Once again, activists are leveraging an established intellectual property to promote their agenda, this time with Crystal Dynamics partnering with Evil Hat Productions to create a tabletop version of “Tomb Raider.”
The goal? To subvert the franchise and rid itself from its “colonialist” roots and reshape its narrative.
It sounds insanely retarded, which of course it certainly is, but before we dive into that, let’s not forget that Crystal Dynamics recently advocated for a disclaimer to be included in the remastered trilogy collection of Tomb Raider 1-3 by Aspyr.
The disclaimer, displayed upon booting the game, underscores the presence of “offensive depictions of people and cultures rooted in racial and ethnic prejudices” and denounces the “stereotypes” found in the original trilogy as “inexcusable” and “harmful.”
A mod was quickly created to circumvent the virtue signaling disclaimer, but was swiftly removed from the likes of NexusMods who absolutely detest anything that removes or modifies obscene woke pandering, because game modifications are all about freedom of expression, unless of course it disrupts “the narrative” in which case it must be banned.
Instead of removing the content altogether, Crystal Dynamics aims to mitigate ESG losses for the game’s release by “addressing” the issue head-on, albeit through a form of performative activism. This tactic echoes actions taken by companies like Capcom and Konami, which have also included similar disclaimers when re-releasing older games.
It’s particularly noteworthy when recalling events from just a few months ago, such as when none other than Compulsion Games, the developers behind “South of Midnight,” the game which race-swapped its main character after collaborating with Microsoft and receiving input from Sweet Baby Inc applauded the disclaimer featured in the Tomb Raider Remastered collection.
With Compulsion Games emphasizing the importance of “rewriting new history,” one can start putting the pieces together.
Crystal Dynamics, alongside Evil Hat Productions, a publisher of tabletop role-playing games, are actively engaged in rewriting “new history” for the Tomb Raider franchise.
Their partnership underscores a commitment to fostering creativity within the RPG community, with a strong emphasis on inclusivity and diversity, which is literally Evil Hat Production’s entire MO.
I haven’t heard of any of the games listed on Evil Hat’s website. One can only wonder how they manage to stay afloat in the industry with such obscure titles. But hey, stranger things have happened, right?
Crystal Dynamics is collaborating with Evil Hat Productions to create a tabletop board game inspired by the Tomb Raider franchise. The aim is to steer the franchise away from its so-called “racist” roots. Since its inception in 1994, the franchise has garnered significant success and woeful failures.
However, one of the most if not the most influential and recognized female protagonists in gaming, Lara Croft, has continually been labeled as “sexist” by progressives despite the irony that these very same critics also complain about games being sexist because “men don’t like female protagonists.”
It’s impossible to win against such individuals, which is why you should always mock them at every opportunity. Despite this, Lara Croft has transcended video games to become a cultural icon, even appearing in TV advertisements for companies like SEAT during her prime.
The tabletop game, Tomb Raider: Truth of Shadows aims to divulge as much as possible from the classic Tomb Raider formula. The game promises players will “face perilous challenges and tough choices” as they discover the essence of heroism. Nowhere in the official synopsis does it mention the game’s alleged self-deprecating stance on its entire plotline.
According to reports, this commentary was reserved for the game’s instruction manual, a detail that fans of the franchise discovered upon opening their new board game.
An excerpt from the game’s manual reportedly provided a definition of the term “raiding and colonialism” and then criticized it, suggesting that tomb raiding operates on the assumption of “finders keepers,” allowing raiders to claim ownership of artifacts without regard for their historical or cultural significance.
“Later games released in the franchise have started the work of addressing this by having Lara Croft acknowledge her past mistakes and try to understand and show respect for the cultures and communities she comes into contact with,”
Looting ancient tombs from long forgotten civilizations is still considered theft, as it turns out Lara Croft is actually the world’s most iconic female criminal in all of gaming, I thought progressives were all about “representation” and yet here they are slandering Lara Croft as being a good for nothing criminal.
The alleged manual also indicated that the treasure hunter now prioritizes “seeking out the truth” over decorating her mantle with stolen artifacts. It emphasized the protagonist’s humanity, struggle with heroism, and tenacity, suggesting that these aspects are crucial for a game that celebrates history and culture while addressing the respect and work required to live in a world affected by colonialism.
Furthermore, the quote expressed the intention to work alongside Crystal Dynamics in creating a sandbox for players to explore colonialist themes and craft their own stories of respect and support for the people and cultures encountered by the characters.
When it comes to character options, the game aims for inclusivity by offering a “diverse” range right out of the ESG discount bin. Players can opt for the macho brown fat tough guy, known as the “companion.”
Meanwhile, the Hunter embodies an androgynous appearance, depicted as a fully clothed figure adorned with a scarf and tribal face paint. The “Changed” actually appears to be a physical woman, though with her long coat you’d be hard-pressed to notice if not for her face, hair and pose.
Evil Hat Productions seems to have deliberately downplayed the character known as “The Crafter” in their promotional material, possibly because she is depicted as a fat black woman with neon pink hair highlights.
And for bonus representation points, both of her legs have been amputated. Proving that even with multiple limb amputations, one can aspire to be a grave robbing thief. Though it certainly begs to question why so much marketing material for this tabletop game omits “The Crafter” or features her but conveniently crops out her prosthetic legs.
It’s possible that Evil Hat Productions chose to downplay “The Crafter” in their marketing material because they might be an immediate turn-off for actual fans of the Tomb Raider franchise.
Evil Hat Productions has previously faced criticism for its 2020 game “Fate of Cthulhu,” where it chose to subvert the original author of the source material, H.P. Lovecraft, while still utilizing his mythos. Alongside incorporating Lovecraft’s work, the creators took the opportunity to denounce Lovecraft as a racist bigot.
After prefacing with a brief trigger warning about “systemic abuses of power,” the company boldly stated, “Howard Phillips Lovecraft was a racist and an anti-Semite.” Yet, they appear more than willing to profit from his work and leverage his efforts to promote their own ideology.
Evil Hat Productions later justified its use of Lovecraft’s works by quoting the writer himself and acknowledging that many writers, including those “of color” have transformed his work into their own stories, giving some examples and that they hope you find inspiration in their works as much as Lovecraft’s very own.
However, many years ago, they encountered criticism for their straightforward approach in subverting Lovecraft’s works with their own narrative agenda, bluntly stating that “edge lords” should refrain from purchasing their games.
They emphasized Evil Hat Productions’ commitment to diverse and inclusive gaming, asserting that they simply do not want such individuals’ money. The only saving grace about this tabletop RPG is the fact that they haven’t depicted Lara Croft herself as an ugly masculine she-hulk much like how Activision butchered the character in Call of Duty.
As of now, Tomb Raider: Shadows of Truth is still in active development. However, I have my doubts about its success. A crowdfunding campaign for the tabletop RPG will likely launch soon, and it might see “success” due to the current climate of progressivism where failure is the new success.
Yet, such projects struggle in the free market.
Evil Hat Productions has made it clear that they do not want money from those who genuinely appreciate the Tomb Raider IP. They don’t want support from those who don’t adhere to woke ideologies. So, it’s best not to give them any financial support.
Just like consumers have been doing with products associated with Sweet Baby Inc, if you don’t agree with the DEI/ESG agenda they’re pushing, there’s no obligation to spend your money on it.
Simply laugh at it, criticize, and move on.
