In this essay I am going to apply a semiotic analysis to both the Tomb Raider and Metroid video games covers. I will be discussing what both games in detail. I will argue that tomb raider is both derogatory and negatively represents femininity for the social world and for the online community. However, I will also explain how the Metroid game could be shown in a more positive light and may represent femininity in a more positive way.
Firstly, Tomb raider could be shown to portray a negative and sexualising view of females. One way in which this is shown is how she has exaggerated body features which is putting this idea in people’s minds that this is normal body to have however you wouldn’t not clearly find that in the real world. The reactionary design idea shows links to the ‘male gaze’ which is women looked at as sexual objects which make men feel empowered. This representation of the character Lara Croft helps to enable the idea of the objectification of women, and people who play this game may get the idea of the fact that this is normal and the standard in everyday life. Because of this the idea of the sexualisation of women is Widley normalised among people in the real world., this is a negative thing because I don’t see the idea of the sexualisation of women as a good thing.
In the tomb raider games cover it also has some other negative aspects. For example, there are weapons that Lara croft is holding in her hand this is negative because the age rating for the game is 12 assuming people actually follow the age rating therefore could be people using the game that are younger. Therefore, people these young who are using the game are exposed to the usage of weapons and violence. This could therefore lead to the idea of interaction on reality linking to the game. This is negative as if they link interactions in the game to interactions in reality the interaction in the game is negative as there is violence. 332
However, in the Metroid games cover it shows a more positive aspect on femininity. The character on the front of the game is dressed in a large robot suit which may seem at first glance like a male character as the character is presented at muscular and large which to most people is more on the stereotypical male side. Because of this the people who are seeing the game may assume that the character is not female, furthermore adding onto the myth that males should be more involved in the violence and confrontation rather than females. When looking into this in more detail I have discovered that the character Metroid is a female this shows a more positive take on the look on females in video games as in this the main character of the game is female and therefore isn’t the damsel in distress. This also presents the female character as strong and independent. This challenges the idea that females are all weak which is stereotyped in certain popular games, this could have the audience of the game to adopt a new idea of gender representation giving them more positive characters to idolise.
However, the tomb raider does have some positive outtakes on femininity as the main character of the game, Lara croft, is a female breaking the stereotype that the female is the weak and feeble character in the game. Lara croft being the main character breaks the gender stereotype that the male needs to be the strong main character of the game. This could have the effect of empowering young girls to idolise this more positive protagonist rather than believing in the stereotype that brings down the female empowerment and makes women seem weak and incapable. Lara also looks strong and dominant on the cover of the game therefore adding to the positive view on women. Men in society are seen as the more dominant and powerful people this aspect stands out to me as it breaks that idea and presents a new idea of the empowerment of the female character.
Furthermore, Metroid can also be seen in a more negative aspect as, however it does have a female heroine but she is in a male’s costume. This portrays the idea that women have to ‘dress up’ or hide to be able to be shown as strong and powerful. The character in this is in a huge robotic suit where at first glance you may think that it is a male because you cannot tell the gender of the person inside the suit. This is negative because it may present the idea that women will have to hide to be seen as stronger than a male character. However, from a business standpoint making the characters gender not visible could be to attract more sales as people may not want to buy the game if there is a female main character because of the link to the misogyny of society due to the idea that males are stronger. This depicts women in a negative way in my opinion as even though it is a woman main character she is hidden behind a more masculine wall.
In conclusion both Tomb raider and Metroid have negative and positive aspects of the games covers that can be interpreted both ways. The Tomb Raider can be seen as negative because of the fact that they have sexualised the character Lara croft to fit the ‘male gaze’ therefore fitting into the stereotype that can satisfy young players. Metroid can also be seen as a negative view as the female characters identity is hidden behind a masculine robot this could possibly link to the stereotype that women are weak and incapable compared to men. However, The Tomb Raider can be seen as positive as the main character, Lara croft, is a female breaking the stereotype that women are weak and not as capable as males. Metroid can also be seen as a positive take on femininity as the character behind the robot is a female therefore showing that the female character can be as strong as a male character. It challenges the idea that women cannot fend for themself and also challenges the idea of women being the ‘damsel in destress’. I overall don’t think that either game covers presents femininity in a negative way. For example, in the tomb raider even though Lara croft is sexualised she however is shown to be a strong female character that can fend for herself showing women in a positive aspect breaking stereotypes of weakness. Another example is in Metroid even though the character is hidden behind a robot it is a female character and it shows that females are just as capable as males in the game because at first glance you can’t tell the gender of the character but she is seen as a strong individual, this also breaks the stereotype of women being weak and not as capable as men. This could adapt the mind so the people playing these games and therefore could eventually have a positive outcome in society in the future.
