I am so excited to kick off my Spotlight Saturday series! Each week I’ll pick one topic to dive into. Naturally, it will be topics that I am passionate about and absolutely adore. So, let’s jump in shall we?
When thinking about a good starting topic, I figured Lara Croft would be a great pick. I have always admired and appreciated strong female characters and she really is the embodiment of that category. To make this first choice even easier for me, Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise turn 25 this year! What better way to celebrate that anniversary then by writing about what I love about her.
The first Tomb Raider game came out in October of 1996. I was 4, so I obviously didn’t experience this title for a while but when I did it instantly became a favorite. It was praised by both critics and players a like and kicked off the franchise we know and love today.
Since that first title, we’ve seen Lara Croft in comic books, movies and will soon see her in her own animated TV show thanks to Netflix. She has easily become one of the most iconic video game characters to date, which has kept her success going all these years.
I have played every main game in the series and have enjoyed seeing the franchise grow and flourish. With most long standing franchises, it can be a bit staggering to go back that far and enjoy the first few games in the series, but for me that’s really the foundation of Tomb Raider. The franchise really defined the action/adventure genre and was an inspiration to many other games, like Naughty Dog’s Uncharted series. Lara Croft paved the way for all of the other adventurers.
The 90’s classic games puts in you the shoes of a seasoned explorer, ready for action and adventure. In these titles, Lara has been at her profession for a while now and already has some experience under her belt. With her trusty dual pistols on her hips, she takes to the tombs to uncover the secrets of the world.
Those classics inspired the 2001 movie with the same title, starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft. I remember when this movie came out, because it was actually what made me want to play the games. The movie, and certainly its sequel, have mixed reviews but I enjoy them for what they are. I will always think Angelina Jolie portrayed Lara Croft extremely well. Regardless of what you think about the movies, it did kick start Jolie’s career.
2003 marked Lara’s PlayStation 2 debut with Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness. I vividly remember this game because it was extremely difficult and unfortunately suffered from a lot of bugs and clunky controls. I’ll never forget playing this game with my sister though, because we were both so excited to see Lara with updated graphics. My sister and I read through the guide for this game in Walmart one day, before running and home and beating it. That last boss definitely gave us some headaches.
After of Angel of Darkness, Tomb Raider: Legend came out in 2006. This game revitalized the franchise and worked out all the kinks that were present in Angel of Darkness. Legend, Anniversary and Underworld are all solid titles that were later remastered and released in a collection for the PlayStation 3. This trilogy is the best way to experience these three titles. These games easily bounced the franchise back from the Angel of Darkness backlash and yet again gave players the opportunity to play as Lara in her prime.
The series took a pretty significant break after that, only releasing Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light in 2010. This game is an arcade-inspired title with a fixed isometric camera. It also featured co-op play. It did very well for itself, despite veering away from the original gameplay of the main series. The sequel to this title, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris, came out in 2014 and offered the same experience as its predecessor.
That brings us to the 2013 reboot trilogy. These titles take you back to when Lara Croft began her adventuring career, allowing us to finally live through her first moments. The 2013 game, Tomb Raider, was a huge success and we got to watch Lara go through some of the hardest moments in her life, like her first kill. In my opinion, these titles finally humanized Lara, not just portraying her as the successful badass that she is in the previous titles, but showing what hardened her so much.
These newest additions changed a lot within the franchise. Finally, Lara Croft was not put in short shorts and a tank top. She was portrayed in a way that better allowed her to be the role model that she could be. Square-Enix and Crystal Dynamics did the franchise a huge favor by finally dropping that sex symbol persona.
These games opened the door to deeper story-telling, more engaging combat and exploration worthy of the Tomb Raider name. I have to say, I get so excited thinking about where this franchise is headed. Especially hearing that Crystal Dynamics plans to tie the storyline from the reboot trilogy, to the classic 90s games. I am eager to see a more confident and seasoned Lara Croft in future titles.
These games inspired the newest Tomb Raider movie, in 2018. This time, Alicia Vikander took the role of Lara Croft and portrayed her quite well. They are currently working on a sequel to this movie, which I am looking forward to seeing. The movie is loosely based off of the first game in the reboot trilogy, providing an origin story for Lara Croft on the silver screen.
Lara Croft is just one of those icons that everyone knows about. Even if you aren’t a gamer, it’s extremely likely that you’ve heard of her and the Tomb Raider franchise. I am eager to see her legacy continue and grow even more. Regardless of your what your thoughts may be about her, you can’t deny that she has forever shaped and changed the video game medium.
