DeathStranding,the long-awaited first game from Hideo Kojima after his split from Konami, is on its way.
If nothing else, it looks to be a typical Hideo Kojima game.
But these trailers also provide a timely reminder thatDeath Strandingwill face heavy scrutiny upon its release.
Included in the release date reveal trailer is a scene in which a presumed antagonist licks Lea Seydouxs face.
Compared to what Kojima usually puts his women through, this is somewhat tame.
Gender disparity in context
The gaming landscape has always skewed male.
In the late 1980s, the damsel-in-distress adventure was the typical gaming formula.
Yet, Samus was never supposed to be female.
Rather, it was conceived as a reward for its male players.
Finishing the game in one hour reveals the same image, except Samus is now decked in a bikini.
The almost exclusive representation of women as sexual trophies has become foundational in gaming.
That being said,Resident Evilis no stranger to using its female characters as a rewards system.
This goes a long way to undermining the representation of women inResident Evilsgames.
Women as rewards
This concept of using women as a reward is not confined to video games.
Throughout media, a dangerous precedent is maintained which sees women depicted as attainable objects rather than genuine characters.
Kojimas women
Hideo Kojima has played a prominent role in this broader story.
Early in the game, Snake can snoop from a ceiling vent at Meryl Silverberg exercising in her underwear.
Much like the characters ofResident Evil, Meryl is capable and, for the most part, appropriately dressed.
Its best not to try and understand whats going on inMetal Gear Solid 3.
This is later compounded when guiding an injured Eva out of the games signature jungle.
Do so unscathed and youre rewarded with Eva in her underwear.
Which all leads to 2015sMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
Quiet is just there in a bikini, for no reason.
Never mind thatMetal Gear Solid 3sThe End was also photosynthetic and wore an old-man coat throughout that game.
Metal Gear Solids writing has always been, at best, ham-fisted.
Its ridiculous, over-the-top, and often, frankly, bad.
That The End and Quiet share the same characteristic but differing states of undress isnt inconsistent writing, however.
Kojima was unfazed by the criticism invoked by Quiets portrayal.
That The End and Quiet share the same characteristic but differing states of undress isnt inconsistent writing, however.
They may be hard to find, but there are examples of positive portrayals of women out there.
Among the most prominent in recent years are the women of Naughty Dog games.
Under the supervision of Amy Hennig, theUnchartedseries has included an impressive roster of female characters throughout.
The apogee of Naughty Dogs dedication to positively representing women is probably Ellie fromThe Last of Us.
This, in an industry that has been entrenched in the idea that women cant sell games for decades.
Arguably one of the greatest female characters in gaming is Aloy from 2017sHorizon Zero Dawn.
Be it the protagonist or the matriarchal society she finds herself in even the Noras god is female.
But she is also feminine without it compromising her character.
Aloy is a remarkably human character, equally capable of empathy and tearing the circuitry from a mechanical behemoth.
Even the conduit for that salvation is female-presenting.
Convincing the critics
Hideo Kojimas fans are aggressive in their defense of him.
He is a genius, they reason, and therefore he can do what he wants.
Unsurprisingly, these lessons are most effectively taught by women.
