Lara Croft and the demise of the Tomb Raider
Once upon a time, there was a character. An icon who changed the landscape of video gaming forever. She earned a legion of fans with her charm, determination and a bit of sexuality. And she's dead. And it's a real shame. Lara Croft was first introduced to the gaming world in 1995 via 'Tomb Raider'. Core Design's 3D platformer, aping Prince of Persia and Indiana Jones to various degrees, revolutionised gaming and had a massive impact on Pop Culture at the time. While female leads in games were not uncommon, it was a little rare for one to be so overtly female. Lara didn't hide her femininity inside a spacesuit or ill-fitting police uniform. Her creators had her ride the sex-positive 'girl power' wave and gave us a protagonist which was comfortable in her own skin, while showing off smarts, physical prowess and dry wit. Needless to say, Lara was much more than a pretty face. But Tomb Raider fell on hard times. An unrelenting publisher desperate