Sometimes I get annoyed when I am playing a game, particularly a RPG style game (hello, Two Worlds?) and I can’t play the main character as a chick. And more often than not, when I am forced to play as a guy, the gaming companies seem to think all I want to see is barely dressed bodice-busting female characters thrusting themselves at me. Okay, if I am a guy, I could see how that would be appealing. But as a chick, I would rather have barely dressed hot male character thrusting themselves on me!

Now, there are definitely some games that are definitely girl based, such as Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider series or playing as Princess Peach in one of the many Super Mario games. But what about if you are a gun-toting terrorist hunter or trying to save an old empire from corruption of evil? When it comes down to it, most games make you play as a male, since there is still the abundance of false perception that girls are only interested in playing Barbie Horse Adventures or Tetris.

Then there are the games like Lara Croft, Tomb Raider. Yes, you can play as a girl, but her FFF cleavage was clearly designed with the male gamer in mind, especially since Lara spends most of her game time practically falling out of her barely-there black latex outfits.

The unfortunate thing is not very many male-centric type games allow me to play as a chick, especially a chick that appeals to a true girl gamer who isn’t just interested in T&A. So to satisfy the inner male-ogling girl in me, here are some recent games that allow me to play as a female instead of a male, without going over the top for the guy’s gaming dollar.

Oblivion
This was the first game I picked up for the Xbox 360 when I decided to retire my trusty original Xbox console. And not only did I get to play as a female, but I even got to customize the look, so I could make my character as hot or not as I wanted. And even though it is a medieval style game where most games try to get away with chicks wearing little more than an elastic band, this one actually features a ton of conservative clothing for my character.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2
While the original Rainbow Vegas allowed me to do multiplayer as a girl, the sequel allowed me to also do the campaign as a female lead. I admit, since this was my 6th Rainbow Six game, I found it a little weird to suddenly be playing as a female. And in multiplayer, there is nothing like playing a female with a little bitty pink or purple tank top… and if you look closely, the girls even have nipples, but without gratuitous cleavage.

Mass Effect
If you didn’t hear the whole girl-on-girl sex scene controversy last year (started by a bunch of people who not only never played the game but started spouting off “facts” about what you’d think was a constant orgy of in-game sex), not only can you play this game as a girl, but you can also have, um, relations with either a guy or a girl. And while you are wearing a skin tight body suit, again, your girls aren’t trying to bust out of the top!

Fable II
Sparrow is a character you can make as either male or female. And later in the game, if you are female you can even become pregnant if you practice unsafe sex. And it is worth noting that if you play a female character, doesn’t mean you can only have sex with a male, chicks are up for grabs too! And one quest has you playing matchmaker for two male characters who inevitably fall in love. The wardrobe options are limited, although fairly decent, so you can sex your character up with a corset or cover it all up with high necked shirts and jackets.

Saints Row 2
A change from the previous Saints Row game, this one allows you to choose a female character when you start the game. You’ve probably heard about the naked girls streaking in the game, well, Saints Row 2 is equal opportunity, because you can make the guys streak naked too… but all the important bits are blurred for both sexes. And if you are into male eye candy, it is pretty funny to make a male character wearing nothing but tightie-whities.

Fallout 3
The recently released Fallout 3 allows you to be a guy or a girl as you traverse through a post-nuclear blast world. There is even a Black Widow perk which allows females to inflict extra damage on male characters. You go girl!

Bloodrayne
If slaying vampires is your thing, the two Bloodrayne games feature the ultimate female vampire slayer. Unfortunately, it also features over-the-top amounts of cleavage. So I probably shouldn’t be surprised the character was featured topless in Playboy, which also mentions her oh-so-realistic measurements of 34-22-36! But while she does ooze sex, she is also one serious hardcore chick. But sometimes I think she needs to leave a little something to the imagination.

World of Warcraft
Again, another game that allows you full-on customization of your character, whether male or female. And if you do a Google search, there are a ton of galleries devoted to the women of Warcraft, showcasing all their, um, assets.

MetroidEven though this original game is over 20 years old now, this game is worth an honorable mention (and it is downloadable on the Wii virtual console as well as in sequels). This game tricked many a male gamer who thought they were playing a guy cyborg, right up until the end of the game when it was suddenly revealed that Samus Aran was actually female.

So next time you hit your local gaming store, think about the games that allow you to be a chick, as well as flaunt it if you want. Which raises the question… what are some of your favorite girl-centric characters you can play in games?