Video Games: Lara Croft Go CSP

Language

1) When did Lara Croft first appear in a videogame?

Lara Croft first appeared in the game Tomb Raider in 1996, under Eidos.

2) What classic films influenced the creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider games?

The creation of Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise was inspired by Indiana Jones, alongside other adventure and action films.

3) How has Lara Croft and Tomb Raider moved beyond just being a videogame?

Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise as a whole has moved beyond vide games through the character being featured in films (played by Angelina Jolie, Alicia Vikander, Sophie Turner, Hayley Atwell, etc.), on magazine covers (more times than any supermodel), alongside comic books, merchandise and other spin-offs.

4) What devices can you play Lara Croft Go on?

Lara Croft Go can be played on any mobile device, such as a phone or tablet.

5) What type of game is Lara Croft Go?

Lara Croft Go is a turn-based puzzle game with Action Adventure elements, including bypassing enemies and progressively unlocking paths.

6) How does Lara Croft Go use narrative (storyline) to make the game enjoyable for the audience?

Lara Croft has a three-act narrative structure, from an orientation stage, through multiple issues and obstacles, to a simple resolution (applies to Todorov's narrative equilibrium theory: equilibrium -> disruption -> new equilibrium), making the game more enjoyable.

7) What iconography can be found in Lara Croft Go? How does this help communicate the genre of the game? Think about mise-en-scene and setting here.

Lara Croft Go includes multiple examples of iconography: Lara Croft's outfit of a blue tank top with light brown shorts and boots is emblematic of an adventurer and acts as an iconic symbol, with her outfit staying consistent in almost every medium she is placed in; accessories and props, such as gloves, backpacks, utility belts, dual pistols which are indicative of adventure and items needed for archaeology; use of adventure items in order to represent different options on the menu screen; use of a treasure map as the loading screen, making the game seem more action-adventure-like, etc. This is also done through the settings of dangerous areas that Lara Croft explores, such as jungles and caverns which are highly conventional in the action-adventure genre.

8) What other characters or enemies feature in the game?

Aside from Lara Croft herself, there are multiple enemies such as lizards, snakes and large spiders which the player has to fight or bypass in order to progress through the narrative.

9) What is the setting for Lara Croft Go? How does this compare to previous Lara Croft or Tomb Raider games?

Lara Croft Go is set in multiple different locations, centred around her exploration of the ruins of an ancient Amazonian civilisation. This parallels other Tomb Raider games, which have her explore areas such as old excavation sites and different ancient ruins.

10) Read this BBC article on the history of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider. How has the character of Lara Croft evolved over the last 25 years?

Lara Croft ultimately began as a sex symbol - although she was iconic, her proportions were much exaggerated and a lot of her clothing was incredibly revealing in order to market to the generally male audience. However, she was also considered inspirational and still subverted many stereotypes in being a powerful female protagonist, especially in a time where the video game scene was dominated by male characters. 25 years later, much of her sexualisation has disappeared, with her figure becoming substantially more realistic and her clothing much more practical for exploration and adventure.

Representations

1) How are women usually represented in videogames?

Generally, women are often represented as objects of sexual desire, with exaggerated body features and revealing clothing in order to appeal to the male gaze. More nuanced female characters have begun to be released in recent times (such as Ellie from 'The Last of Us'), however, the over-sexualised representation of women is still rampant.

2) How does the character of Lara Croft reinforce female stereotypes in the media?

Lara Croft reinforces female stereotypes through her (initial) representation as an object of sexual desire - her features were exaggerated and she was 'scantily-clad' (less-clothed) to appeal to a male audience, as most male characters would see practical designs suited to their narrative, whereas female characters were limited to expressing overt sexuality regardless of their in-game situations. She essentially has every feature deemed attractive by a heterosexual male audience.

3) How does the character of Lara Croft subvert female stereotypes in the media?

Despite her reinforcing of some stereotypes, Lara Croft does subvert stereotypes in that she is an action hero, which is typically a male-dominated character trope. She is an empowered female heroine, which was extremely rare in the gaming industry at the time.

4) Why do some people believe the videogames industry is sexist and needs to change?

Some people believe that the video games industry is sexist as much of it is centred around appealing to a male demographic. This means that male characters are often fleshed-out and have distinct personalities, with outfits and costumes that are practical for the narrative they are in (e.g. a male knight would wear heavy armour), whereas female characters are often forced into being there purely for sexual desire - the search for sexual appeal usually overrides a character's personality or narrative (e.g. a female knight would wear extremely non-practical revealing armour, perhaps with holes to 'show off' certain features despite the fact that it would make her easier to stab).

5) Do you think Lara Croft is an empowering feminist icon or just another objectified woman designed to appeal to male gamers?

I think that Lara Croft is ultimately an empowering feminist icon rather than an objectified women; although it is true that she was first designed to appeal to the male gaze through her sexualisation, she has now evolved into being more of a powerful character, with more focus being placed on her overcoming tough situations rather than her physical features (for example, she isn't used in print advertising as much due to her shift in representation).

Industries

1) What does PEGI stand for?

PEGI stands for Pan European Game Information.

2) What is PEGI's job?

PEGI's job is to regulate vide games, rating them with age ratings and content descriptors in order to help consumers make informed decisions. They are a self-regulating body, meaning that they were formed by video game developers rather than the government themselves.

3) Which company created Lara Croft Go?

Lara Croft Go was created by Square Enix, who own the Lara Croft franchise. It was formerly owned by Eidos Interactive, but was changed after Square Enix acquired Eidos in 2009.

4) What two popular videogame franchises were combined to create Lara Croft Go?

Lara Croft Go was the combination of Tomb Raider and the Hitman Go mobile game franchises.

5) What else is part of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise?

The Lara Croft / Tomb Raider franchise also includes multiple movies and video games.

Audience

1) Why might an audience enjoy playing Lara Croft Go?

2) Where and when might an audience play a game like Lara Croft Go? Think about the device it is played on and the times of the day someone might want to play the game.

3) How did Square Enix design Lara Croft to make it appealing to an audience?

4) Which of Blumler and Katz's Uses and Gratifications theory might apply to Lara Croft Go?

5) Who is the target audience for Lara Croft Go? How does brand loyalty contribute to this target audience?