Alright I had to get this off my chest for a while now.
But WHY are people offended about the fact that she is threatened with rape in the game?
If you want to write an interesting story with a female as main character it's stupid to ignore issues that are more gender specific.
Getting raped can be a genuine threat to woman. So why not use that? If the main character is a strong likable character but a good looking woman, this threat can arise, especially when captured like she was. (considering the ones who caught her had little morale in this case)Of course I'm not saying she should get raped, but it's a frightening situation, and it will be satisfying to escape and then to break that bastard.
If we can't acknowledge problems that typically do exist specifically for gender, video game naratives won't ever be able to evolve into something bigger if you ask me.
We can't keep on acting like being a man and a woman is completely the same experience. I think the choice to throw in the threat of rape on a certain point in the game was a step in the right direction.
However then that whole thing about 'making the player feel like they have to protect her' arose and that was bullshit. He should have just admitted there is the threat of rape, and that you get the chance to fight back. Isn't the whole point of video games that you feel like the main character? What he did was distance the player from Lara and made it sound like you're the one having to protect her because she can't. (of course literally a video game character needs to get controlled... But you get my point!) So yeah that was a stupid way to protect his cause.. trying to take the middle road which only made it actually sound sexist... But aside from some bad press release I really hope they go through with it... Since it will be an important mile stone for writing but also for the charactersation of Lara.
(Disclaimer: I'm not saying it can't happen to men.. Rape that is. But you know it's less common... I would respect a game that would pull that card on us though. Again not actual rape, but the situation. I don't think most people are comfortable enough for that yet though)
But WHY are people offended about the fact that she is threatened with rape in the game?
If you want to write an interesting story with a female as main character it's stupid to ignore issues that are more gender specific.
Getting raped can be a genuine threat to woman. So why not use that? If the main character is a strong likable character but a good looking woman, this threat can arise, especially when captured like she was. (considering the ones who caught her had little morale in this case)Of course I'm not saying she should get raped, but it's a frightening situation, and it will be satisfying to escape and then to break that bastard.
If we can't acknowledge problems that typically do exist specifically for gender, video game naratives won't ever be able to evolve into something bigger if you ask me.
We can't keep on acting like being a man and a woman is completely the same experience. I think the choice to throw in the threat of rape on a certain point in the game was a step in the right direction.
However then that whole thing about 'making the player feel like they have to protect her' arose and that was bullshit. He should have just admitted there is the threat of rape, and that you get the chance to fight back. Isn't the whole point of video games that you feel like the main character? What he did was distance the player from Lara and made it sound like you're the one having to protect her because she can't. (of course literally a video game character needs to get controlled... But you get my point!) So yeah that was a stupid way to protect his cause.. trying to take the middle road which only made it actually sound sexist... But aside from some bad press release I really hope they go through with it... Since it will be an important mile stone for writing but also for the charactersation of Lara.
(Disclaimer: I'm not saying it can't happen to men.. Rape that is. But you know it's less common... I would respect a game that would pull that card on us though. Again not actual rape, but the situation. I don't think most people are comfortable enough for that yet though)
