Introducing the NEW Lara Croft

ElysiumGX

A page from my little brother's Xbox magazine caught my attention, so I stole it. I own a couple of the tomb raider games, even the most recent. But I haven't installed it. I'm not too impressed with Core's decision to persistently advertise a gun slinging polygonal brainless barbie doll.

http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/tr7/laracroft_model.html

The new Lara, in comparison to past, shows to have a hint of a personality and intelligence in her design. And also, the tools along her belt actually represent her inventory. I applaud the new studio for their direction. The new game itself appears to be settling with the environments and atmosphere found in the early games. Oh, and they finally took the torpedo's out of her tanktop. Good thing, they were ready to detonate at any moment. Personally, I like her. I like the personality she depicts in the screenshots. I love the style of the character...iconic as a caricature, but just enough realism to fool you into believing she's alive. Softer due to better tech, but still a stong adventurer. I'm very optimistic about this game. Here's some screenshots, along with a comparison of the three Laras. I still laugh at the fact her shorts have gotten shorter.

http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/04/05/screens_6121700.html?page=1
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/04/05/screens_6121700.html?page=2

http://www.tombraiderchronicles.com/tr7/laracroft_model.html

http://www.planetlara.com/tombraider7/tr7_screenshots.asp

http://kotaku.com/gaming/playstation-2/first-look-the-new-lara-croft-037768.php

I talk enough trash on this forum as is, so what do you guys and gals think?

swampbug

I like her body... I think her face is nothing special. Aside from the overall generic feel to it, They gave her NO EXPRESSION which makes the presentation just dull. Not even a raised sexy eyebrow. pttttttttttt.

I do really like all the detail like her water bottles etc..

rawkstar

GENERIC... man why do people even do this when they can normal map those BOOOOBIES!!!!?!?!??!?! GIVE HER SOME NIPPLES and a GOOOOOOOOOD friggin face, this looks like one of those American EQ2 shots....

PaK

Does anyone plan on checking this game out? I'd like to know who would be interested in playing this game. I think I will.

-R

TomDunne

Lara Croft in front of an American flag? What is that about?

Eli_Heuer

My thoughts exactly Mr. Rockstar.

rooster

huh, I always thought she was english

Daz

You cant normal map boobies on the PS2 you nonces!

Anyway yeah, what Verm said. American flag wtf? Lara Croft is famously English. Weird.

A close mate of mine is on the team as it happens.
As for how she looks, massive improvememnt, and still in keeping with her core identity. The face could have been pushed a little more I agree.

pogonip

I cant understand why they just didnt cyber scan Angelina Jolie ??? Why dont they just make a very realistic Angelina she is Lara !!! It seems like a game that they should be able to easily make a good game from but they always mess it up

FunkaDelicDass

If we wanted to use Angelina's likeness in the game, we would need her permission. I don't know the details, but the idea of using her likeness was considered, and for some reason it didn't happen.

RageUnleashed

I'm just glad there is any improvement. Now they just need to drastically change her outfit imho.

sundance

i thought lara croft died...

that top is horrible, they shoulda just given her the usual t-shirt or a crop top...

models nice tho...

skankerzero

[ QUOTE ]
I like her body... I think her face is nothing special. Aside from the overall generic feel to it, They gave her NO EXPRESSION which makes the presentation just dull. Not even a raised sexy eyebrow. pttttttttttt.

I do really like all the detail like her water bottles etc..

[/ QUOTE ]

Often times, at this stage of a game, the facial animations aren't implemented. That's mostly the caase here it seems.

shotgun

Sure the old one kinda sucks in todays standarts,
but it was better.
Lara croft model, at least in my eyes, is perceived like Teh perfect female model. Sick sick anatomy. And this one seems to have some flaws and just doesnt match up to models like the final fantasy models, or all those crazy korean/japanese oriented artists.

There is something about her that really reminds me of Gwot's UT models.. this chick I skinned once.

haha that last sentence reads funny

Weiser_Cain

Looks like something I could do(not a good thing). She looks primitive, like they've still got one foot in playstation days. Now I was never a fan of the tomb raider game or the idea of laura croft but this could have been so much better. Also note the weird way her shirt dips in the front and back?

Rick Stirling

Quite yer bitchin' and nit picking - this is top stuff.

hawken

I wouldn't look at this mantle peice while stoking the fire

rolfness

EWWWW ..

I personally dont like it. And wtf is with the flag?

Things I dont like :-

She looks like a walking toolbox way too cluttered, Its well done but I think its a bad direction. you dont see gordon from HL or the master chief from halo with 20 attachments.

As a character design shes lost it all (as in character) the older version was lower poly but was more recognisable and had a much simpler and stronger image. This looks muddled. The colour palette looks very dull, her top should have kept that greenish colour, it was one of the key identifiers with her character. This version is like batman wearing pink leotards (sorry thats a bit harsh).

The face is way too generic looking, and it kinda looks like mariah carey to me and thats just so eww on so many levels.


But meh I do not know why I rambled so much on this, its just my opinion, but I loved TR I&II and its probably why.

_Shimmer

i think she looks very very boring and generic.
I liked the old version from lara croft better characterwise but was outdated and to unrealstic ( c´mon girls with that boobies cant run aroung all the time and climb and swing and do this extreme sporty activities).

I would like to keep the old look, rebuild it and push some proportions around. And kinda, i want to see her older and not that perfect all the time. It does not make any sense that this women never has wrinkles and such.

KMan

A big improvement, and less on the massiveness on the rumbling jumblys. Face only looks marginally better. They perhaps had a more extreme change made, but were told to meet somewhere in the middle so that they didn't totally alienate themselves from the audience. She's almost starting to look like Keira Nightly or whatever her name is.

KDR_11k

I prefer that look, the old one looked like a relic from the early days of CG where terms like Sub-Surface Scattering were at most footnotes in physics lexica. If that's alienating the Core audience, perhaps they should have cut ties with the old franchise and let the character rot away. It's not like putting the Tomb Raider name on a game will help it these days.

Mojo2k

new one looks good, and i'm a fan of the changes made, and of the things kept the same,

Frank

Why is she wearing hotpants?

Frank the Avenger

gauss

[ QUOTE ]
Why is she wearing hotpants?

Frank the Avenger

[/ QUOTE ]

as it comes up again and again... the question is not why, the question is why not?

sledgy

I'm glad she waxes. Imagine "french" style with those shortys.

joolz8000

I'm all for the hotpants. The breasts have changed a lot- more realistic. Maybe that's good. I'm not sure. I agree with all the face claims- generic. Does anyone else think her calves look wonky? The muscles seem too high- there should be a more gradual taper from the knee. But I like the overall size there. Overall I think she's okay, though a little dull. I think I prefered the previous version slightly.

AstroZombie

I don't like it. She has none of the style that the original did. Now she kind of looks like a Jill Valentine in less clothes wananabe to me.

JonMurphy

Now, those are some chunky calves for such slender knees.

ScoobyDoofus

I suppose I'm in the minority here, but I like it better than any of the previous incarnations. I like the face, although they need to give her some expression.
Yes I feel the calves are a wee bit thick though.

Lore

Jon Murphy, I was thinking the same thing. They need to check the proportions on her legs. Either beef up the thighs or shriek those large calf’s. There is no reason for those thighs as the socks and boots are their own geometry. But the top portion is good. The breasts are more natural looking instead of looking like floatation devices. Which isn't a bad feature


http://www.planetlara.com/picview.asp?file=tombraider7/TombRaiderLegend_April12_011.jpg
http://www.planetlara.com/picview.asp?file=tombraider7/TombRaiderLegend_April12_012.jpg

What the hell is this? Pelvic thrusts?

War_Destroyer

I think she needs to look more like Angelina Jolie. I like Angelina Jolie, she's got HUGE LIPS!!!!

JKMakowka

I got TombRaider4 the Angel of Darkness for free with my soundcard (Audigy2ZS), and I didn't even bother to install it once....

...and the new one doesn't look any better

Mojo2k

not a fan of angelina jolie, and seems like peope are having a hard time now realizing that jolie was PLAYING the character in a movie, and not that the character is suposed to be jolie, i still think this is hte best looking incarnation, i never liked the previous styles much at all.

snemmy

looks better than the original. though i have to wonder why her boots are modeled to the the nines and yet her (way too short to go running through hazardous enviroments) shorts and (offers no protection) shirt look like they are part of the skin (minus the sleves of course). and it looks like she has nothing but the little tube top under the shirt supporting her breasts.

acc

I think she looks like something out of a game 4 years ago. I'm not impressed at all. Rather, it's actually shocking. The proportions look ridiculous, the poly density is noticeably uneven, and what is up with that face?

Call me a cynic but I don't know what they're thinking. Then again, I've never known. Lara's always looked pretty bad to me; even with the bazookas.

SouL

Ahaha damn. They beat me to it.
I was going to make my own version of Lara Croft.

Mojo2k

they made your own version of laura croft?

cause if you mean they made A laura croft model then i think they have beaten you to it by quiet a few years

mr.toast

even though the last one was hotter, i would still hit it

moose

i always thought Lara Croft's main selling point was her ass, not her tits. if thats so.... they did a nice job on the new version.

i do like it though, its a hot chick in hot pants and a hot top who has guns.