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

Words: 2210