Jocelyn Kwan

By /

Research Project

Representations of Female Protagonists in Video Games

Bio

Hi! I’m Jocelyn 🙂 I’m in my final year of studying Professional Communication and minoring in communication design at TMU! As a passionate girl gamer, my capstone project is dedicated to understanding how female protagonists are portrayed within video games.

Research Summary

Following the birth of Lara Croft, the underrepresentation of female characters were brought to the forefront, with many criticizing the the sexist and stereotypical portrayals of women in video games. My multimodal critical analysis has found that sexualization still persisted in female protagonist games, and that protagonists both resisted and reinforced traditional narratives surrounding heroism.

Research Poster

A purple-themed infographic titled 'Female Protagonists in Tomb Raider, Mirror's Edge, Bayonetta 2, and Kena: Bridge of Spirits'. A central white silhouette of a woman holding a pistol is surrounded by six data points: 'Heroism' (3/4, polymythic journey, emotional bonds, superhero mask icon), 'Character' (2/4, lack emotional complexity, one-dimensional, neutral emoji icon), 'Relationships' (2/4, maternal bond, female friendship, heart hands icon), 'Gender Identity' (2/4, balanced femininity/masculinity, intertwined gender symbols icon), 'Sexualization' (2/4, appearances, camera angles, game mechanics, red lips icon), and 'Stereotypes' (4/4, stray from traditional tropes, princess crown icon). The infographic asks, 'How have female protagonists been represented in action adventure games?' and is set against a starry background with a grid floor.

Lightning Talk

Scroll to Top