The terrible treatment of women in the latest Tomb Raider game

[lacktheknack]

I miss old Lara Croft, before they made her all edgy and hardcore. She only gunned down the occasional exotic creature that was out to kill her, this new Lara is straight up horrifically murdering dozens and dozens of people who get in her way in the most gruesome ways imaginable.

You know how many people Lara killed in the first Tomb Raider? One. One person, and even then she regretted it. It was a big deal that a human died. In the new game you'll be pickaxing random people in the head within the first few hours.

sigh

I guess I just miss when a game like Tomb Raider could be lighthearted adventure and fun. Not everything needs to be all serious after all.

Three.

Three people.

Larson, Kane, and "Skater Kid". And it wasn't played up at all. That was only in the Anniversary edition. -___-

In Tomb Raider 2, she takes on the Italian mob and a whole freaking cult. Dead dudes everywhere.

Tomb Raider III pit her against a nasty corporation in London (all those poor security guards), a gang in Nevada, the entire staff of Area 51 and a bunch of miners and (gasp) native Polynesians.

Tomb Raider 4 had her killing off loads of ninjas, hired goons and mercenaries (and was, for the record, the first time that Lara went dark and edgy, if only a bit).

Tomb Raider 5 was better, but she still had a whole section of killing off a research team... one of them even got a nasty crowbar to the head in a cutscene.

Tomb Raider 6 was just violent to the point of hilarity (and, for the record, was the SECOND time Tomb Raider went dark and edgy, only far moreso than the new Tomb Raider could ever hope to be).

Tomb Raider 7/Legend had a new high in body count. Yakuza, archaeolgists, hired thugs, oh my!

Tomb Raider 8/Anniversary was not violent against people. It's literally the only one.

If I recall, though, Tomb Raider Underworld did better too.

At any rate, you're wearing some of the rosiest glasses I've ever seen. I'm a bit impressed, really.

 

[Abomination]

Tomb Raider (2013) is delivering the obvious message that men deserve to die because they are all inherently evil and if taken away from the potential repercussions of society they will regress into their typical beast-like state. Lara represents women - the enlightened gender and the feminist movement, dedicated towards compassion and equality for all - who descends upon these typical barbaric men with righteous fury.

The only reason why Jonah Maiava does not descend into barbarism is because he is constantly under the watchful eye of Joslin Reyes who performs her female duty by keeping his mind focused on performing acts of decency.

James Whitman, the archaeologist, has spent too long away from his wife and so descends into depravity whilst on the island, focusing more on his personal gains than recognizing any ethical path - willing, nay! HAPPY to surrender Sam to the man cult of the island.

Alex Weiss manages to redeem himself by sacrificing himself to save Lara, finally recognizing his place in our gender dynamic. If he had spent more time around Lara he would have not needed to do so for she would have kept him from performing testosterone fueled choices. Lara could not divide her time between assisting the group as a whole and babysitting Alex, similar to how Joslin tends to Jonah, for the demands of the island were too great.

The only evil woman in this game is the spirit of the Queen but she's undead and we all know the undead are naturally evil so it has nothing to do with her being a woman. An undead King would have done the same.

 

[Blood Brain Barrier]

Okay, now that I've got your attention, I thought I should bring up a problem I've seen in the game industry. This is best seen in Tomb Raider. Lara Croft, a terrified young woman, struggles to survive on an island, in the process murdering hundreds and hundreds of men. And only men. Excluding the supernatural spirit of the island that is also in the process of killing men (the male helicopter pilots and countless flight and ship officers) the only characters that that are killed horrifically are men. If you reverse the gender, and a terrified man is forced to gun down hundreds of vicious, rape-y women on a remote island, it would not only be seen as a disgusting piece of fiction, but it would never see the light of day. Think about it. In a world of equality of opportunity (where women who want to be soldiers, engineers, lawyers and scientists) why is it that the only people Lara kills on the island men? The excuse the game gives is that all of the women are burned at the stake by the head nutter. But again, if you reverse this, an all-female island brutally burning all of the men would never, under any circumstances at all be made into a game. So why is the reverse acceptable? I know the typical responses would be something in accordance with "grow a thicker skin" but this response is never said in scenarios when women feel that they are being deliberately picked out. Why are all video game goons men, when women are pushing to be allowed greater and fairer representation in the media?

Well I'd have to say the reason has nothing to do with sexism of any kind and everything to do with incredibly shallow and poorly written narrative.

That's a cause. The reason, properly explained, would explain why shallow game writing tends to have hundreds of fit, young males as the standard enemy out to "get you".

Let's be honest: When we, all of us, think of a gang of cult rapist-murderers on a pacific island, the image that comes to mind involves tattooed men, big and burly, with machetes and rifles. That's just what happens. If we're going to put women in there it's under the guise of "equal opportunity". Which is why I don't think it makes a difference if they're there or not. It's a choice between a shallow narrative, or a shallow audience too accepting of placating maneuvers by the developers designed to stifle criticism.

 

[AdagioBoognish]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

 

[lacktheknack]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

GET THE CRANES! GET THE CRAAAAAAANES!

This metaphor turned out much better than expected.

 

[drummond13]

There's a fairly prevalent social taboo of male on female violence. This taboo doesn't exist in the other direction. It's all part of the double standard.

That's not to say that society is totally fine with women committing violence against men, just that there's less of an ingrained knee-jerk reaction to it. So much less that I didn't, until I read your post, even realize that Lara doesn't kill women on the island.

I don't really mind this even after realizing it, because the plot, as you mentioned, does indeed explain it away. I personally would see nothing wrong with the gender roles reversed, but I feel like if someone made that game it would only be because they were specifically trying to reverse the gender roles simply to get a reaction, and that would feel manipulative.

I'd like to see more gender equality in games, but I also don't feel that game companies should have to pander to it. Anita Sarkeesian criticized the game because even though it features a strong female lead, she still has to rescue a damsel in distress. This implies that the only way to avoid her criticism would be to make the "damsel" a male, which would have been fine but should hardly be a requirement. It also ignores the fact that Lara rescues several males throughout the game as well.

 

[AdagioBoognish]

Let's be honest: When we, all of us, think of a gang of cult rapist-murderers on a pacific island, the image that comes to mind involves tattooed men, big and burly, with machetes and rifles. That's just what happens. If we're going to put women in there it's under the guise of "equal opportunity". Which is why I don't think it makes a difference if they're there or not. It's a choice between a shallow narrative, or a shallow audience too accepting of placating maneuvers by the developers designed to stifle criticism.

We aren't born that way though, it's a shallow narrative brought about by social norms. I agree with what your saying, but I think placating maneuvers might be one of the first steps that is needed to get us headed in the right direction.

 

[drummond13]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

GET THE CRANES! GET THE CRAAAAAAANES!

This metaphor turned out much better than expected.

Hippos are the second most dangerous animals on the planet. Rescuing this one is a really bad idea...

 

[Eve Charm]

That's a cause. The reason, properly explained, would explain why shallow game writing tends to have hundreds of fit, young males as the standard enemy out to "get you".

Let's be honest: When we, all of us, think of a gang of cult rapist-murderers on a pacific island, the image that comes to mind involves tattooed men, big and burly, with machetes and rifles. That's just what happens. If we're going to put women in there it's under the guise of "equal opportunity". Which is why I don't think it makes a difference if they're there or not. It's a choice between a shallow narrative, or a shallow audience too accepting of placating maneuvers by the developers designed to stifle criticism.

All men right...

It's sad no one remember silent hill.


"Sect of the Holy Woman

This sect is centered around a priestess named Dahlia Gillespie. They believed that God would return to Earth one day and awaited her coming faithfully. However, Dahlia had attempted to hasten God's rebirth by using an immolation ritual which meant her daughter, Alessa, would be used as a sacrifice. Members of this sect include Dahlia Gillespie, Claudia Wolf, Vincent Smith and Leonard Wolf. They believe that once God has come, She will cause the apocalypse and usher the faithful to paradise. Not all of their members are active in this, however, such as Vincent. Claudia believes that a God born from pain and hatred would thereby be more sympathetic."

 

[lacktheknack]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

GET THE CRANES! GET THE CRAAAAAAANES!

This metaphor turned out much better than expected.

Hippos are the second most dangerous animals on the planet. Rescuing this one is a really bad idea...

Well, you run away while it's recovering, then.

I'd like to see a hippo chase me while it's hooked up to a bunch of tiny woodland cranes.

 

[Saltyk]

Honestly, I never even think about the gender of the faceless mooks I am murdering. It's irrelevant. They aren't much more than an obstacle. Something to be overcome. In fact, when the faceless mooks do have genders, like in Mass Effect or Dragon Age, it still doesn't matter. They are just more fodder to fall before my gun, blade, fists of fury, magic explosions, godly powers of science, what have you.

The ones who matter are the ones with actual faces and character. And even then, I don't care about their gender. I care about their motives, backstory, evil plan of evil, but not their gender. It's not important to me in the long run.

 

[Eve Charm]

Actually damn I completely forgot this. There was a time it was a man killing a bunch of crazy gun wielding woman. It was the hitman absolution trailer, and you know what happened, people flipped out over it and it became a big contorviesy and they ended up changing the game. Even tho killing nun's is still in the game, your killing men still during the mission.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119119-IO-Changed-Hitman-Absolution-Following-Nun-Controversy

 

[Amir Kondori]

Nearly everyone you kill in a video game is a man. Games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls are rare exceptions. PBS did a great show on this recently, talking about the disposable man.

 

[AdagioBoognish]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

GET THE CRANES! GET THE CRAAAAAAANES!

This metaphor turned out much better than expected.

Hippos are the second most dangerous animals on the planet. Rescuing this one is a really bad idea...

Well, you run away while it's recovering, then.

I'd like to see a hippo chase me while it's hooked up to a bunch of tiny woodland cranes.

You fool! They've strapped a hippo to a sling on the end of a crane. As an expert on large African water mammals I can confidently tell you that nothing in this world is more dangerous than a Hippo catapult.

 

[lacktheknack]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

GET THE CRANES! GET THE CRAAAAAAANES!

This metaphor turned out much better than expected.

Hippos are the second most dangerous animals on the planet. Rescuing this one is a really bad idea...

Well, you run away while it's recovering, then.

I'd like to see a hippo chase me while it's hooked up to a bunch of tiny woodland cranes.

You fool! They've strapped a hippo to a sling on the end of a crane. As an expert on large African water mammals I can confidently tell you that nothing in this world is more dangerous than a Hippo catapult.

You overlook the most dangerous animal/contraption combo of them all.

...We're all gonna die, aren't we? And we don't even know what gender the animals were, so we don't know if it was equal-opportunity or not. D:

 

[AdagioBoognish]

Actually damn I completely forgot this. There was a time it was a man killing a bunch of crazy gun wielding woman. It was the hitman absolution trailer, and you know what happened, people flipped out over it and it became a big contorviesy and they ended up changing the game. Even tho killing nun's is still in the game, your killing men still during the mission.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/119119-IO-Changed-Hitman-Absolution-Following-Nun-Controversy

This is definitely part of the problem. I think the people that protest scenes like the hitman trailer are just as guilty of keeping women from being perceived as equal as the people making games where only a tough, brave, mans man can save the helpless girls. If we claim women are too soft skinned to be villains in video games then it's just one more arena where women aren't welcome. Equal treatment = women playing all parts in video games when the creator thinks the story benefits from having a female character. As a gamer who has stopped countless evil wizards, genetically modified soldiers, and mentally unhinged sociopaths, it would be nice to see that women could also be bat shit crazy enough to take over the earth.

 

[AdagioBoognish]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

GET THE CRANES! GET THE CRAAAAAAANES!

This metaphor turned out much better than expected.

Hippos are the second most dangerous animals on the planet. Rescuing this one is a really bad idea...

Well, you run away while it's recovering, then.

I'd like to see a hippo chase me while it's hooked up to a bunch of tiny woodland cranes.

You fool! They've strapped a hippo to a sling on the end of a crane. As an expert on large African water mammals I can confidently tell you that nothing in this world is more dangerous than a Hippo catapult.

You overlook the most dangerous animal/contraption combo of them all.

...We're all gonna die, aren't we? And we don't even know what gender the animals were, so we don't know if it was equal-opportunity or not. D:

That's the whole point of equal opportunity! We don't even need to know it's gender. It doesn't matter that the shark that will kill you and your family is male or female, it just matters that both male and female balloon powered flying death sharks have the opportunity to do so.

So in 2014 just remember Killer Sharks means equality, so that the few people who are still alive in the future can live in a world free of gender issues, racial issues, or overcrowding.

 

[white_wolf]

Um OP there's lore for that they explained what happened to the women who made it to the island if they were sacrificed to the female god persona and she tortured them when she took them over or if they were not chosen they died brutally their bones are mixed in about with the men. Lore wise it made no sense to have females running around to be killed if they said so and so sun goddess had chamber maids who would protect her for all eternity then I'd expect to see said chamber maids kitted out with dastardly weapons like the Samurai men were and Laura would be blowing them apart just as well. Laura has fought women before her best friend who was made into a test subject and bat creature then tries to kill her and Laura doesn't cry about it she breaks out the pistols.

I guess your real issue is why don't games have hordes of mook women out there for me to kill as a women or man hero? There are games out there that do let you kill female npcs like Fallout but if you want way more females to kill like say in the 90% range then that's a talk to the game devs on the market or make your own project for if there are many games yet to be made like beach volley ball menz where they wear the speedos and do sexy posses for the female photographer or better yet the war of the sexes where men run about in leather thongs as they combat the heavily armored Helga women who hold the kingdom hostage but I really don't think there is a market for any of that at least not in huge numbers and not likely here in the US maybe Japan of course you could always make it for PC only there are many flash games out there covering a multitude of topics with a wide range of heros and villains.

 

[lacktheknack]

They probably won't try it though, because almost without fail, such concepts are more or less always executed with all the grace, wit and effort of a drowning hippopotamus.

Oh god, all I can picture is that hippo now. At first it was funny, but now it's just a mental image of tons of little animals trying to lift a one ton hippo out of the water.

GET THE CRANES! GET THE CRAAAAAAANES!

This metaphor turned out much better than expected.

Hippos are the second most dangerous animals on the planet. Rescuing this one is a really bad idea...

Well, you run away while it's recovering, then.

I'd like to see a hippo chase me while it's hooked up to a bunch of tiny woodland cranes.

You fool! They've strapped a hippo to a sling on the end of a crane. As an expert on large African water mammals I can confidently tell you that nothing in this world is more dangerous than a Hippo catapult.

You overlook the most dangerous animal/contraption combo of them all.

...We're all gonna die, aren't we? And we don't even know what gender the animals were, so we don't know if it was equal-opportunity or not. D:

That's the whole point of equal opportunity! We don't even need to know it's gender. It doesn't matter that the shark that will kill you and your family is male or female, it just matters that both male and female balloon powered flying death sharks have the opportunity to do so.

So in 2014 just remember Killer Sharks means equality, so that the few people who are still alive in the future can live in a world free of gender issues, racial issues, or overcrowding.

You... you know what this means, right?

It means that THIS is the most equal movie ever made.

<youtube=iwsqFR5bh6Q>

Conclusion: Absolutely all entertainment should emulate Sharknado.

I guess this thread was worth it after all.