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[SomeStupidGuy]

Tomb Raider was uhhhhh, weird as heck in a few ways.
Didn't the devs say that they didn't really want people to identify with Lara so much as want to protect her?
Either way, I don't really think they were striving for a particularly progressive game there.

[Neonivek]

Tomb Raider was uhhhhh, weird as heck in a few ways.
Didn't the devs say that they didn't really want people to identify with Lara so much as want to protect her?
Either way, I don't really think they were striving for a particularly progressive game there.

The Devs were trying to stir controversy at first.

[Shadowlord]

Maybe they thought male gamers would be incapable of that for some reason? Can't imagine why. I identified with her while playing it, and wanted to protect Sam. Protect Lara? Does not compute. You are Lara.

[Egan_BW]

Do most videogamers not know how to roleplay or something?

[SomeStupidGuy]

Here's the article where the quote I was talking about comes, fwiw.
It's kinda impressive how they went from a sexist take on Lara to a take on her that's actually even more sexist in a whole other way.

[itisnotlogical]

Tomb Raider the newest seems like one of those really patronizing "WOMAN over comes a challenge given by MEN but it's SUPER SPECIAL AND PROGRESSIVE because SHE is a WOMAN and a WOMAN overcoming any kind of challenge is SUPER SPECIAL" plots, which is the worst kind of "progressive" plot.

[Quartz_Mace]

Wow, so now it is sexist to have a badass female protagonist that can look out for herself? Yeah, the outfit might be more (though barely)skimpy than some would like, but that's why games can have multiple outfits to choose from (and if you really don't want to cause a stir, use the modest ones in your ads., but as we've seen some video game companies think boobs sell...)

Boobs Sell/Half Naked Girl that Only Exists for Sales
It treats women like sexual objects and worsens gaming' reputation regarding sex/gender equality.

[Niveras]

Protect Lara? Does not compute.

Well, I expect most players have a very visceral reaction to the gruesome ways she can die when you fail the quicktime events. Just look at listen to the audience reactions in Conan's Clueless Gamer. Whether avoiding that in the future constitutes a protective instinct...

[itisnotlogical]

Wow, so now it is sexist to have a badass female protagonist that can look out for herself

It's in presentation.

If the presentation is "Bwuhhh? A wummin wielding a firearm?! Most unorthodox! How improper! Look how cutting-edge and progressive our game is!", then it is demeaning and pandering. A more recent example that I'm more familiar with is Bombshell, where her entire personality is "I'm a woman playing a stereotypically male role, look how edgy and improper I'm being."

An actual well-done female protagonist would be one where you didn't play to the "Bwuhh? A female protagonist in an action game!?" bit, which as I've said, is pandering. Like virtually any RPG where you can create a female protagonist. They mention your gender where it's relevant and important, but otherwise it doesn't matter.

[Shadowlord]

It sounds like you're saying that it's only not sexist when the writers write a role for a man and then change the role's gender afterward, rather than actually writing female roles.

I guess in this non-sexist fictional world, nobody will ever get pregnant.

[itisnotlogical]

Yes, that thing that is not what I said is exactly what I said. Thanks for the assist.

[Neonivek]

It sounds like you're saying that it's only not sexist when the writers write a role for a man and then change the role's gender afterward, rather than actually writing female roles.

I guess in this non-sexist fictional world, nobody will ever get pregnant.

The difference is... In one they present a woman's womanhood as a weakness that needs to be overcome.

Lara Croft in the new Tomb Raider is flawed because "She is a woman" and must overcome her "Womanliness" in order to be the greatest hero ever.

Compare to a non-sexist plot where there is never a question that a woman can be a great hero.

I like to compare Tomb Raider to the Uncharted series. Just compare how Ethan gets injured to how Lara gets injured.

[Shadowlord]

I've never played uncharted.

Do they really, or are you just reading that into it? She's more capable than anyone else on that island.

[Persus13]

It sounds like you're saying that it's only not sexist when the writers write a role for a man and then change the role's gender afterward, rather than actually writing female roles.

I guess in this non-sexist fictional world, nobody will ever get pregnant.

I think what he's actually saying is that it how the game executes having a female protagonist matters. A well-executed female protagonist doesn't make you first think about the fact your playing as a fleshed out female protagonist, because the game makes that fact feel like a natural part of the world your playing as.

[Parsely]

Here's a peeve:

System Hegemony

To play most games requires buying into a closed system owned by a megacorp (Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft for consoles, just Microsoft for PC). If you want to avoid furnishing the suits, your gaming options are limited.

There are an outrageous amount of independent titles on the market right now, more than you could ever hope to play, and they're good about as often as big budget titles tend to be.