14 DAY TRIAL // The new Tomb Raider video game might be one year away from launch date but the developers have already offered explanations for some of the choices linked to Lara Croft that will likely prove the most divisive for the fan base.
Speaking on the official forums of the rebooted Tomb Raider Brian Horton, who is the art director working on the game at Crystal Dynamics, said, “The idea behind the gray was something that the team debated for a while. As a fan of the classics we wanted to nod to the original outfit in some way, and our first concept was of a light blue tank. We lived with that for a while and decided that a more neutral color was more fitting the personality profile we are building for her in this origin story.”
He says that the gray color is also a way of showing that Lara herself is not yet the very confident in her own abilities and the team also uses light sources in the game to make that tank top take on different colors to express her feelings and her state.
Speaking about the sex appeal of the rebooted character Horton added, “We didn’t want her to have a uniform, so designing clothes that could be purchased in a store seemed like the correct choice. Layered tanks, khakis and boots felt right for her, and if you look at the original Lara it’s very close to that vision.”
Sexuality has always been a big part of the Tomb Raider games but the team believes that the game should mainly appeal via its story and its mechanics, with a Lara Croft who is more grounded and more believable, which automatically means less glamour and sex appeal.
Tomb Raider will be launched in the third quarter of 2012 and will be offered on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC.