I don't know what people are really making a fuss about; I think a female protagonist would be fine and could have been done without much problem.

I mean, as long as I'm still able to commit comical levels of high-speed vehicular manslaughter, assault and MDK, knifing old grannies and blasting cops with automatic weaponry, then the sex of the avatar I'm using to do so shouldn't matter - a female will do the job just as well as a male.

Oh and the story could be interesting I suppose, in between all of that.