Since the game’s debut in 1997, it’s become the one constant that’s helped shape me, both professionally and romantically.
The bell rang, alerting us that rain was falling and the playground was officially a no-go zone. Thankfully, a wet break meant spending a little time on one of the school’s PCs.
Two options were readily available that didn’t involve any educational purpose; Command and Conquer: Red Alert and Tomb Raider II.
I’ll never forget that feeling of excitement as soon as Tomb Raider II was chosen. The menu opened and Lara Croft stands strong behind the game’s options as Mafioso Marco Bartoli stands directly behind her, illustrating early on that he doesn’t seem like a decent bloke.
The jade-covered background was rapidly branded into my mind, as was she, and for PC Gaming Week, this is a story of how the heroine of CORE Design’s creation began a life-long inspiration for me.
With the stolen moments that my friends and I had with the game at school, they’re nothing short of memorable. One memory that’s still imprinted in my mind is the four of us crowded around the monitor, slowly inching towards the lethal swinging crate at the start of the Opera House level.
I’ll never forget the pressure of trying to execute Lara’s jumps with a few pairs of eyes surrounding me. Safe to say my friends quickly tore the keyboard from me as we opted for the ‘one death and you’re out’ gameplay policy.
From the first moment I’d taken control of the keys, I was enraptured by her. I’d never seen anyone else like Lara and I quickly became obsessed to find out more. Days went on when I wished for her demise, just so I’d be able to have another go at trying to progress.
Being the only girl in a group of boys in primary school was by no means short of fun, but after I’d discovered Lara Croft, something changed for me. I was always happy to ‘play’ army equipped with a stick for a gun, but when I’d found Lara, I had someone else to be.
