In a 2000 interview for the book
From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games, the then-corporate spokesman for Sega in North America, Lee Caraher, stated that of their fighting game characters, Sarah was picked the most often in her observation, regardless of the player's gender. A variety of merchandise was released to promote the character and series, including a set of playing cards featuring images of moves from the game,
pinups, and a CD of 3D rendered images released after
Virtua Fighter 2, showcasing her in a bikini by a pool. Sarah was well received since her debut. In an interview with
Famitsu, Yosuke Hayashi of game development team
Team Ninja called Sarah one of two characters that "carry with them the history of the [
Virtua Fighter] series".
Sega Saturn Magazine described her as "one of the most brilliant creations in the world of video games", praising her brainwashing plot and, more heavily, her breast size.
Arcade featured her on a two-page spread, praising her appearance but lamenting that they knew little about the character's personality from her in-game appearances or Suzuki's statements about her. Meanwhile, the staff of the German website
M! Games stated that while the
Virtua Fighter games put emphasis on fighting performance over the "charms" of their female cast, they considered her "the best example that even fighting ladies without exaggerated curves can be successful" in such titles. Oshino Izumi in
Gamest magazine's ''Gal's Island'' series of issues stated that everyone was "captivated by the dazzling precision" of her fighting style, and helped make her character appear to have a natural talent for Jeet Kun Do. Comparing her to Jackie who used a similar fighting style, Izumi observed that while his attacks focused on power, hers focused on speed giving them a more elegant appearance. He felt this coupled with her variety of kicks and an emphasis on "sharp and graceful" animations in the game made her technique feel more "showy" than Jackie's approach and complimented her attractive appearance. In the same issue, the staff described her as "a beautiful killing machine", citing her proportions, well-defined features, and blonde hair as further reasons for her popularity. Sarah has also been the subject of academic study regarding sexualization and video games since her introduction. The 2015 German book
Sheroes: Genderspiele im virtuellen Raum cited her multiple times in an examination of the image of feminine power versus conventional women, and argued that the use of martial arts enhanced her sexualization and emphasized the idea that a woman's most powerful weapon is her body. In a discussion with Takashi Kurokochi,
orthopedic surgeon and director of the Yurakucho Cosmetic Surgery Clinic, Japanese magazine
Game Hihyou asked him to comment on female characters in fighting games and what made their designs particularly beautiful in the eyes of Japanese audiences, among them Sarah. Kurokochi examined that her nose was particularly unusual in how it emphasized the cartilage due to its thin tip. Meanwhile, her eyes and eyebrows were shown farther apart from other characters he examined, giving her a more chiseled look in his view. Lastly, he pointed out how her jawline was clearly defined and that the emphasis on this, alongside her neck and cheekbones, in her
Virtua Fighter 4 appearance helped set her apart from the Japanese characters. The staff of Chinese magazine
Diànzǐ Yóuxì Ruǎnjiàn, in their supplemental 1997 issue, stated that while she could be seen as a "typical American" due to her height, blonde hair with blue eyes, and muscular build, they felt she was exceptionally beautiful. They expressed that this aspect could be seen more clearly in promotional art for the game, comparing her appearance to American actress
Sharon Stone. Further praise was given to her personality as the series progressed, seeing her as considerate and stating that while she was often a gentle person, her main character flaw was that she could be willful and domineering.
Comparisons and legacy Sarah has also been compared to similar characters introduced in later fighting games. Roger Miller of
Game On! USA called her a "true original", praising her as one of the first female characters in 3D fighting games and preferring her over later similar characters such as
Battle Arena Toshindens
Sofia and
Tekkens Nina Williams, the latter of which he called a "clone, right down to the purple clothes". He further noted of the three, "for sheer volume of fan material published, Sarah Bryant is #1". The magazine
Total Control was far more critical of the character in its own comparison, citing
Virtua Fighter as an example of sexism in video games due to her presence and portrayal in the title. They felt that
Tekken as a franchise was more respectful to its female characters, and added that "Sega would be exploiting Sarah Bryant for all she was worth if they could convince anyone she was sexy." Russian magazine Страна игр also compared Nina and Sarah, stating that both characters had not only similar designs but also a very
soap opera feel to their respective storylines, particularly in their roles as assassins dealing with memory loss. They suggested it was possible that Nina was a form of plagiarism on the part of
Bandai Namco, but as neither company showed any hostility towards one another, it had become a bit of an inside joke between them. On Sarah's own merits, they commented that she was often known for her powerful legs, stating it was a "shame to use such beauty for such an unladylike purpose", and felt that for a long time she was the one "truly pleasing heroine" in
Virtua Fighter until the introduction of characters such as
Vanessa and
Aoi.
Toby Gard, creator of
Lara Croft, cited Sarah and Pai Chan as influences on why he chose a female protagonist for the
Tomb Raider series, stating that when he saw people play
Virtua Fighter, he noticed they often used the pair over other characters in the game, and felt this use of female characters in gaming was something the market "hadn't really caught on to yet". Meanwhile, University of Delaware professor Rachael Hutchinson noted the positive influence of the characters' sexuality, citing her as significant due to being "the first Western woman in a Japanese fighting game" and that her "tall frame, blond hair and jutting breasts formed the template for later, more sexualized figures" such as
Ivy Valentine in
Soulcalibur and Nina Williams. She further stated her belief that the increased sexualization in Sarah's own design as the
Virtua Fighter series progressed was in part response to the aforementioned Ivy, causing "a ‘sexualization race’ among companies who could produce (and get away with) the most outrageous skin exposure and physical forms", eventually leading to the creation of titles such as
Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball. ==References==