Women of E3: A glimpse at gaming's new heroines

Lara Croft and Faith have some company.

Following a noticeable absence of female video game protagonists at the Electronic Entertainment Expo over the past few years, several developers are unabashedly introducing gamers to all-new heroines at the annual trade show extravaganza that's historically been a boys' club.

Croft and Faith, stars of the hotly anticipated prequels "Rise of the Tomb Raider" and "Mirror's Edge: Catalyst," aren't the only virtual leading ladies at this year's E3. Several new female characters are entering the fray.

A sampling of E3's original female protagonists:

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ALOY, "HORIZON ZERO DAWN"

Guerrilla Games, keepers of the "Killzone" series, are forging a different path with Aloy, the bow-wielding huntress starring in "Horizon Zero Dawn." She's not merely a Katniss Everdeen knockoff.

During a demonstration of the third-person title featuring the expert archer at Sony's E3 briefing, Aloy deftly dispatched robotic creatures resembling dinosaurs, taking them down with arrows, traps and hand-to-hand combat in a post-apocalyptic vista that's been reclaimed by Mother Nature.

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EMILY, "DISHONORED 2"

The young heir originally depicted as a girl in the shadowy first-person steampunk adventure "Dishonored" is all grown up for the game's follow-up.

"Dishonored 2" will co-star an adult rendition of Emily Kaldwin, who has become a supernatural assassin alongside her childhood protector Corvo Attano.

In footage that debuted at publisher Bethesda Softworks' ever-first E3 stage presentation, Kaldwin was armed with a crossbow and the trippy power to swiftly zip up buildings, through hallways and down stairwells.

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JOULE, "RECORE"

"ReCore" developers Armature Studio introduced Joule and her robotic companions to the world at Microsoft's E3 briefing in visually arresting footage that showcased the scrappy young woman exploring a desert planet and tangling with mechanized beasts.

The game's creators, who previous worked on the "Metroid Prime" series, are no strangers to crafting a sprawling sci-fi adventure anchored by a strong female protagonist. "Metroid" bounty hunter Samus Aran is one of gaming's best-known leading ladies.

Will Joule join her ranks?

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EVIE, "ASSASSIN'S CREED: SYNDICATE"

It's not just the guys who can be ruthless.

Ubisoft's "Assassin's Creed: Syndicate," the London-set installment of the long-running stealth series, will feature a pair of protagonists: Jacob and his twin sister, Evie Frye.

Evie is armed with a cane sword, hidden blades and throwing knives in the fight against the Templars during the Industrial Revolution. Ubisoft debuted new footage of the raven-haired hit woman during its E3 briefing Monday.

While the third-person series has featured female Assassins, Evie is a welcome addition following last year's dude-fest "Assassins Creed: Unity."

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RAE, "BEYOND EYES"

"Beyond Eyes," an independent game from developer Tiger & Squid, casts players as Rae, a blind girl who interprets the world with painterly imagery.

As players guide Rae through a blank canvas on-screen, the 10-year-old girl harnesses her other senses to fill in what's surrounding her with watercolor-like illustrations on Rae's journey to find her missing cat.

"Beyond Eyes" is among the indie titles coming first to Xbox One as part of ID@Xbox, Microsoft's indie self-publishing program.

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