Lara Croft’s update is tougher, even gritty
Voice actor finds character of rebooted Tomb Raider game to be ‘more fleshed out’
Lara Croft is a new woman — thanks to the same voice.
Croft — the female hero of the video-game series Tomb Raider — returned with another chapter this week with Rise of the Tomb Raider. It’s the latest chapter in the popular video-game franchise — and the second to feature the lauded voice of Camilla Luddington, credited with helping to breathe new life into the character.
Back are the lush jungles to be explored and treasures to be found — along with Luddington’s voice and likeness. Luddington has helped redefine one of the most celebrated female heroes in video-game history. Next to Ms. Pac-Man and Princess Peach of Nintendo fame, Lara Croft is one of the most recognized female characters in gaming.
Croft is also one of the select iconic video game characters to survive upgrades in technology with new consoles, and star in a feature film and theme park rides.
Hopes are high for the Rise of the Tomb Raider, seen as one of the most anticipated games of the year along with Activision Blizzard’s Call of Duty Black Ops III and Microsoft’s space-age shooter, Halo 5. Rise of the Tomb Raider is being released exclusively on the Xbox One console with versions for other devices to follow next year.
Croft first appeared on video game consoles more than 19 years ago — and was an immediate hit as the character was a refreshing break from the stereotypical muscle-bulging male leads in video games. The game, though, has been completely rethought in the age of high-powered video-game consoles sporting highdefinition graphics.
Think less Barbie — and more Indiana Jones.
Writer Rhianna Prachett developed the Lara Croft character in the last two titles to be a brazen explorer more likely to have sweat and dirt smeared over her face from climbing cliffs than makeup. The game stresses Croft’s history and humanity, and puts in her situations where she must use strength and smarts to survive, Luddington says.
“This Lara is more fleshed out — which makes her more realistic,” says Luddington. “I find this Lara to be inspirational.” Luddington’s voice draws out Croft’s travails and falls — literally — as she faces dangers and literally must fight to stay alive.
It’s a new dimension of a game that debuted when characters looked more like polygons than people. As the graphics have been upgraded, so has the story and presentation. 2013’s Tomb Raider and Luddington’s take on Lara’s voice and likeness have won critical acclaim for leaving behind the cartoonish version of the previous versions of the game. Metacritic, a website that compiles game reviewers, gave the reboot a score of 86 out of 100 ranking it as one of the best received games for the Xbox One.
Luddington says she “doesn’t hold the honour of being called a gamer,” but still remembers her favourite games from the 1980s.
Rise of the Tomb Raider debuted this week as an exclusive title for Microsoft’s Xbox One. Hit games such as this one are seen as the key to narrow the sales lead that Sony has on its competing PlayStation 4 platform.