From pixelated adventurer to cultural lightning rod: how has Lara Croft, once a simple video game character, become a focal point in discussions about feminism, representation, and now, colonialism? 

Lara Croft has long been central to debates about feminism, for fans and academics alike, since her inception in 1996. While her characterisation has evolved, adding nuance to her early hypersexualisation, discussions about the Tomb Raider franchise have largely focalised gender and sexuality. Undoubtedly important conversations though they may be, academic discourse has been limited in its exploration of race and colonialism in the Tomb Raider franchise. This oversight is surprising, given the increasing public criticism for the Tomb Raider franchise’s colonialist-sympathetic messaging, particularly as it relates to archaeological adventuring. 

Shadow of the Tomb Raider (STR), released in 2018, sought to address these concerns by creating more respectful engagement with cultural heritage and Indigenous communities. STR’s narrative follows Lara Croft as she races against an Indigenous, paramilitary organization called Trinity, alongside the Indigenous and rightful leader of Paititi, Queen Unuratu. Lara tries to stop the Mayan apocalypse that she inadvertently sets in motion in the hidden and uncolonised South American city of Paititi. In promotional and media materials, Eidos-Montréal (developers of STR) emphasized their commitment to cultural sensitivity (Green). They highlighted their consultations with cultural experts (see Figure 1) and implicitly positioned STR as the solution to the series’ history of reproducing colonial messaging. Investigating STR’s status as an archaeogame and its navigation of the complexities of race and colonialism reveals that STR only goes as far as alternating between self-aware criticism and colonialist spectacle. Through an examination of the game’s world-building, characterizations, and narrative, the very premise of this game is shown to be at odds with its lofty aspirations.

Reinhard’s concept of archaeogaming, as embodied by the Tomb Raider franchise, reveals the interplay between digital gaming environments and archaeological narratives (2). This emphasizes the colonial messaging inherent in the franchise’s presentation of the role of the archaeologist and artifact collection. The second theme of archaeogaming (Reinhard 3) helps to frame understandings of how games like STR represent archaeology, turning digital spaces into interactive dig sites with their own material culture. With that, Lara becomes a digital archaeologist, exploring landscapes with rich histories. Importantly, Lara is not just a fictional character. She is a British aristocrat who is a reflection of real histories, exemplified by her illustrious family’s collection of relics that mirror the colonial past of European imperialists (Breger – Aether 47). When Lara raids tombs to discover the “intimate knowledge of ancient civilisations” (Core Design) and recover artifacts of Indigenous value, it is reminiscent of historical colonial conquest and contemporary archaeological practices. 

The ethics of modern archaeology are contested, with archaeologists often engaged in dissensions with local governments (Gross). Reflected in STR, archaeological practices promote a “smash-and-grab mentality” (Gross) that fails to provide meaningful discourse about artifact ownership and excavation. Looting is an in-game action, characteristic of archaeogames, that mirrors the archaeological practice of excavating valuable relics (Reinhard 79), often exchanged to enhance a character’s skills or provide necessary aids on a character’s journey (Graham). Unlike previous iterations in the Tomb Raider series, collectibles in STR are not essential for game completion, but can be traded, sold or used to upgrade a character’s skills. This affords players greater agency while shifting the responsibility of looting decisions onto them instead of the game itself. While in-game looting can be ethically practiced if it leads to meaningful gameplay consequences that help players understand and engage with the ethics of their choices (Sicart 160), STR offers no such discourse. Instead, game affordances encourage players to loot through valuable, though non-essential, rewards, reinforcing an uninterrogated colonial rhetoric that prioritizes the looter’s interests over the Indigenous group. Furthermore, collectibles that cannot be traded, sold or exchanged (termed “Relics”) are simply added to Lara’s Artifact Collection and justify the theft of cultural artifacts for the enjoyment of only the looter.  

Archaeogames prescribe a correct way to “do” archaeology that often contends with issues of “repatriation, colonialism, and racism” (Reinhard 78), reinforcing a White savior rhetoric. In STR, Trinity is antagonistically portrayed to further a sympathetic image of Lara as an ethical archaeologist and the savior of Paititi. White saviorism is the paradigm that a White person/group, from a position of racial hegemony, is better equipped to save a BIPOC or POC individual/group, based on superiority in knowledge or skills (Cammarota 247). During the discovery phase of the game’s narrative, Lara encounters a graphic scene of Trinity members engaging in human sacrifice (see Figure 3), while a NPC explains that the locals are affronted by these rituals but participate for their own safety. This portrayal reflects Western conceptualisations of Indigenous sacrificial customs, lacking a nuanced approach to BIPOC traditions. Instead, STR’s narrative reflects colonialist rhetoric that emphasizes the “barbarism” of BIPOC communities, often used to justify colonial conquest as missions to civilize (Breger – Aether 54). Lara’s attempt to stop the ritual positions her as the champion of Eurocentric standards of civility. This portrayal not only undermines the agency of BIPOC communities but also reinforces Lara’s role as the sole savior, perpetuating the colonialist notion of White protagonism.  

Lara embodies the White savior, whose status remains intact through her juxtaposition against this morally corrupt antagonist and limited self-aware criticism. STR unproblematically positions Lara as Paititi’s singular hero, overlooking her cultural ignorance and culpability in triggering the Mayan apocalypse. In the game’s opening sequence, Lara steals a secret dagger, initiating the Cleansing. Disregarding the warnings of Dominguez (the Indigenous leader of Trinity) and convinced of her superior understanding and morally-sound motivations, Lara devastates the village, reinforcing a White savior rhetoric. The game offers some self-critical analysis through Lara’s reflections when she accepts responsibility for the destruction she has caused (see Figure 2). “However, Lara’s justifications that Trinity would have done “much worse” if they retrieved the MacGuffin, and her continued recklessness throughout STR’s gameplay, relegates her self-reflection to performative awareness. Notably, Trinity provides the singular challenge to Lara’s savior role; however, Dominguez’s dying wish entrusts Lara with the protection of Paititi, solidifying her savior status.

The prominent addition of Immersion Mode to the in-game mechanics of STR promised to enhance the authenticity of the South American cultural experience (Mukuch), but it ultimately reinforces rhetorics of White saviorism. Immersion Mode is an opt-in feature that allows NPCs to speak in their native languages, aligning with the modern Tomb Raider trilogy’s emphasis on Lara’s acquisition of new languages. This feature blurs the line between player and character, offering the opportunity for immersion by allowing players to explore and potentially acquire a deeper understanding of the culture and language. However, its execution is limited to merely acknowledging socio-linguistic diversity without meaningful integration into STR’s narrative or gameplay, highlighting its own critical potential. Players are left unable to understand the locals of Paititi, proceeding on missions devoid of cultural context, while Lara, paradoxically, continues to comprehend and interact with the NPCs. This disconnect not only mirrors Lara’s colonialist approach to adventuring, but also implicates players in mimicking her White saviorism. Chris Plante, in his 2018 Polygon article, proposes that Immersion Mode could have been made more impactful if conversations that advanced STR’s plot were prevented until Lara learned the local dialect through skill-enhancing side missions– similar to the language-learning logics of previous Tomb Raider iterations. Indeed, the fundamental problem with Immersion Mode is its failure to integrate into the gameplay logic, ultimately serving as another example of how the mechanics of STR’s gameplay are at odds with its intent.

STR’s clumsy oscillation between self-awareness and colonialist failure exemplifies why efforts to reform the Tomb Raider franchise are inherently flawed. Games like STR, which are founded in histories of colonial conquest, complicate attempts to eliminate racist and imperialist rhetoric. As Dia Lacina explains, STR had a compelling narrative in Queen Unuratu, who sought to save her people and regain her rightful status as Queen of Paititi. Her storyline was aligned with STR’s promise to provide a more culturally sensitive take on the Tomb Raider universe, but was ultimately not explored in favor of a narrative that focalised Lara. This potential exploration of Indigenous sovereignty and resistance remains overshadowed by the franchise’s preoccupation with foregrounding characters and narratives entrenched in colonialist themes. 

Scholars like Soraya Murray and Chris Patterson have argued that the broader issue lies in the concept of the “adventure,” “exploration,” and “mapping/mastering” narratives that are embedded in popular fiction, and even more so in open-world video games. Colonialism is deeply rooted in the logics of these genres, which is why attempts at self-critique so often fail and will continue to do so. It is important to continue the study of video games as they encourage meaning-making and foster knowledge that is transferable beyond the game (Connolly et al. 665). Indeed, the digital experience frames the non-digital (Caulfield) and we can look to further research for greater insight on how we can decolonise gaming. Only when video games are able to move past their preoccupation with telling White stories, steeped in narratives that reinforce hegemonic hierarchies of power, will the industry be able to create space for the meaningful representation of BIPOC and POC identities.

Works Cited

Breger – Aether, Claudia. “Digital Digs, or Lara Croft Replaying Indiana Jones: Archaeological Tropes and ‘Colonial Loops’ in New Media Narrative.” Aether: The Journal of Media Geography, vol. 33, no. 3, 2008, pp. 242–59.

Cammarota, Julio. “Blindsided by the Avatar: White Saviors and Allies Out of Hollywood and in Education.” Review of Education, Pedagogy, and Cultural Studies, vol. 33, no. 3, July 2011, pp. 242–59. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.1080/10714413.2011.585287.

Caulfield, Mike. “In the Web’s Hyperreality, Information Is Experience.” Hapgood, 20 Nov. 2018, https://hapgood.us/2018/11/20/in-the-webs-hyperreality-information-is-experience/.

Connolly, Thomas M., et al. “A Systematic Literature Review of Empirical Evidence on Computer Games and Serious Games.” Computers & Education, vol. 59, no. 2, Sept. 2012, pp. 661–86. ScienceDirect, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.004.

Core Design. Tomb Raider. Eidos Interactive, 1996, Video Game.

Eidos-Montréal. Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Square Enix, 2018, Video Game.

Graham, Shawn. “An Approach to the Ethics of Archaeogaming.” Internet Archaeology, 2020, https://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue55/2/.

Green, Holly. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the Human Impact of Archaeology.” Paste Magazine, 26 July 2018, https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-and-the-human-impact-of.

Gross, Daniel A. “The Casual Colonialism of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones.” Hyperallergic, 6 Apr. 2018, http://hyperallergic.com/436285/casual-colonialism-lara-croft-indiana-jones/.

Lacina, Dia. “‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’ Tries, but Fails, to Tackle Its Own Colonialism.” VICE, 10 Sept. 2018, https://www.vice.com/en/article/d3jgeq/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-review-tries-but-fails-to-tackle-its-own-colonialism.

Mukuch. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s Immersion Mode Lets You Hear Background Conversations in Native Languages.” Game Spot, 13 June 2018, https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2018-shadow-of-the-tomb-raiders-immersion-mode-/.

Plante, Chris. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s Immersion Mode Is a Big Missed Opportunity.” Polygon, 19 Sept. 2018, https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/10/17841482/shadow-of-the-tomb-raider-immersive-mode.

Reinhard, Andrew. Archaeogaming: An Introduction to Archaeology in and of Video Games. Berghahn Books, 2018, https://www.berghahnbooks.com/title/ReinhardArchaeogaming.

Sicart, Miguel. The Ethics of Computer Games. MIT Press, 2009.