to Brennan, “While VG women certainly may have overblown proportions and tight clothing, many of them aren’t exactly weak or stupid.” This I agree with completely and I would like to dub this idea the Wonder Women Scenario. Women in video games have taken up a cornucopia of roles that depict power. In Dragon Age: Origins, for example, they are depicted as high priests, queens who rule without kings, powerful mages, and skilled combatants. That doesn’t mean the disgust some women feel is nullified. All the women in Dragon Age have an hourglass figure—even the dwarves—and all female demons are topless with nipple jewelry. Until video games start producing a broader representation of the female form there will continue to be valid criticisms from various parties. 
