Square Enix is rebooting Tomb Raider, and wiping the slate clean means no more 1990s-style sexy game heroine pandering. But what does that mean for Lara in 2010? Two words: ripped clothing.
According to Art Director Brian Horton, the goal isn't playing up the character's sexuality "for sexualities sake".
"If for any reason we wanted to put her in a situation that would be alluring," Horton tells Game Informer, "it isn't to be alluring. It would be because the situation called for it."
Meaning? That Lara's sexiness is grittier. "Ultimately, what I think is going to be compelling about this – and what our version of sexy is –- is the toughness through adverse conditions," Horton continues.
"Seeing her survive through these moments," he adds. "Her skin is still bare on the arms and there are going to be rips and tears on her clothes, but it won't be about being revealing." So the ripped clothing won't be about revealing skin, it will be about her surviving. Because in Tomb Raider, that's what torn threads are about: surviving.
"It's a way of saying that through these tough situations, there is a beauty and vulnerability coming through," says Horton. "I think that is sexy in its own way."
Torn clothing is always a trope for sexy and vulnerable. Even though Horton says "Lara Croft as a sex object isn't our goal", me thinks the lady doth protest too much. And the lady ain't Lara.
A Survivor Is Born: The New Lara Croft [GameInformer]