Gender and Videogames

I thought Mikula brought up an interesting topic relating gender roles to videogames. One claim Mikula makes in her essay is that Lara is both a sex idol and a role model. I agreed with her claim because while Lara is sexually attractive, Lara is also immensely independent and invulnerable. I thought Lara was developed to appeal to both genders. While male gamers like Lara for her attractiveness, female gamers like Lara for her capabilities. This dual symbolism enable gamers to both identify with and objectify Lara while playing Tomb Raiders. Overall, I think Lara Croft is a well-developed character who is liked generally.