Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider is a 2013 action-adventure video game published by Square Enix . Tomb Raider is the fourth title developed by Crystal Dynamics in the Tomb Raider franchise. As the first entry in a new Tomb Raider continuity, the game is a reboot that emphasises the reconstructed origins of the lead character Lara Croft. Tomb Raider was released on 5 March 2013 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and on 23 January 2014 for Mac OS X.

Crystal Dynamics began development of Tomb Raider soon after the release of Tomb Raider: Underworld in 2008. Rather than a sequel, the team decided to completely reboot the series, establishing the origins of Lara Croft for the second time, following Tomb Raider: Legend. Tomb Raider is set on Yamatai, an island from which Lara Croft must save her friends and escape while being hunted down by a malevolent cult. Gameplay elements focus more on survival, although exploration is used within the game when exploring the island and various optional tombs. It is also the first game in the series to have multiplayer and the first game to be published by Square Enix , after the latter's acquisition of Eidos Interactive in 2009. Camilla Luddington voiced and performed as Lara Croft.

After a delayed release from late 2012 to March 2013, Tomb Raider received much anticipation and hype. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim, with critics praising the graphics, the gameplay, Luddington's performance as Lara, and Lara's characterization and development, although the addition of the multiplayer mode was criticised. Tomb Raider sold one million copies within 48 hours of its release, and has sold more than 6.5 million copies as of 9 June 2014. An updated version, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, was released in North America on 28 January 2014 and in Europe on 31 January 2014 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One containing all features and DLC.

Official Game Synopsis
Tomb Raider explores the intense and gritty origin story of Lara Croft and her ascent from a frightened young woman to a hardened survivor. Armed only with raw instincts and the ability to push beyond the limits of human endurance, Lara must fight to unravel the dark history of a forgotten island to escape its relentless hold.

Critical response
Lara Croft has been discussed as being a positive female role model and criticised for simply embodying the desires of the teenage-boy audience. Games critic and feminist Annemarie Schleuner states of the Lara Croft of the previous games that she was the ‘monstrous offspring of teenage boy’s spending power…an idealised, eternally young, malleable techno-puppet created by and for the male gaze.’

In the 2013 re-launch of the brand, Lara Croft was a less sexualised and more vulnerable heroine, seen crying and riddled with self-doubt. This however was to humanise her, not to weaken her. According to the designer, Rhianna Pratchett, this was not an issue of gender:

You can’t have bravery without fear…we’re so used to characters who can do everything. Male characters are often undercooked. We probably suffer from the fact that we don’t think about them as being human – they’re heroic and there’s not much else to them. That is a problem we tried to address. [With Tomb Raider 2013.]


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  1. Who is being represented, and how? Describe the mise-en-scene, including colour scheme, body codes, costume, and facial expressions.
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  1. To what extent does the text challenge or support typical representations of gender? (HINT: Or…does it do both?)

Explain your answer by referring to at least one other video-game to support your ideas.
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Intertextuality