Yes, You Have Complete Freedom to Play as a Female Character in Elden Ring

Since its launch, Elden Ring has swiftly elevated itself as one of the most critically-acclaimed and intensely playable titles in recent memory. Developer FromSoftware‘s brand of ruthlessly challenging third-person fantasy combat has rarely felt better realized than in the sprawling open world of the Lands Between. One of the roleplaying epic‘s great strengths lies in enabling truly expressive character customization no matter your preferred playstyle – including the option to play as a fully realized female protagonist.

The Robust Heroine Creator Provides Unparalleled Customization

Straight away when beginning your mythic quest to repair the shattered Elden Ring and seize the title of Elden Lord, you have the choice to define your avatar‘s body type as either male or female. This initial choice already provides more consideration to those wanting to inhabit memorable female personas than in past FromSoftware titles like Dark Souls or Bloodborne.

Once you‘ve chosen your tarnished warrior‘s fundamental gender, you gain access to Elden Ring‘s incredibly granular character creation suite. With these tools, players have sculpted striking and formidable female protagonists of all kinds to brave the game‘s many threats. Let‘s examine the expansive customization options players have for designing their own badass heroines:

Body Customization

• 5 Female Body Types available: A, B, C, D, E
• Height customization
• Musculature customization from gaunt to extremely buff
• Breast size customization for each body type
• Adjust stomach, torso, waist, hips independently
• Thickness and definition sliders for arms and legs
• Adjust body hair amount separately for chest, arms, legs

Facial Features & Hair

• 9 Female Base Faces spanning graceful to imposing
• Forehead, brow, eyes, nose, mouth shape sliders
• Jawline, cheeks, skin smoothness adjustment
• Freckles, eye bags, wrinkles, imprints
• Over 20 diverse Hairstyles like ponytails, mohawks, afros
• Hair Length, Fringe, Trim and Color selection

Adornments & Cosmetics

• Numerous Tattoos for body art and war paint
• Varied Makeup looks from subtle to heavy
• Face/Body Paints like veins, dirt, blood spatter
• Ears can be subtly pointed for elven look
• Eye Color alteration, multiple Pupil styles
• Pitch and Tone sliders for Voice

As you can glean from the above, the range for crafting signature Lady Tarnished characters is immense. All this customizability means you can forge deadly warrior women, aged sages, feral huntresses, and more who appear truly at home in The Lands Between.

Notable Heroines Roles Players Have Embraced

With so many options, Elden Ring players have crafted varied badass female leads to see their fantasies play out. Some common heroic archetypes adopted include:

• Battle-Hardened Warrior – Heavily armed, armor-clad veteran felling foes with heavy melee weapons
• Mysterious Ranger – Lightly equipped hunter using bow skills and roguish cunning
• Sorcerous Scholar – Intelligent mage raining potent spells and magical death
• Fanatical Zealot – Dark faith caster enveloping enemies in fiery chaos
• Regal Aristocrat – Nobly garbed and wielding polished arms befitting royalty
• Feral Barbarian – Savage tribal marauder rending foes with bleed/poison
• Grizzled Vagabond – Ragged survivor with inexhaustible grit who refuses to hollow

With the power to define their appearance so specifically, players fully inhabit their chosen lady warriors before ever leaving the character creator. This personal touch prepares one to leave a bold mark on The Lands Between.

Image source: eldenring.wiki.fextralife.com

Equal Treatment Across A Vast, Unbiased Game World

Another boon for female gamers wishing to dive into Elden Ring is its vast open world and epic lore make no distinguishment based on gender. NPC quest lines play out the same no matter Lady Tarnished‘s appearance. The formidable demigods and mythic monsters that stand between you and the title of Elden Lord dispatch challengers with equal ruthlessness.

In most player interactions, whether co-op or invasions, there is no visible indicator of another‘s gender. This places the emphasis on martial skill and tactics, rather than preconceptions. Ultimately, your prowess with weapons and ability to surmount obstacles is what counts in this grim realm.

Even when looking at the game‘s own NPCs, FromSoftware has populated the Lands Between with compelling women that reinforce themes of overcoming odds with bravery. Characters like the spiritual guide Melina, defiant rebel hunter Latenna, and the ever-mocking Patches all leave memorable impressions on the player independent of their gender.

Elden Ring‘s Runaway Success Cements Roleplaying Credibility

As a high-water mark for world building, challenge, customization and freeform exploration, Elden Ring has achieved meteoric critical and commercial success since launching in February 2022. Let‘s examine some key statistics:

• Sold 12 million copies worldwide as of March 2022
• Currently highest rated game of 2022 with a 96 metascore
• Has 87% positive Steam user reviews with over a quarter million owners
• Expected to win Game of The Year awards across publications
• Praised specifically for departure from gender locked classes/stories
• Speedrun community has world record holders of all genders

With such an overwhelmingly positive reception and reputation for fair challenge, Elden Ring has demonstrated FromSoftware‘s formula transcends gender barriers in gaming. Players of all types have embraced rising to conquer its epic quest.

Why Elden Ring Succeeds as an RPG for Female Gamers

From my extensive experience, the secret to why Elden Ring stands tall as an exemplary open world action RPG for female representation comes down to two qualities:

Respect – Elden Ring inherently respects the player‘s right to project themselves onto a character of their own aesthetic preference without judgement. Your prowess is measured on skill, not appearance.

Authority – Through combat mastery, you author your own female legend in a realm where might equals right. Victory and glory await she who can persevere against imposing adversaries.

Through this lens, it becomes clear why so many have flocked to walk the warrior‘s path – no matter their tribe, gender or background. In the Lands Between, chance offers equal favor to all daring enough to seize it.

While later FromSoftware titles like Sekiro and Bloodborne had fixed protagonists, Elden Ring embraces creative possibility to an unprecedented degree. This freedom empowers female gamers to inhabit bold personas limited only by imagination.

So for any still hesitant to embark on this genre-defining quest – rest assured you can craft a legendary heroine to stand the test of time. Now steel thyself, Tarnished! Adventure awaits atop the next horizon…