How big are those pockets, Lara? I doubt they're deep enough to hold the ridiculous amount of accolades, awards and critic's choice awards that have had your name inscribed on them over the last twenty years. Ms. Croft is one of the industry's most decorated characters, but she's also - by far and away - the most divisive to have ever been created. To some, she's a strong female role model - to others, an unrealistic depiction of women that only serves to perpetuate an unobtainable male fantasy. From sex symbol to feminist champion; there's really no end to what her image means for different people. The to and fro diatribe surrounding the perceived positive and negative aspects of Lara's character will doubtlessly continue as long as her popularity does, but ultimately that doesn't matter. What does, is her legacy and the terrific video games in which she features. The days of Angel Of Darkness are - thankfully - far behind us, and with Rise Of The Tomb Raider almost upon us, there's never been a better time to count spelunking among your hobbies.
Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.
