Video Games for Women: 5 Titles Perfect for a Gamer Gal Group

Video games for women, especially those with enough female characters for a Gamer Gal group session, are unfortunately rather uncommon. While video game developers are slowly catching on and making more female lead characters-or the option between male and female heroes, like with Mass Effect 2­-the ratio of wicked-cool male video game personalities compared to female versions are still decidedly imbalanced.

To further complicate matters, Gamer Gals have a difficult task ahead if they want to host a video game session with their fellow female gamers: finding titles with enough female characters for everyone to play a woman, instead of a man. Assuming the ultimate Gamer Gal session is 4-players, the maximum number for more consoles, the amount of video games which can provide that many female characters is ridiculously low.

Below is my list to the Top 5 multiplayer video games for women with enough female characters for a feisty, female-only gaming session:

Video Games for Women: X-Men Legends (PS2) - Both the original RPG video game and the sequel, X-Men Legends II: Rise of the Apocalypse, feature a large volume of infamous female characters from the Marvel universe. You can pair-up Storm, Rogue, Jean Grey or any other female cast member to provide a cooperative, interactive video game session with your fellow Gamer Gals. The customizable talent trees and numerous mutant abilities provide plenty of replay value, and players have several female characters to choose from.

Video Games for Women: Neverwinter Nights (PC) - Based on the Dungeons & Dragons rule-set, Neverwinter Nights and the sequel, Neverwinter Nights 2, provide plenty of interaction for Gamer Gals who want to actually play a female character. Connect via LAN for nostalgic charm or meet-up over the Internet to solve puzzles, battle foes and cooperatively help-or accidently hinder-your female teammates. D&D offers a wide variety of customization options, making each individual character capable of being highly unique in the troupe.

Video Games for Women: Champions of Norrath (PS2) - This RPG set in the EverQuest universe features several character types-each available for play in a female version. Your Gamer Gals session can have up to 4 players working cooperatively, whether as a sword-wielding barbarian or a magic-using wizard. Barter over the shared loot drops, learn to work as a team without a designated healer, and take-down the big, bad male bosses in a display of girl power!

Video Games for Women: Guilty Gear XX Accent Core (Wii) - If your troupe of Gamer Gals is looking for senseless violence instead of cooperative play, consider this fighting game for the Nintendo Wii. The 2D style is a vintage throwback, and female players have a variety of feisty, capable characters to choose from. Be sure to have a classic or GameCube controller for everyone to use, instead of the standard Wii remote control. The characters, including the cast of female options, are incredibly weird; if you're looking for soft and feminine characters, look elsewhere!

Video Games for Women: Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (PS3, Xbox 360) - Another 2D Fighting video game, this title pits the ladies from the Mortal Kombat franchise against the infamous DC Comics women. Catwoman and Wonder Woman square off against Kitana and Sonya; Sonya being the original female character available in the Mortal Kombat universe. Pick your characters and battle your fellow Gamer Gals-two players at a time--with as much ferocity and skill as the male alternatives. Locating these video games was more of a challenge that I anticipated--shame on you, video game industry--and I appreciate all the feedback I received from my fellow Gamer Gals during the composition of this article.

Sources:
Shalamar Gallegos, fellow Gamer Gal
Sunny Wesling, fellow Gamer Gal