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[KaelGotDwarves]

I feel the same way for Link as well throughout the Zelda series.

He goes through some amazing adventures but the characterisation behind it? Well, it's just about non-existent most of the time, except when the player is faced with choices like the Kafei and Anju sidequest from Majora's Mask that you could miss and then it's like the Moon getting dropped on your head. Also, yay for a princess that needs saving.

Spoiler: Majora's Mask (click to show/hide)

Majora's Mask there was a subplot with two characters who were in love, but one was turned into a child by the villainous mask wielding skill kid. You end up helping them as they vow their true love for each other as the end of the world happens. Then the most haunting music plays and you abandon these two to oblivion as you go back in time and they have no memory of your action. However, you are left with a mask that tells the sad tale.

[G-Flex]

What's especially bad about this is that Samus was one of the first if not the first major gender equality movement in gaming.

The best part about it is that, aside from it being a twist in the ending, they didn't really shove it in your face or anything. She was a girl, but that didn't really matter one way or the other.

It's the difference between having a token gay character on a show, and having a character who just happens to be gay but is otherwise treated like anyone else.

[KaelGotDwarves]

How many popular video games are there that portray women in realistic multi-dimensional roles? I'm troubled that I'm having trouble trying to come up with any.

[Vector]

How many popular video games are there that portray women in realistic multi-dimensional roles? I'm troubled that I'm having trouble trying to come up with any.

Given that the best I can think of is Portal, well...

Don't even let me get started about things like Fat Princess.

[Truean]

How many popular video games are there that portray women in realistic multi-dimensional roles? I'm troubled that I'm having trouble trying to come up with any.

I'm troubled that other people aren't troubled about this troubling trouble. Also I get a nickle $0.05 each time I say trouble or some variation of trouble in this post. And I'm leaving with thirty cents; good deal.

[G-Flex]

How many popular video games are there that portray women in realistic multi-dimensional roles? I'm troubled that I'm having trouble trying to come up with any.

I doubt it helps that videogames are even more a male-dominated field (in terms of both production and consumption) than other media. Also, less is generally expected of them, so they tend to be worse about writing/characterization/etc. in pretty much all respects, this included.

I just got done modding Deus Ex, so that's pretty much the first game that comes to mind no matter what the topic is... and when I think about it, that game actually did a decent job of that. There were some fairly important female characters, and they were given pretty fair treatment. The other game I've played most recently was Planescape: Torment, which also (I think) did a decent job, although the scale was still a little tipped towards men in terms of character demographics.

[Darvi]

I could probably name some games that have unrealistically multidimensional women.

And now I have to clean myself after that horrible joke.

[Truean]

Realistic Female Gaming Character: is there one?
(The "Truean's gotta be the crap to work in the morning so this is kinda thrown together," edition. Sorry.... )

The contestants:
1.) Jill Valentine, Resident Evil, was sorta kinda there, except even then she was "given more weapons to make up for her not being as physically tough as her male counterpart Chris Redfield." [sigh] Then of course she nose dove like, Charley Sheen's sanity, into Lora-Croft-ville when they dyed her hair blond and changed models.

2.) Sacrificial Victim Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII: NEXT!

3.) Alyx Vance, Half-Life 2, while she is a second fiddle to Gordon Freeman, so is everyone else.... She does save Gordon's life and provide support role functionality. While not a perfect candidate, she's not terrible.

4.) Yuna, Final Fantasy X and X-2. In FFX she sorta comes close. She attempts to do what she thinks is right for her world, even if it means having a horrid role in that horrid system. She resists it and ultimtaely overcomes it. However, then X-2 kinda does a Charlies Angles bit.... Hum....

5.) Lieutenant Sarah Kerrigan, Starcraft I and II. We might have a winner,

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

(despite them turning Raynor into the semi white knight in SCII.)

Kerrigan was incredibly capable, independent, smart, and pretty without being objectified. Her only "flaw" was trusting those around her too much. She perfectly served, but she did all the giving and was betrayed for it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBR3doYRick. Look at how focused she is, taking out that hydralisk like a pro as everything around her falls the hell down.... That's not to say she isn't scared (she has every right to be), and that's because she isn't stupid. She can handle that fear though.... El seasoned professional.....Except then....

She then informs us she has had enough of this shit and as the Queen of Blades is taking us the hell down. She then promptly takes us the hell down. This means, she systematically takes control of the entire sector culminating in her simultaneously beating the crap out of three separate armadas sent to wipe her out (the UED, the Protoss, and the Dominion). With no one else to smack around, she then chills out for a few years redesigning the Zerg race 'cause she wanted to....

She's about to basically get her own game in Heart of the Swarm....

[GlyphGryph]

Santiago and Dierdre and Miriam, from Alpha Centauri?

I don't know, like in many other games, a lot of it is implied characterization, but I felt like the second two at least had a good deal of depth to them from their many excerpts throughout the game. Probably more than most of the male characters.

[Dr.Feelgood]

How many popular video games are there that portray women in realistic multi-dimensional roles? I'm troubled that I'm having trouble trying to come up with any.

Heather from Silent Hill 3
The Boss from MGS3
Maya from Persona 2

[Heron TSG]

Looking through the games that I have, I can only think of a couple. Adrianna the elven sorceress in Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance suffers heavily from this...

unrealistically multidimensional women.

...but is otherwise equivalent to the human ranger dude and the dwarven fighter guy, if not more powerful by the end. It's unfortunate that this is actually a challenge.

[Gunner-Chan]

There's Female Shepard from mass effect 1 and 2. Arguably counts because male Shepard is so boring he's practically an afterthought.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

The Boss from MGS3

This a billion times. The Boss is arguably the most important figure in all of Metal Gear Solid, since it is Big Boss having to kill her that drives him off the deep end and makes the games that take place after it possible to happen.

Furthermore, she delivers MGS3's central message, that there is no such thing as an absolute enemy.

[Vector]

And still manages to be ragingly hot in a sort of wolfy way.

[Lysabild]

Now that you've mentioned realistic posetively portrayed women, how about mentioning some realistic posetively portrayed men?

Because I honestly can't say that I have experienced men being anymore realistic and deep.

"Hurh I am Macho, Big muscles, I kill things good!" is not any better than "I am blond and have a d-cup!"

I'll go along with this imo silly discussion when I get to see a shallow woman warrior next to a man whore with a deep character.