“Deeply unhealthy, unforgivable” Tomb Raider creators no longer accept certain stereotypes

Game news “Deeply unhealthy, unforgivable” Tomb Raider creators no longer accept certain stereotypes

Tomb Raider is one of the most well-known video game licenses, and for good reason, as the first opus was a real revolution in its time. Recently, a remaster of Lara Croft’s first three adventures, called Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, was released to bring it up to date. The story of the adventurer begins in 1996, it was another era and the developers are well aware of it, and for new versions of their flagship titles, they warn.

Recontextualization required

The first three Tomb Raider remasters by Crystal Dynamics and Aspire will be officially released on February 14, 2024. When you launch the game, a message is displayed:

The games in this collection contain derogatory depictions of people and cultures, stemming from racial and ethnic prejudices. These stereotypes are very unhealthy, unforgivable and in no way consistent with the values ​​advocated by Crystal Dynamics.

Instead of removing them, we have chosen to present them here in their original form, with the aim of recognizing their harmful impact and drawing necessary lessons from them.

Morals have changed between the 90’s and today, but Crystal Dynamics still decided to keep the games as they were and therefore not remove content they deemed offensive. Way to not disappoint early fans, and as the developers themselves say, “present it in its original form, in the hope that we can recognize its harmful effect and learn from it”. A kind of testimony to representations that are no longer relevant at all. The paths considered problematic were not given, but for the players, we can cite the first level of the South Pacific zone in the Third Opus published in 1998, where we find a cannibal tribe that shoots poisonous darts with blowguns.

Divided opinions

On various forums and social networks, players are divided. For some, there is no reason to panic, as fans see only two really problematic passages among others: the one in the third opus mentioned above and the presentation of Inuit warrior monks at Tibet in the second. Others think it’s a good idea, that you should be aware of when you play Tomb Raider for the first time today. And finally, some think that with this message, Crystal Dynamics is denying its games and shirking all responsibility. In any case, it’s not unheard of for this type of warning to appear at the start of a new release of slightly dated titles, as it was for the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1.