Tomb Raider Anniversary blog task

Tomb Raider Anniversary: blog tasks

Language and Audience

Analyse the game cover for Tomb Raider Anniversary (above).

1) How does the cover communicate the genre of the game?
Mise-en-scene - Lara's costume: Belt/Backpack/gun/Holsters
Colour scheme: Black/Brown/Gold Ancient Civilisation - inter textual reference to Indiana Jones
Background: Ancient Artefact Lara must retrieve


2) How does the pose and costume of the character appeal to primarily male audiences?
Eye contact: Suggest sexual confidence
Mise-en-scene - Little and revealing clothing as well as being highly impractical
Mise-en-scene - Heavy dark makeup
Gun straps mirror the appearance of lingerie
Lighting highlights her assets as well as legs arms and shoulders
Oversized guns used as a phallic symbol
Pose: unrealistic to ensure face and assets are visible

3) How might the cover be read as empowering for female gamers?
Present woman as strong and independent
Lack of male character reveals her as a powerful woman
Phallic symbol of guns could suggest women are in power

Gameplay analysis

Watch the following gameplay clips again:

1) What does the gameplay for Tomb Raider Anniversary involve?
Third person perspective
Player has some control over camera placement
Gun play offers close to Lara's POV
Cut scenes and action scenes contain reaction shots of Lara as hero

2) Write an analysis of the media language choices in the construction of the game: e.g. genre, narrative, mise-en-scene, camera shots etc.
Camera angle continuously have a focal point of her assets ( Low angle shots to draw emphasis to her breasts)
Lara Croft's run is sexualised
When standing still Lara Croft is still swaying her hips
Constructed using enigma codes so player wants to carry on playing to find out what happens next
Animation and movement Lara is constantly running/hanging on a ledge/jumping/showing physical strength - empowering for women? Zoonen - women aren't equal if they have to be like men
Sound diegetic grunting with effort shows physical challenges - arguably sexualizes the character - Non diegetic music establishes genre and creates tension
Narrative - Check points act as mini narrative resolutions


3) Analyse the clips for audience pleasures, applying audience theory and considering media effects.
Passing the checkpoint acts as a way of rewarding the player
Personal identity/ relation to Lara Croft
Nostalgia - Remake of 1996 original reach out to older audience
Puzzle solving - intellectual challange
Cultivation Theory Gurvner - continual expose to same idea changes audiences beliefs playing the game and seeing low angle shots normalises sexualisation of women

Representations

Read this NME feature on the evolution of the character of Lara Croft. Answer the following questions:

1) Note the statistics in the opening paragraph.
-->Laura Croft- more than 1,100 magazine covers, and selling over 58 million videogame units worldwide.

2) How does the article describe the cultural change in society and the media since the early 00s?
-->The conversation around women’s equality has changed entirely. FHM, a lads’ mag which once had lycra underwear-clad women compete in a ‘Lara Croft Challenge’, is no longer in circulation. Women are fronting the most popular films at the box office, and #MeToo has finally given women the space to call out systematic sexism and harassment. Lara Croft has caught up too. Her hot pants have been ditched for cargo trousers, and the focus is on her attitude, intelligence and athleticism, rather than her improbable polygon body

3) How was the original 1996 Lara Croft received by audiences and critics?
--> She was seen as a role model by many. She surprised everybody as the first female, strong protagonist. However, Some feminists criticised the depiction of such a physically and mentally idealised woman, and Germaine Greer called her a “distorted, sexually ambiguous, male fantasy.”

4) What did the 2013 re-launch do differently – and how successful was it?
-->The 2013 re-launch game gave Lara a makeover. Hot pants and Barbie physiques were out; cargo trousers and abs were in. Scars, dirt and blood covered her skin, and the gameplay focused more on Croft’s face to reveal a deep and complex emotional background. Finally, Lara actually looked like someone who spent her time raiding caves for ancient artefacts.

5) How is ‘woke Lara’ defined in the conclusion of the feature?
-->"Her determination, courage and physical ability. Woke Lara is officially ready to raid the box office."


Now read this feature – Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft: feminist or femme fatale? 

1) Why is Lara Croft considered a “polarising figure among gamers”?
--> she is considered to be a polarising figure among gamers because she can be seen as sexual appeal to men and a sex object.Therefore, she is known to be a sexual icon.

2) How did the limitations of game construction in the 1990s help to establish the way female characters were animated?
--> They were animated differently as flowing hair was difficult to design their hair would either be shorter or tied to establish their physique and body shape more easily.

3) Why were Lara Croft’s physical attributes emphasised in the original games?
--> Because of her appearance Lara Croft is often considered part of a systemic problem generated by a male domionated video game industry.

4) How does Anita Sarkeesian describe Lara Croft?
-->   She was simply a stereotype for the category of games typically associated with male players. Even the camera angle in the game focuses on her rear end, putting it at the centre of attention.

5) Why has Lara Croft’s appearance and characterisation changed over time?
--> Lara Croft's appearance gradually changed as more women were drawn to video games.  In 2013, Crystal Dynamics rebooted the franchise and gave her a more natural look, including trousers.

Industries

1) Why is Lara Croft such an iconic figure in the gaming industry?
She is known to be independent, dominant and subverting the female stereotypical representation. She is iconic as a result of being subverting some images of representations of women in video games.


2) What products and spin-offs have featured Lara Croft or the Tomb Raider brand?
comics, animated TV series and feature films.


3) Why might Lara Croft be considered a postmodern icon?
She may be considered as a postmodern icon due to her being presented as a real celebrity so a simulacrum is created as models are seen as to be dressed like Lara Croft. This means that a fictional character has become part of the real world.

4) Why is Tomb Raider Anniversary a 'case study in conglomerate ownership'?
This may be due to the fact it is used in advertising campaigns for products including cars and soft drinks.