goliath6711 said:
But I have HUGE problems with the way this game seems to execute those ideas.
Let's start with Lara's new look. Now I will admit that the previous character design (i.e.: Mega-boobage) caught my attention when I first saw it, but I was very quickly able to look past it to what the character herself is supposed to be. Since then, I've come to look at it the same way as Solid Snake's mullet or Alex Mercer's hoodie, it's just there. Then came the release to show off Lara's new "realistic" look. Now if you're going to choose to do that, then just do it. If you're going to answer the inevitable questions that people will have about the change and why you did it, that's also fine. What you don't do is promote that on the forefront of your advertising among things that you're going to "right the wrongs" the previous games did. And then have media outlets already trumpet this as a godsend despite the fact that it doesn't have any impact on the game itself. All it succeeds in doing is alienating myself as a previous fan by making me look like the only reason I'm a fan is because of the T&A factor, and I don't appreciate that.
But the realistic, non-sexualized portrayal of Lara Croft in this game does matter a great deal. The game is so much better for that.
Subjecting Lara to this amount of physical punishment while sexualizing her at the same time would have been deeply problematic.
And, maybe not for you, but for many other gamers who didn't like the objectifying portrayal of Lara Croft in the previous games, this game does indeed "right the wrongs". Compared to its predecessors, and what you usually find in other games, this mature portrayal of its female heroine IS remarkable, and they have every right to advertise it.
And regarding all the stuff you say about Lara's character? well, Vault101 pretty much said it already. If you don't like her, that's your right, of course, but from what I can tell, most others do. Didn't read a single review that says otherwise, for instance.
The previous Lara was a caricature. This Lara is human. And I don't think the developers intend to ever bring her new character back in line with what was in previous games. I sure hope they won't.