No 'Rape Scene' in Tomb Raider, Clarifies Crystal Dynamics

[Kinky Kel]

That was a fairly well written, mature look at the subject, not an adolescent knee-jerk reaction which is what is happening in these forums. A good thorough read.

[Agent_Dark]

Another well written rational article from The Escapist's Susan Arendt: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/editorials/op-ed/9747-Get-Back-Up

[Fenryrbr]

Here's an interesting blog post on the subject from a female writer, via Leigh Alexander: http://fruzsinaeordogh.wordpress.com/20 ... e-attempt/

We need to be having more conversations about rape, period, not shying away from them like Kellie suggests. It is highly plausible that an attractive young woman would be raped by her adrenalin-fueled male captors. Writing that does not make me a woman-hater (or a man-hater), I am simply stating the truth, and I have history on my side to prove it. Not only does our inability to have a discussion about rape trivialize rape, but getting mad at a video game for bringing up rape is counter-intuitive and well, anti-women.

When Michael Rougeau noted on Complex that this latest video game controversy was prompting conversations of whether or not “rape is … appropriate subject matter for a game,” I couldn’t help but shout “YES!” Why wouldn’t we talk about rape in video games? Video games are the latest entertainment frontier, making them the perfect platform to tackle such a sticky issue.

Allistar Pinsof wrote on Destructoid he wasn’t sure if video games, let alone Tomb Raider, is ready to depict rape “with respect and honesty.” If no one starts, how can it ever be done well? (...)

It’s safe to say the attempted rape scene in question does not titillate nor does it trivialize rape. (Or else Russell would be concerned) Rather, the scene does the exact opposite: it treats rape with the severity it deserves. The scene even has gravitas: Croft has to literally kill the man to defend herself, and the creators describe it as a turning point in the character’s evolution. It is certainly not what Kellie fears is “torture porn.”

I was incredibly disappointed to learn (which prompted the writing of this post) that the creators have taken back their words in the face of all the online criticism, and are now calling the rape something else. It’s also entirely plausible that they will now remove the offending scene altogether, and will carry on as if nothing ever happened.

My sentiments exactly, though likely written much better. Thanks.

[Drakand]

Here's an interesting blog post on the subject from a female writer, via Leigh Alexander: http://fruzsinaeordogh.wordpress.com/20 ... e-attempt/

We need to be having more conversations about rape, period, not shying away from them like Kellie suggests. It is highly plausible that an attractive young woman would be raped by her adrenalin-fueled male captors. Writing that does not make me a woman-hater (or a man-hater), I am simply stating the truth, and I have history on my side to prove it. Not only does our inability to have a discussion about rape trivialize rape, but getting mad at a video game for bringing up rape is counter-intuitive and well, anti-women.

When Michael Rougeau noted on Complex that this latest video game controversy was prompting conversations of whether or not “rape is … appropriate subject matter for a game,” I couldn’t help but shout “YES!” Why wouldn’t we talk about rape in video games? Video games are the latest entertainment frontier, making them the perfect platform to tackle such a sticky issue.

Allistar Pinsof wrote on Destructoid he wasn’t sure if video games, let alone Tomb Raider, is ready to depict rape “with respect and honesty.” If no one starts, how can it ever be done well? (...)

It’s safe to say the attempted rape scene in question does not titillate nor does it trivialize rape. (Or else Russell would be concerned) Rather, the scene does the exact opposite: it treats rape with the severity it deserves. The scene even has gravitas: Croft has to literally kill the man to defend herself, and the creators describe it as a turning point in the character’s evolution. It is certainly not what Kellie fears is “torture porn.”

I was incredibly disappointed to learn (which prompted the writing of this post) that the creators have taken back their words in the face of all the online criticism, and are now calling the rape something else. It’s also entirely plausible that they will now remove the offending scene altogether, and will carry on as if nothing ever happened.

thanks for that Tim, good support to this discussion thats started.

@agent drak, i'll try and read yours when i'm off my phone at a pc, i like the escapist articles.

[Tim Colwill]

And by the same token, another argument that I agree with, from Dan Whitehead at Eurogamer:

...Interviews with the developer talk about young Lara's "baby fat", her undeveloped physique and the way her clothes will be dirtied and torn, but with the reassurance that she'll still be "sexy". They talk of how players don't want to feel like they are Lara, but how they'll want to "protect her". The unspoken assumption that the player is male, and that Lara is defenceless without him, is worrying and rather pathetic. They've taken arguably the only female gaming superstar able to stand toe-to-toe with the bulging muscles of her male counterparts and turned her into a traumatised waif, a digital girlfriend waiting for her joypad-wielding knight in armour.

In trying to get away from the cartoonishly oversized breasts and tight shorts that once defined Lara's popularity, there's a danger that Crystal Dynamics may have ventured into an even more queasy area where female innocence and weakness become a fetish unto themselves. The notion of breaking the hero before rebuilding them is nothing new, but only when the hero is female does this extra layer of vulnerability and degradation seem to become necessary. The obvious question remains: would Nathan Drake, Marcus Fenix or Master Chief be treated this way, or are their heroic qualities assumed to be built-in without the need for groping hands to unlock them?

It's such an emotive subject that it's easy to let the threads tangle and sprawl in dozens of directions at once, most of them leading to bitter arguments. For me, the heart of the debate isn't in whether or not what we see in the Tomb Raider trailer is too much, or whether an iconic character like Lara should be treated this way. The issue goes deeper than that, right to the heart of the medium we love.

[Bicketybam]

What gets me is the furore over "rape" but no one bats an eyelid at the characters "killing" others.

Of course the next comment is usually "but it's a game it's not real..."

[Tera]

What in the **** is the actual issue here?

Game presents adult themes and people get butt-hurt about it? Why? It's a legitimate medium to tell and engage with a story - "rape" (although 2:20 in the video resembles nothing to close to rape - at all.) is in countless movies, tv shows, books and artworks - why the hell is is too taboo for video games?

Political correctness is **** stupid and I hate this planet.

[Ralph Wiggum]

It's not that the game involves sexuality, or the attempted rape scene itself. It's the implications of the scene itself and the meaning as to why it was put there. The developers have outwardly stated they want the player to feel protective of Lara. They've achieved this through including a 'sexual assault' scene. It can be interpreted that women are weak and can only be empowered through experiencing sexual violence. When was the last time you played a game where a male character became a badass because he was about to sexually assaulted? What can't Lara decide to kick **** because she's a tough woman who chose to be, without having to be forced into it?

Having said that I don't necessarily think the issue is as bad as it's made out to be and I doubt the developers had any malicious intent. You don't have to agree with the argument but at least see it from the other perspective.

[Tera]

It's not that the game involves sexuality, or the attempted rape scene itself. It's the implications of the scene itself and the meaning as to why it was put there. The developers have outwardly stated they want the player to feel protective of Lara. They've achieved this through including a 'sexual assault' scene. It can be interpreted that women are weak and can only be empowered through experiencing sexual violence. When was the last time you played a game where a male character became a badass because he was about to sexually assaulted? What can't Lara decide to kick **** because she's a tough woman who chose to be, without having to be forced into it?

Because this is how the developers decided to make THEIR game. They are the ones telling the story and if this is how they wish to portray Lara then more power to them.

[Sathias]

What gets me is the furore over "rape" but no one bats an eyelid at the characters "killing" others.

Of course the next comment is usually "but it's a game it's not real..."


[ http://www.bicketybam.id.au/smileys/images/emotions/smiley_hmmm_02.gif ]

To me the main issue would be how it affects people playing the game that might have been through that experience. The subset of players who have been directly affected by rape would be much larger than those directly affected by being killed, obviously.

As a result it comes down to how gratuitous the scene is. If the scene has been added for the sole reason of making the player become emotionally invested in the game it is probably unnecessary and not a core part of the storyline.

Usually death in games is handled the same way as in action movies. Shoot baddie, baddie falls over dead. You can't create that sort of disconnection with the grisy consequences with rape. When death is handled in a similarly graphic way, it is just as controversial. Eg Manhunt, or the terrorist scene in COD:MW

[frigidhell]

I've read all the posts from the first page down to the last (3rd for now) and what intrigued me was the use of the word "rape."

Watching the video posted by one of the users here, the word "rape" isn't even applicable to the scene.