Lara Croft _ Tomb Raider _ Gaming Character Archive #012
Before open worlds became enormous, before cinematic game characters became commonplace, there was a British archaeologist with two pistols, a backpack and an alarming enthusiasm for jumping into ancient ruins.
Lara Croft arrived in Tomb Raider in 1996 and became one of gaming’s defining action-adventure characters, combining exploration, platforming, puzzles and combat in a way that helped establish her as a genuine gaming icon.
Adventuring: 100/100
Puzzle Solving: 96/100
Patience: 85/100
That last one is generous. I’ve seen what happens when there’s a locked door.
I chose Lara because #011 took us right back to the birth of arcade character culture, and Lara gives the Archive a completely different step forward: the mid-1990s transition into recognisable 3D action-adventure protagonists. Tomb Raider released on 25 October 1996, was developed by Core Design, and introduced Lara Croft as an adventurous archaeologist searching for the Scion.
The official Tomb Raider material also describes Lara’s original low-poly model as only 250 polygons, with technical limitations directly influencing her appearance.
Gramepa editorial ratings:
Adventuring — 100
Acrobatics — 98
Puzzle Solving — 96
Combat — 92
Patience — 85
Exploration — 100
