Naughty Dog user interface designer Alexandria Neonakis is proud of her team’s representation of women in The Last of Us. Her recent New York Times editorial found fault with the newspaper’s review of the PlayStation 3 epic, pushing the importance of Ellie in this still-young medium.
"She's powerful the whole time, and it had nothing to do with wielding a gun or physical ability. In an industry that more often than not represents women as either a damsel in distress or a male character in a female body, this was a triumph in storytelling and representation," Neonakis said. "Ellie is an entirely playable character. It was not by coincidence that the moments you play as her are the most impactful in the game."
At the start of the game, Ellie is a damsel in distress. It’s a common trope, but that doesn’t mean her character remains stagnant throughout the campaign.
"Her journey from a damsel in distress to a fully capable and complex character is made clear through the relationship she develops with Joel,” she continued. “Likewise, Joel's growth could not have happened without Ellie. This was not a game 'about men.' It was about a mutual relationship and about how people need one another.”
Neonakis wants more female representation in video games, but not so that they can appear stronger than men. For the good of the industry, females need to be presented as equals to males.
"In our medium, the change needed in female characters is not about women being portrayed as stronger or more capable than men but about being portrayed on equal terms," she said. "I don't want to be treated like I'm more important than my male co-workers. I want to be seen as equal to them. I want to rely on them as much as they rely on me–a true partnership. We have that at Naughty Dog. Our game was made by men and women, some of the most talented in the industry."
