Lara Croft Girl

Lara Crt has become a sex symbol for video games, despite Toby Gard's intentions for her to be sexy "only because her power". Time magazine's Kristina Dell considered her the first sex symbol video games. Schedeen stated that Lara Crt is among the first video game icons to be accepted as a mainstream sex symbol. Robert Ashley Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine described Lara Crt as the first video game character openly thought as sexy, and attributed the appearance similar 3D characters to her. Publications like Play, GameTrailers, and PlayStation Magazine listed big breasts as one the character's most famous attributes. After interviewing players in 1998, Griffiths commented that players regularly mention Lara Crt's breasts when discussing her. In 2008, the character was ranked first and second on two UGO Networks lists hottest video game characters. GameDaily placed Lara Crt number one on a similar list that same year, and PlayStation: The Official Magazine awarded her honorable mention for Game Babe the Year. Lara Crt has appeared in several issues Play's Girls Gaming special and PlayStation Magazine's Swimsuit special. Layouts portray the character partially nude, in bikinis, and in revealing cocktail dresses, though Tomb Raider: Underworld's creative director Eric Lindstrom criticized such poses as out character. He further stated that they conflict with Lara Crt's popular strengths, and felt that fans respond more strongly to images the character dressed more conservatively than to ones with provocative poses. PlayStation Magazine's staff agreed, commenting that better use the character's sex appeal would please fans more.
Male players have performed in-game actions to make Lara Crt repeatedly say phrases and view closer camera angles her bust, while pornography featuring the character has been distributed via the internet. After the first game's release, rumours appeared on the internet about a cheat code to remove the character's clothes. Despite Core Design's denial such a code in video game publications, the rumour persisted, fueled by manipulated images that depicted Lara Crt nude. The rumour lingered by the time Legend was released. PlayStation Magazine featured an April Fool's parody Lara Crt and the rumoured nude code, creating a character "Valkyrie Wilde", referred to as "Nude Raider" and clothed solely in gun holsters and belt. Fans developed stware patches to remove Lara Crt's clothing in the personal computer releases Tomb Raider.
Reaction from groups have been mixed. Zoe Flowers 1UP.com described Lara Crt as the personification an "ongoing culture clash over gender, sexuality, empowerment, and objectification". The journal Leonardo noted some feminists' negative reaction to her design; though males were identifying with their feminine side through Crt, she constituted a "female Frankenstein" that reinforced unrealistic ideals about the female body. Angelina Jolie felt that the character's unrealistic proportions gave young girls the wrong impression about what they should look like. Australian feminist scholar Germaine Greer criticized her as the embodiment male fantasies in her book The Whole Woman, calling her a "sergeant-major with balloons stuffed up his shirt". PlayStation Magazine staff commented that Lara Crt could be seen as either a role model for young independent girls or the embodiment a male adolescent fantasy, though later stated that the character does little to help attract female demographics and was obviously designed with a male audience in mind. The editors also criticized Core Design's hypocritical attempts to downplay the character's sex appeal in public statements while releasing advertisements that prominently featured Lara Crt's sexuality. Graphic artist Heather Gibson attributed the "sexism" to participation from Eidos's marketing department.
Author Mark Cohen attributed Lara Crt's eroticism among male fans to the character's appearance and a male protective instinct. German psychologist Oscar Holzberg described the protective behaviour as the result the opportunity to act as a hero in virtual worlds and a fear powerful, emancipated women. Jonathan Smith Arcade: The Videogame Magazine similarly noted that male players ten see themselves as "chivalrous protectors" while playing the game. Holzberg further stated that the lower psychological investment inherent to virtual characters is more comfortable for males. Cohen affirmed that despite blatant male appeal, Crt garnered a serious female audience. Eidos estimated by 2000, female consumers comprised 20–25 percent Tomb Raider game purchases. Jeremy Smith argued that Tomb Raider attracted more female players to video gaming, especially in Japan. Smith believed that Crt does not alienate prospective female players, representing an emancipated heroine and not simply an attractive character. According to Adrian Smith, the character was also popular with younger demographics that did not view her sexually. Cohen reasoned that Lara Crt differs from other erotic characters and attractive leads, as the Tomb Raider game series also featured rich action, impressive graphics, and intelligent puzzles; other such characters were unsuccessful because the game content was lacking. Amy Hennig developer Naughty Dog and Griffiths echoed similar statements. GamesRadar editor Justin Toweel nonetheless commented that he couldn't imagine a Tomb Raider game without a sexualized female lead.