By all accounts, Final Fantasy X-2 is a blatant example of the sexism generally found in video games today, but the story also attempts to portray some more positive values amidst all of the fanservice. Take, for example, the short-shorts and the physics-defying shirt on the main character, Yuna (center) and the gratuitous string bikini and thong on the main character's younger cousin, Rikku (left). The sexualization of these two characters (compare to Yuna's previous look in the original game) has been heavily emphasized in these promotional images; and it is worth noting that this aspect is what Square-Enix has chosen to concentrate upon in their marketing. Paine, the character on the right, has too been given a punk look to fit the role of the requisite tough woman - although it is worth noting that her addition is primarily because the tough woman of the previous game has since become pregnant. The sex appeal of all three characters has been carefully packaged to appeal specifically to an audience of teenage boys, who were the target demographic of the original games. The original game, however, actually attracted (amongst other people) a strong female player-base; but because this group was not the target demographic, the advertisments and art direction for the game have largerly ignored them.
The narrative and game mechanics of Final Fantasy X-2, on the other hand, feature a bizarre and incoherent set of values. Individually, these values seem to have been intended for either male or female players. Therefore, these values together should theoretically have allowed the game to appeal to both demographics. I would argue that the game falls short of this admittedly admirable goal, however, because of the creators' reliance on existing archetypes of men and women - as they have existed in video games. According to FFX-2's story, for example, the distinct lack of practical clothing is intended to be both a disguise and a visual representation of their growing maturity and confidence. Yuna, for instance, previously wore a more conservative outfit reminiscent of a Shinto priestess. Now, while the color scheme and basic elements of the outfit still exist, the 'new' Yuna now manifests her confidence by flaunting her body and wielding a pair of guns. I won't deny that the concept of the strong female is a refreshing one in the male-dominated industry, as is noted in "The Hegemony of Play", but I hesitate to call this game revolutionary or ground-breaking. At the end of the day, the characters are still scantily-clad - and in fact, the game implies that they must be if they are to be perceived as strong female characters. This artistic choice reveals the "values embedded in mainstream videogames", and calls into question the understanding that the industry has of gender (Laurel 62). Similary, while the main characters are female, they are merely the adventurers in a world led and torn apart by a male triumvirate. While Yuna is the symbol of the new world, given her role of ending the last great threat to the world, she maintains little actual power. She even becomes a pawn in the triumvirate's power struggles, a plot point reinforced by the game mechanics when the player is forced to choose sides to progress in the game.
While I could go on ad infinitum about the various points in the game, suffice it to say that the game industry is starting to realize that there is a 'hegemony of play', but still has a long way to go before they manage to bridge the proverbial gap.
-Pauline
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