Assassin's Creed and female representation

[Persephone]

Let me get this out of the way to head off the expected rebuttals: Ubisoft's willingness to put men of colour front and centre in their AAA mainline games is awesome (especially given the first game came out in 2007 when gaming was much less diverse than it is now) and I will never deny how important that is. I love Bayek in particular, an amazingly written and acted character.

HOWEVER.

With how well they've done with representation of people of colour and, to a lesser extent, LGBT folks (I say lesser extent because Jacob's bisexuality is handled pretty awfully in that it was only confirmed in an interview, aka the ol' JK Rowling tactic, and let's be honest Odyssey's romances were absolutely cringe-worthy), Ubisoft's treatment of women sticks out even further. I won't claim the Assassin's Creed games are sexist: they have multitudes of awesome female characters, many WOC or LGBT: Aya, Kassandra, Evie, Elise, Aveline, Shao Jun, etc. So it's increasingly jarring that with eleven mainline AC entries (1, 2, Brotherhood, Revelations, III, IV, Rogue, Unity, Syndicate, Origins and Odyssey) the number of MAINLINE FLAGSHIP games with a single female protagonist comes to a grand total of......... zero.

"But Odyssey and probably Valhalla let you choose your protagonist's gender!" Yeah, sure, okay, that's cool and all. But it's not representation. Representation you can opt out of/choose to ignore entirely isn't representation. Ubisoft themselves have stated that 2/3 of Odyssey players chose Alexios, despite Kassandra being the "canon" protagonist. If Kassandra was canon, why not make her the sole character in the first place? Was Ubisoft afraid of alienating sexist gamer bros? Why go to the effort of voicing and mocapping two different characters when one would have done just fine AND been an important step forward in representation? Did they think a female-led Assassin's Creed wouldn't sell? Horizon: Zero Dawn has proven beyond a doubt that female-led games (open-world RPGs, no less) do sell as long as they're accessible (i.e. on a popular platform) and well-marketed.

Additionally, a selectable protagonist isn't representation because to avoid a ridiculous amount of work, it necessitates "gender-neutral" writing, and writing that is "gender-neutral" is actually just male-centric. Let's consider Odyssey specifically. Ancient Greece outside of Sparta was kind of hideously sexist, yet Kassandra's gender is never remarked upon, even when it really should be: For example, women competing in the Olympics wasn't just illegal, it was punishable by death - and you even get a sidequest dealing with that very subject... WHILE PLAYING AS KASSANDRA, A WOMAN WHO COMPETED IN THE OLYMPICS AND NO ONE SAID BOO. It breaks immersion completely and makes no sense. At the same time, Greece has a number of important, revered mythological and religious figures who are women, so the intersection of that and everyday sexism would have added a fascinating element to Kassandra's story.

I'm not saying I want Kassandra to have been treated like shit, called a bitch and a whore and threatened with rape every five seconds. However, considering that AC does tackle social issues, often with the subtlety of a sledgehammer (Syndicate's tagline was literally "Oppression Must End"), it seems extremely weird that her gender is never even remarked upon. She could have been an Atalanta-like figure, overcoming sexism and being badass despite being shit on by society. And that's where the "male-centric" writing complaint comes in: having your gender ignored entirely is a luxury only people who aren't oppressed because of their gender (i.e. cis men) are afforded. In that way, playing Kassandra doesn't accurately represent the female experience. "It's a power fantasy!" Sure, but you know who else is a power fantasy? Aloy. Just like Kassandra, Aloy is strong, smart, pretty, gets hit on by almost everyone she meets, and is cooler than everyone around her. I love her for it! And Aloy's gender is kind of really important in how it shapes her story and how the world around her reacts to her. Kassandra may be "canon", so why does it feel like the game was written for Alexios, and then she was hastily shoved in for diversity points?

"So you're saying Assassin's Creed can never have a male protagonist again?" (Yes, this is something I've seen people say when women talk about their desire for a single female protagonist). No. I'm saying it would be nice, after ELEVEN STRAIGHT GAMES WHERE YOU CAN PLAY A DUDE, to have one teeny weeny measly little game with a single female protagonist and to be represented in a mainline AAA game in a major franchise.

"We don't even know anything about Valhalla!" True. Maybe I'll be delightfully surprised and the beardy dude in the livestream art was just a big ol' misdirect. But somehow I doubt it. And yeah, guess what, I am, and reserve the right to remain, fucking disappointed :/

 

[Abominuz]

Yes, because there where female vikings. And they where elite warrior also.

 

[Khasim]

Was Ubisoft afraid of alienating sexist gamer bros?

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This is literally all this is about. Marketers carefully gauge how much "politics" (as in, women and minorities) can be placed in a game without scaring away too many conservative customers, and as society becomes more tolerant, the boundaries can be moved, but it's a slow process.
Battlefield V was 2 years ago, remember the gargantuan drama that ensued because Dice dared to take some creative liberties that angered Gamers™?

 

[Kingsora]

I am going to say something that is not going to make me popular. But why is a female protagonist needed? In a lot of cases it makes more sense to choose a man for these kind of games.

First of all, a tough bearded viking is probably going to sell better, that just how it is.

But let's be honest. When you look back at history most of the fighters were probably at least for 95% men so it's also logical often that you choose a man for a action/fighting game that takes place in history. And yes I know there were also a lot of female Viking fighters, but pretty sure most of them were still men.

 

[Gabriel Hall]

And that's where the "male-centric" writing complaint comes in: having your gender ignored entirely is a luxury only people who aren't oppressed because of their gender (i.e. cis men) are afforded. In that way, playing Kassandra doesn't accurately represent the female experience. "It's a power fantasy!" Sure, but you know who else is a power fantasy? Aloy. Just like Kassandra, Aloy is strong, smart, pretty, gets hit on by almost everyone she meets, and is cooler than everyone around her. I love her for it! And Aloy's gender is kind of really important in how it shapes her story and how the world around her reacts to her. Kassandra may be "canon", so why does it feel like the game was written for Alexios, and then she was hastily shoved in for diversity points?

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Thank you for this thread. The bolded in particular is a perspective I never considered as a cishet dude. "Choices are good", some people say on the topic of selectable genders for the protagonist, but the argument wasn't convincing to me and I could never find the language to articulate why. But the way you explained how a selectable gender requires "gender-neutral" writing, which is effectively "male-centric" writing and therefore ineffective at conveying a woman's experience, really opened my eyes. Again, thank you.

 

[Siggy-P]

I will say two things as a guy I have limited ability to speak on the topic (so I talk about what I know);

A) I never liked Jacob being bi. Because that guy kisses him without Jacobs consent. And it's barely hinted in the game itself.

And

B) Pretty much all the single choice male characters throughout the assassin's creed games have had culturally understood masculinity as a prime factor in their characterisation..

Edward, Shay, Adawale, Jacob, Ezio, Altair, Desmond, Arno, Bayek, etc, etc... All have had things like arrogance, cockiness, jnclinations towards brute force and pride play major roles in who they are and how they develop across the games.

Whereas even Evie, who is ultimately much less developed than the above, very clearly speaks and approaches situations differently to Jacob does.

 

[Bulebule]

It all boils down to one simple reason: the safest route brings the most money. Their developer teams might have a people with huge variety of gender, sexuality and religion but none of that matter in a grand scale. It's all about profit and as long as majority of players are males who want to experience a power fantasy or male-centric story, that won't change any time soon. Unfortunately Ubisoft is not exactly known of being one who would make risky moves.

 

[InspectaDekka]

I honestly feel with when you go forward turning most of your games into GAAS, choice is gonna be a very large factor in game design. I don't think we'll ever see a straight up Assassin's Creed game where you're just one protagonist, it's gonna be a male or female option going forward. I love your suggestions tho OP and agree.

 

[Z-Beat]

I think the LGBT representation for Odyssey was lacking. The romance stuff was barebones. It was all "cheesy pickup line then sex now that's over."

I'd like another mainline AC game with a female character who has an established personality. Kassandra's cool but she's pretty reliant on the player and doesn't have a ton beyond that. I liked Aya more and wanted more of what she was doing.

Give me my Aya game, damn it.

 

[The_Waiting_Game]

/sigh

 

[Secretofmateria]

I am going to say something that is not going to make me popular. But why is a female protagonist needed? In a lot of cases it makes more sense to choose a man for these kind of games.

First of all, a tough bearded viking is probably going to sell better, that just how it is.

But let's be honest. When you look back at history most of the fighters were probably at least for 95% men so it's also logical often that you choose a man for a action/fighting game that takes place in history. And yes I know there were also a lot of female Viking fighters, but pretty sure most of them were still men.

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because its a major main stream video game and a LONE female protagonist would do a ton for normalizing it in other media, even better if it were a female protagonist of color, or a canonically gay male or female protagonist. The choice is nice but it doesnt have the same impact as being the main character. Representation matters.

its a videogame, its escapism, a game where there are mythological monsters doenst need to
Mirror history one for one.

 

[Villein]

ubi's whole shtick with Kassandra being canon while all their marketing being Alexios was always hard to swallow

 

[Deleted member 21709]

I am going to say something that is not going to make me popular. But why is a female protagonist needed? In a lot of cases it makes more sense to choose a man for these kind of games.

First of all, a tough bearded viking is probably going to sell better, that just how it is.

But let's be honest. When you look back at history most of the fighters were probably at least for 95% men so it's also logical often that you choose a man for a action/fighting game that takes place in history. And yes I know there were also a lot of female Viking fighters, but pretty sure most of them were still men.

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Here's a reason - because women also play videogames?

 

[Lightning]

Yes, because there where female vikings. And they where elite warrior also.

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uhhhhhhhhh

 

[Eeyore]

I am going to say something that is not going to make me popular. But why is a female protagonist needed? In a lot of cases it makes more sense to choose a man for these kind of games.

First of all, a tough bearded viking is probably going to sell better, that just how it is.

But let's be honest. When you look back at history most of the fighters were probably at least for 95% men so it's also logical often that you choose a man for a action/fighting game that takes place in history. And yes I know there were also a lot of female Viking fighters, but pretty sure most of them were still men.

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I don't think you can argue about history when Assassin's Creed games have had giant snakes, etc. They may operate on history in a setting fashion but a lot of fantasy and sci fi is thrown in.

Also you missed the entire OP where the OP argues on behalf of representation. We've seen games with female protagonists can sell and yet major publishers still shy away from it.

 

[Dan Thunder]

I am going to say something that is not going to make me popular. But why is a female protagonist needed? In a lot of cases it makes more sense to choose a man for these kind of games.

First of all, a tough bearded viking is probably going to sell better, that just how it is.

But let's be honest. When you look back at history most of the fighters were probably at least for 95% men so it's also logical often that you choose a man for a action/fighting game that takes place in history. And yes I know there were also a lot of female Viking fighters, but pretty sure most of them were still men.

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The issue with this example though is that you're playing as a member of an elite group of assassins, not an average soldier or fighter, so there's no reason why it shouldn't be female led.

 

[Josecitox]

This is literally all this is about. Marketers carefully gauge how much "politics" (as in, women and minorities) can be placed in a game without scaring away too many conservative customers, and as society becomes more tolerant, the boundaries can be moved, but it's a slow process.
Battlefield V was 2 years ago, remember the gargantuan drama that ensued because Dice dared to take some creative liberties that angered Gamers™?

Click to shrink...

Fast forward 2 year later and those gamers were right and the game died for those reasons and more. DICE failed big time with BF V and don't be surprised if they go back to more conservative practices on their design.

 

[Lant_War]

Fast forward 2 year later and those gamers were right and the game died for those reasons and more. DICE failed big time with BF V and don't be surprised if they go back to more conservative practices on their design.

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The main issues Battlefield V had weren't about having women soldiers, though.

 

[Kingsora]

Here's a reason - because women also play videogames?

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Ok and a woman can't play a video game as a man? I also don't think as a man that it was a problem to play with Aloy or Lara Croft.

I am not saying that there is something wrong with a female main character. Should there be more representation in video games? Probably yes. But for these kind of historical games it just make so much more sense to choose a male protagonist.

 

[Xaszatm]

I'm still angry at Odyssey's DLC forcing us to be straight btw. Such a shitty decision.

 

[2Blackcats]

Unisoft do pretty well overall compared to others.

Think it's really just about money though. When you have 1000s of people from multiple teams working on a game. And your research people tell you you'll make 10% more money if you can play as a dude the decision is taken away from the designers.

 

[Eeyore]

Fast forward 2 year later and those gamers were right and the game died for those reasons and more. DICE failed big time with BF V and don't be surprised if they go back to more conservative practices on their design.

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I think concluding that games with female protagonists don't succeed from BFV is pretty silly. One the game is way more known as a multiplayer game as opposed to something like AC, and two there was a lot else wrong with the game that had nothing to do with the gender of some soldiers.

Unisoft do pretty well overall compared to others.

Think it's really just about money though. When you have 1000s of people from multiple teams working on a game. And your research people tell you you'll make 10% more money if you can play as a dude the decision is taken away from the designers.

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I think this is true. If you look at when Sony greenlit Horizon, it took some serious selling to Shu Yoshida and his team that a female protagonist would work. Which I think is pretty damn sad.

I mean hell if the Gears franchise can have a female protagonist, a franchise known for over the top male machismo, it sort of blows my mind that there's still so much reticence in the industry.

 

[Z-Beat]

But why is a female protagonist needed?

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People like to play videogames starring people who look like them. That includes women.

 

[--R]

I feel like giving players a choice is the best option, to be honest. Sure, marketing could change and they could use the female character as the face of the game, but taking away choice completely? I'm not sure that's the way to go.

 

[Dervius]

Ok and a woman can't play a video game as a man? I also don't think as a man that it was a problem to play with Aloy or Lara Croft.

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That's what they hve been doing in nearly every game, forever.

Here's a rebuttal. Why not a female protagonist?

Leaving the well explained representation argument in the OP aside, are gruff male vikings not a known quantity in various forms of media? Would the experiences of a shield-maiden navigating norse politics as well as warfare not make for an interesting game following a lesser-explored idea?

 

[Izzard]

By taking away the male character you're taking away my gay relationship options, meagre though they are. We already get next to none representation, so not to sound rude, but a big fat nope to having just a female protagonist.

 

[waugh]

Why do all these weird sexists come out of the woodwork on era whenever someone brings up representation?

 

[Siggy-P]

Ok and a woman can't play a video game as a man? I also don't think as a man that it was a problem to play with Aloy or Lara Croft.

I am not saying that there is something wrong with a female main character. Should there be more representation in video games? Probably yes. But for these kind of historical games it just make so much more sense to choose a male protagonist.

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You're playing as an assassin.

As in someone who sneakily kills people.

 

[Kthulhu]

Considering Ubisoft employees have said multiple times in interviews they don't see their games as political I don't think anyone should expect them to ever try something ambitious with their games. You're never going to see them try to make an accurate simulation of what being a women in ancient Greece was like because they want to make a ton of money with their big AAA games.

These games are getting representation for one reason, that being money. This is also why there was a lack of representation for so long, see stories about The Last of Us and BioShock Infinite developers having to fight to try to get their respective female characters on the box. That was less than 10 years ago FFS.

These games are designed to be safe and just pushed things enough without stopping people from buying it. I don't think the average consumer of Assassin's Creed, or Far Cry, or Rainbow 6 wants a game that's going to break the mold. Same reason sports games are just roster updates every year. They don't need to be interesting because the average person doesn't care.

It's a shame too because Ubisoft can do a great job when them want to. I think Watch Dogs 2 is the closest they've ever come and they don't seem to be interested in doing something like that again, as the devs have downplayed Watch Dogs Legion's connections to Brexit and rising authoritarianism in the UK.

 

[Kaswa101]

ubi's whole shtick with Kassandra being canon while all their marketing being Alexios was always hard to swallow

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Yeah this really bugged me. Kassandra is amazing, and much better realised than Alexios imo

 

[HiLife]

I am going to say something that is not going to make me popular. But why is a female protagonist needed? In a lot of cases it makes more sense to choose a man for these kind of games.

First of all, a tough bearded viking is probably going to sell better, that just how it is.

But let's be honest. When you look back at history most of the fighters were probably at least for 95% men so it's also logical often that you choose a man for a action/fighting game that takes place in history. And yes I know there were also a lot of female Viking fighters, but pretty sure most of them were still men.

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This is also why we never get black protagonists in military games right? Because there's not as many black soldiers as there are white? Sound logic. Can't argue with you there.

 

[Windrunner]

A series that in its opening game featured assassins who can survive jumping off buildings and have a magical mind control orb is believable as part of a "historical" game but female assassins?

I'm sorry that's a bridge too far for me.

 

[Greywaren]

Honestly, if Valhalla lets me play as a huge viking lady, I'm gonna be so happy and I'll probably get a special edition or something. I understand having a male protagonist too so the manbabies can purchase the game too, but please, Ubisoft, don't go backwards after Kassandra.

 

[MrWindUpBird]

I am going to say something that is not going to make me popular. But why is a female protagonist needed? In a lot of cases it makes more sense to choose a man for these kind of games.

First of all, a tough bearded viking is probably going to sell better, that just how it is.

But let's be honest. When you look back at history most of the fighters were probably at least for 95% men so it's also logical often that you choose a man for a action/fighting game that takes place in history. And yes I know there were also a lot of female Viking fighters, but pretty sure most of them were still men.

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1. This is extremely sexist thinking and you seriously need to take a step back and understand why women deserve better representation in games than they have right now.

2. You clearly know nothing of history. There are NUMEROUS accounts in history of female fighters that easily stood toe to toe with their male counterparts and more than a handful that easily outshone male fighters in numerous ways.

 

[Lord Vatek]

Anyone who says "historical accuracy!" to defend a lack of representation is a sexist clown.

 

[Shelbyville Milhouse]

I agree and disagree with this.
On the one hand I think it's neat that Ubisoft is offering you a choice in nearly every game they make nowadays. That's better than what 99% of the rest does. Tho that doesn't mean your argument is unwarranted, at all.
I totally agree with you when it comes to the narrative part of the game.

Anyone who says "historical accuracy!" to defend a lack of representation is a sexist clown.

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Especially....ESPECIALLY when it comes to games.
"Oh, I don't mind your character literally being able to warp around, jump from 600 ft tall buildings without getting hurt and using a magical eagle drone to permanently mark enemies but did you know that only a small amount of warriors in Greece were women*, so it really breaks my immersion that you play as one, like what are odds for that huh?"

*I just made this up btw I have no idea

 

[808s & Villainy]

I haven't an AC game since the first, and that was only briefly, but are the characters avatars or established characters? With regards to why they offer gender options as opposed to just one that everyone plays with

 

[Manu]

Yeah a female-only led game is overdue at this point. Especially because pretty much all the female characters in the series have been great.

Also lol @ "why is a female protagonist needed," when is a male protagonist needed? In 90% of games the sex of the main character means nothing and "male" is just the default.

 

[Lant_War]

Anyone who says "historical accuracy!" to defend a lack of representation is a sexist clown.

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Tbf it's a valid argument in a grounded series like Assasin's Creed

 

[HiLife]

Anyone who says "historical accuracy!" to defend a lack of representation is a sexist clown.

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People show their closet racism and sexism when it comes to this shit and they don't even know they do it. They're so accustomed to seeing white men on covers of damn near anything in western media.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Why the fuck would you bring up "historical accuracy" in a video game like this or about any video game in general

 

[Jedi2016]

While the choice is better than nothing, I agree that having an exclusively female main protagonist would be the way to go.

 

[Morrigan]

I agree with the OP. Wrote about this before so since I'm lazy I'll just quote myself:

I actually agree with you that it's jarring. It's going to be an unpopular opinion among my female peers, but it does break my immersion that Kassandra faces absolutely zero sexism or misogyny whatsoever, or even any acknowledgement of her gender, across her journey. For example, [mild spoilers] when you participate in the Olympics, there could have at least been a line such as "women aren't allowed in the Olympics, but, we'll make an exception because blah blah reasons", but since the dialogue is pretty much identical beyond pronouns, there's nothing like it in the game.

Now... There's a reason for that. Like many women have said already, they don't want to play a video game full of sexism or misogyny, as that is a turn off since they already face tons of that IRL. I do understand that and sympathize. It's a video game for escapism and fun after all. The devs are also on record saying the same thing.

Moreover, I'm sure they didn't want people who picked Kassandra to be "penalized". Imagine, if you played as Alexios, your experience is that of a great warrior who earns his peers' respect and/or fear through your deeds, but if you play Kassandra, you have people trying to discredit you for your gender, throwing gendered insults at you, take your less seriously, etc.? That would really suck.

So, I understand why they made the game that way. But, to me, this is a clear example of why the game would have been stronger if Kassandra was the sole protagonist. If she were, the entire game would have been written with her in mind, as a woman's story: In this case you could have adjusted the story and dialogue to include her perspective as a woman growing up and navigating in a male-dominated world. It wouldn't necessarily mean the game would have had to get every NPC calling her a cunt or a bitch or anything, but you could still have a story with a unique perspective, instead of a generic template. As you said, the game would have been stronger for it, IMO. It's a shame that Ubisoft won't ever try this since they have said all future games would have player choice too.

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AC: Odyssey isn't, not truly, a woman's story from a woman's perspective. It doesn't mean the story is bad or that the character is bad (I love Kassandra, don't get me wrong!), but it's more limited and less personal of a story than if the story were written with a sole protagonist in mind. Plus, AC had plenty of games where you couldn't play as a woman at all (the vast majority of them); if people complained at having just the one game where you can't play as a man, well, that'd be really pathetic.

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[Siggy-P]

I haven't an AC game since the first, and that was only briefly, but are the characters avatars or established characters? With regards to why they offer gender options as opposed to just one that everyone plays with

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They were established in every game up to Odyssey. Syndicate is the exception in that it has two established characters with seperate stories.

In Odyssey you pick gender and dialogue from a tree like in mass effect.

 

[Xando]

Odyssey was the best option imo.

Have two preset characters and let people choose what they want to play.

 

[Amnixia]

While I agree with you OP, the truth is marketing departments focus test the shit it of everything which is why we end up with gunbros (or in this case axebro) on the boxes.

It's especially ridiculous given games with women as the PC end up selling just fine (Horizon and Tomb Raider as an example).

IIRC ND had to "fight" with Sony's marketing to get Elly on the cover of TLoU.

It sucks and story lines get blanded out because there's the VO needs to fit both male/female characters.

 

[Eeyore]

I haven't an AC game since the first, and that was only briefly, but are the characters avatars or established characters? With regards to why they offer gender options as opposed to just one that everyone plays with

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The last AC was the first time they've ever offered options as far as gender goes. Previously in Syndicate from what I could remember you could switch between two siblings.

The use of the word 'avatar' is tricky as usually in AC you play someone outside of the simulation as well as someone inside. The usual conceit is that the person you play outside is descended from the person inside the simulation although I believe that's been changed in newer games (not sure about this). I don't even remember how they structured the choice in Odyssey but it isn't like Animal Crossing or anything as far as creating a character.

 

[Iacomus]

I think the problem the series faces is that the game is about legacy and passing it on down the line through genes.

That above scenario happened, Kassandra had to bear the child of a random stranger because otherwise the memories wouldn't be "passed" down. I also remember people being very angry about that because they were forced into it, but the lore of games need that to happen (though at the same time all they need was the sword) so idk

 

[Sorbete]

giant enemy crab XD

 

[rras1994]

Thanks for writing this OP. The thing is I can understand studios that have historically always had a gender choice of protags (but I will side eye the hell out of their male default marketing) not having a single female protag but it's pretty clear what's happening when your series has had male single protag and the only time you can have a female protag is when there's a choice or it's shared. It diminshes the ability for female led stories in games and helps support the male default. And we all know it's just to protect the man babies that will whine if they have to play a women and I'm tired of the games industry catering to people who treat me and other minorities like shit and have done their darndest to push us out of this medium