This will be a unique story for us to write, so we need to give some context to it all. Humanity is nothing if not arrogant regarding what it feels it can “get away with” and how it can “showcase things it knows little about.” It’s these kinds of beliefs that have led to stereotypical depictions of various races throughout media for over a hundred years. Movies, TV shows, and, yes, video games have all partaken in this, and society has tried to do better once they were called out for it. The Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered collection is one such title that is a “product of the times,” and Crystal Dynamics wants you to be keenly aware of that.
For those who don’t know, the Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered titles were released in the mid-1990s, when depictions of key races and people were FAR from proper or even fair. You might even be fair in calling it “racist” or even a “slur” based on how things were depicted. As such, Crystal Dynamics released a statement that ComicBook.com saw that highlights how things aren’t how they should’ve been, and they’re only releasing the content “as is” because they want people to learn from it:
“The games in this collection contain offensive depictions of people and cultures rooted in racial and ethnic prejudices. These stereotypes are deeply harmful, inexcusable, and do not align with our values at Crystal Dynamics. Rather than removing this content, we have chosen to present it here in its original form, unaltered, in the hopes that we may acknowledge its harmful impact and learn from it.”
If you’re curious about what they’re referring to, there is an island that Lara Croft goes to within the trilogy that highlights native people of a non-modern variety who are depicted as cannibals, among other stereotypes of “native, wild people.”
While we applaud Crystal Dynamics for pointing this out, especially since they didn’t make these original titles in the 90s, you have to wonder if this is “enough.” After all, they’re still releasing the content, and that shows that they think it would make money in its remastered form, even with these issues attached. Plus, other people in other media have gone the route of completely removing offensive things to ensure that past “woes” aren’t brought up again.
As in all things, it’s about perspective and what “people think are best.” But, for now, we can at least appreciate their attempt to do right by past sins.
