The change in Lara Croft is a disputable topic among fans of the Tomb Raider series. This is a series that grew to be one of the most iconic in the industry and yet with the upcoming Tomb Raider game in 2013, players have seen a dramatic change in protagonist, Lara Croft. For an already bound to be hit, the question of why Tomb Raider took such a noticeable change is still not completely clear past the point of realism. She has undergone a noticeable make-over as well as a complete attitude change; presumably to make the game seem as realistic as possible. When in previous games of the Tomb Raider series Lara had a flair about her that made her an idol to her fans, the new release has made an immense change in her character that fans fear she has lost that memorable attitude. This has gamers wondering if these large changes where actually what fans wanted from a new Tomb Raider game and will that personality change make Lara more likable or have her be perceived as somewhat ordinary?
When playing through one of the older Tomb Raider titles, there is one thing for certain; Lara Croft is as clever as she is daring. She was previously the type of girl to make remarks about being fearless while her friends and associates either trembled in fear or laugh at her courageous action. This brave beauty became who she was for being a dare devil, for diving headfirst into the most dangerous tombs and from embracing a thrilling adventure. Her outspoken personality and irresistible good looks made Lara… well Lara. She was up-to-date with her gadgets and one of the smartest female characters to have ever made an impact on the gaming industry. For her simple uniqueness, Lara Croft became a star; deity for gamers around the world. Apparently, her charm and ability to win over any gamer’s heart wasn’t enough and she was completely rebuilt basically from the ground up for the next Tomb Raider game.
The new Lara is of course younger, but to have so much of a change come with age is just maddening. In the new Tomb Raider game Lara is hardly even worth calling the same character, despite how fast-paced and interesting the actual game feels. The change in Lara’s looks was one thing, something that may have actually needed to be done, but the complete change in her personality is a slap in the face to all previous fans of the series. The new character isn’t ambitious but fearful, she’s not clever nor does she seem cunning. Lara Croft has transformed into the ‘every girl’ instead of holding on to her renowned ways. Any fan of Lara Croft would understand the differences in these two characters and see that this new character is likeable in her own ways but could never compete with what was made of Lara Croft.
It’s a sad sentence to hear but… The old Lara will most likely never be able to return. A perfectly good series was torn to make something new; yes, something that looks great, but something that encloses nothing of the brand Tomb Raider. The new game is doubtlessly going to be great and it’s something that looks completely original in its kind. The problem is held in having a character from a trend setting game abandon what made gamers love her. Lara was one of the few attractive, smart, witty and enjoyable female characters out there and now it feels like those emotions attached to her have faded. High hopes and expectations have been set for the upcoming Tomb Raider release but at the same time a ‘tomb’ stone has popped up for Lara Croft as the character she once was. Her clever attitude will be greatly missed. The only way players will get that experience with her again is on older title in the series. Supposedly all good things must come to an end, and in the gaming world her name is Lara Croft.
Hmm, I see that a lot of personal articles regarding the new Tomb Raider game to be judged and reviewed too quickly and shoddily. The “old” Lara, the fearless and cunning one is not gone. In the game, Lara is inexperienced at first. C’mon, its her very first adventure, being out stranded on a mysterious island. She has every right to feel scared. The more you progress through the game, it gives Lara a reason to be fearful. Developers don’t give her a gun and bow&arrow and say “Now you kill something”. Lara don’t just do this for sport, she has real, emotional feelings. She’s more human. The more you gain experience, the smarter and more resourceful you get. What CD has shown in E3 2011 and 2012 is only the beginning. There’s still a lot more to come. There will be exploration and bigger tombs later in the game which you have to discover for yourself.
Great, another typo sentence. Nevermind, read THIS one, not the previous one. The “old” Lara, the fearless and cunning one is not gone. In the game, Lara is inexperienced at first. C’mon, its her very first adventure, being out stranded on a mysterious island. She has every right to feel scared. The more you progress through the game, the more Lara begins to realize that she has to be tough to survive. This gives Lara a reason to be fearful. Developers don’t just simply give her a gun and bow&arrow and say “Now go kill something”. Developers give her a valid reason to use those weapons; to survive or least be killed. Lara don’t just do this for sport, she has real, emotional feelings. She’s more human. So of course she’s reluctant at first. She moans and cries a lot. But the more you gain experience, the smarter and more resourceful you get. What CD has shown in E3 2011 and 2012 is only the beginning. There’s still a lot more to come. There will be exploration and bigger tombs later in the game which you have to discover for yourself. There’s a lot of mystery so you’ll have to do research with your team from the Endurance. CD isn’t going to give out the good stuff just for the sake of us seeing it. That is revealing too much.