Smilegate’s MMORPG Lost Ark has finally made its way to Western audiences as of this month, and players are keen to explore all that the game has to offer. With its focus on exploration, Lost Ark gives gamers plenty to do, with PvE combat, challenging quests, crafting, and characters to level up as the storyline progresses. The game was generally well-received, setting records with its Steam debut and winning favor with fans thanks to its stylish combat and variety of class options to choose from. Lost Ark has impressive isometric action with tons of flexibility, that allows players to adopt a vast array of different approaches to take down foes.
Although Lost Ark seems to have had a pretty successful launch amongst western audiences, that doesn’t mean the game has been free of controversy. One of the elements in Lost Ark that players haven’t warmed to is its controversial pay-to-win monetization. Although the game is free-to-play, like many MMOs, microtransactions are part of Lost Ark’s infrastructure, and have caused complaints from some players who feel like in-game advantages can be gained by splashing some cash instead of earning them through gameplay. Another such controversy that has sprung up since Lost Ark’s western release is the outfits of one of its female classes — The Sorceress.
The Problem With The Sorceress Class
Lost Ark has five classes for players to choose from — Warrior, Martial Artist, Gunner, Mage, and Assassin. Within these classes are several subclasses that players can specialize in as they progress, finessing their playstyle and picking up nifty new tricks to tackle enemies and other threats. Lost Ark’s Mage Class may appear weak and easily overwhelmed at first, but if players commit to leveling up their character they can create a truly formidable and powerful combatant. The Mage Class splits off into two subclasses, with players able to choose to play as either a Bard or a Sorceress, which both have a focus on ranged attacks and spells.
However, Lost Ark has come under fire because of its classes for several reasons. Some players are annoyed that Lost Ark’s classes are gender-locked, and would prefer for there to be as much choice and customization when it comes to other features, as there is in the facial aspects of the character creation. Both of the Mage subclasses are female-only, and in addition to players complaining that they can’t choose their gender, they’re annoyed that the character models when it comes to size and other specifics are set in stone too.
As well as the issues of gender-locked classes and limited body options, some players have pointed out the slightly ridiculous outfit choices available for female classes as well, especially Lost Ark’s Sorceress Class. As players progress their character and level up their Sorceress, some gamers have noticed that the outfits — which were already fairly skimpy and offered next-to-no protection for the fighters — just seemed to get even shorter, making a meme out of the outfit’s diminishing returns.
While this is a ridiculous problem to still be having in 2022, Lost Ark is by no means the only game guilty of giving female characters armor akin to a bikini, while male characters are kitted out in more traditional (and more protective) armor sets.
Overly Sexualized Outfits In Video Games
Ever since video games progressed enough to feature humanoid figures, female characters have more often than not been overly sexualized compared to their male counterparts. While some games feature nudity in equal measure, the trend definitely seems to sway more towards the showing of female flesh over male. Many fantasy games that have RPG elements where players can create their own characters often give options for full-coverage male armor, while the female version inexplicably covers less area while giving the same protection stats. Games like Skyrim also includes NPCs where the women are ridiculously scantily clad, almost for no reason.
Fighting games usually feature the most overt examples of female sexualization. While the male characters are frequently fully dressed, the women fighters jump into battle in little more than a bikini, or something equally impractical and revealing. Ivy in Soul Calibur, Mileena in Mortal Kombat IX, and R. Mika in Street Fighter V are particular examples of this outdated and creepy trend.
While Lost Ark might not be quite as bad as some of the other notable instances of obvious female sexualization, players find it frustrating. The comparison to the way that characters like the Sorceress are portrayed, next to the type of outfits that other ranged fighters like the male Sharpshooter sport, is frustrating.
Lost Ark is available now on PC.
