When given the choice, I usually attempt to deconstruct gender roles in video games. For example, in Final Fantasy II, Maria is my 'warrior', while Guy is my 'white mage'. It's interesting to note that Maria, at the start of the game, has a higher magic statistic, and is placed in the back row, whereas Guy is in the front row, with higher HP and strength.
As stated by Jin, these roles are dictated by society, and it only seems natural to continue them into video games. In essence, with the hero roles more often bestowed on male characters, we have a hegemony, and I don't see why it has to be tolerated, and I consciously try to avoid participation, despite the fact that in many respects this is impossible. But if video games are truly escapist rather than realist, then there is no need to accept the hegemony and the gender roles given to us. So I often pick female leads, and turn them into fighter classes. This can even give a greater challenge, such as in Final Fantasy Tactics, where the female generics have higher magic/lower HP than male generics. To raise females to be fighters, and males to be mages is harder than accepting the status quo. Although, to truly reject gender identity in video games, one would have to completely ignore the gender of characters. As in not selecting FFT generics based on sex, and granting them classes based on the need for the class, and ignoring all statistical and visual differences between males and females. Which would be difficult.
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