Tomb Raider Essay

TOMB RAIDER The video game Tomb Raider was developed by Core Design and first published by Eidos Interactive (Eidos, 2007). The games protagonist Lara Croft was one of the earliest characters identifiable by non-gamers and has become a world-wide phenomenon since her release in 1996. The following essay will take you into the world of Tomb Raider, where you’ll come to understand the games narrative, look and structure, and ultimately how the creators have engineered the game to deliver an interactive experience to players. So lets get started- as Lara says …

Narrative has become an integral part of games. In Tomb Raider, archaeologist Lara Croft is led around the world through various tombs and locations, in search of the three ‘scion’ artefacts. Within the narrative, the player must use Lara to solve puzzles, amidst battling through dangerous animals and traps, as she works towards finding the artefacts (Blache & Fielder, 2007). The games necessity for a central character, who must constantly overcome obstacles and enemies in a environment designed to challenge her, means she is well suited to the ‘mythological form’ of games- as described by kelman. He suggests, games may be ‘better suited to telling mythical tales of epic proportion than any other medium to date because of the inherent nature of their form’ (kelman, 2005, p.105).

When reflecting on the narrative of Tomb Raider, it is important to explore also, how the narrative transcends through the look and structure of the game. The games look and structure generally serves not only as a backdrop or setting to the proceedings, but as an obstacle that must be overcome if events are to progress (kelman, 2005). The structure of Tomb Raider enables Lara to run, jump, side-step, swim and dive. A general button is used to perform various things such as firing guns, picking things up, grabbing onto ledges and pulling switches (Wikipedia, 1996). Traps and enemies are what bring Lara to her death. Inanimate objects play an important role in Tomb Raider-signalling progression in the game, as Lara acquires visible and tangible rewards. Gard highlights, ‘’a powerful Character must be well adapted to its environment”. In Tomb Raider, Lara moves around Tombs and ancient sites; looking for clues and overcoming traps on her quest- as an archaeologist, she is well adapted to the look and structure of the game. The world Lara explores is brought to life in three-dimensions and is characterised by the places she ventures through. The games ability to imitate organic objects like trees, faces, grass and animals develops an ‘intimate relationship among players, images and technologies that is both material and aesthetic.’ (Gidding & Kennedy, 2008, p.17) There is a correlation between what players can do and what’s provided through the look and structure of a game. In essence, ‘gameplay’ is how an environment works. Gameplay constitutes how directors form a game- in the objectives, point of view and character design they employ, as well as the actual playing of the game. In Tomb Raider, while Lara uses her unlimited ammunition to defeat all that stands in her way, the intended objective of the game is to solve puzzles and perform trick jumps to complete the levels. Essentially, the aesthetics of Tomb Raider lie not in warfare gameplay, but in a ‘platform style’ of gameplay. Giddings & Kennedy highlight, ‘While the aesthetic or subjective operations of choosing an avatar [] on the one hand, and the use or driving of that avatar as a set of capabilities on the other may seem autonomous, they are articulated- and the nature of this articulation depends on the particular game being played and the specific moment of gameplay within any particular event.’ (2008, p.23) The game is presented from a third-person-perspective, where the player follows Lara either from behind or above. This point of view works within the traditional form of storytelling and allows the player more freedom. Lara, as a separate entity from the player, can act of her own accord and

not disturb players. This is because Lara is designed as an actor in Tomb Raider, rather than an avatar. ‘The avatar is simply a visual representation of the player’s presence, within the game world. The actor is a character distinct from the player, with its own personality, characteristics, and, to some extent, mind” (Gard, 2000, p.1).Lara is distinct from the player and isimbued with a personality of her own. When playing Tomb Raider, Lara is attacked by animals and falls into traps, not the player. Gameplay and character design are closely linked, as a characters’ abilities will dictate the decisions made in gameplay (Gard, 2000). Characters were once created from a handful of pixels, yet overtime technology has come to render more believable and realistic characters. Morris and Hartas highlight, ‘Now games are at a point where they rival Hollywood in realism and visual splendour.’ (2004, p.20)

The above picture shows the digital development of Lara Croft, from her earlier design in 1996 (top left) to the Lara in 2007 (top right).The 2007 design uses a greater number of polygons to create a more realistic 3D design.

Kelman highlights, ‘Lara was [one of] the first to make a critical leap when she was promoted as a synthetic individual- a woman with her own personality and life outside of the role she played in the Tomb Raider titles. (2005, p.21) In gameplay the choice of character is critical. When creating a well-developed character, designers must use visual clues that people associate with certain human characteristics, and through this establish a clear, united message that encourages players to admire and become interested in the character (Gard, 2000). Gard (2000) argues that, a design which objectifies the character will prevent players from empathizing with it. “If the character is attractive, believable, and

commands respect, players will grow fond of it” (Gard, 2000, p.1). Someone playing a character of the same sex, for example in Tomb Raider, could grow to emulate the appealing characteristics of Lara. In 2006 Tomb Raider the movie, starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, was released (Cope, 2004). Giddings and Kennedy argue that players will identify more profoundly with the video character as opposed to the movie character, as they can control the video character’s decisions and actions. ‘Driving an avatar involves utilising a console, identification is occupation; literal and mechanized. ..When Lara dies her temporary mortality returns the role of subjects to her operator. She exerts violence with us, and then she dies for us, over and over.’ (Carr, quoted in Giddings, 2008, p.23) As gamers explore virtual realities- rarely to they stop to consider the look, structure and gameplay of the world they inhabit. Having taken you behind the scenes of Tomb Raider, I hope you have come to understand, as I have, that modern games go beyond just gameplay. Through the ever-developing area of game construction, we are able to explore extraordinary worlds and stories through interactively following actors- as we do with Lara, or becoming the protagonist ourselves. Whether the aim is to play, to watch or just to hang out in an imaginary place, the modern video game delivers an experience that is entirely new. Entertainment will never be the same again.’ Dave Morris & Leo Hartas, 2007

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