Editing Lara Croft (section)

== Character development history ==
[[File:Neneh Cherry.jpg|thumb|upright|Swedish pop artist [[Neneh Cherry]] was an early inspiration to Lara Croft's creation.]]
[[Core Design]], a subsidiary of Eidos,{{efn|In 1994, [[CentreGold]] acquired the [[Derby]]-based video game developer Core Design. Eidos subsequently acquired CentreGold in April 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/ |title="It felt like robbery": Tomb Raider and the fall of Core Design — Page 1 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=31 March 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126210720/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/ |archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref>}} created Lara Croft as the lead protagonist of its video game ''Tomb Raider'', which began development in 1994.<ref name=":1" /> Lead graphic artist [[Toby Gard]] went through about five designs before arriving at the character's final appearance.<ref name="guardian">{{cite news |last=Howson |first=Greg |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2006/apr/18/larascreators1 |title=Lara's creator speaks |newspaper=The Guardian |date=18 April 2006 |access-date=2 December 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928050731/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2006/apr/18/larascreators1 |archive-date=28 September 2013}}</ref> He initially envisioned a male lead character with a whip and a hat. Core Design co-founder Jeremy Smith characterised Gard's initial design as derivative of [[Indiana Jones (character)|Indiana Jones]] and asked for more originality.<ref name="dvd-doc">{{cite video |people=[[Toby Gard|Gard, Toby]]; Smith, Jeremy Heath; [[Ian Livingstone|Livingstone, Ian]] (interviews); [[Keeley Hawes|Hawes, Keeley]] (narrator) |title=Unlock the Past: A Retrospective Tomb Raider Documentary |medium=Tomb Raider Anniversary Bonus DVD |publisher=[[Eidos Interactive]] / [[GameTap#GameTap TV|GameTap]] |date=2007}} Also known as ''[[Ten Years of Tomb Raider: A GameTap Retrospective]]''</ref> Gard decided that a female character would work better from a design standpoint.<ref name="guardian"/> He also cited ''[[Virtua Fighter (video game)|Virtua Fighter]]'' as an influence; Gard noticed that while watching people play the game, players selected one of the two available female characters in the game almost every match he saw.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Thomason |first=Steve |title=The Man Behind the Legend |magazine=[[Nintendo Power]] |volume=19 |issue=205 |date=July 2006 |page=72}} cf. {{cite interview |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/1410480.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021215074846/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1410480.stm |title=Q&A: The man who made Lara |first=Toby |last=Gard |subject-link1=Toby Gard |work=[[BBC News Online]] |publisher=[[BBC]] |date=28 June 2001 |access-date=12 July 2016 |archive-date=15 December 2002 |url-status=live| quote=It became clear to me watching people play ''Virtua Fighter'', which was kind of the first big 3D-character console game, that even though there were only two female characters in the lineup, in almost every game I saw being played, someone was picking one of the two females.}}</ref> Gard expressed a desire to counter stereotypical female characters, which he has characterised as "bimbos" or "dominatrix" types.<ref name="gamed">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/the-man-behind-lara/ |title=The Man Behind Lara |publisher=[[GameDaily]] |first=Robin |last=Yang |date=27 July 2007 |access-date=5 February 2010 |archive-date=10 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110160127/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/the-man-behind-lara/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Smith was sceptical of a female lead at first because few contemporary games featured them.<ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros">{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Highscore |pages=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/21 21–22] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/21}}</ref> He came to regard a female lead as a great hook and put faith in Gard's idea.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros"/> Inspired by pop artist [[Neneh Cherry]] and comic book character [[Tank Girl]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://games.uk.msn.com/gaming/photos/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155890637&page=3 |title=Neneh Cherry – Weird celebrity gaming facts. |author=Verity Burns |publisher=MNS games |date=14 April 2011 |access-date=1 September 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110418142209/http://games.uk.msn.com/gaming/photos/photos.aspx?cp-documentid=155890637&page=3 |archive-date=18 April 2011}}</ref> Gard experimented with different designs, including "sociopathic blonds, muscle women, flat topped hip-hopsters and a Nazi-like militant in a baseball cap".<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Lara Croft: The Art of Virtual Seduction |first=Mark |last=Cohen |publisher=[[Crown Publishing Group|Prima Publishing]] |isbn=978-0-7615-2696-4 |date=24 April 2000 |chapter=Highscore |page=[https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/6 6] |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/laracroftartofvi00mark/page/6}}</ref> He settled on a tough South American latina woman with a braid named Laura Cruz.<ref name="IGNhistory"/>  

Tomb Raider co-creator Paul Douglas changed her given name after consulting a baby names book, "Lara had a more interesting derivation than Laura so we chose that. Lara is from the same derivation as Larisa. Which is derived from [[Larissa]] in Greece. Which means “citadel”. I thought that would be apt for her personality—enigmatic and guarded."  Her surname was changed by scriptwriter Vicky Arnold later in development, "Cruz was changed to Croft quite a bit later in the project by Vicky. That came out of the Derby phonebook. Cruz was Spanish/Portuguese for Cross and it wasn’t too far from Cross to Croft. We must have stuck with the Cruz surname for a while as we got into the rut of referring to her as just Lara. In the first game design doc, dated December 1994, Laura is already changed to Lara but even in the final game design documents there are still places where Cruz hadn’t yet changed to Croft."<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Baxter |first=Daryl |title=The Making of Tomb Raider |publisher=White Owl |year=2021 |isbn=978-1399002059}}</ref> Along with the name change, the character's backstory was altered to incorporate a British origin.<ref name="IGNhistory" /><ref name="GWR08">{{cite book |title=Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008 |date=11 March 2008 |publisher=Guinness |isbn=978-1-904994-21-3 |editor=Glenday, Craig |series=[[Guinness World Records]] |pages=[https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0/page/58 58–59] |chapter=Record Breaking Games: Tomb Raider |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/guinnessworldrec00guin_0/page/58}}</ref>

Gard was keen to animate the character realistically, an aspect he felt the industry at the time had disregarded.<ref name="guardian" /> He sacrificed quick animations in favour of more fluid movement, believing that players would empathise with the character more easily.<ref name="Arcade-1" /><ref name="guardian" /> Lara's dual-wielding of pistols was inspired by the film ''[[Hard Boiled]]'' and an ''[[Æon Flux]]'' short.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Thorpe |first1=Nick |last2=Jones |first2=Darran |date=December 2016 |title=Creating Tomb Raider |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=163 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |page=24}}</ref> In the first ''Tomb Raider'', Croft's [[3D computer graphics|three-dimensional]] (3D) [[3D modeling|character model]] is made of around 230&nbsp;[[Polygon (computer graphics)|polygons]].<ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros" /> The character's braid was removed from the model, but added back for subsequent iterations.<ref name="IGNhistory" /> Gavin Rummery, programmer on the first two ''Tomb Raider'' games, explained: "It had been dropped from the original because it just didn't work properly with all the acrobatic moves—it was more like she had an electric eel attached to her head that had a life of its own. But on TRII I came up with a way to get it working and was really pleased how natural it looked".<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Thorpe |first1=Nick |last2=Jones |first2=Darran |date=December 2016 |title=20 Years of an Icon: Tomb Raider |magazine=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=163 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |pages=16–29}}</ref> Although widely reported that, while adjusting the character model, Gard accidentally increased the breasts' dimensions by 150 percent and the rest of the creative team argued to keep the change, Gard has stated that the notion "came out of a silly remark made in an interview".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Faber |first1=Liz |title=Computer Game Graphics |date=1999 |publisher=Watson-Guptill |page=89}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cassidy |first=Ruth |date=2021 |title=Debunking The Myth That Lara Croft's Design Was The Result Of A Bug |url=https://www.thegamer.com/tomb-raider-lara-croft-design-bug-myth-2/}}</ref> Core Design hired [[Shelley Blond]] to voice Croft after the game entered the [[Software release life cycle|beta phase of development]].<ref name="IGNhistory" /> Gard left Core Design after completing ''Tomb Raider'', citing a lack of creative freedom and control over marketing decisions related to the ideas he developed (especially Lara Croft).<ref name="Arcade-1" /><ref name="IGNhistory" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/interview-with-toby-gard |title=Interview with Toby Gard |first=David |last=Jenkins |website=Gamasutra |date=23 October 1998 |access-date=11 February 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511164426/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/131700/interview_with_toby_gard.php |archive-date=11 May 2015}}</ref>

Core Design improved and modified the character with each installment.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="CVG-2008"/> Developers for ''Tomb Raider II'' increased the number of polygons in the character's model and added more realistic curves to its design.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="PSM-1-Preview">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Tomber Raider 2 Preview |pages=44–45 |issue=1 |date=September 1997}}</ref> Other changes included new outfits and manoeuvres.<ref name="PSM-1-Preview"/> Core Design reportedly planned to implement crawling as a new gameplay option, but the option did not appear until ''Tomb Raider III''.<ref name="PSM-1-Preview"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Tomber Raider III: Prima's Official Strategy Guide |first=Kip |last=Ward |year=1998 |publisher=Prima Publishing |location=Rocklin, California |page=5 |isbn=0-7615-1858-4}}</ref> Actress Judith Gibbins took over voice acting responsibilities and stayed on through the third game.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> For ''Tomb Raider III'', the developers increased the number of polygons in Croft's 3D model to about 300, and introduced more abilities to the gameplay.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="VirtSed-SmithBros"/> Core Design wanted to reintroduce the character to players in ''Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation'' and included a flashback scenario with a younger Lara. The developers expanded the character's set of moves threefold to allow more interaction with the environment, like swinging on ropes and kicking open doors.<ref name="GI-78">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation Feature |pages=20–21 |issue=78 |date=October 1999}}</ref> The character model was altered to feature more realistic proportions, and Jonell Elliott replaced Gibbins as the voice of Lara Croft.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="IGNhistory"/> By the time development for ''The Last Revelation'' began, Core Design had worked on the series constantly for four years and the staff felt they had exhausted their creativeness. Feeling the series lacked innovation, Core Design decided to kill the character and depicted Croft trapped by a [[cave-in]] during the final scenes of the game.<ref name="IGNhistory"/>

The next title, ''Tomb Raider Chronicles'', depicted the late Lara Croft via her friends' flashbacks.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> The game introduced stealth attacks, which would carry over to the next game, ''Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness''.<ref name="CVG-2008"/> While the original development team worked on ''Chronicles'', Core Design assigned a new team to develop ''The Angel of Darkness'' for the [[PlayStation 2]].<ref name="IGNhistory"/> Anticipating innovative changes from [[Fifth generation of video game consoles|next-generation consoles]], Adrian Smith—co-founder of Core Design—wanted to reinvent the character to keep pace with the updated technology.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=7 Years of PSM |pages=37–38 |issue=88 |date=September 2004}}</ref> Core Design conducted market research, including fan polls, to aid in ''The Angel of Darkness''{{'}} development. The development team felt it could not alter the character and instead opted to place her in a situation different from previous games.<ref name="OPM-63-Lara">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |issue=63 |date=December 2002 |title=Spin: Where's Lara |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |page=65 |first=Karen |last=Jones}}</ref> The PlayStation 2 hardware allowed for more manoeuvres and a more detailed character model; the number of polygons in Croft's model increased to 4,400.<ref name="PSM-68-Preview">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=Tomber Raider: Out of the Darkness |pages=41–46 |issue=68 |date=February 2003}}</ref><ref name="GI-146"/> The team sought to add more melee manoeuvres to better match Lara Croft's portrayal as an expert fighter in her backstory.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> Movement control was switched from the directional pad to the analogue control stick to provide more precision.<ref name="PSM-68-Preview"/> After the original team finished ''Chronicles'', it joined the development of ''The Angel of Darkness''. Excess content, missed production deadlines, and Eidos' desire to time the game's launch to coincide with the release of the 2003 ''Tomb Raider'' film resulted in what was criticized as a poorly designed game; Croft was brought back to life without explanation and the character controls lacked precision.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="OPM-93">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]] |author=Staff |title=Hype – Tomb Raider: Legend |pages=54–55 |issue=93 |date=June 2005}}</ref>

=== Developer switch to Crystal Dynamics ===
[[File:Toby Gard - E3 2005.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=A short-haired man with a beard standing in front of an advertisement poster. The man wears glasses and a light brown jacket over a brown top.|[[Toby Gard]], Lara Croft's original designer, left [[Core Design]] in 1997, but returned to work with [[Crystal Dynamics]] as a consultant.]]
''The Angel of Darkness'' was received poorly, prompting Eidos—fearing financial troubles{{efn|Eidos sought another company to acquire it due to poor financial health in 2004, in a response to which it was acquired by [[SCi Games]] the year after.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/3/ |title="It felt like robbery": Tomb Raider and the fall of Core Design — PAge 3 |website=[[Ars Technica]] |date=31 March 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126210813/http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2015/03/it-felt-like-robbery-tomb-raider-and-the-fall-of-core-design/3/ |archive-date=26 November 2016}}</ref>}} from another unsuccessful game—to give development duties for future titles to [[Crystal Dynamics]], another Eidos subsidiary.<ref name="OPM-93"/><ref name="PSM-77">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |author=Staff |title=The Next Tomb Raider |pages=57–60 |issue=77 |date=November 2003}}</ref> The ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' development team began work on a new title (''Tomb Raider: Legend''), which would essentially reboot the franchise, significantly changing her origin story, with Toby Gard returning to work as a consultant.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="GI-146">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend Preview |pages=80–81 |issue=146 |date=June 2005}}</ref> The development team reassessed the brand value of the franchise and its protagonist. Chip Blundell, Eidos's vice-president of brand management, commented that the designers understood that fans saw the character and brand as their own, rather than Eidos's.<ref name="OPM-93"/> With that in mind, the team retooled the franchise and character to emphasise aspects of the original game that made them unique.<ref name="OPM-93"/><ref name="GI-148">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider Legend Preview |page=87 |issue=148 |date=August 2005}}</ref> The storyline intended for a trilogy of games that started with ''The Angel of Darkness'' was abandoned and a new plot was created for ''Legend''.<ref name="OPM-93"/>

Crystal Dynamics focused on believability rather than realism to re-develop the character, posing decisions around the question, "What could Lara do?", and giving her action more freedom.<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=October 2008 |issue=11 |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |page=48 |first=Gary |last=Steinman}}</ref> The designers updated Lara Croft's move set to make her movements appear more fluid and continuous. The animations were also updated so the character could better interact with environmental objects.<ref name="GI-146"/> The developers introduced a feature that causes the character's skin and clothing to appear wet after swimming and dirty after rolling on the ground.<ref name="GI-146"/><ref name="PSM-105">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine|PlayStation Magazine]] |publisher=[[US Imagine Publishing]] |first=Kaiser |last=Hwang |title=Tomb Raider: Legend Preview |pages=44–45 |issue=105 |date=Winter 2005}}</ref> Responding to criticism directed at the character controls in ''The Angel of Darkness'', Crystal Dynamics redesigned the character's control scheme to provide what it felt was the best third-person action experience.<ref name="OPM-93"/> The developers also introduced close-quarter melee manoeuvres.<ref name="PTOM-3">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=January 2008 |issue=3 |title=Tomb Raider 8 Preview |pages=20–22 |first=Randy |last=Nelson}}</ref> Crystal Dynamics updated the character model to add more realism, but retained past design elements.<ref name="GI-146"/><ref name="PSM-105"/> The polygon count increased to over 9,800. More attention was paid to the character's lip synching and facial expressions to allow for dynamic emotional responses to in-game events.<ref name="GI-146"/> In redesigning the character's appearance, Crystal Dynamics updated Croft's hairstyle, wardrobe, and accessories. Her shirt was changed to a V-neck crop top, her body was given more muscle tone, and her hair braid was switched to a ponytail.<ref name="PCGamer-166"/><ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="OPM-93"/> The voice actor for Lara Croft was initially rumoured to be [[Rachel Weisz]], but the role was eventually given to [[Keeley Hawes]].<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/news/rachel-weisz-voice-lara-croft |title=Rachel Weisz to Voice Lara Croft? |first=Scott |last=Sharkey |website=1UP.com |date=12 January 2006 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=17 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017081854/http://www.1up.com/news/rachel-weisz-voice-lara-croft |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/news/news-snips-0224 |title=News Snips 02/24 |author=Staff |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |date=23 February 2006 |access-date=9 March 2010 |archive-date=15 January 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115033913/http://www.edge-online.com/news/news-snips-0224/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Crystal Dynamics retained the design changes for the next game, ''Tomb Raider: Anniversary'', a remake of the first game.<ref name="IGNhistory"/><ref name="GI-165-Preview">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider Anniversary Preview |pages=72–73 |issue=165 |date=January 2007}}</ref> The designers aimed to portray Croft with more emotional depth, and focused on the character's desire to achieve the end goal of the game, culminating in killing one of the antagonists. The developers used the death to evoke guilt in Croft afterward and illustrate that shooting a person should be a difficult choice.<ref>{{cite video game |title=Tomb Raider: Anniversary |developer=Crystal Dynamics |publisher=Eidos Interactive |date=2007 |level=Natla's Mine commentary}}</ref>

[[File:Keeley Hawes phone pic 08.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A blond haired woman in a white dress facing right with a large group of people in the background.|[[Keeley Hawes]] portrayed Lara in the most games, starting with ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'' in 2006.]]
''Tomb Raider: Underworld'' continued the plot line established in ''Legend''.<ref name="CVG-2008"/> Crystal Dynamics used new technology to improve the character for [[Seventh generation of video game consoles|seventh-generation consoles]], focusing on improving realism. The dirt accumulation and water cleansing [[Game mechanics|mechanic]] from ''Legend'' was altered to be a [[Real-time computer graphics|real-time]] mechanic that can involve the entire game environment.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="Play-GoG5-5">{{cite journal |journal=[[Play (US magazine)|Play Magazine Presents Girls of Gaming]] |title=The Evolution of an Icon |issue=5 |publisher=Fusion Publishing |author=Staff |year=2008|volume=5}}</ref><ref name="GI-183">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |pages=74–75 |issue=183 |date=July 2008}}</ref> To achieve a more natural appearance, the developers added [[spherical harmonics]] to provide indirect lighting to in-game objects like Lara Croft.<ref name="GI-183"/> Crystal Dynamics made the character model more complex and detailed than previous instalments, featuring more texture layers that determine the appearance of shadows and reflective light on it, and using [[skeletal animation]] to portray believable movement.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> The number of polygons in the model increased to 32,000.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/06/lara-croft_3a00_-the-evolution.aspx?PostPageIndex=5 |title=Lara Croft: The Evolution |magazine=Game Informer |first=Meagan |last=Marie |date=7 December 2010 |access-date=27 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211051905/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/06/lara-croft_3a00_-the-evolution.aspx?PostPageIndex=5 |archive-date=11 December 2010}}</ref> The developers enhanced Croft's facial model by increasing the number of polygons, bones used in the animation skeleton, and graphical shaders in the face to add more detail and expressive capabilities. The hair was created as a real-time cloth [[Computer simulation|simulation]] to further add realism to its shape and movement. The developers kept Croft's hair tied back because they felt a real person would not want it flying around while performing dangerous manoeuvres.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> The character's body size was increased and breast size reduced to portray more realistic proportions.<ref name="CVG-2008"/>

The developers tried to redefine Lara Croft's actions by questioning what they felt the character was capable of.<ref name="GI-178">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |pages=66–67 |issue=178 |date=February 2008}}</ref> While previous games used hand-animated movement for the character, ''Underworld'' introduced [[motion capture]]-based animation to display more fluid, realistic movement and facial expressions.<ref name="CVG-2008"/><ref name="GI-183"/><ref name="PTOM-9">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PlayStation: The Official Magazine]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |date=August 2008 |issue=9 |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld Preview |page=48 |first=Rob |last=Smith}}</ref> Stuntwoman and Olympic Gold medalist Heidi Moneymaker was the motion capture actress, and advised the designers on practical movements.<ref name="CVG-2008"/> Animators adjusted and blended the recorded animation to create seamless transitions between the separate moves and their simultaneous combinations.<ref name="GI-178"/><ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld |page=95 |author=Staff |date=Christmas 2008 |issue=196}}</ref> The blends and additional animations give the character more flexible movement.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> Actions were overlapped to allow for multitasking, such as aiming at two separate targets and shooting with one hand while the other holds an object collected from the environment.<ref name="PTOM-3"/><ref name="GI-178"/> Other additions include more melee attacks, as well as contextual offensive and climbing manoeuvres.<ref name="GI-178"/><ref name="Edge-186">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |title=Tomb Raider: Underworld |pages=34–35 |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |author=Staff |date=March 2008 |issue=186}}</ref> Crystal Dynamics sought to make the visual appearance of the [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3]] versions identical, although the systems used different techniques to achieve this.<ref name="Play-GoG5-5"/> In response to ''Underworld''{{'}}s lackluster sales figures, Eidos reportedly considered altering the character's appearance to appeal more to female fans.<ref name="GI-191">{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=GameStop |author=Staff |title=Connect: Lara Croft's Makeover |page=28 |issue=191 |date=March 2009}}</ref>

=== Publisher switch to Square Enix ===
{{Quote box |width=35% |quote="After crafting the biography, our goal was to make her as believable and relatable as possible. We wanted to make a girl that felt familiar, but still has a special quality about her. Something about the way her eyes look and the expression on her face makes you want to care for her. That was our number one goal. We wanted to have empathy for Lara, and at the same time show the inner strength that made clear she was going to become a hero". |source=—Brian Horton, senior art director of Crystal Dynamics, on the second reboot<ref name="GI-213"/>}}
Japanese game company [[Square Enix]] acquired Eidos in April 2009, restructuring Eidos into [[Square Enix Europe]].<ref name="EidosAcq">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/tombraider8/news.html?sid=6213037 |title=Square Enix retires Eidos publishing label |first=Tom |last=Magrino |website=GameSpot |date=7 July 2009 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923050708/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/tombraider8/news.html?sid=6213037 |archive-date=23 September 2011}}</ref><ref name="CVG-Eidos">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/219021/news/square-enix-europe-formed/ |title=Square Enix Europe formed |magazine=Computer and Video Games |author=Staff |date=7 July 2009 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026000238/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/219021/square-enix-europe-formed/ |archive-date=26 October 2012}}</ref> Crystal Dynamics remained as developer of the ''Tomb Raider'' games.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/04/news-lara-croft_2700_s-new-adventure.aspx |title=Lara Croft's New Adventure |magazine=Game Informer |first=Matthew |last=Kato |date=4 March 2010 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708074155/http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/03/04/news-lara-croft_2700_s-new-adventure.aspx |archive-date=8 July 2010}}</ref> ''Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light'' introduced cooperative  gameplay to the series, a move that brand director Karl Stewart said was meant to "show [Lara] as a more humanistic character" by placing her in a situation that differed from previous instalments. The game uses the same technology featured in the studio's past ''Tomb Raider'' games.<ref name="Euro-Prev"/> Despite the changes implemented in the titles, Crystal Dynamics believed that the series required further reinvention to stay relevant.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/14/the-history-of-crystal-dynamics.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 |title=The History of Crystal Dynamics |magazine=Game Informer |first=Matt |last=Miller |date=14 December 2010 |access-date=27 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217133612/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2010/12/14/the-history-of-crystal-dynamics.aspx?PostPageIndex=2 |archive-date=17 December 2010}}</ref><ref name="GI-213">{{cite magazine |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=GameStop |title=Tomb Raider |first=Meagan |last=Marie |issue=213 |date=January 2011 |pages=42–51}}</ref>

In late 2010, Square Enix announced a franchise reboot titled ''[[Tomb Raider (2013 video game)|Tomb Raider]]''; the new Lara Croft would be a darker, grittier reimagining of the character.<ref name="GI-213"/><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/07/tomb-raider-rebooted |title=Tomb Raider reboot brings new Lara Croft |magazine=[[Wired News]] |first=Mark |last=Brown |date=7 December 2010 |access-date=26 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205105123/http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-12/07/tomb-raider-rebooted |archive-date=5 February 2011}}</ref> In examining the character, Crystal Dynamics concluded that Croft's largest failing was her "Teflon coating", and that it needed a more human version that players would care about.<ref name="GI-213"/> The studio sought a new voice actress, trialling dozens of relatively unknown performers.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/podcasts/archive/2010/12/21/special-edition-podcast-tomb-raider.aspx |title=Special Edition Podcast: Tomb Raider |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |publisher=Game Informer Show |host=Helgeson, Matt; Stewart, Karl; and Longo, Tim |date=21 December 2010 |access-date=21 December 2010 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223155908/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/podcasts/archive/2010/12/21/special-edition-podcast-tomb-raider.aspx |archive-date=23 December 2010}}</ref>

[[File:Lara Croft (2013).png|thumb|upright|Lara Croft's redesign as she appears in the 2013 reboot]]
The second reboot focuses on the origin of the character, and as a result, changes the previous back story. Staff opted to first work on the character's biography rather than cosmetic aspects. Crystal Dynamics sought to avoid the embellished physique of past renditions and pushed for realistic proportions. In redesigning the character's appearance, the designers began with simple concepts and added features that it felt made Lara Croft iconic: a ponytail, "M-shaped" lips, and the spatial relationship between her eyes, mouth, and nose. The company also changed the character's wardrobe, focusing on what it believed was more functional and practical. In designing the outfits, staff aimed to create a look that was "relevant" and "youthful", but not too "trendy" or "hip". To gauge the redesign, Crystal Dynamics conducted [[eye tracking]] studies on subjects who viewed the new version and previous ones.<ref name="GI-213"/> [[Camilla Luddington]] voiced Lara Croft in the reboot.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/gamereport/interview_with_lara_croft_voice_mSrzGWjl71fjc1RuBUJ2uM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502004940/http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/gamereport/interview_with_lara_croft_voice_mSrzGWjl71fjc1RuBUJ2uM |archive-date=2 May 2013 |title=Interview with Lara Croft voice actress Camilla Luddington |last=Sulla-Heffinger |first=Anthony |work=[[New York Post]] |publisher=News Corporation |date=3 April 2013 |issn=1090-3321}}</ref>

Similar to ''Underworld'', the new ''Tomb Raider'' features motion capture-based animation. In an effort to present realism and emotion in the character, Crystal Dynamics captured face and voice performances to accompany the body performances. The company revamped Croft's in-game combat abilities. Crystal Dynamics aimed to make the "combat fresh to the franchise, competitive amongst [similar games], and relevant to the story". Among the changes is the implementation of a free aiming system. The studio reasoned that such a system would cause players to be more invested in the action by fostering a "raw, brutal, and desperate" style. Global brand director Karl Stewart stated that such desperation relates to the updated character's inexperience with violence. He further commented that Lara Croft is thrust into a situation where she is forced to kill, which will be a traumatic and defining moment for her.<ref name="GI-213"/>