The Lara Croft Redesign

[Tarkand]

What really surprises me is how many people are saying that she has no feminine features or that she looks like a guy. The no breasts thing really throws me for a loop too... those are like c-cups [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6751443.stm], and there's really nothing wrong with that breast size.

I always though the stereotype that gamers were socially inept and were, for a lack of a better term, afraid of woman was wrong... but I guess it has some basis in the truth, because anybody who can't tell this drawing is of a woman (And an attractive, if dirty and rugged up, one too boot) obviously doesn't hang out with many real women.

Really surprising, dare I say shocking even. One can only hope they are using sarcasm to emphasis their point because they lack any real argument and that this isn't what they really think.

 

[SteewpidZombie]

Doing a quick examination, I give it my stamp of approval.

Body size: Realistic and not having tits that take up the entire screen (Check)
Appearance: Doesn't look perfectly clean and spotless after crawling through caves all day (Check)
Badass Trait: 10 out of 10, I can finally take her seriously instead of laughing at her (Check)
Personality and Story: Gonna have to find out (CHECK!)

 

[Del-Toro]

I'm just happy she isn't going to be one of those generic videogame action girls anymore. You know who I mean, the ones that utterly hostile to all the men around them and respond to any danger with contempt. Because apparently courage isn't the ability to carry on despite fear, no, a courageous woman has had the fear centre of the brain surgically removed, because no woman is a strong role model who finds an army of ruthless mercenaries out to kill her at all intimidating.

Ugh, Bayonetta makes me want to vomit.

Yes, I too find her grotesque. She's like a Barbie doll made real. You can tell she's supposed to be human (well, human-ish) but there's just something utterly wrong with her from a physical standpoint, like she has some kind bone disorder or like the lonely robotics expert who built her also draws anime girls (what I'm trying to say is that some them have legs that look disproportionately long, but it works sort of in 2D, wheras the transition to 3D is disasterous in this case) and his representation of the human form is distorted.

 

[TheDooD]

Okay to all those who are stupid. Women having over-sized breasts and emanating sexuality are not what we call empowered women, they are what we call hookers.

This Lara is a normal proportionate human. Female empowerment does not mean we should make all video game women have a pair of giant breast and a huge buttox on a stick body and then flaunt sexuality. That is why we have so many overly sexual teenage girls who are anorexic.

This is a SMART, ATHLETIC, NORMAL SIZED, (And fairly attractive, probably because of the last three things) woman in extroidenary circumstances being awesome.

Thing is, Bayonetta is right up with with (pre Other M) Samus, Zelda, etc.

She has almost all traits people ascribe to "good" characters, and even more, unlike the "famed" Alyx Vance, her personality and purpose do not completely collapse into a black hole of suck if you take away her support cast.

You want to know why that Is that those female characters are all like that? Because they are from the 80s/90s! It was the days of Duke Nukem and ridiculous characters that were just way too fictionalized.

I mean I know a bunch of women who are just appalled by how most games make women sticks with giant boobs and then put them in tiny clothes and put them in games. (My favorite quote personally is "They don't give all the men in the game giant penises.")

We are moving into an age where media character heroes are not all "Master Cheifs" or "John McClains", and this goes with "Lara Crofts" too. People are not interested in playing characters who aren't human, they smart, strong, invincible, emotionless, and really... boring. It's a time of "Nathan Drake's", "Nathan Hales", "Commander Shephards" and so on, and now too must female characters begin to turn into normal human characters, with human weaknesses and emotions, who still save the day. And you know what normal women don't have? GIANT BREASTS.

here's thing I overall don't care about a overly NORMAL, realistic, emotional character when there's aliens, monsters, and or zombies killing shit all over. Every game that has a human in it seriously don't need it because guess what all the need to be overly real is gonna get boring. You gotta achieve balance have the character have the "batman" mold. A normal human that's able to do insane, outlandish shit with some to no effort and or help. Yet at the same have the ability to show emotions when needed without boring people with whining. Or tack on a backstory that's never gonna get touched on again and or never progresses in a proper way that you feel the character has grown. The character also has serious confidence in oneself, yet at the same time knows and pushes his or her limits. In short like Batman.

 

[Woodsey]

Other than the slightly gender-less face, the redesign looks fine.

If you didn't say that was her I would still guess that it was.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Ah whatever, for me the franchise was dead for a long long time, the only recent good game is Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, and they did it by simply by not making a Tomb Raider game.

It may get a comeback with good games, but I highly doubt it.

 

[icame]

I think the redesign is fantastic.

 

[Gahars]

I agree with many other people here that I think this new design is great.

It's much more attractive, bypassing the weird uncanny valley effect that the old designs had, and suggests a lot more inner strength, courage, etc. than the old design ever really could.

 

[Popido]

Needs more brown, less make up and field equipment or atleast backpack. She looks like shes ready to kill some zombies.

 

[NLS]

I like the new one better, doesn't make me as much "ashamed" to play the game as the previous games where she had tits and ass the size of the moon.
Yeah I must admit I liked the old Lara back in the days when I was a young boy who hadn't seen or experienced much of women, but now it's a whole different thing.

 

[Ashcrexl]

at least she isnt hideously hideous like her old tomb raider legend/anniversary/underworld design. she actually looks pretty good now.

 

[AngloDoom]

Love it. She looks human.

She got more of a muscular frame on her. Personally, that makes sense to me and actually makes her look like she's not a Hollywood hero who's good-looks fuel her fighting prowess.

Actually, that said, I don't like her hair. Lara's old hair was almost trademark and it was practical in that it's tied back. The hair of Lara MKII looks a little too much like she gives a shit about it.

Still, I'm not one who wants 'super-realism', I just like the fact that we've gone past the point where her breasts become a character.

 

[redisforever]

I think she's hot.
I quite like her, apart from all the blood and dirt.

Actually, looking at her face for a while, she looks a bit unreal. Still, better than the old ones.

 

[Electro-coma]

Well, I'm on the same bandwagon as everyone who's for the new design here.

Must I say that the new sex symbol of not so long ago named Faith, from gorgeous game called Mirror's Edge, is freakin hot and appealing to many if not all one's that played it. And you know what's the most surprising thing - she is normally proportioned, has normal cleavage, great face and some frekin' personality.

So my point is - this is the best way for our belove industry to go, If we want it to move forward. It's beyond me how someone thinks that she's not feminine, I mean just look at her - I hate to break it to ya, but this is how woman actually look like in real life.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

I'm 50/50 on the whole thing. She looks younger, but as this is a prequel set in her teenage/young adult years its totally acceptable.

I might have made the breasts a little bit bigger, if only so that her hips and waist would increase in size also (can't have one without those growing).

Still, as its a game, I'll play it to see if you stands up on gameplay.


My favourite Lara Croft design is still the one from Legend

 

[TheDooD]

I'm 50/50 on the whole thing. She looks younger, but as this is a prequel set in her teenage/young adult years its totally acceptable.

I might have made the breasts a little bit bigger, if only so that her hips and waist would increase in size also (can't have one without those growing).

Still, as its a game, I'll play it to see if you stands up on gameplay.


My favourite Lara Croft design is still the one from Legend

the legend design if she was standing straight she'll look just like the redesign just with a change of clothes and a some what cleaner. I don't know why people doesn't like this design. The legend design is more or less the Lara we know and love. Yet her body is more or less like "normal" women. I think the uncharted series spoiled the minds of some gamers on terms of "realism" and video games.

 

[imPacT31]

Personally I have no issues with this character at all, it's just a little difficult to reconcile it with previous depictions of Lara Croft - on a physical level at least. I'm not saying they should alter this design to more closely resemble classic Lara, as I think it stands very well on its own merits, just that it seems rather radical for a character redesign like this to have so little similarity to her previous appearance.

The only real issue I have with this design is that it, ironically, looks like what I'd expect from a female Nathan Drake. While that only makes sense, given the change of direction for the series, it does make the new Lara feel far less her own person.

 

[superbleeder12]

I could care less if they did the redesign and started calling her leon croft. I want an engaging story and tight gameplay.

 

[A Pious Cultist]

I like this, now if only brand recognition would allow us a new character instead of having to change the existing lara croft.

Seems more sensible and mature, not necessarily gritty though. Just less like a horny 13 year old boy.

Her body is now more in line with say Alyx Vance although thankfully she lacks the not-very-attractive 40 year old face.

 

[Netrigan]

I think it looks good, she looks more like a proportioned human being now but
ATTENTION DEVELOPERS!
you do NOT make a strong female character by making her manly, the original Laura Croft was fairly feminine and flirtatious then she turned into the emotionless tough girl that everyone expects from games and abandoned every personality aspect that made her female. so far the best representation of a strong female character is Bayonetta.
http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/20608/1238292-bayo_bayonetta_super.jpg
so quick checklist
strong willed and doesn't need a man but is still attracted to them and shows it: check
still maintains a love for stereotypically "Girly" things because she personally enjoys them and knows it doesn't make her "weak": check
in touch with and in complete acceptance of her sexuality: check
maternal instinct without being "Baby crazy" or wanting children: check
one statement in Bayonetta summed up the whole character
"Do I look like I enjoy children? well making them, that's another story"
wow that was quite a rant.

I would point out that there's nothing manly about the new Lara Croft. She's wearing a form fitting top, has a realistically large chest, even her cargo pants are on the tight side so you can see her hips. But she's wearing a fairly practical outfit for her line of work.

The big problem I see with that image is all the dirt and blood on her. Although I think that's more a way of the ad saying "this isn't your parent's Lara Croft" and probably isn't representative of how she looks in the great majority of the game. Indiana Jones might take a big beating in the middle of the movie, but his iconic look is of him in his lived in costume... maybe a bit dusty, but presentable in most ports of call.

As for Bayonetta... I get the argument a lot of people make about her being a really strong female character. I'd certainly agree that the developers made the effort to imbue her with a personality which isn't the stereotypical eye candy female protagonist... but, honestly, I expect her designer just has an S&M fetish. She's basically got the personality and attitude of a dominatrix, teasing you with her body, but with her entire attitude saying that you're not man enough to enjoy it. It's still a male fantasy, just a slightly deviant one.