Leading up to the release of Tomb Raider I’ve felt a need to write an article about the ‘rape issue’ with Square Enix representatives and Kotaku. If you do not already know, back in June Tomb Raider’s Executive Producer Mark Rosenburg said that some men, “try to rape” Lara after she is taken captive. This was met with outcry from the public and press stating that the game was sick and that these issues were best left outside of the gaming hemisphere.

After some heavy debate, Square Enix caved-in and stated that Rosenburg’s comments were incorrect and that, “Sexual assault of any kind is categorically not a theme that we cover in this game.”

Anyone who has seen Tomb Raider’s E3 trailer  can positively state that one male approaches Lara looking for more than just a friendly chat. His drunken demeanour and unwanted touching suggest some kind of attempted sexual abuse.

When you couple this video with the idea that we are meant to struggle with Lara, feeling her pain, then it seems odd that Square Enix had such a knee-jerk reaction. It happens in films all the time. People are abused and broken, only to be built back up again as the hero. Just take a look at The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I Spit on Your Grave or Shawshank Redemption; all of them use sexual abuse to break down their characters, making us empathise with them. We then root for these heroes/heroines to rise above their past.

Story is becoming far more important in video games. Titles such as The Walking Dead and LA Noire would be nothing without their strong writing. These games have moved thousands, alighting praise for their emotionally engaging stories. Violence is used frivolously in games and has become a common trope of many genres, but when sex comes into the equation all of a sudden things turn sour.

While Rosenburg’s comment may not have used the best language, it highlights just how juvenile the games industry can be. How can a company such as Square Enix flat-out deny the trailer’s sexual connotations, when it is so blatantly evident and why should it be such a major issue for there to be a rape scene in a game?

Games will always have a place for smut. It’s the same for all types of media. Just look at the sale figures for Fifty Shades of Grey and you’ll see the bigger picture. Hell, even on this site the majority of articles on Miss Croft have more to do with her chest than anything else. That does not mean that there is not a place for an adult insight on some of the darker parts of life. I’m not saying I want graphic images that the player can interact with, but it feels like as though us gamers are missing out on some core themes that can aid narrative because developers and publishers are scared of the outcome.

Sexual abuse is not something that should be dealt with lightly, but surely knowing or suggesting it, in a tasteful way, is far better than half of the gratuitous violence that is evident in thousands of titles? Simply put, developers and players alike need to grow up, stand up for what they are passionate for and learn to respect their own medium. If we don’t, then games run the risk of forever being labelled as a toy, rather than art.

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