E3 2012: Tomb Raider Interview

Laoora Croft.

This man looks as if he has just stumbled out of a lock-in in some really smoky bar somewhere....

To the people who keep saying this game isn't sexist, view it like this...

Nathan Drake: Badass runaway kid who, through his own will and determination, turns into a badass treasure hunter.

Lara Croft: Scared little girl who is nearly raped into becoming a strong woman.

Why can't she just BE a strong woman like so many male heroes are strong men? Why does she have to overcome some creepy sexual assault scene? And before anyone ever says "well, male heroes have to overcome..." shut up. Male heroes have to overcome hardships. Women heroes apparently have to overcome being women.

I wish someone would call out this bullshit on the developers of this game.

@depecheload said:

To the people who keep saying this game isn't sexist, view it like this...

Nathan Drake: Badass runaway kid who, through his own will and determination, turns into a badass treasure hunter.

Lara Croft: Scared little girl who is nearly raped into becoming a strong woman.

So Tomb Raider is sexist because Uncharted has comic-book-level character motivations? Good to know.

@rebgav said:

@depecheload said:

To the people who keep saying this game isn't sexist, view it like this...

Nathan Drake: Badass runaway kid who, through his own will and determination, turns into a badass treasure hunter.

Lara Croft: Scared little girl who is nearly raped into becoming a strong woman.

So Tomb Raider is sexist because Uncharted has comic-book-level character motivations? Good to know.

No, Tomb Raider is sexist because Lara Croft isn't even given basic comic-book-level character motivations. She's a victim. Why is she a victim? Because she's a woman. How does she become a hero? By overcoming being a woman.

@depecheload said:

@rebgav said:

@depecheload said:

To the people who keep saying this game isn't sexist, view it like this...

Nathan Drake: Badass runaway kid who, through his own will and determination, turns into a badass treasure hunter.

Lara Croft: Scared little girl who is nearly raped into becoming a strong woman.

So Tomb Raider is sexist because Uncharted has comic-book-level character motivations? Good to know.

No, Tomb Raider is sexist because Lara Croft isn't even given basic comic-book-level character motivations. She's a victim. Why is she a victim? Because she's a woman. How does she become a hero? By overcoming being a woman.

Is she? Do you know that for a fact? Cause what I've heard from people who've actually played/seen much more of the game than the public: there's an ATTEMPTED assault that she manages to fight off. She's a survivor, not a victim from what I hear, again from people who have seen more than five minutes. And sacrifice is a big part of ANY hero's journey (or at least journey that's worth a damn).

And frankly to the person above the above: if you think "woman is raped, becomes hero" is deeper than comic book level motivations, well you sadly (or perhaps happily since that's a really, really dumb origin) haven't read too many comics. Though fortunately that cliche's been dormant for a little less than a decade.

@Undeadpool said:

@depecheload said:

@rebgav said:

@depecheload said:

To the people who keep saying this game isn't sexist, view it like this...

Nathan Drake: Badass runaway kid who, through his own will and determination, turns into a badass treasure hunter.

Lara Croft: Scared little girl who is nearly raped into becoming a strong woman.

So Tomb Raider is sexist because Uncharted has comic-book-level character motivations? Good to know.

No, Tomb Raider is sexist because Lara Croft isn't even given basic comic-book-level character motivations. She's a victim. Why is she a victim? Because she's a woman. How does she become a hero? By overcoming being a woman.

Is she? Do you know that for a fact? Cause what I've heard from people who've actually played/seen much more of the game than the public: there's an ATTEMPTED assault that she manages to fight off. She's a survivor, not a victim from what I hear, again from people who have seen more than five minutes. And sacrifice is a big part of ANY hero's journey (or at least journey that's worth a damn).

And frankly to the person above the above: if you think "woman is raped, becomes hero" is deeper than comic book level motivations, well you sadly (or perhaps happily since that's a really, really dumb origin) haven't read too many comics. Though fortunately that cliche's been dormant for a little less than a decade.

I don't know if you can "attempt" sexual assault without actually doing it? An attempted rape (which is what the scene reads like) would qualify as a sexual assault, even if nothing actively sexual took place. I don't have a legal handbook in front of me. I think we can all agree that she is assaulted, and there's the intent of rape.

And I agree, she's a survivor, and it's not all bad. I think the developers' hearts are in the right place, and they made a few good calls with the character, especially her design. And you're right about sacrifice/hero's journey stuff, but injecting sexual assault creepiness into her survival arc is just unneeded to me and I think it cheapens the character into a very very tired (and somewhat sexist) trope of survivor-turned-killer.

@depecheload: It sounds like you're bringing the sexism to the table. Lara is an upper-class girl fresh from university, she's never been in combat nor had to fend for herself in any meaningful way. Presumably, over the course of the game we play through a series of events which shape her character into something closer to the Lara Croft introduced in the original series of games. This is a character arc. You are arguing that, instead of that, Lara should be a preternatural "badass," as if we don't see enough of those in every other game.

@depecheload: I'm not a fan of the cliche myself (what if I were though? Wouldn't that be creepy...), but I think there's a difference in this case if not legally then certainly character-wise. Frankly, and this is more a testament to the kind of hideousness that exists in the world, I think it's not something a group of unstable sociopaths would exactly shy away from, especially if this whole "cult" angle is the direction they're going in. The whole point of a cult is to break someone down then build them back up in the leader's chosen image.

LARA and LAURA are 2 different names like PATRICK and PATRICE those can't be used intermittently either. So annoying when people do that, and its usually Americans.

@rebgav said:

@depecheload: It sounds like you're bringing the sexism to the table. Lara is an upper-class girl fresh from university, she's never been in combat nor had to fend for herself in any meaningful way. Presumably, over the course of the game we play through a series of events which shape her character into something closer to the Lara Croft introduced in the original series of games. This is a character arc. You are arguing that, instead of that, Lara should be a preternatural "badass," as if we don't see enough of those in every other game.

I just wish that a female character could be a badass without having to be nearly raped first. Happens far too often, even in the most feminist-friendly pop culture.

@ThePantheon said:

@katanalauncher: Those are 2 different names. Lara has always been Lara, I know Laras, and I know Lauras. Also, when in the 16 years has she ever been known as Laura? SORRY DUDE.

It's not as annoying as people who say "Mary-O" instead of Mario. Laura Croft does not annoy nearly as much as "Mary-O."

Unlimited arrows?

@Kill said:

After the third time Patrick caledl Lara "Laura Croft", even after the developer subtly corrected him, I had to stop watching. How sure of your own bullshit do you have to be to continue on with your own faux pas in front of someone who KNOWS this character, even after they correct you? I know it's probably an accent thing, but it's not hard to accept that you were wrong and correct your pronunciation.

Getting annoyed at it is one thing, not watching because how how he says her name is retarded.

Patrick, how the fuck can you not know the basics...

...ok interview regardless

Man, either Patrick is really short (never noticed it before I guess?) or that other guy is HUGE!

This guy is not a great interviewee :/

@depecheload said:

@rebgav said:

@depecheload: It sounds like you're bringing the sexism to the table. Lara is an upper-class girl fresh from university, she's never been in combat nor had to fend for herself in any meaningful way. Presumably, over the course of the game we play through a series of events which shape her character into something closer to the Lara Croft introduced in the original series of games. This is a character arc. You are arguing that, instead of that, Lara should be a preternatural "badass," as if we don't see enough of those in every other game.

I just wish that a female character could be a badass without having to be nearly raped first. Happens far too often, even in the most feminist-friendly pop culture.

I agree with you on that, although considering the scenario, an attempted sexual assault isn't exactly... unexpected. Based on what we've seen, though, this isn't anywhere near the reprehensible attitude about rape that we've seen in stuff like 300, for instance (because, dude, fuck Frank Miller). I'm not going to be an apologist for a game that's not even released yet, but while leaving it out would certainly make me more comfortable with the game, I also got the impression that it was a 5 second 'dude gets too close, she knees his balls then shoots him' thing, and that's the end of it. Traumatic, certainly, but there's no indication it plays a major role in her 'transformation', or is in any way a key plot point. If it happens repeatedly throughout the game, though, that's another thing entirely. And considering there seem to be lots of girls that Lara has to rescue now, that's entirely possible...

Yes it is a cheap way of showing who the bad guys are, and why it's ok to kill them. But the stated goal of the game is to show how she becomes Lara Croft, Adventurer Extraordinaire, not Lara Croft, Dehumanized Vengeance Machine. Until the game gets released, I don't feel justified in saying otherwise.

I've noticed it's an American thing, pronounce lara as laura :S. Oh well

On what level will the player cry? This is important.

LAHURAH

@ErEl: It really shouldn't be. I've always called her "Lara." As it looks, and as intended. Damn it, Patrick.

@rmanthorp said:

LAHURAH

LAUWRA.

I want someone to say "the guys at the top of the company told us to make the most mediocre game possible."

I've noticed it's an American thing, pronounce lara as laura :S. Oh well

No worries Patrick. This whole time I thought her name was Tara

The new Tomb Raider reboot looks great, and yes, it sure does look like Lara Croft gets the crap beaten out of her quite often.

Great interview, Patrick.

@Rebel_Scum: I came here just to post the 'baked' comment in reference to the dude being interviewed - seems like he just took a big bong rip right before the interview.

@BestUsernameEver: @BestUsernameEver said:

@rmanthorp said:

LAHURAH

LAUWRA.

Low-roah-ah

I nice interview, but I really didn't buy his answer when Patrick asked why she was getting beat up so much. What we see on the screen and his answer that it is 'emotional resonant' just doesn't ring true. I hope for Crystal D's sake he isn't blowing smoke. If they bloody her up and the emotional resonance is there, then they will have a lot of gamers questioning their design.

I'd love it if the video game community as a whole decided to never use the words "Bad" & "Ass" together in a sentence... ever AGAIN! Also chuck in "douche-bag" while you're at it.

Can't wait. This game is going to be great.

@RanmaRanma: Being a drunk man myself I can assure you he is blotto

man that dude looked hell of tired!!

@Dixavd: Wow that old game you were talking about sounds really scary!

@MarkWahlberg:

I read somewhere else that that particular scene is the first time she kills someone in the game, and if that's true, it's definitely pretty major.

Thinking about it, I realise how difficult it must be to make a "realistic" origin story for a video game hero. The scenario needed to make a normal person into someone who (video game-style) kills hundreds of people in a row is somewhat inconceivable, outside of a military situation and someone like Simo Häyhä. And I wouldn't like to imagine the psychiatric hospital stay after the game is over. Game makers are probably better off skipping that part and just establishing that that is what the character does, make it cartoony, or minimize the killing.

@Lifendz said:

@BestUsernameEver: @BestUsernameEver said:

@rmanthorp said:

LAHURAH

LAUWRA.

Low-roah-ah

FOR ROHAN!

She didn't always be a badass...

; )

Don't know about y'all but I always be a badass

@gaffyh said:

LARA and LAURA are 2 different names like PATRICK and PATRICE those can't be used intermittently either. So annoying when people do that, and its usually Americans.

That's because nobody is named Lara in America. I mean nobody.

@Kevin_Cogneto: I know 2 people, one of wich is my aunt. you fail lol.

This game should finally eclipse the stink that was Angel of Darkness.

LMAO @ talking about the emotional weight behind her "first kill" while the gameplay is showing her blasting away dudes with a shotgun like it's NBD.

Developer fluff if I've ever heard it.

Not sure who it was, I think it was David Jaffe, but I agreed with something I think he mentioned during the E3 podcasts/ After Hours show. Alot of people are being oversensitive to the tumbles Lara is taking in what they've shown. The clip they played in this video where she's falling and tumbling around literally looks like things I remember seeing with Nathan Drake. Yeah, in the more extended stuff she's certainly appeared more vulnerable than he has (like having her hands tied behind her back). But the yelling and taking falls part...doesn't seem like that controversial a thing to me.

I just don't think the game is looking quite as "wife beater" friendly as I think some seem to indicate. It kinda reminds, in some spots, of Gina Carano from Haywire. She takes her hits that film, but man does she hit back twice as hard just destroying dudes where they stand.

@Kevin_Cogneto said:

@gaffyh said:

LARA and LAURA are 2 different names like PATRICK and PATRICE those can't be used intermittently either. So annoying when people do that, and its usually Americans.

That's because nobody is named Lara in America. I mean nobody.

I've probably met one person in my life in Britain who's named Lara.

@Joey2683 said:

Why is Ron looking at Patrick like he is some kind of douche bag in the preview image?

Probably because Patrick keeps calling the main character LAURA

For the longest time, I always thought Lara was another way to spell Laura.

...Then I read these comments.

When i was coming out from the demo, there was something in my eye ok...it wasnt tears, honest

@steveb468: Maybe because that's not *gasp* her first kill?

@firecracker22 said:

Not sure who it was, I think it was David Jaffe, but I agreed with something I think he mentioned during the E3 podcasts/ After Hours show. Alot of people are being oversensitive to the tumbles Lara is taking in what they've shown. The clip they played in this video where she's falling and tumbling around literally looks like things I remember seeing with Nathan Drake. Yeah, in the more extended stuff she's certainly appeared more vulnerable than he has (like having her hands tied behind her back). But the yelling and taking falls part...doesn't seem like that controversial a thing to me.

I just don't think the game is looking quite as "wife beater" friendly as I think some seem to indicate. It kinda reminds, in some spots, of Gina Carano from Haywire. She takes her hits that film, but man does she hit back twice as hard just destroying dudes where they stand.

It's gotten better the more they've shown. Though the rebar THROUGH the gut/side that seems to occur pretty much at the beginning of this game (a lot of scenes they've shown have a bloody splotch on her stomach) stretches credibility for all the stuff she seems to gamely engage in later if you are going with a more "realistic" take on things by having her respond believably to injury. I'm willing to suspend disbelief with Drake cause he never exhibits an injury outside plot mandated stuff. Seems they're having their cake and eating it with Lara. She's too tough to die or be even a little hampered by the crushing number of injuries, but not too tough to bleed and cry out in pain.