I feel almost harsh saying that, but the sad truth of the matter is that Lara Croft, despite being, on paper, a strong headed, intelligent and educated woman who was unafraid to get what she wants (and kicked a lot of ass whilst she was doing it) is only really remembered for her impressive rack, and the fact that she likes short shorts. Once again, a fairly obvious example of game designers "appealing to their target demographic" which apparently makes it totally acceptable, as one gentleman has recently argued to me.
It is almost like the developers were worried that gamers just couldn't identify with a woman who was strong AND intelligent, so they kept them interested with BEWBS. I remember a rumour that did the rounds that this animation was only added to the game because there was a cheat that made her naked, and it was the only way you saw the front of her. This was in fact not true, as many frustrated 12 year old boys discovered to their chagrin. I mean, OBVIOUSLY, being a lady, Lara would use the time during her tomb-raiding escapades, being shot at by booby trap arrows to just casually test out her acrobatic skills. What woman doesn't?
However, all the jokes must stop now (one would assume), thanks to the Tomb Raider reboot that came out earlier this year. There was a lot of hoo-ha about many aspects of the game in the run up to its release - not least her design. Sit back folks, this is going to be a long one!
The reboot goes back in Lara's timeline to before she was an experienced adventurer/acrobat, to her first ever expedition. In this stage she is still young, inexperienced, and considering her ship has just been smashed to bits on a scary bandit/pirate-filled island in one mother of a storm and then she's captured and tied up with dead bodies in a weird shrine place, she's scared. It's got nothing to do with the fact that she's a woman - it's the fact that that is some scary shit going on right there.
On the one hand, you could argue that the game developers only chose to accentuate Lara's fear preciesly because she is a woman, and that if she were a man, that aspect would be downplayed. In fact, the game's executive producer Ron Rosenberg said that players would be more inclined to identify with a more realistic Lara: "They're more like 'I want to protect her.' There's this sort of dynamic of 'I'm going to this adventure with her and trying to protect her.'" So - hasn't he just created a more subtle version of a damsel in distress? I would argue no. I don't normally make cross comparisons with games, but I feel like I must at this juncture, between Tomb Raider and Far Cry 3. The latter is set in startlingly similar settings to Tomb Raider, and yet has a male protagonist, who, like Lara, is thrown into a hostile and incredibly terrifying environment (also kidnapped by pirates, come to think of it) out of the blue when he is least expecting it. He too, is terrified, but expected to overcome.
The important point here is that they are both human beings.
Also, whilst, it would have been so easy for Lara's developers to stick with the helpless woman routine and have her saved or at least cut down from her freaky bonds earlier in the game by some passing male, they opted for her to have to save herself, which she does. Another important aspect of the gameplay here is that there is no reprieve if you get it wrong. Press a button at the wrong moment, or in my case most of the time, not at all, and you get treated to a violent death scene. She is completely dependent on herself in this regard.
there was also a scene early in the game where Lara is bound (just after she thinks she's free), when a pirate definitely does some inappropriate, or "bad" touching. I'm not talking about "nice tits love" and a pat on the arse - this was definitely much more sinister. Of course, she overcomes and the intimated rape scene never happens (even if you don't press the button on time, he just ends up killing her, albeit violently). However - this divided so many people. Lara? Raped? What happened to our strong, independent Lara Croft!? HOW DARE YOU ROSENBERG!
At which point I'd like to step in and say that I'm on the other side of this argument. I think it was perfectly acceptable to have this scene in. Here's why:
- This is a young, inexperienced Lara - one we can assume has led a fairly sheltered life. She's in a situation completely alien to her. However, one can assume that this episode at least, even if it is the only one, will have shaped her into the strong Lara of yesteryear. Sometimes you need to overcome adversity in order to become strong...I'm sure that's some kind of proverb.
- Rape happens. Now, hear me out. I don't mean "rape happens, get over it". I mean "Rape happens, it shouldn't be swept under the rug". Moreso, it primarily happens to women. Although there will be men who unfortunately can relate to rape, by and large they would not. I think it's a good thing that this has been included in the game, even in such a small, indicative rather than literal way. By playing AS Lara in that situation, it puts male players in the frame of mind that this is wrong, rather than some of the other games out there that allow you, as a male protagonist, to use women sexually without a second thought.
- - This is the only instance of intimated rape in the entire game. Simply put, it is one of the many adversities Lara needs to overcome in order to survive. The fact that it is treated as such says to me that the developers were keen to move away from Lara as a sexual object to anyone other than the established bad guys, who you DON'T want to identify with.
- - She kicks his sorry ass anyway, WOO!
In fact, she puts the damsel in distress role firmly on its head by not only rescuing her female best friend, but also her male friend who also happens to have the biggest unrequited crush on her ever. He sits there and swoons at her about how she's smart and strong and brave and just dishy, and he is not. Her mentor, a man, is mortally wounded and she helps him. In fact she just about saves everybody whilst they sit there pretending to be useful, but really they're just waiting for her to bail them out.
Overall, Lara is portrayed as a human being, over and above being a woman - she trembles at her first kill (although admittedly gets over that pretty quickly)
She's resourceful
And she's strong
SHE'S JUST AWESOME, ALRIGHT!?
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