14 DAY TRIAL // The rebooted Tomb Raider might lead to a new long-term franchise for developer Crystal Dynamics and publisher Square Enix, but one of the main developers working on the game believes that the team should initially focus on the first game before thinking about its potential for the future.
Rhianna Pratchett, who is the writer working on the new Tomb Raider, admits that, “Rebooting such a beloved character has been very rewarding, but also a little nerve-wracking at the same time. It’s probably a bit too soon to say what I want to do with the franchise.”
“I can’t really think further ahead than the current project. I just hope we can give players something entertaining and absorbing that may, one day, become as meaningful as the original Tomb Raider,” she further argues.
The writer, who has plenty of experience outside of the video game medium, also acknowledges that writing a female video game protagonist is hard because most titles feature protagonists who are white, male, have a low, gruff voice and are under 30 years old.
She believes that change might come when audience ask for it and added, “In fact the gamers themselves are becoming more diverse in age, gender and ethnicity, than the industry itself.”
Rhianna Pratchett says that video game writers need to make sure that they explore new ideas and new experiences and offer diversity to the audience.
In the Tomb Raider reboot, Lara Croft will have a new image, that of an innocent young woman thrown into events that test her inner strength and force her to learn new skills and abilities, including shooting a bow, that will help her survive and thrive on a mysterious island.
The new Tomb Raider should be launched on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 on March 5 of 2013 with a PC version expected a little later.