Summary
The “Final Girl” trope of the unsuspecting female protagonist prevailing against an insurmountable threat remains a staple in many horror and thriller flicks, with modern iterations of this tradition transforming the Final Girl and other characters into more formidable leads and keys to the survival genre. These protagonists show the resiliency of the human spirit as they use their environment and guile to survive various threats. The beloved Final Girl tradition also extends to gaming, where female lead characters outlast hostile environments and malicious characters through their skill sets.
While female leads are no strangers to video games, some end up in dangerous situations that no ordinary person could survive. However, as some female protagonists of survival games show, there’s always a way to live past the odds if they use whatever they’ve got. Which survival games showcase these kinds of leads?
Lara Croft
Powerset
Peak Human Physique, Archaeological and Anthropological Knowledge, Master Archer, Master Survivor
Claim to Fame
A rookie scholar thrust into the brutal world of adventuring, surviving her first outing with an injury
WhereasLara Croft of the originalTomb Raiderseriesbecame iconic for her twin pistols and her encyclopedic knowledge of all things ancient, theLara Croftof Crystal Dynamics’Survivorremake is as green as she can get. While she boasts the iconic ponytail of her classic counterpart, Lara in 2013’sTomb Raideris by no means the gun-toting femme fatal of the classics. When she joins an expedition to find the Yamatai, the aftermath of a shipwreck causes a horrible injury while threats force Lara to survive hostile threats. It’s this game that cements the younger Lara as a bow-toting protagonist in the survival-adventure title.
AlthoughTomb Raiderdoesn’t boast strong survival mechanics, actively forcing Lara to rely on stealth and quick knockdowns with a limited supply of gear makes survival one of the game’s sub-genres. The game’s more grounded approach to both Lara and its exploration mechanic lays down the groundwork for a potential survival-oriented series.
Investigative Journalism
One of five potential survivors in the booby-trapped replica of H.H. Holmes' Murder Castle
While the interactive survival horror gameThe Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Mecan have playerskill all the protagonistswith the wrong choices, protagonistKatherine Wilderhas the most scenes in the game (survival or otherwise) and is therefore indirectly positioned as its main protagonist. She works as an investigative journalist for Lonnit Entertainment, and reluctantly joins the team on a visit to a replica of serial killer H.H. Holmes' “Murder Castle” in a bid to save their show “The Architects of Murder.” Unfortunately, she would soon realize that this “Murder Castle” replica isn’t just an imitation - and they would test its deadly traps.
When Kate is separated from the rest of her team, her encounters with them will slowly help her overcome her PTSD over a friend’s death to help her survive this endeavor. Despite Kate’s rivalry with Jamie, conflicts with Director Charlie, indifference towards newcomer Erin, and even awkwardness with her ex-boyfriend Mark, Kate may be able to make choices to ensure her and her team’s survival.
Carrier of the Azoth
Has to build a relationship with Hewie, overcome Panic, to survive a deadly castle
Positioned as a spiritual successor to theClock Towerfranchise,Haunting Groundmight seem like an ordinary horror game set in castle but its presentation becomes more disturbing throughout the experience. ProtagonistFiona Belliis caught in an accident while visiting her parents, only to wake up in a mysterious castle with no memory of how she got there. She encounters and befriends Hewie, a White Shepherd, and together they must escape the pursuit of castle keeper Riccardo who wants Fiona for certain reasons. It’s precisely this thematic use of sexuality towards the frail Fiona that contributes to the game’s disturbing overall atmosphere.
Thissimple premise is backed up with quite perilous game mechanics. The game adds frightful elements with the idea of Fiona not necessarily being a fighter, relying often on chases, stealth, and even using the environment against enemies. She needs to maintain a good relationship with Hewie, so he can help her survive. The game’s Panic Mode, which hinders some controls from working, adds tension to gameplay. Moreover, Fiona prevailing against her captors despite being positioned as frail becomes a highlight in the game.
Special Operations Training
Weapons training may prove futile against an army of durable prehistoric dinosaurs
WhileReginaof theDino Crisisseries received training as part of the Secret Operation Raid Team, their troupe likely didn’t count on facing dinosaurs as part of their missions. This is exactly what happened to Regina when she and SORT are sent to visit Ibis Island, as their facility of interest is suddenly infested with dinosaurs. With her team missing and armed with limited ammunition, Regina has to use whatever she can find on the island to fightthis dinosaur infestation.
The overwhelming number and strength of dinosaurs faced with Regina’s limited supplies transitionsDino Crisisinto survival horror. Regina’s training allows players to walk and run, backpedal and turn, as well as climb and push objects - all of which are essential in outpacing the game’s enemies. Regina will be forced to mix items to form more powerful versions or new ones, all the while managing what limited inventory she has.
Trained Police Officer, Mutated Mitochondria
Fated to face Mitochondria Eve and use her powers against her
When an opera date results in all people in the theater suffering a case of spontaneous combustion, it’s up to police officerAya Breato put a stop to this madness. InParasite Eve, Aya needs to put her police training to the test by fighting monsters known as Neo-Mitochondrial creatures and discovering the truth about mutated sentient mitochondria. Throughout the game, Aya discovers she too can use Parasite Energy, manifesting into supernatural abilities she can activate with her unique mitochondria.
Unlike other survival horror titles,Parasite Eve’s turn-based mechanics and science-empowered magic systemseparate it as more of a sci-fi entry compared to its more horrific counterparts. However, Aya still needs to manage rather limited ammunition, a classic forced perspective, and threats she barely understands if she wants to have any hope of survival.
Basic Firearms Training
Went to Raccoon City in search for Chris Redfield, was one of the few survivors of its destruction
With theResident Evilfranchise being one of the most popular survival horror series on the market, it’s no surprise that its expanded roster of games features female protagonists. Such is the case ofClaire RedfieldofResident Evil 2, who was technically a civilian who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Duringher search for her brother Chris, Claire ends up involved in a mad escape attempt from the Raccoon City zombie outbreak.
While Claire survives with the help of police officer Leon Kennedy, she spends much of the game alone and sometimes while defending the young Sherry Birkin. Thanks to rudimentary firearms training from her brother, Claire may have struggled against the game’s toughest foes. This proved more valuable than ever as Mr. X also started pursuing Claire at some point in the game. With limited ammunition and healing supplies on top of bosses, players need to stay on their toes while keeping Claire safe.
Strong Willpower, Engineering Training, Weapons Training
Was searching for her mother Ellen Ripley when she got locked up in a space station with an active Xenomorph Drone
Celebrated asone of the best survival horror gamesto have come out in the past decade,Alien: Isolationputs players in the position Ellen Ripley had been in during the firstAlienfilm. This time around, players take the role of her daughterAmanda Ripley,a young engineer who goes to Sevastopol Station in the hopes of finding clues about her mother’s whereabouts. Unfortunately for her, not only is the station abandoned, but its androids have begun killing human survivors with a Xenomorph on the loose.
Unlike the more military-trained Ellen, Amanda’s experience as an engineer didn’t include combat training. With conventional weapons practically useless against the Xenomorph, players have to rely on their quick thinking and their environment to hide from the threat. As the Xenomorph could only be stunned but never defeated in the game, players should remain on the lookout for a persistent stalker while they work their way out of the ship.
Heather Mason
Reincarnation of Alessa Gillespie and Cheryl Mason, Red Protective Necklace (Aglaophotis)
The same child who Harry Mason adopted at the end ofSilent Hill
Seemingly called back by the very town her father worked hard to get her away from,Heather MasoninSilent Hill 3needs to come to terms with her true nature before Silent Hill consumes her completely. Being an ordinary teenager, the psychic and psychological horrors of the Fog World and the Otherworld are new to Heather. Given how weapons and ammunition are in short supply in the Otherworld, Heather is usually reliant on stealth to avoid these creatures or run away from them completely.
Heather’s resilience and survival instinctswould slowly reveal her true nature: that of being a reincarnation of the psychic Alessa Gillespie, the supposed host of the cult’s god. While events would force Heather to “give birth” to the said god, she would be the very force that kills it. In the game’s ending, Heather manages to secure a normal life, now using her birth name “Cheryl.”
Pursued by the Nemesis T-Type in the game, which always comes back after defeat in regular encounters
While Claire is impressive in her own right as aResident Evilprotagonist,Jill Valentinedeserves credit for having survived not just one but two consecutive zombie outbreaks within the same year. In fact, Jill spends most ofResident Evil 3with a bioweapon out to kill her - all the while she’s trying to escape an entire city of the undead. It’sthe persistence of the Nemesis T-Type and its constant presence inResident Evil 3that made Jill quite the admirable survivor, especially with the clunkier perspective of the original games.
Whereas Claire had Leon and even a bit of Ada to help her, Jill had to survive mostly on her own. Even with the short assistance of Umbrella mercenary Carlos Oliveira, it would be Jill who would go toe-to-toe against the seemingly invulnerable Tyrant and actually kill it. On top of the game’s limited guns and more limited ammunition, Jill would have to evade capture by the Nemesis while also defeating it in three required boss battles.
Paranormal Sensing, Photography Training, Camera Obscura’s Exorcism
Had to use the Camera Obscura to exorcise spirits to help them escape the Himuro Mansion
Amongthe many protagonists of theFatal Framefranchise, its series mainstayMiku Hinasakiis perhaps the most recognizable of them all. While Miku has aided other protagonists with her heightened paranormal senses, her journey as a skilled user of the exorcising Camera Obscura began as early as the franchise’s first installment. InFatal Frame, she and her brother Mafuyu have to figure out a way to escape the haunted Himuro Mansion.
Throughout the games, Miku is armed with nothing but her wits, and the Camera Obscura as ghosts both hostile and helpful, attempt to make contact with her. In a game that forces players to “look” at ghosts instead of averting their gazes, one can’t imagine what Miku may be feeling actually being there in their presence, Moreover, while other protagonists may seem to have more impactful stories, it’s the Hinasaki family whose had the largest impact in the series' lore.
