Archer is the only playable character in the series' main games, ' and '. In the latter, there is a cooperative multiplayer level in which one needs to rescue Archer while she is unconscious, playing as a UNITY agent. She also makes a short appearance and is a playable multiplayer character in Contract J.A.C.K. Cate Archer was born in Scotland in late March 1942 to a privileged family. Her mother died soon after she was born and her father committed suicide in 1956. Prior to joining UNITY, Archer pursued a career as a professional thief, on the one hand to provide for herself and on the other because she found it gratifying. She was discovered by agent Bruno Lawrie when Archer stole his watch that had an in-built tracking device. By the time she arrived at her flat, Lawrie was waiting there. Admiring her talent and bravery, he decided to give her a future as an operative for UNITY - an international agency charged with combating terrorism around the globe. Before the, Archer mainly dealt with minor ignorable assignments. She was not completely satisfied with her career at UNITY, since she thought that there was no real value in her daily work. In September 1967, seven active UNITY field operatives were killed by a mysterious assassin, who always left a red lily upon his victim. This emergency situation forced the organization to call upon Archer to undertake her first major assignment. She and Bruno Lawrie went to Morocco, thereby beginning the chain of events which unfold in the first game. By the time the incident was resolved, she had gained the respect of her superiors, and came to be regarded as one of UNITY's top field agents.
Character design
The in-game model of Cate Archer was styled after model and actress Mitzi Martin. This was a marketing decision made by the publisher, Fox Interactive, which used its feature filmcasting department to look for an appropriate model internationally. Archer's voice was provided by American voice actress Kit Harris, who also did the voice of the Inge Wagner character. Originally, Harris recorded the Scottish protagonist's voice in a stronger Scottish accent. This was changed after a Scottish producer of the game felt that the particular accent used was too lower class, and an inappropriate choice; Harris re-recorded her lines with a "British bent" instead. In the game's sequel, the face was changed to more closely resemble English model and actress Jean Shrimpton. Voice acting was done by American actressJen Taylor. Aspects of Archer's character and look bear similarity to that of 1960s-era comic strip character Modesty Blaise and of Monica Vitti's portrayal of Blaise in the 1966 film adaptation.
Reception
In 2007, Cate was included by Tom's Games on the list of the 50 greatest female characters in video game history, and was ranked ninth in the GamePro's list of the "top asses in gaming". That same year, Cate was ranked sixth in ActionTrip's list of top "video game chicks", and the site's writer stated: "Apart from being one of most attractive game heroines out there, she's the female equivalent of James Bond and not many chicks can stand up to that. She's sexy and there's simply nothing she can't handle." In 2008, Play listed her as one of their favorite female characters in their sixth "Girls of Gaming" issue, stating she's "as badass as Bourne and as suave as Bond," while noting their desire to see her return in another title. That same year, she was ranked as 25th on GameDaily's list of "hottest game babes" list, cited as attractive despite her conservative attire compared to other female characters, and third in UGO.com's list of "girls of gaming", compared to Emma Peel and called a female counterpart to Bond in terms of appeal. She was one of the characters featured in UGO's 2008 list of top 11 spies in all media, stating she "perfectly captures the swinging spy style". In 2009, this "smart, tough heroine" was one of the 64 characters chosen for the GameSpot's poll All Time Greatest Game Hero, but lost in the first round against Strider Hiryu. In 2011, GamesRadar named her "Miss 2000" in their article on the sexiest new characters of the decade. Tom's Guide included this "smooth operator" on their 2013 list of the 20 "hottest video game babes" for making "international espionage classy and sexy all at once."
