The Rise of Tomb Raider: 20 Year Game Celebration recently launched on the PS4 nearly a year after its debut on PC and Xbox One. The game has gained a lot of chatter as of late with several reviewers calling it the franchise’s best title yet. It’s hard to tell if this one takes the Tomb Raider cake, but one thing we do know is that Lara Croft is one badass protagonist. In fact, Croft leads a long line of female characters that clearly outdo the men. Let’s take a look at the top 5 women in gaming that were better than their male counterparts.
Lara Croft vs. Nathan Drake
Its only fitting we lead off our top five list with none other than Lara herself. Both characters, Croft and Drake, have deep and immersive storylines along with troubled pasts. Drake clearly outduels Croft in the hand-to-hand combat category and quite possibly in surviving dangerous situations. However, Lara is a beast with those pistols, and let’s face it – Drake wouldn’t exist without Lara raiding those old tombs during her younger years. I’ll take those duel wields over fists of fury any day.
Chun Li vs. Ryu
The debate ends right here and now – Chun Li is better than Ryu. Call me crazy, but Chun Li is the better of the two and will continue to mop the floor with Street Fighter ’s golden boy. Ryu has spent too much of his life focusing on Ken, who is secretly just a test-tube clone of the man in white. You can yell “hadoken” all you want, little man, but palm strikes are no match for Chun Li and her devastating kicks.
Cortana vs. Ghost
Cortana is leaps and bounds ahead of Ghost when it comes to artificially intelligent companions. She’s always had a certain subtle badass aura around her, especially after helping Master Chief save the world for the first time. Something about Cortana just screams bold confidence while Destiny ’s Ghost awkwardly keeps you wondering why he hasn’t run out of batteries yet. If the world is ending, I’m taking Cortana, hands down. Sorry, little Nolandroid.
Samus Aran vs. Mega Man
The gaming world just might explode with this one. Yep, I’m taking Samus over everyone’s beloved Mega Man. Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Mega Man, but he just doesn’t match up to his female counterpart. Think about Samus and all of her great weaponry, her tall and quick stature, and of course her ability to fly. Highly underrated character that most people only know from playing Super Smash Bros . Samus for President.
Anya vs. the World
When looking to match up Gear of War ’s most destructive female character, Anya, with her male counterpart, I just couldn’t do it. There’s a reason she’s become an icon in gaming and has continually been labeled as the most feared female character ever created. She’s the total package from top to bottom and she’ll knock you out with one punch if you try and tell her otherwise – brains, beautify, and downright fearlessness.