It is not often that we see a character who becomes as popular and as inspiring as Lara Croft. But when we do see someone like her developing into the epitome of feminine power that she is today, it is certainly worth taking a look back over the roots of the character and observing the interesting evolution.
Lara Croft is a character who has been around since the mid 1990’s and remains as loved thirty years down the line as she was when she first came to our attention and it takes a special something to achieve this.
The Beginnings Of Lara Croft
Back when Tomb Raider was first released, it had such an impact on the gaming world, that no one saw coming. The game was, and remains one of the turning points for the gaming industry in that before this, there were hardly any dominant female characters and this appealed to both men and women alike. With Lara having a strong sex appeal as well as being a empowering figure for women the world over. Couple this with a violent and mature game that featured some of the best graphics at the time and you’ve got yourself a best seller! It would be safe to say that from day one, Lara was set to be a hit. Not only this but the aesthetics of the game were an innovation of the time period and really showcased just what gaming companies were capable of and following the success of the first game, four sequels were released over the next four years, each of which being just as well received as the first.
Lara Croft In The Movies
Due to the enormous success of the video games, it was only natural that a movie would follow. In this instance, Lara Croft was portrayed by the incredible Angelina Jolie, who bore a remarkable likeness to the character. Bringing the character to life gave a new twist on her evolution, with many people these days with the image of Jolie entering their minds whenever the name Lara Croft is mentioned. Despite the second movie being massively downplayed by critics, it still played an important part in how the character has developed to this day. The 2018 Tomb Raider movie added another layer to the evolution of Lara Croft, showing a younger version of the character, therefore creating a more in depth and relatable character.
Character Development
With more and more Tomb Raider games being released and online gaming becoming the huge success that it is today, the creators of Lara Croft decided in the mid 2000’s that a make over was in order. The character entered a new realm in her evolution as she was revamped with a more ‘human’ looking figure. One of the characters main features had been her unrealistic proportions and with the voice of women becoming louder and louder, it would seem only fitting that the character was better able to represent how a real woman would look.
Tomb Raider Online Games
As time went on, the obvious next chapter for Tomb Raider would be to enter into the world of online gaming. With the franchise now releasing games across various platforms, we can truly see how far its heroine has come. Let’s take for example Shadow Of The Tomb Raider on XBox One, the visual appeal of the game shows us just how Lara has evolved over the years, with her appearance differing greatly from the original 1996 game. Lara has not only gone cross platform but is now available on a whole host of websites where players can immerse themselves in the original Tomb Raider as a purely online game, meaning that Lara has moved with the times.
And online gaming doesn’t simply stop with the actual Tomb Raider games because Lara Croft is now the face of a whole wealth of online casino games. Being the face of many of these types of games at UK casinos has brought Lara right into the 21st century and has made sure that her evolution from video game heroine to global superstar continues to grow!
Conclusion
It goes without saying that Lara Croft is one of the most recognizable names in the gaming world and this hasn’t been a happy accident. Starting off as the main character in a hugely successful game was just the beginning for her, and now she has conquered the world of movies and online gaming too! It stands to reason that the development of the character isn’t going to end here and that we are likely to see much more of Lara in the future. Who knows how she might evolve next?
She has changed a lot since 1996. It’s interesting to see how she will change in future.
Kind of a cool protagonist, especially when early video games didn’t really have many female protagonists. Sure, you had Samus from Metroid, but there weren’t many other female protagonists around toward the millenium.