Rise of the Tomb Raider continues Lara Croft’s adventures from the previous game and moves the franchise into the future. As with Crystal Dynamics’ 2012 re-imaging of Lara Croft, this latest title follows the same formula of scripted action sequences interspersed with an open-world.
With Girl Power in Gaming, we’re exploring the role of females in our favorite hobby for the month of September. The series will attempt to explore gender dynamics, pre-assigned roles and both positive and negative examples of female characterization in the digital world. The history of Lara Croft as a character is something that has …
When I first saw the new Lara Croft way back in 2011, I could scarcely contain my excitement. As someone who had never really gotten into the series during it’s soaring PSX days, this reboot looked primed to be a key entry point. On top of that, the hyper-sexualized Lara Croft of the past had seemingly disappeared completely, replaced by a realistic depiction of a woman who, while undeniably athletic and symmetrically designed, did not represent an immature ideal of female body image. The latter specifically excited me as someone who had spent many years defending the validity of my hobby to naysayers; at last, the absurd examples of G-cup women with tiny waists showcased in Dead or Alive, Soul Calibur, Ninja Gaiden, and the like would fade away blissfully into the past where they belonged.
Tomb Raider (2013) (PC, PS3, Xbox 360) Crystal Dynamics Square Enix Warning: This article contains spoilers for the 2013 reboot of Tomb Raider. Before you read this article, forget everything you think you know about Lara Croft. Take all of your memories of her from previous games and throw them out the metaphorical window. …