7 Reasons Why Lara Croft Is Our Video Game Heroine Of 2013

6. She's The Product Of A Brilliant Reinvention

As the second 'R' that often goes hand in hand with the reboot, reinvention is perhaps more subtext of the previous point but it really is important enough to move from subtext to text here and get a point of its own and, to be honest, there is a subtle distinction between rebooting a franchise and reinventing a character. The writers behind Tomb Raider have not just rebooted the franchise with an origin story. They have completely rewired the character of Lara Croft to such an impressive degree that she is simultaneously almost unrecognisable aside the original 1996 image whilst also honouring everything that she represented. Given that Lara Croft is one of the most recognisable icons in gaming, it automatically turned a lot of heads and triggered apprehension amongst fans when Crystal Dynamics announced they were reinventing the beloved explorer and departing from all the preconceived ideas of Lara Croft. Much of this was achieved by simply making her younger and therefore already embedding many different character traits than what we were used to. She wasn't immediately the gun-wielding, hardened adventurer we're familiar with but an innocent twenty-something who has a lot to learn. They also reworked her image by removing her short shorts and replacing them with full length cargo pants. She spends a lot of the time injured and covered in blood and dirt rather than being overly sexualised (more on this later). The result is a Lara Croft that provides a completely fresh gaming experience. We play as the inexperienced young woman, fighting just to survive rather than for some greater cause. We explore and overcome dilemmas in order to escape. It's satisfyingly simple and appeals to both newcomers to the franchise and loyal Tomb Raider fans as it is completely in line with how Lara could become the guarded and cynical character she is known as in later life. Crystal Dynamics really did an expert job when it came to walking that fine line between honouring and revitalizing a treasured icon.