Not because she's a woman. Not because I want to see something messed up. But because it's good for the medium of videogames.
In videogames, violence has always been whitewashed – it's always been a tool, not an experience. A tool so ingrained in the medium that over time, violence has become an expected norm – Zangief punches Chun-Li, Masterchief blows up an alien, Call of Duty flattens another iconic city.
We gather in Los Angeles every year to see what new explosions of gore and violence the industry's most creative minds are packing up for us in the years to come – and it's always the goddamn same. Innumerable games have players thoughtlessly running superhuman protagonists through thoughtless scenarios and set-pieces, emerging with a thoughtless one-liner without a scratch on their bodies, or a thought of remorse in their heads.
It's boring.
We've gotten so bloodthirsty over the years, everyone has forgotten that witnessing someone getting their head blown off isn't really the default cultural pasttime in most circles. Also, that when people get hurt, they can't actually shrug it off and keep pounding forward.
That was, until we saw Lara Croft pull a piece of steel out of her stomach after an awkward fall.
There should always be something deeply discomforting about the inherently brutal nature of violence. Whether it's seeing your neighbor kick his dog, or witnessing a murderer's lethal injection as a form of retaliation, or even sitting in a darkened concert hall with thousands of other people watching a young woman going through indescribable pain – it's good to have your stomach completely turned by violence.
Videogames haven't done what the newest Tomb Raider game is doing, and the game is still some time away from being released. The debate is already waging away on even the tiniest games forums. Is it right to play a game where the main character is clearly being tortured? Is Square Enix going to tone down the violence? Does this game make anyone else feel uncomfortable?
Yes, it makes lots of people feel uncomfortable. In fact, it probably makes a majority of people feel uncomfortable. Not only because of the overt violence, but also the misogynistic undertones the game presents.
But there's something good about torturing Lara Croft. First, it's important that we, as a society, not forget that violence is abhorrent, messy, and deeply damaging. Not only physically, but psychologically. As a test, if you're a 20-something like me, you probably have friends who are now battle-hardened war veterans. Ask them about their experiences. See if they're excited at the prospect of taking part in further violence. If they're not around anymore, ask their family what they think about violence.
It's important for us to never white-wash violence, or ever forget the true cost of taking someone's life.
Which brings me to the second good thing about Lara's torture – getting people to think about what they're doing is an important facet of a creative work. A piece of entertainment is immeasurably better if it gets someone to question their core experiences and values. I haven't yet played a videogame that made me stop and think about what I'm doing. Never. Not one. I've been playing avidly since I was four years old in 1989.
The violence in Tomb Raider is important because it marks a milestone in the medium. The first game that actually challenges its audience to think about what is acceptable, and what is moral. It asks you to examine who you are, as you are the driving force behind a beautiful young woman's groans of pain. Would you stop playing the game to keep yourself from feeling guilty? Do you feel guilty at all?
I won't say that every game has to make someone think. But, not every game has to be the interactive equivalent of a grindhouse or throwaway genre movie to be fun. There should be some creative works, in every medium, that make you think about things you take for granted. For videogames, Tomb Raider might be the first.
