Is There a Problem with Sexy Video Game Characters?

Sexuality is a normal thing, its something that the media sometimes likes to make look horrible, but it is a normal thing regardless. Its place in entertainment cannot be refuted in the slightest. And in video games, there are an abundance of "Sexy" characters. Many people detest this, they claim that it is degrading and is damaging the minds of our children (as an aside, if you think something is damaging to your child, don't buy it for them). My personal belief is that sexiness in a game is fine, sometimes. It's a circumstantial issue, and I'll be delving into a number of these circumstances.

Bayonetta, the lead of Platinum Games' Bayonetta series.

Bayonetta has been the target of many people's arguments regarding sexuality in video games. Many people call her little more than an object developed for the male gaze. I disagree. In this specific instance, there are a number of things that should classify Bayonetta as acceptable. With a full understanding of the context, Bayonetta is one of the strongest characters in gaming, capable of facing and taking down threats far bigger than most male characters had ever seen. Her sexual personality is her own doing, she chooses to be over the top, even if a writer did make that decision. Though a couple of shots within the game may be very suggestive, there is never any actual sex in the game. And a key thing to note is that she is a cartoon character. Yes, she has some photo-realistic characteristics, but the game chooses a style largely akin to anime; Japanese cartoons. This argument of her being a cartoon character carries over into a number of games, one major example being the upcoming Street Fighter V.

Female fighter, Cammy, as she appears in Capcom's upcoming
Street Fighter V.

Street Fighter V is shaping up to be a truly gorgeous game, but it is not realistic. Characters are capable of summoning ridiculous powers; shooting giant fireballs or performing spiral kicks while levitating above the ground. The characters having clothing choices that are less than suitable for the real world is not a serious issue, its just the way that the designers choose to portray their characters. I do have a problem with this game that I did not have with the previously mentioned Bayonetta. Street Fighter V will have 16 characters upon release, 11 are male and 5 are female. 6 of the male characters have completely unbelievable body proportions, which is not an issue, but all of the 5 females have somewhat realistic proportions, with 3 of them certainly being sexual in nature and a 4th arguable as well (that being Cammy from the picture above). Some of the men are less than fully clothed, but they are among those with cartoony proportion characters, and considering them sexual is near impossible. I do not necessarily have an issue with the 3 or 4 sexually designed females in this game, what I have a problem with is that it is solely women. Sexy character design in cartoony games is not a problem, unless it becomes exclusive to female characters.

The main character of Japan exclusive Mobius Final Fantasy.

The above picture shows how the design of the main character of this Japan Exclusive Final Fantasy game was changed after he was perceived as being too sexual. Any look into the franchise's past will show that they have no problem sexualizing female characters, which again in a cartoony game isn't the issue, but there is not a sexy male in sight. This character, while not mainstream, could have been a significant leap for Square Enix in the right direction as far as sexuality in games. Sexuality in cartoony games is an okay thing as long as it remains gender blind. Gender bias is far from the sole issue in sexual characters in gaming though.

Female character Quiet as she appears in Kojima Productions'
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

This entire piece has been focused on sexuality in cartoony games, something I am okay with if the gender bias weren't so prevalent. Sexual characteristics in realistic games is something else entirely. Metal Gear Solid V has many cartoony scenarios, and in more ways than one, it is not believable. However, the graphical style chosen is one of realism. At glance, many screenshots of this game could be mistaken for photographs. Quiet is a side character that the player has a large amount of control over regarding the frequency of appearances. She is also dressed in a stupid outfit. 

She is in combat situations, and her sheer lack of clothing would neither protect her nor disguise her. The only tangible thing the outfit does is satisfy a couple of immature mens' wish for a super sexy character. For the most part, her defining characteristic is her lack of characteristics. She is actually a rather interesting character from a critical standpoint, but taking her and her story seriously while she is dressed like she is above is impossible for most people, including myself. In many situations, watching is actually uncomfortable, and all of that is so unnecessary. The story's "justification" for the outfit is thin, and written just for the reason of getting her in as little clothing as possible. It adds next to nothing to the overall story, and its exclusion would not in the slightest damage the plot as a whole. All of this, and the gender bias is at its finest yet again, with no male characters being dressed sexually at all.

Sexuality in video games doesn't have to be a problem. If the game is cartoony, and if objectification is avoided through character development and gender equality, the sexuality should not be bothering anyone. As far as something that you can do to cause a real difference, sadly, there isn't much. Boycotting a game with poor representation is a somewhat meaningless effort, as the number of people that would actually do so is way too small for there to be a visible difference in sales numbers. So what I would recommend: Let the developers and publishers of the games you love know what you don't love to see. Unless the game you are talking about is selling because of its use of sexuality (DoA Volleyball titles), most fans wouldn't care if a character they loved was a little less sexy, or if a character of the opposite gender was made a little more sexy. Sexy video game characters are not a problem, only certain ways that they may be conveyed are.

Ultimately, whether you think sexuality in gaming is acceptable is up to no one but yourself. Please let me know in the comments or on social media how you feel about all of this.

Have a tremendous day.