[106][107][108], GameTap released Revisioned: Tomb Raider in 2007 via the GameTap TV section of its website. Her father later disappears in search of his wife. | All original content is copyright of Kelly McGuire unless stated otherwise.

[70], Lara Croft primarily appears in the Tomb Raider video game series published by Square Enix Europe (previously Eidos Interactive). [204] Amy Hennig of developer Naughty Dog and Griffiths echoed similar statements. [202] PlayStation Magazine staff commented that Croft could be seen as either a role model for young independent girls or the embodiment of a male adolescent fantasy,[203] though they later stated that the character does little to attract female demographics and was obviously designed with a male audience in mind. [9][19] By the time development for The Last Revelation began, Core Design had worked on the series constantly for four years and the staff felt they had exhausted their creativeness. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lara_Croft&oldid=1096028693, Fictional characters with post-traumatic stress disorder, Woman soldier and warrior characters in video games, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 1 July 2022, at 20:53. The DLC will also be free to Xbox One and PC season pass holders, while those without a season pass will have the option to purchase this DLC for around $10. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a small commission from any qualifying purchases you make via Amazon or Amazon UK at no extra cost to you. She enjoys its comforts, but has outfitted it with modern additions with some inconsistent care as to its asthetics, which she claims she'll do something about someday when there is time. [124][125] Near the end of 2006, Lara Croft became the spokesmodel for the Skin Cancer Awareness Foundation of Minden, Nevada as part of its Sun Smart Teen Program. In the recently released Croft Manor DLC, Blood Ties, Tomb Raider fansget the chance to take some time out from pillaging ancient sitesto delve deep into Croft family history and learn more about Lara Crofts enigmaticparents and childhood, one aging document at a time. ), I wasnt that keen on the 2013 reboot but Rise was an amazing game all round. She lives in a huge old mansion with an Alfred-style butler and a computer geek (Noah Taylor) who helps her with technology, except when she doesn't let him; as he meticulously documents each screw he removes from an antique clock she interrupts by smashing it apart. [90] Directed by Jan de Bont, the 2003 film focused more on the character's development. [54] In response to Underworld's lackluster sales figures, Eidos reportedly considered altering the character's appearance to appeal more to female fans. [121] Irish rock band U2 commissioned custom renders for video footage displayed on stage in its 1997 PopMart tour. Up until the release of Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, Amelia Croft felt little more than a plot device, a non-character who barely got a mention in the 2013 reboot and the comic series that followed it. [9][10][43] The voice actor for Lara Croft was initially rumoured to be Rachel Weisz, but the role was eventually given to Keeley Hawes. [152] Others, such as Schedeen and GamePro's Patrick Shaw, felt that the makeover did not improve the character. After experiencing the supernatural powers of the ancient world, she comes to realise her father was right about his theories and her hunger for adventure awakens. Though this was a much tougher choice, it helped her become more grounded and level-headed than she might otherwise have been. [19][52] The designers aimed to portray Croft with more emotional depth, and focused on the character's desire to achieve the end goal of the game, culminating in killing one of the antagonists. [10], Lara Croft holds a Guinness World Record as the "most recognized female video game character",[22][162] and received a star on the Walk of Game in San Francisco. Core Design handled the initial development of the character and the series. It was on one of these expeditions that her mother vanished and was presumed dead and when her father presumably took his own life a few years later, she was then left in the care of Conrad Roth. mode with Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn. Lara Croft was born in Surrey's Parkside hospital to Lady Amelia Croft and the notorious archeologist Lord Richard Croft, the late Earl of Abbingdon. Staff opted to first work on the character's biography rather than cosmetic aspects. [13] By 2000, search engine HotBot yielded around 4,700pages for a search of the character's name.

Karima Adebibe became the model from 2006 to 2008, and wore a costume based on the updated version of Croft in Legend. [137] Similar to Adebibe, Carroll received special trainingSpecial Air Service (SAS) survival, weapons, and archaeologyto fill the role. The third era, established in Tomb Raider (2013), deviates from the original plot considerably. ", Brian Horton, senior art director of Crystal Dynamics, on the second reboot[62], Japanese game company Square Enix acquired Eidos in April 2009, restructuring Eidos into Square Enix Europe. Common Sense Media. We won't share this comment without your permission. The Croft Estates are comprised of three separate manor houses, one of with is home to Lady Lara Croft, an 11th generation Countess. Tomb Raider: Anniversary (2007), a remake of the first game in the series, carried over design elements from Legend.

The game uses the same technology featured in the studio's past Tomb Raider games. [16][17] The plane crash was changed to when Lara was nine years old,[16] and with her mother, Amelia Croft. If you chose to provide an email address, it will only be used to contact you about your comment. [71] Lara searches for artefacts associated with the Egyptian god Horus, and later encounters Von Croy as an antagonist. [95] Development for a third film was announced in 2009, with Dan Lin as the producer. When Lara was fifteen, her father went missing in Cambodia. [49][57] Other additions include more melee attacks, as well as contextual offensive and climbing manoeuvres. Great to be back in Croft Manor! [152][158][195] PlayStation Magazine featured an April Fool's parody of Croft and the rumoured code referred to as "Nude Raider". In an effort to present realism and emotion in the character, Crystal Dynamics captured face and voice performances to accompany the body performances. [42][206][207] Kaiser Hwang of PlayStation Magazine commented that she "brought girl power" to video games. [113], Eidos's German branch and the KMF agency handled marketing for Lara Croft. Critics consider Lara Croft a significant game character in popular culture. Exploring the archaeology, myths, locations, cultures, and art of Tomb Raider. [22], Lara Croft's introduction was widely regarded as an innovation in the video game market,[10][143][144][145] with Rob Smith of PlayStation: The Official Magazine describing her as a video game icon of that generation of games. More attention was paid to the character's lip synching and facial expressions to allow for dynamic emotional responses to in-game events. No one can deny Lady Croft's incredible contribution to the field of archeology, however she is not without her detractors. [87][89] She felt that Croft's video game proportions were unrealistic, and wanted to avoid showing such proportions to young girls. Crystal Dynamics aims to make the "combat fresh to the franchise, competitive amongst [similar games], and relevant to the story." [80], Lara Croft also appears as a playable guest character in the fighting game Brawlhalla. [19] For Tomb Raider III, the developers increased the number of polygons in Croft's 3D model to about 300, and introduced more abilities to the gameplay. Did you get round to playing the Blood Ties DLC? It was because of Sam's free spirit and a wild streak that Lara was able to experience much more of London than just the universities and museums that she loved so much. [96][97] In 2011, Olivia Wilde denied rumours that she would play the role, but still expressed interest. [79] Its sequel Rise of the Tomb Raider was released in 2015, and the third game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, in 2018. [10] Animators adjusted and blended the recorded animation to create seamless transitions between the separate moves and their simultaneous combinations. The developers expanded the character's set of moves threefold to allow more interaction with the environment, like swinging on ropes and kicking open doors. [10], The developers tried to redefine Lara Croft's actions by questioning what they felt the character was capable of. Common Sense is a nonprofit organization.

[157] Enthusiasts collected merchandise and paraphernalia, submitted fan art to video game magazines, participated in Croft cosplay, and obtained tattoos depicting the character. Tomb Raider Horizons (2013-2022) is an independent, fan-run website. The lead in TOMB RAIDER is Lady Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie), who is something of a cross between Indiana Jones, Batman, and Barbie. [13][23] Lara's dual-wielding of pistols was inspired by the film Hard Boiled and an on Flux short.

Game Informer named Lara Croft the number six top video game hero of 2006, citing the character's successful reprise in popularity. [219] IGN's Jesse Schedeen described Croft as one of few characters to receive a decent videogame-to-movie adaptation. [71] A second Game Boy Color title, Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword (2001), sees Lara Croft facing off against a cult. [4] Lara Croft is also considered a sex symbol, one of the earliest in the industry to achieve widespread attention. Lady Lara Croft has already eclipsed her father's career; as of this writing she is credited with the discovery of some fifteen archeological sites of international significance.

The developers kept Croft's hair tied back because they felt a real person would not want it flying around while performing dangerous manoeuvres. American developer Crystal Dynamics took over the series after the 2003 sequel Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness was received poorly. [156] Jeremy Smith stated that the minimal personality allows players to form a relationship with the character, and that rather than taking on the role of the character they were sharing the game's experience with her. [19][43], The Angel of Darkness was received poorly, prompting Eidosfearing financial troubles[e] from another unsuccessful gameto give development duties for future titles to Crystal Dynamics, another Eidos subsidiary. She is presented as a highly intelligent and athletic British archaeologist who ventures into ancient tombs and hazardous ruins around the world. Lara Croft and Tomb Raider are trademarks or registered trademarks of Square Enix Limited. When Laras maternal uncle Atlas de Mornay contests the ownership of Croft Manor, shes left with no choice but to search the derelict manor for a copy of her fathers last will and testament to validate her claim to the Croft estate. [48] IGN argued that Croft helped redefine gender in video games by providing a different interpretation of what women could do. The company also changed the character's wardrobe, focusing on what it believed was more functional and practical. All articles on this site were written by Kelly McGuire unless stated otherwise. The Croft Family was granted the title and rights to Abbingdon, Surrey by King Edward VI. You can help us help kids by [147] PlayStation Magazine credits coverage in the Financial Times in 1997 as the starting point of the character's mainstream attention. [141] Gymnast Alison Carroll succeeded Adebibe in 2008 and featured apparel based on the character's appearance in Underworld. [41] After the original team finished Chronicles, it joined the development of The Angel of Darkness. Bands and artists including Depeche Mode, Moby, Faith No More, Jimi Tenor, and Apollo 440 donated their songs for the album. [25] Gard expressed a desire to counter stereotypical female characters, which he has characterised as "bimbos" or "dominatrix" types. [19][50][51] Crystal Dynamics retained the design changes for the next game, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, a remake of the first game. Feeling the series lacked innovation, Core Design decided to kill the character and depicted Croft trapped by a cave-in during the final scenes of the game. [23] He sacrificed quick animations in favour of more fluid movement, believing that players would empathise with the character more easily. Lady Croft herself has suffered several personal tragedies, including the deaths of both parents on separate occasions before she came of age. [146] Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine stated alternatively that Tomb Raider's PlayStation success propelled the character to prominence, making her a mascot for the system. [167][168] Time magazine writer Chris Taylor called her "the foundation of one of the most successful franchises in video-game history. [42] The developers introduced a feature that causes the character's skin and clothing to appear wet after swimming and dirty after rolling on the ground. The Croft family was granted the title and rights to Abbingdon, Surrey by King Edward VI in 1547. LesbianGamers.com's Tracy Whitelaw called the character a dichotomy, stating that though Croft is viewed as "idealized" with an "unattainable body", the character was a great stride for the propagation of female characters as video game protagonists. It is completely combat-free and, like the Croft Manors of old, it offers ample opportunity to explore the manors many rooms and uncover the secrets that lie within. The web series is a collection of ten short animated films that features re-imagined versions of Croft by well-known animators, comic book artists, and writers, including Jim Lee, Warren Ellis, and Peter Chung. Idealized and vilified in equal measure, she is perhaps one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures of our time. [19] Gard left Core Design after completing Tomb Raider, citing a lack of creative freedom and control over marketing decisions related to the ideas he developed (especially Lara Croft). My review for Blood Ties is now up. [43][45] The Legacy of Kain development team began work on a new title (Tomb Raider: Legend), and Toby Gard returned to work as a consultant. [71] Croft first appeared in the 1996 video game Tomb Raider, in which she competes against a rival archaeologist in search of an Atlantean artefact. [178] Schedeen stated that Croft is among the first video game icons to be accepted as a mainstream sex symbol.

Nice mix of exploration and light puzzle solving while delving into all that family history. [39] Core Design conducted market research, including fan polls, to aid in The Angel of Darkness' development. The character's influence in the industry has been a point of contention among critics; viewpoints range from a positive agent of change in video games to a negative role model for young girls. [57][59] The blends and additional animations give the character more flexible movement. She appears to be a hero to conspiracy theorists and alternate history aficionados alike. Her character wears tight, form-fitting outfits. [114] According to Eidos, no focus groups or scientific studies were consulted when devising the marketing strategy for the character. (When skipping the scene). [93][94], In 1999, Eidos Interactive senior executive John Davis stated Christmas Jones, played by the American actress Denise Richards in the James Bond series film The World Is Not Enough had been based on Lara Croft. However, Roby felt that though Lara Croft's proportions have become more realistic, the character's personality was diluted by the developer's actions to appeal to a male audience. [43] The developers also introduced close-quarter melee manoeuvres. Your privacy is important to us. Trade Paperback and Hardcover Collections, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness Gallery, Tomb Raider IV: The Last Revelation Gallery, Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft Gallery, Tomb Raider II, Starring Lara Croft Gallery, Tomb Raider I, Featuring Lara Croft Gallery, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris Gallery, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Gallery. [43], Crystal Dynamics focused on believability rather than realism to re-develop the character, posing decisions around the question, "What could Lara do? There have even been (unsubstantiated) allegations that Lara actually takes items from these sites before informing the international community of their locations, and that she is nothing more than a glorified treasure hunter. In designing the outfits, staff aimed to create a look that was "relevant" and "youthful", but not too "trendy" or "hip". He stated that though the character is a step in the right direction, too many women view her as a "crudely realised male fantasy figure". Eidos estimated by 2000, female consumers comprised 2025percent of Tomb Raider game purchases.

[27] Rumoured actresses included Pamela Anderson, Demi Moore and Jeri Ryan. [36] Core Design reportedly planned to implement crawling as a new gameplay option, but the option did not appear until Tomb Raider III. [102], Beginning in 1997, the character regularly appeared in comics by Top Cow Productions. [140], Lara Weller followed McAndrew from 1999 to 2000. The line included wallets, watches, bathrobes, and Zippo lighters. [67][62], In late 2010, Square Enix announced a franchise reboot titled Tomb Raider; the new Lara Croft would be a darker, grittier reimagining of the character. Predictably there have been a number of unofficial biographies printed about the young Countess, that attribute wild and fantastic feats to her exploits, ranging from the discovery of living dinosaurs in the Congo to infiltrating the infamous Area 51 in Nevada. [10], Dr. Mark Griffiths of Nottingham Trent University described Lara Croft as a psychological tabula rasa. [54] The character's body size was increased and breast size reduced to portray more realistic proportions. When Lara was young she travelled with her parents on many of their archaeological expeditions which helped to shape the woman she was becoming. [138] French model Vanessa Demouy succeeded Mitra for a brief time until fashion model Nell McAndrew took over the role at the 1998 Electronic Entertainment Expo. [22] Lead graphic artist Toby Gard went through about five designs before arriving at the character's final appearance. Maybe it's too much to expect the people behind this kind of movie to attempt to create a real character or know very much about women, but even by those standards, this movie gets it so wrong that it interferes with our connection to Lara. Otherwise as a parent of two, I think an 11 yr old can handle this.

In Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation (1999), the first depiction of a young Croft, she is accompanied by her mentor, Werner Von Croy. The quantity prompted Eidos to quickly produce autographed cards to meet demand. [19][24] An alternate explanation is a homage to an accountant named Laura Croft. [23] He also cited Virtua Fighter as an influence; Gard noticed that while watching people play the game, players selected one of the two available female characters in the game almost every match he saw.

In the process she learns of the existence of Thor's hammer, Mjlnir. . [22][121][123] German punk band Die rzte's 1998 music video for "Men are Pigs" (German: "Mnner sind Schweine") also features Croft. There is frequent action-movie violence: Characters do battle with machine guns and knives and fight with fists and kicks. [172] CNET's Joal Ryan named Lara Croft the best female video game character of all time, while Sam Loveridge of Digital Spy listed her as the most iconic female video game character of all time.

[131] Eidos released a brand of Lara Croft apparel and accessories, marketed under the label "LARA".

(swan dive and grappling hook, etc.

The planets are about to align for the first time in 5,000 years, which means that she has only days to collect the two pieces of a triangle that controls time from ruins on opposite sides of the globe. She holds six Guinness World Records, has a strong fan following, and is among the first video game characters to be successfully adapted to film. [43] With that in mind, the team retooled the franchise and character to emphasise aspects of the original game that made them unique. Accessories include fingerless gloves, a backpack, a utility belt with holsters on either side, and two pistols. DownloadsTomb Raider IV HDBehind the TombsThe Team / Contact us. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. [208] Several publications have used her as the standard to which later female video game characters have been compared. . [150], Crystal Dynamics' rendition of Croft in Legend garnered wide, though not universal, praise; many publications described the portrayal as a successful reboot. What's the appeal of these types of movies?

[9][10] Developers for Tomb Raider II increased the number of polygons in the character's model and added more realistic curves to its design. [139] Eidos later donated McAndrew's Tomb Raider costume to a UNICEF charity auction. Many models have portrayed Lara Croft for promotional appearances, earning the character a Guinness World Record for the "most official real-life stand-ins". [19][22], Gard was keen to animate the character realistically, an aspect he felt the industry at the time had disregarded. [100] Tomb Raider, directed by Roar Uthaug, was released in 2018 and takes inspiration mostly from the rebooted series that started in 2013. The development team felt it could not alter the character and instead opted to place her in a situation different from previous games. Inspired by strong female icons, Gard designed Lara Croft to counter stereotypical female characters. ", "The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters 5. Charlotte Sparey voiced a young Lara Croft in, Harriet Perring voiced a young Lara Croft in, Francesca Aston voiced a young Lara Croft in, Eidos sought another company to acquire it due to poor financial health in 2004, in a response to which it was acquired by, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider The Cradle of Life, List of female action heroes and villains, "Behind The Voice Actors Voice of Lara Croft", "Original Three Lara Croft Voices Join Tomb Raider Reloaded Mobile Game", "Lara Croft picks up six Guinness world records", "Video World Is Smitten by a Gun-Toting, Tomb-Raiding Sex Symbol New York Times", "The Many Looks of Lara Croft: Videogames", "IGN Presents: The History of Tomb Raider", Ten Years of Tomb Raider: A GameTap Retrospective, "Neneh Cherry Weird celebrity gaming facts", "Square Enix retires Eidos publishing label", "Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Preview", "Tomb Raider reboot brings new Lara Croft", "Interview with Lara Croft voice actress Camilla Luddington", "Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness Game Guide", "Rise of the Tomb Raider release date announced, gameplay footage shown", "Ubisoft/Tomb Raider crossovers continue with Lara Croft in Brawlhalla", "Tomb Raider's Lara Croft Is Joining Brawlhalla", "Every cameraman reference in Astro's Playroom", "Fortnite's New Battle Pass Includes Lara Croft", "ALOY FROM HORIZON ZERO DAWN ARRIVES IN FORTNITE THIS WEEK", "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life", "Third Tomb Raider Film Likely in the Works", "Lara Croft Lives on In 'Tomb Raider' Reboot", "Tomb Raider Film Reboot To Be An Origin Story", "New Tomb Raider movie gets Iron Man writers. [13][14] These provided her with a replacement source of income after her father disowned her over her change in lifestyle.[15].

Core Design, a subsidiary of Eidos,[d] created Lara Croft as the lead protagonist of its video game Tomb Raider, which began development in 1993. Producer Lloyd Levin stated that the film makers tried to capture the essence of the video game elements rather than duplicate them. [19] Gavin Rummery, programmer on the first two Tomb Raider games, explained, "It had been dropped from the original because it just didn't work properly with all the acrobatic movesit was more like she had an electric eel attached to her head that had a life of its own. ", 1UP.com's Zoe Flowers on Lara Croft's icon status in 2005[199], Reaction from groups have been mixed. [103][165] Hartas called Croft one of the most famous game women, praising her independence. How Technology Is Reshaping Democracy and Our Lives, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. [19] The game introduced stealth attacks, which would carry over to the next game, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness. She stated that the over-sexualized appearance was overlooked because the character was a "breath of fresh air". They may want to discuss some of the conflicts between people who see antiquities as art for universities and museums and those who consider them sacred items that should never be moved. ", and giving her action more freedom. [12] She was raised as an aristocrat and betrothed to the fictitious Earl of Faringdon. [42][48] The polygon count increased to over 9,800. [137] She was the first model Eidos allowed to portray Lara Croft outside posing for photography. [5][6][7], Lara Croft is depicted as an athletic woman with brown eyes and reddish-brown hair, frequently kept in a plait or ponytail. She has been described variously as anything from cavalier to downright irresponsible. [13], Author Mark Cohen attributed Lara Croft's eroticism among male fans to the character's appearance and a male protective instinct. [13][19][35], Core Design improved and modified the character with each instalment. [75] Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (2003) was released on home platforms, centring on the murder of Professor Von Croy. The promotion of the character includes a brand of apparel and accessories, action figures, and model portrayals. Only certain documents and items are required to push the story along but it was impossible to resist collecting every relic and reading every document I could lay my hands on. . Something about the way her eyes look and the expression on her face makes you want to care for her. I LOVED it . Reputably an accredited genius and Olympic-standard gymnast, Lady Croft is the focus of wild speculation and intense debate in both the scientific and political communities in addition to the popular press. Fast-forward eight years through the evolution of next-gen hardware, multimillion-dollar budgets, and massive acceptance of games in pop culture. [10][27] Core Design wanted to reintroduce the character to players in Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation and included a flashback scenario with a younger Lara. Gender and Gender-role Subversion in Computer Adventure Games", "Top 25 Game Archetypes: The smart and sexy heroine", "Lara Croft 'birthplace' gets blue plaque", "Derby inner ring road to be named Lara Croft Way", "Derby road named after Tomb Raider star Lara Croft", "Angelina Jolie: An Action Star Worth Her 'Salt', "Holy Jolie: Cambodian temple takes Angelina's name", "Prince of Persia Becomes Highest Grossing Game Movie", "Play Lara Play, Run Lola Run: Reflections on Postmodern Comic Book and Video Game Culture", "Racing Berlin - The Games of Run Lola Run", "Interviews, Reviews & Analysis: Run Lola Run", Girl Heroes: The New Force In Popular Culture, "Lara Croft: Feminist Icon or Cyberbimbo?