However, that doesn’t mean that Lara Croft won’t face a number of grueling and difficult to watch physical and emotional challenges - a set-up that could, as events unfold, cause players to identify differently with the character over time.

According to a recent interview with EDGE, one of the developers at Crystal Dynamics hinted at the approach the team is taking to a female-driven adventure grounded in a mature, and at times gut wrenching, character journey.

According to Brian Horton, Tomb Raider art director:

It’s an especially interesting reaction - especially after the alleged rape comment caused a major stir for one 2013’s most anticipated titles. Crystal Dynamics’ approach to the character had, ever since the original announcement, been major source of encouragement for fans of the franchise - since Lara Croft is one of gaming’s most iconic characters (but has rarely been explored with a truly compelling character story) - and it’s good to hear that players have reason to be hopeful (even if the E3 gameplay reveal was mostly style over substance).

Horton, as well as the rest of the Tomb Raider team, is hoping that players connect with Lara in ways that might have previously been hard to imagine (especially back in the days when “nude code” rumors were all the rage):

It’ll be especially interesting to see if Crystal Dynamics can successfully create an environment where this kind of player/character evolution is possible - but there’s no doubt that the downright brutal events depicted in this year’s E3 Tomb Raider tease will go a long way in helping inform a more mature connection. Much like the footage presented for Sony’s The Last of Us, some developers seem to finally be in a position to ground violence in a meaningful (and evocative) context - not just to appeal to the blood and guts crowd.

For more on Tomb Raider, check out our E3 demo impressions.

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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates on Tomb Raider as well as other movie, TV, and gaming news.

Tomb Raider is set to release March 5th, 2013 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC.

Source: EDGE