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Tomb Raider’s ‘Reborn’ Trailer Lets Players Tell Their Lara Croft Story

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Posted on February 27, 2013 AT 02:10pm

In what I can only describe as perhaps the most forward-thinking videogame video I’ve ever seen, Tomb Raider’s “Reborn” trailer lets players tell their Lara Croft story.

It’s interesting, really, because when you think about it, all videogame characters suffer from some semblance of dissociative identity disorder. There’s the character and personality as written by the developers, and then there’s the behavioral patterns as dictated by the player—which often contrast the personality established in cutscenes and the like.

I’m particularly fond of how this video unintentionally broaches the reality that gender is a social construct, not something inherently biological. Lara Croft is female by the strictest definitions, but her actions—as guided by players—are open for interpretation based on all the gender-defining variables that guide their unique play styles.

Check out the trailer for yourselves:

Chris Holzworth, Editorial Intern
Chris Holzworth has wanted to report on and critique games all his life. He first cut his teeth writing for enthusiast sites such as RPGFan, then took a break from gaming to study English, creative writing, and linguistics at Rutgers University. Started out as EGM's obligatory east coast correspondent before selling out and moving to the west coast. Chris is particularly keen on examining narrative structure, character development, and writing in video games. Frequently opens mouth, inserts foot, often where twittery things happen: @chrisholzworth. Meet the rest of the crew.

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