Video games with female protagonists have come a long way since 1982’s Wabbit. When a gamer thinks about a female protagonist, a ton of names likely pop up, like Lara Croft from Tomb Raider, Chun-Li from Street Fighter, or Samus Aran from Metroid. But there are so many more that are dominating modern gaming like never before, especially on the PlayStation 5. The following games are all those with incredible female protagonists that can be loaded up onto your PS5 and enjoyed right now!
5. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II (2024)
The sequel to Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, continues the story of the first game, following protagonist Senua on another harrowing adventure. Senua’s character is different from most others, as she suffers from audible and visual hallucinations that act as gameplay barriers. Both games were developed with neuroscientists to depict schizophrenia and psychosis in truly realistic ways. However, that’s not what makes Senua so great. It’s that she’s able to grapple with these aspects of herself while still conquering the enemies and monsters and resolving puzzles embedded in Icelandic and Norse mythology.
4. Star Wars Outlaws (2024)
Star Wars Outlaws takes place between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, following protagonist Kay Vess as she travels through space and discovers a new life for herself. The story is your typical ragtag space crew type, with Kay accumulating a few people to help her along the way. What really makes this game cool isn’t just that it has a female protagonist, but that you can truly immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe with speeder bikes and open-world environments across different planets. It also implements some sick combat that has you combining melee with blasters in third-person gameplay.
3. South of Midnight (2025)
I absolutely adored South of Midnight from beginning to end. It follows high-schooler Hazel as she tries to find her mother after she was swept away by a hurricane in a New Orleans-esque town. The game utilizes folklore from that area as well as artistic stylings, jargon, and music that truly make it an experience like no other. As a platformer, you’ll venture through different levels to find your mother and learn more about yourself and your family along the way. Narratively, this was one of the greatest platformers I have ever played, and it’s exclusivity to Xbox has officially ended.
2. Horizon Forbidden West (2022)
In Horizon Forbidden West, players continue the story of Aloy and journey into the post-apocalyptic but oddly caveman-esque world of the Forbidden West to stop a plague. Since the first game, Aloy has been a well-respected game character who has been at the heart of various conversations concerning how female characters should look. The game is also a narrative marvel, employing the voice work of Ashly Burch as Aloy and Lance Reddick as Sylens while also pairing the same open world mechanics and general exploration that the previous installment was highly-praised for.
1. Resident Evil Requiem (2026)
Finally, the first game on our list. I chose Resident Evil Requiem because, while Resident Evil already has its own slew of female protagonists, I feel that managing to create a brand new one that fits into the franchise lore while still making her an incredible character is difficult. Yes, you can also play as Leon Kennedy, but they alternate between the two rather than allowing players to choose one to experience the whole story as. Her sections feature gameplay similar to the more modern games, while Leon’s sections are akin to Resident Evil 4’s gameplay. It’s a marvel that the game came out as great as it did, gaining favorable criticism from reviewers and players, especially considering the radical change it made from being conceived as an open-world multiplayer game. Hopefully, with the success of this game, we will see protagonist Grace Ashcroft again in the future as a series staple.
