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

3. She's As Human As Virtual Characters Get

With an icon as strong as Lara Croft, it's sometimes easy to forget she's supposed to be a human character with human emotions and issues. But writers clearly took the time to create an intricate and emotive characterisation. The creators have been pretty vocal about how, as part of their reboot, they had set out to re-humanise her rather than churning out another game where she is an invincible hero that could successfully survive any situation. They wanted to create an environment where, even with her resourcefulness, it was a real possibility that she might not survive. This is evident as the plot develops. She starts out as a relatable recent graduate who thought she had everything sussed before she is plunged into the harshest form of the real world. In the most hostile environment, her first instinct is to always ask for help from other people. She feels fear, frustration, panic, confusion and sorrow as she is put through her paces and faced with very human motivation. Not just survival. But what portrays her humanity arguably more than anything is that she has a whole cast of companions who are depending on her to rescue them and whilst she demonstrates compassion to an agonizing extent, she doesn't always feel capable of helping them. Whilst the old Lara would groan with exertion, the young Lara groans with pain and fear. She is constantly vulnerable and under threat. But she still has the characteristic traits that make her Lara Croft. She is still brave, determined and resourceful and these qualities develop and strengthen as the story unfolds, cementing this game as a truly effective origin story. What results is a game that has been injected with such strong characterisation (helped by a stellar performance from Lara actress Camilla Luddington) that we can't help but feel engrossed and compelled by the gaming experience.