The depiction of women in video games has always been a mark of shame in the industry. Undoubtedly, the majority of video games developers are male — as is the industry’s target demographic. Thus, it’s not surprising that many virtual females are designed to look like idealized perfections of the gender at best and pubescent fantasy at worst. Take these favored femmes: Bayonetta has 4-foot long legs, Taki from “Soul Calibur” has triple-E sized breasts, and the entire female cast of “Dead or Alive” can be summed up with the phrase “jiggle physics.”
Lara Croft could be the poster child for this trend. At first a role model for young female gamers, she quickly became a running gag. When “Tomb Raider” emerged, her status as a female gaming icon would have been great — if adolescent boys could only have gotten over her pixelated D-cups. Because of this, her icon status quickly turned infamous, especially after the “Tomb Raider” series got progressively worse till finally unplayable. If you ever wondered why gamers are stereotyped as awkward virgins who never talk to girls, look no further than Croft.
Luckily, it seems the industry has finally noticed its treatment toward women, as Croft is getting a makeover that would make the women of “Bridalplasty” jealous. Change is on the horizon, and it may give a much-needed reboot to the entire franchise.
Most noticeably, Lara’s enormous dimensions have been scaled down to the point that she could exist in reality without breaking her spine and toppling over. Her wardrobe, which beforehand was nothing but tight shirts and hot pants, has also turned tasteful. The game scene so far isn’t as promising.
A recent story in Game Informer details the plot, which involves a young Lara getting her ass kicked and trying to survive on an unknown island. Previous games developed her as a feminist’s dream: an independent woman who finds priceless treasures and murders men who stand in her way.
It sounds like developers are going in the wrong direction. Breaking the woman is a distasteful trope that the medium should have outgrown years ago, and it only shows that developers still have no idea what to do with its few female icons.
If video games are ever going to be taken as seriously as other artistic mediums, makers and players should recognize these immature tendencies and grow up. Croft’s remake is a good start. Nevertheless, it’s ultimately pointless if she’s not remade into a legitimately good character — one that girl gamers, a number that’s increasing every year, could actually appreciate.
Two steps forward, one step back.
