In this essay I am going to compare the two CSP front covers of Metroid and Tomb Raider using semiotic analysis. I am arguing that both games present their main character to be objectified due to them being female, however both games explore this in many different ways. Tomb Raider displays their female main character to be oversexualised with poses and body parts. Metroid displayed their character as a masculine strong character which implies that females are less superior than males.

The front cover of tomb raider presents a dominant signifier of a female character it is clear that Lara is a woman from the cover you frist see Lara’s gun which may seem radical and different from what people are used to however it is quickly seen that this cover is the same as many others For example the position that Lara is in manages to show off both her breasts and her behind in addition to this her clothes don’t help either Lara is shown to be wearing a tight shirt and tight shorts Both of these examples set an unrealistic example for women, that they should sexualize themselves to be seen as sexual objects This matches with the male gaze and Laura Mulvey’s views “woman displayed as a sexual-object is the erotic spectacle” Overall, whilst Lara’s guns show that she can be tough and fend for herself which is contrasting typical views of women in video games where they are normally “the damsel in distress” the front cover of the game also feeds into the stereotype of sexualizing women in games. The quote “For every forward step however, there is often a reminder of how far is left to travel” from the article “diversity matters” perfectly describes how this front cover portrays Lara Croft. 

 Furthermore I believe that the representation of women and the ‘Male Gaze’ are shown in an overall more positive way in the Metroid cover image than the Lara Croft Tomb Raider cover image This is because there is some evidence of an effort to cover up the once again over-exaggerated body of the character The armour she wears also creates a reactionary response within the audience as they are led to believe that Metroid is a male character from what is displayed in the iconic sign Neither of these CSPs support the ‘damsel in distress’ theory that I mentioned previously This theory is described as how the female character in numerous storylines is more often than not the one who needs rescuing or saving from a typical antagonist by the male hero These images and game contents are trying to point people in the direction of knowing that women are very able to defend themselves against themselves and others This may not always be the case however Once again the excessive sexualisation and violent nature of these video games may not have a positive impact on the audience outside the target

In conclusion I believe that neither CSPs present women in a good way This is because of how their bodies are used as pleasure for the targeted audience more so with the Lara Croft example The Metroid cover does make some effort to cover up Samus’ body with the classic Metroid armour as well as to cover up some of the contents of the game itself Both games covers prove Laura Mulvey’s theory of the Male Gaze true The use of these images can also bee seen as disempowerment This can easily be improved by games cover designers creating countertypes of the covers This would flip the negative effect they give on its head making it positive People in the further audience may then be more inclined to buy the products increasing sales and revenue Some other developers might take the same idea on board and follow along

the currently ‘over-the-top’ sexual exaggeration and representation of women overall may be improved over time