Semiotic analysis on Tomb Raider and Metroid

In this essay I am going to apply semiotic analysis to both Tomb Raider and Metroid games covers. I will argue that a representation of Tomb Raider presenting Lara Croft as a sexualised character of whom is created to please the male eye. From the first Tomb Raider game released in 1996, Lara has been designed with an appealing body type of which consists of a slim body type equipped with minimal clothing, an unrealistic choice of wardrobe for an occasion as adventurous as the one Lara embarks on. It is argued Lara is created to receive approval from the ‘male gaze’ an idea Laura Mulvey theorized, of which she describes ‘woman as visually positioned as an “object” of heterosexual male desire’. Using a female as a main character can be seen as an impression of female empowerment, due to the rumour that games in the study with male-only playable characters were said to have sold better than the ones that included women. In addition to this Tomb Raider has only been seen to use a female character known as ‘Lara Croft’.  As much as a positive light can be shown with Lara being female, the minimised clothing and creation for the male gaze dominates the feminist aspects of Lara Croft. Her unrealistic body type, designed by men, was announced to have been created ‘accidentally’ however ironically fits the beauty standard of the male gaze. In addition, the age rating of this game can be frowned upon. An age rating of 12, despite the use of weaponries creates a violent, approved aesthetic, almost suggesting the actions are realistic. 

Second to this Metroid’s main character Samus, disguised as a space defeater, is also female. In contrast with Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft is clothed in a large, protective suit of which defines no gender. In playing Metroid you are tasked with defeating the opposition without the male input. The ‘damsel in distress’ is the hero instead. Despite the empowerment Metroid brings, male players have been seen to dismiss this and complain. In the release of the game players were led to believe that the hero was a man – the game’s accompanying booklet referred to Samus as a “he”. However, those who completed the game were shocked to discover Samus revealing herself to be a woman. In 1986, to see a character be revealed to be a woman there had been minor female gaming characters before. Despite this movement of female empowerment for the gaming industry, the game could not escape criticism. When ending the game, the player is seen to be rewarded with the sight of Samus’s body dressed in red underwear. The creators of Metroid decided for an almost ‘nude’ viewing of the character, of which could have been easily avoidable. Those who question the game creator’s choice for this, ask ‘why dress her in that?’. Metroid could be suggested as radical representation as we assume that the use of the sexualised female body was used as a visual for the male gamer. A symbolic signifier of a smoky background suggests the empowerment and heroic display Samus withholds, allowing for a positive view of the creators of Metroid.

In conclusion both Metroid and Tomb raider can be seen to be of a radical representation due to the female protagonists of whom defeat and overcome challenges, the typical male main character would conduct. Both however contain visuals of the female body in a sexual way to please the assumed male, straight player.