I have just read an entire thread on the lack of strong women characters in the Final Fantasy series wherein /everyone/ utterly ignored the existance of X-2.
Yes, in general, the FF series is bad about making the females the mages and healers who don't get in there and get their hands dirty. This is very true. But, damned, people, give Square props for making a game where /every/ playable character is a female, and more, all playable characters can take any role you want them to. You can, in fact, have an entire party of sword-wielding berzerkers for FF X-2 if you like, and every one of them will be a woman. (Moreover, the female characters in X-2 are strong, self-actualized women who regularly kick ass and take names. Yeah, characters like LeBlanc are nothing to get excited about, on an empowerment level, but damn.)
That's kinda frustrating.
Yes, in general, the FF series is bad about making the females the mages and healers who don't get in there and get their hands dirty. This is very true. But, damned, people, give Square props for making a game where /every/ playable character is a female, and more, all playable characters can take any role you want them to. You can, in fact, have an entire party of sword-wielding berzerkers for FF X-2 if you like, and every one of them will be a woman. (Moreover, the female characters in X-2 are strong, self-actualized women who regularly kick ass and take names. Yeah, characters like LeBlanc are nothing to get excited about, on an empowerment level, but damn.)
That's kinda frustrating.
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It's like the video-game review equivalent of "I only read these lad's mags for the articles."
At the same time, god, X-2 was just so positive and optimistic a game for the Final Fantasy series that it's unfortunate more people didn't like it.
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In a small sample, you're always going to get weird behaviours that don't look uniformly random - behaviours that characters can notice and comment on ICly.
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I don't think FF X-2 is the best "strong women in FF" example. What about FF V, where 1/2 the party is female in the beginning, and 3/4 is female at the end? Or FF VI, where Celes puts the group back together? (And Terra's a good character there, too. Yes, they're both magicians, but they're no slouch in a fight, either.)
I might think that FF X-2 isn't a good example because I really didn't like it--after 20 hours of play, I was waiting for the plot to start happening, and it still wasn't, so I moved on with my life.