10 Video Game Origins You Never Knew
9. Tomb Raider Was Originally An Indiana Jones Knock-Off (With Lara As A Sidekick)
There's no denying that Tomb Raider owes a certain amount to the Indiana Jones movie franchise, given how obviously the Harrison Ford-starring series has influenced swashbuckling, globe-trotting action-adventure games ever since.
But this inspiration was originally far more obvious, as earlier iterations of Tomb Raider reportedly featured a male protagonist bearing a not-insignificant resemblance to Harrison Ford's iconic protagonist.
Despite publisher Eidos lobbying hard for a male protagonist, developers Core Design decided to ditch their original hero in favour of his South American female sidekick, originally named Laura Cruz.
However, it was Eidos who then allegedly insisted that the character be English, resulting in her backstory and name both being changed.
And so, had things gone slightly differently Tomb Raider would've been a very different beast indeed - that is, a me-too Indiana Jones knock-off and nothing more.