“She’s human” is pretty much the unique selling point of Lara Croft in Crystal Dynamics’ reboot of Tomb Raider franchise (quoted issue 228 of EDGE magazine). This change of direction, from the hyper-sexulised “action-babe”of days past to the (very) slow realisation that the impossibly sexist curves couldn’t really be offset by any sense of “girl power”, lead to Lara as we know her being made more “real”.

Until now Lara was more about the gadgets, her mansion, acrobatics and adventuring than anything else. With this in mind, a little humanising clearly wouldn’t go amiss. The following remark made by global brand director at Crystal Dynamics, Karl Stewart is, for me the source of a new issue; “she’s not that Teflon character any more”. Whilst Crystal Dynamics appear to be making an effort to changes things, I’m not so sure it’s all for the better. continue reading