Cultural impact
See also:
List of Tomb Raider media
Both the character of Lara Croft and the concepts behind the
Tomb Raider franchise have evolved thematically and in popularity since the first game's release in 1996.
[115] The success of the game series led to several commercial tie-ins that further catapulted to cultural icon status,
[116] including feature spin-off games, feature films, and comics.
[117]
Reception
Upon release,
Tomb Raider became an unexpected success with gamers, reaching the top of sales charts and remaining for a considerable time. It went on to sell over 7 million units worldwide.
[59][68] Tomb Raider II was an even greater commercial success, with debut sales higher than the first game and total worldwide sales of 8 million units.
[8][68] Despite varying critical receptions, series sales continued to be strong until the release of
Chronicles, which sold just 1.5 million units.
[68] While
The Angel of Darkness met with initial strong sales, it failed to meet expectations. Since the release of
Legend, the series has picked up in sales and popularity.
[29] The 2013
reboot eventually sold 11 million units, becoming the most commercially successful
Tomb Raider title to date.
[118][119] As of 2017, the series has sold 63 million units worldwide.
[120] In addition to the games' success, the
2001 movie adaptation grossed $275 million, making it the highest-grossing video game adaptation until being overtaken in 2010 by
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.
[121]
Multiple video game journalists, including
Electronic Gaming Monthly's Crispin Boyer in 1997 and
Eurogamer's Martyn Carroll in 2008, have cited the series as a pioneer in the medium, both laying the foundations for and popularising action-adventure and platforming games. Carrol also credited the series for bringing video gaming out into the cultural mainstream.
[68][71][122][123] In a different article, Eurogamer also cited
The Angel of Darkness as a pioneer of mixing different video game genres.
[124] The public's reactions to the series over the years have conversely had a profound effect upon the series' direction and identity, as noted in a 2008 review of the series' history by
Develop.
[29] In 2006,
Tomb Raider was voted one of Britain's top 10 designs in the Great British Design Quest organised by the
BBC and the
Design Museum. The game appeared in a list of British design icons which included
Concorde,
Mini,
World Wide Web,
Grand Theft Auto,
K2 telephone box,
London tube map,
AEC Routemaster bus, and the
Supermarine Spitfire.
[125][126]
The character of Lara Croft has similarly enjoyed popularity, standing out during her initial appearance in the male-dominated video game market, and continuing to stand out throughout the series' history.
[29][59][68][122][123][127] After her debut in 1996, Lara Croft was famously featured on the front cover of British culture magazine
The Face, a position previously only held by real-life celebrities. She similarly was featured in Irish rock band
U2's
PopMart Tour.
[59][123] The character was inducted onto the
Walk of Game in 2006,
[128]and earned multiple mentions in the
Guinness World Records: she was recognised as the "most successful human video game heroine" in 2006, and earned six awards in 2010. As part of the latter honours,
Guinness World Records editor Gaz Deaves said that the character "epitomises all that's great about video gaming".
[129][130] In an article for
1UP.com, Jeremy Parish said that Lara's sex appeal was the main draw for early fans, a facet Eidos exploited for marketing and attempted to emulate in other products. He also cited other writers' statements that her popularity stemmed from player empathy with her ability to survive tough situations, alongside contrasting against weaker female characters such as
Princess Peach.
[123] However, alongside this praise, she has divided opinion as to her character design and consequent sexuality: particularly among feminist critics, she is both hailed as an empowering figure for women, and a negative role model due to her improbable[
clarification needed] proportions. Later, apparently more "realistic" redesigns lessened these criticisms to a degree.