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Sheva Alomar

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Sheva Alomar
Resident Evil character
Sheva Alomar in Resident Evil 5
First appearanceResident Evil 5 (2009)
Created byYasuhiro Anpo[1]
Haruo Murata
Yoshiaki Hirabayashi
Kenichi Ueda
Designed byYosuke Yamagata[1]
Voiced byKaren Dyer (Resident Evil 5)
Kayla Dixon (Dead by Daylight)[2]
Motion captureKaren Dyer (Resident Evil 5)[3]
In-universe information
OriginAfrica

Sheva Alomar (Japanese: シェバ・アローマ, Hepburn: Sheba Arōma) is a character in the Resident Evil survival horror video game series created by the Japanese company Capcom. Introduced in the 2009 video game Resident Evil 5, she is a native African operative of an anti-bioterrorism group and the new partner of the series' veteran Chris Redfield. Sheva is controlled by the game's artificial intelligence (AI) when playing with a single player, and is controlled by a second player in the game's cooperative mode.

Designed to symbolize "the bond of partnership" within the game, the character's physical design was modeled off Australian actress Michelle Van Der Water, while her voice acting and motion capture were performed by American actress Karen Dyer. The character was met with mostly positive reception from video game journalists, who praised her strength and attractiveness, though her AI in-game received mixed to negative reviews. The character's depiction did, however, receive criticism from several sources for adhering to racial and gendered stereotypes. Sheva has not returned for any further installments of the series, though she appears in the 2022 video game Dead by Daylight as an optional playable character.

Design and portrayal

Sheva Alomar's character was designed during the early development phase of Resident Evil 5, with her designer Yosuke Yamagata calling her a "new major protagonist" who symbolizes the theme of "the bonds of partnership". Her face and story background changed several times while she underwent many redesigns and re-imagining as developers searched for the right look to combine the qualities of "feminine attraction" and the "strength of a fighting woman". Rejected concepts for Sheva included her being either a civilian, a guerrilla, or a military commander.[1]

Her character model was based on Australian actress Michelle Van Der Water, but her voice acting and motion capture were performed by American actress Karen Dyer.[4] Dyer, in her first major game role of this kind, went through weeks of firearms training for the job, learning with both hands as Sheva is left-handed. She described her character as more acrobatic and agile than her partner Chris Redfield, and as "very passionate and youthful", adding she had an "emotional attachment" to her mission as she wants to save her people.[5] In Dead by Daylight, she was voiced by Kayla Dixon.[2]

Sheva appears in the game wearing a form-fitting purple singlet, beige pants and knee-high boots. She also carries a tactical belt and pistol holster, and wears leather forearm guards and traditional African jewellery.[6] Alternate costumes are a staple within the Resident Evil series that let players dress playable characters in "silly, cool, and even embarrassing" outfits;[7] the series also has a reputation for making their alternate costumes for women sexualised.[8] Sheva's alternate costumes are a "Clubbin'" outfit consisting of a gold lamé bikini, micro-miniskirt and blonde wig, and a "Tribal" outfit consisting of a leopard print bikini and tribal body paint.[4]

Appearances

Sheva made her first and only appearance in Resident Evil 5. According to the character's backstory, her parents died when she was eight years old in an apparent factory accident and she was taken in by her uncle. Eventually, Sheva ran away and was found by a truck driver who was part of a rebel militia group. She later joined the group and soon learned that the factory accident her parents had died in was actually a test of a bio-organic weapon (BOW) by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella Corporation. With the help of the local government, Umbrella destroyed Sheva's village and its inhabitants after the test was complete. When Sheva was 15, she was contacted by U.S. operatives to sabotage Umbrella's attempt to sell a BOW. With Sheva's help, the deal was stopped and she was offered a chance to start a new life in America. Sheva accepted, was speaking fluent English within months and enrolled at a university two years later. After graduation, her benefactor recruited her to join the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance (BSAA). While Umbrella had dissolved years before this, Sheva's hatred of Umbrella and others like them led her to join. She was assigned to a unit for eight months of training, in which she excelled and was chosen to become an agent assigned to the BSAA's West African department. When BSAA agent Chris Redfield is sent to intercept a black market BOW sale in the fictional African country Kijuju, Sheva is assigned to be his partner and guide.[9]

In Resident Evil 5, the primary player controls Chris, whom Sheva follows throughout the game as an ally controlled by artificial intelligence (AI). In the game's co-operative gameplay mode, a second player will control Sheva. When the game has been completed once, there is an option to make Sheva the primary character.[10] During the events of the game, Sheva and Chris stop the Tricell corporation, who were continuing Umbrella's work, from infecting the world with a new BOW. In the end, they kill the series' villain Albert Wesker.[9][11]

Pre-order bonuses for Resident Evil 5 included a sand globe of Sheva and Redfield.[12] Various action figures of the character have been released by the National Entertainment Collectibles Association,[13] Hot Toys,[14][15] Square Enix,[16] and SomaliCraft.[17] Karen Dyer posed as Alomar for a 2009 calendar she made available to download from her website.[18] In 2022, she appears in Dead by Daylight as a legendary skin of Jill Valentine.[19] Merchandise featuring Sheva includes action figures.[20]

Critical reception

Reception of Sheva by video game journalists was mostly positive. She was added to several lists that rank characters by their sex appeal.[21][22][23][24] She is also ranked in lists of the best female characters and best characters from Resident Evil,[25][26] and among the greatest black video game characters of all time.[27] In 2008, GameDaily staff said that though they were yet to play Resident Evil 5, they were "already enamored with its glamorous starlet";[28] the following year, they cited Alomar as among the strongest female characters in gaming.[29] In 2010, Dave Meikleham of GamesRadar included her partnership with Chris among gaming's "most violent double acts",[30] and PlayStation: The Official Magazine opined she was intelligent and strong in addition to being beautiful, adding that her inclusion was "probably the highlight" of the game and awarding her "Tribal" costume 2009's Outfit of the Year award.[31] GamesRadar's Matt Cundy said that unlike other characters in the series such as Jill Valentine and Ada Wong, Sheva's primary uniform was both less sexualised and more practical for fighting, describing her as "the absolute antithesis of vulnerable ... a walking fortress that is equal parts kick-ass and intimidating feminine sexuality,"[32] and Lisa Foiles of The Escapist praised Sheva among other characters for having a hairstyle that is practical for fighting, unlike many video game heroines.[33] In 2021, Ian Walker from Kotaku opined her as the greatest character in the series, lauding the racial diversity she brought and how her "charm" contrasted well with Redfield's "overall gruff nature".[34]

Several reviewers criticized Sheva's AI. IGN's Jesse Schedeen called her a "walking bag of useless",[35] and "just dumb as a rock when it comes to fighting zombies",[36] while Portal Play Game considered her performance to be extremely annoying.[21] Dan Whitehead from Eurogamer described Sheva's abilities as a bit hit-or-miss, saying that in a game where ammunition is scarce it was often frustrating watching her miss her targets.[37] In 2012, PLAY included her among the most unintentionally annoying PlayStation characters, citing the AI issues.[38] Ryan Geddes from IGN was more mixed, describing her performance as fair and saying her limitations were on par with other AI characters at the time,[39] while IGN's Chris Reed included her among the most useful sidekicks in video games, saying that unlike many AI characters, she was quick to offer assistance and skilled at getting out of the way when the player was moving or shooting.[40]

Several sources have criticized Sheva's depiction for adhering to both gender and racial stereotypes. Andre Brock from Games and Culture opined that Sheva was a "videogame equivalent of Pocahontas: a woman of color coerced into 'guiding' White explorers across a foreign land", and also said that her alternate costumes "make it clear that she is window-dressing; a sexualized mule".[4] Anita Sarkeesian said the tribal outfit was particularly disconcerting, as it combined sexualizing a female character "with the racist tradition of exotifying women of color".[41] Writing for the Digital Games Research Association, Hanli Geyser and Pippa Tshabalala noted that the first shot of Sheva in the game is a close up of her buttocks, immediately objectifying and characterising her.[42] Eurogamer's Whitehead said that Sheva "neatly fits the approved Hollywood model of the light-skinned black heroine";[37] Geyser and Tshabalala similarly stated that her skin tone, outfit and job all conform to Western ideals.[42] Writing for The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference, Sabine Harrer and Martin Pichlmair said that Sheva was given the role of a "decorative side character", also stating that "gendered and racialized hierarchies" exist between Sheva and Chris; Chris's character is placed in charge of Sheva's resources, said to be reminiscent of "an abusive heteronormative relationship".[43]

References

  1. ^ a b c Price & Nicholson 2009, p. 195.
  2. ^ a b @KaylaDixon1 (February 9, 2015). "I am happy to announce that I've voiced the character of Sheva Alomar in chapter 25 of @DeadByBHVR by @Behaviour!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Capcom (2009-03-05). Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 3). Scene: Closing credits.
  4. ^ a b c Brock, André (September 2011). "When Keeping it Real Goes Wrong: Resident Evil 5, Racial Representation, and Gamers". Games and Culture. 6 (5): 429–452. doi:10.1177/1555412011402676. ISSN 1555-4120. S2CID 146539948.
  5. ^ M, Alexis (October 25, 2008). "Resident Evil 5 Interview - Karen Dyer, Voice and Motion Actress of Sheva Alomar". Gaming Bits. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009.
  6. ^ Price & Nicholson 2009, p. 209.
  7. ^ Drake, Audrey (June 2, 2011). "Alternate Costumes in Resident Evil: The Mercenaries". IGN. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2011.
  8. ^ Rad, Chloe (October 20, 2015). "11 Weirdest Alternative Costumes in Games". IGN. Archived from the original on 25 August 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  9. ^ a b Capcom (March 5, 2009). Resident Evil 5 (PlayStation 3). Capcom.
  10. ^ Ryan, Geddes (March 6, 2009). "Resident Evil 5 Review". IGN. p. 4. Archived from the original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  11. ^ Goldstein, Hilary (23 July 2009). "S DCC 09: Resident Evil's Wesker gone for good". IGN. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  12. ^ "Resident Evil 5 receives sand globe pre-order bonus". PSU.com. February 14, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  13. ^ "Biohazard 5 – Sheva Alomar – Resident Evil Series 1 (NECA)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  14. ^ "Biohazard 5 – Sheva Alomar – VideoGame Masterpiece – 1/6 – BSAA Ver. (Hot Toys)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved October 20, 2017.
  15. ^ "Resident Evil 5 Hits Hot Toys". IGN. April 24, 2009. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  16. ^ "Biohazard 5 – Sheva Alomar – Play Arts Kai – Play Arts 改 -Kai- (Square Enix)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  17. ^ "Biohazard 5 – Sheva Alomar (SomaliCraft)". MyFigureCollection.net. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  18. ^ "Download the Sheva Calendar". KarenDyer.net. Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  19. ^ Doke, Shunal (August 31, 2022). "Dead by Daylight Brings Albert Wesker as a New Killer as Part of Resident Evil Collaboration". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on May 15, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  20. ^ Luke Plunkett (April 24, 2009). "Hong Kong's Insanely-Detailed Resident Evil 5 Figures". Kotaku. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  21. ^ a b "TOP 100 – As Personagens mais gatas dos games". Portal Play Game (in Portuguese). Archived from the original on January 23, 2015.
  22. ^ Warn, Sarah (October 15, 2010). "25 Hottest Female Video Game Characters". After Ellen. Archived from the original on November 9, 2012. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  23. ^ Hester, Larry (June 27, 2012). "The 50 Hottest Video Game Characters". Complex. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  24. ^ "Top 50 Videogame Hotties". UGO Networks. November 25, 2008. Archived from the original on February 2, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2010.
  25. ^ Famularo, Jessica (January 11, 2017). "A Definitive Ranking of 'Resident Evil' Heroes". Inverse. Archived from the original on February 1, 2017.
  26. ^ Jurkovich, Tristan (23 October 2022). "Resident Evil: 8 Best Female Characters, Ranked". Game Rant. Archived from the original on 23 October 2022.
  27. ^ Hester, Larry (June 26, 2012). "The 10 Best Black Characters In Video Games". Complex. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  28. ^ "Babe of the Week: Babes We're Thankful For". GameDaily. August 12, 2008. p. 9. Archived from the original on December 8, 2008. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
  29. ^ "Girl Power: These Chicks Will Kick Your Ass". GameDaily. p. 6. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2013.
  30. ^ Meikleham, Dave (26 September 2017). "Gaming's most violent double acts". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  31. ^ "Outfit of the Year: Sheva Alomar's Tribal Outfit". PlayStation: The Official Magazine. Vol. 29. February 2010. p. 53.
  32. ^ Cundy, Matt (June 23, 2012). "Which Resident Evil hero is best dressed for a zombie apocalypse?". GamesRadar. p. 2. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  33. ^ Foiles, Lisa (December 22, 2010). "Top 5 Most Impractical Female Character Hairstyles". The Escapist. Archived from the original on December 27, 2019. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  34. ^ Segarra, Lisa Marie (May 18, 2021). "Who Are The Best And Worst Resident Evil Heroes?". Kotaku. Archived from the original on July 1, 2021.
  35. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (April 14, 2009). "Players Wanted: Resident Evil 6". IGN. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  36. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (March 23, 2009). "Characters Who Deserve Better". IGN. p. 6. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  37. ^ a b Whitehead, Dan (February 5, 2009). "Resident Evil 5". Eurogamer. p. 3. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014. Retrieved January 6, 2015.
  38. ^ "Top 5 Hated Characters (That You Weren't Supposed To Hate)". PLAY. 224: 24. October 25, 2012.
  39. ^ Geddes, Ryan (March 9, 2009). "Resident Evil 5 Collector's Edition Review". IGN. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  40. ^ Reed, Chris (April 15, 2014). "The Best Video Game Wingmen Ever". IGN. Archived from the original on October 29, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  41. ^ Sarkeesian, Anita (August 31, 2015). "Women as Reward". Feminist Frequency. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  42. ^ a b Geyser, Hanli; Tshabalala, Pippa (2011). "Return to Darkness: Representations of Africa in Resident Evil 5" (PDF). Digital Games Research Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 29, 2017.
  43. ^ Harrer, Sabine; Pichlmair, Martin (2015). "Black Skin White Guns – Becoming Colonizer in Resident Evil 5" (PDF). The Philosophy of Computer Games Conference. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 21, 2017. Retrieved October 21, 2017.

Bibliography

  • Price, James; Nicholson, Zy (2009). Resident Evil 5: The Complete Official Guide. London: Piggyback. ISBN 978-1906064419.
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