These videos Conan O’Brian puts together that showcase big releases before they come out are usually hilarious and in some way actually thought provoking. In one that he’d done for Resident Evil 6, without even knowing it, he made important criticisms about player engagement, interaction with the environment and the characters within it.
The videos are a good source of entertainment, blended with enough editorial that you feel you’re getting a sense of the game even though he’s not acting as a reviewer, purely an arm of the advertising.
I have a problem with this recent video made to promote the release of Tomb Raider. It’s just not in line with what I’ve taken from the series in terms of humour. It’s instead an 8 minute long view of the main character as a sexual object.
Conan’s only take away from this experience is to remark on the ways in which Lara Croft has been made to appear attractive.
I don’t think he’s being purposefully sexist, I do think that he’s latched onto a comedic wave and is trying to ride the thing to shore. What’s distressing is that it’s his only lasting comment on the game at all.
How much of this is his own gaze? How much of this is him playing up to the expectation of what a “gamer” would say? How much is Square-Enix at fault? How much of this is a societal problem where our only real commentary on a woman’s abilities is usually in her looks?
It’s distressing that this is considered appropriate or acceptable.
