I was rooting around my big folder of game screenshots and extracted graphics files, and came across this pic from 1994 strategy classic, UFO: Enemy Unknown. It shows the “equipment screen” graphics for your soldiers in personal armour.

You know what I find quite interesting? This amour has a very stylised, comic-book look to it. Form-fitting, showing off their muscles and big shoulder pads. Yet it’s not gendered. We’ve gotten used to scifi or fantasy warrior women in gaming showing lots of cleavage, or having boob-shaped chest armour. But here guys and gals are dressed exactly the same.

Ok, everyone here also look really 90s. They’ve got hoods with a hole in the top to let hair through, which instantly makes me think of Gambit out of X-men. Wouldn’t a helmet be a good idea? And I think that’s Guile from Streetfighter 2 on the far left. But still, it’s good to know X-com is above objectifying women and treats all its troops equally.