Evolve was lauded by critics (including us) prior to release. Under ideal conditions (the only ones we’re allowed at trade shows) it’s a whole lot of fun. Of course, real life isn’t ideal and the game is struggling to stay alive. They’ve released some new DLC hunters, and the one looked much like the previous ones, highlighting just how little variety there is when it comes to the ladies of Evolve.
While we never get much more backstory on the hunters than the bits we can glean during dropship conversations, the character designs for most of the hunters have been varied an interesting. Fat and thin, young and old, the male hunters show a range of body types, personal characteristics and distinct gameplay. While the ladies have the distinct gameplay and different facial models, they all start to look exactly the same. Here is the newest lady hunter for Evolve.
Let’s compare her to Maggie who I immediately thought she was modeled on:
Yes, their faces are different, as are there roles. However, their body types look rather similar. Both are slim and with strong but not overly defined arms. Even their standard poses look similar. There are two other female hunters in Evolve, Caira and Val. At least both of these medics are wearing more clothing than these other two, but their body types are still the same – slim, well-proportioned women who still show their svelte figures despite all the gear they’re carrying.
When these images were revealed as part of the DLC announcement, it sparked a discussion about the look of these female characters. The first comment that always comes up is “Well, they would need to be fit to be hunters”. Hm, then I wonder what the justification is for Hyde or Markov. Both are obviously fit enough to serve as tanks (assault) for the group – why can’t we have a woman who does the same? It’s not as if 2K is against this – just look at this awesome character design for Ellie from Borderlands 2.
Why can’t Evolve have an assault character like that? I’d love to see a larger woman handling a massive gun and taking down the monsters. Not all women are built like stick figures – just like men, they come in all shapes and sizes, so why do all these hunters share such similar physique?
I know this will probably get lumped into a “women in gaming” rant, but it’s actually more about poor design choices. Evolve is only kept interesting because of the variety it can offer. Players can take on various roles in the team using a range of hunters (once they grind and unlock them). If the diversity of hunters is part of the allure, why can’t they allow women to be part of that range? They have robots and aliens who are distinct, why is it so difficult to make women more varied and interesting?
Oh, at least they got it right on one front. The Wraith is referred to as a female monster, and she is over powered and awesome. Plus, she doesn’t have a typical female body type seeing as she is a monster. At least that one shows some cool design choice.
Last Updated: March 20, 2015
RinceThis
March 20, 2015 at 15:05
I think the biggest question is “Does evolve know what popular looks like” surely?
Ranting Raptor
March 20, 2015 at 16:48
lol
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 16:53
Hush you, that game is a multi-award winning title!
Blood Emperor Trevor
March 20, 2015 at 17:40
Well it was very popular before it was released.
Brady miaau
March 20, 2015 at 15:10
It is Friday and I cannot help myself
Yeah, me too. It does sort of make sense to model at least some game characters on, for want a better term, the real world.
Now, were some of those puns in the article intentional or am I just, for want of a MSFW term, in weekend mode?
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2015 at 15:17
More like this?
http://images.lazygamer.net/2013/05/ION09052013.jpg
Sageville
March 20, 2015 at 15:18
You Sir, get 100 lashes with that rigid maximum support bikini!
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2015 at 15:18
Request DENIED
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2015 at 15:19
A Zoe upvote?
SO RARE!!!
Her Highness the Hipster
March 20, 2015 at 15:21
so, so rare. but see, now you appreciate it 🙂
CAE9872
March 20, 2015 at 15:28
And what is her unique ability? Super Elastic Lip-O-Suction…
Hammersteyn
March 20, 2015 at 15:33
Suck start a leaf blower.
RinceThis
March 20, 2015 at 15:40
hahahaha
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2015 at 16:48
TEH LULZ!!!
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 16:13
Still the best kind of armour.
http://www.rantgamer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Red-Sonja.jpg
Admiral Chief
March 20, 2015 at 16:47
O_O
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 16:50
It gives you +5 stamina and the little loin cloth gives an additional agility boost. Not sure about the boots though… I think those are just normal peasant boots.
Blood Emperor Trevor
March 20, 2015 at 17:39
Also gives straight males -5 to agility.
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 20:09
and +10 wood
Admiral Chief
March 23, 2015 at 07:38
More like +50
Ranting Raptor
March 20, 2015 at 16:44
Dude why!?!?!?!?!
Sageville
March 20, 2015 at 15:20
Some games do get it right, GTA V there are many varied body types (albeit not a true reflection of Murica).
Hammersteyn
March 20, 2015 at 15:28
I’d play as Ellie if it was possible
CAE9872
March 20, 2015 at 15:30
She was great in Borderlands 2 – so have to say if she were an option I would have played as her. She suits my play style – someone with ability to soak up LOTS of bullets but a tank on the battlefield.
Hammersteyn
March 20, 2015 at 15:32
And she’d be able to duel wield the biggest machine guns ever.
CAE9872
March 20, 2015 at 15:38
Yeah now we talking!
CAE9872
March 20, 2015 at 15:29
By all accounts it isn’t just the character models that will help surely? I haven’t played it so would like to know what people feel are its deficiencies; besides the obvious one : getting a like-minded team together!
Nick de Bruyne
March 20, 2015 at 15:38
I told you on Twitter Zoe, they can’t afford all the expensive animations remember! *closes Ubisoft book of excuses*
Pariah
March 20, 2015 at 15:57
Women. Can’t live with them, can’t correctly model and animate them.
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 16:48
Add too much boob physics and bras get burnt, add too little and hipster gamers shun you for “not appreciating the female form”. Poor modern devs – they just can’t please people.
Barnacle Bob
March 20, 2015 at 15:53
Don’t think it fair to single out evolve, Its not in gaming only (Or boring/ crappy character design) but pretty much in almost every form of media, series/ movies/ comic books etc.
Men protagonists can be fat, ugly, stupid, – or all of them – doesn’t matter as long as they kick ass, while woman are generally speaking also expected too look good while kicking ass, this is the way it has been since pretty much forever, and will be for some time to come. If you want to blame anyone for the action female stereotype shapes, looks and personalities, blame billboards and magazines. Its not a recent trend or news, its just western culture.
Now if your argument is that in this game they have the opportunity to break the stereo type and get creative, yes, maybe, I like the character design added in the article, but lets face it, in reality, how many players would actual play as that character, and would the effort of creating the character justify the 10% of your player base who would actually play as that character. For the record, Im not going anywhere with this, just killing time before beer-o-clock
Ranting Raptor
March 20, 2015 at 16:48
Wasn’t there outrage over Ellie’s body type as well? Something about insulting large people? I’m sure I remember something along those lines when BL2 first landed
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 16:52
Yep, there was outrage over Ellie’s body type (I remember comparisons were drawn with Honey Boo Boo’s mom and how obesity is bad for y’all etc. etc. etc.). Thing is, given how body shapes differ between the genders, or between ethnic groups, you’re never going to please everybody, and when you do try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.
Ranting Raptor
March 20, 2015 at 16:58
So can developers actually ever win? They make them one style and they lose. Make it another and they lose. I feel kind of sorry for devs actually
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 17:05
In my eyes it’s all window dressing, it doesn’t really solve the real issues (from race to sex) relating to gaming, the game media or the games industry.
Blood Emperor Trevor
March 20, 2015 at 17:35
Here’s a song for Evolve. Hang in there, buddy!
Hammersteyn
March 21, 2015 at 09:25
XD o/
Admiral Chief
March 23, 2015 at 07:37
Hehehe, I LOVE THIS SONG!
J_Joestar
March 20, 2015 at 18:15
not to sound weird or anything, but i find the Wraith has a pretty distinct feminine figure to her, the chest has obvious breast-like bumps and distinctly feminine waist and hips.
http://i.imgur.com/s2vV0PV.png
If you want a real large and in-charge lady monster that doesn’t conform to human female physical body types, you should look at the Seltas Queen.
http://i.imgur.com/gKU2MQY.jpg
She is bigger than her the male of her species and while land locked, she can use pheromones from her tail to control him. Also when she is weak and tired, she will grab him with her tail and slam the male into the ground multiple times to kill him so she can devour the corpse to regain stamina.
40 Insane Frogs
March 20, 2015 at 20:16
I’m sure Anita will use it in another one of her tropes videos – “as you can see the female form is always represented as a hideous monster blah blah… patriarchy”.
J_Joestar
March 23, 2015 at 17:16
well it is really more the opposite, even as a monster, a female still gotta have “dem hips”
Billy Spandex
March 22, 2015 at 11:30
ERMAGHAD GUYS BLAME PATRIARCHY
Melon
March 30, 2015 at 03:14
To be fair every non-assault hunter so far with the exception of Hank is skinny.