Contrary to popular belief, there is, in fact, no rape scene in the upcoming Tomb Raider game set to release in March 2013. Many fan sites argue this, stating that the pivotal scene in the new
crossroads trailer where Lara is forced to defend herself by killing a man for the first time is indeed a rape scene.
Because of this uproar in the Tomb Raider fan community, Crystal Dynamics' studio head Darrell Gallagher came out with an official statement regarding this scene in the trailer:
‘We had a great E3 with Tomb Raider and received a fantastic public and press response, with the game picking up numerous “game of the show” awards based on the new direction taken with the franchise. Unfortunately we were not clear in a recent E3 press interview and things have been misunderstood. Before this gets out of hand, let me explain.
‘In making this Tomb Raider origins story, our aim was to take Lara Croft on an exploration of what makes her the character she embodies in late Tomb Raidergames. One of the character defining moments for Lara in the game, which has incorrectly been referred to as an ‘attempted rape’ scene is the content we showed at this year’s E3 and which over a million people have now seen in our recent trailer entitled “Crossroads”.
‘This is where Lara is forced to kill another human for the first time. In this particular section, while there is a threatening undertone in the sequence and surrounding drama, it never goes any further than the scenes that we have already shown publicly. Sexual assault of any kind is categorically not a theme that we cover in this game.
‘We take great care and pride in our work and are focused on creating a release that will deliver meaningful storytelling, drama, and exciting gameplay. We’re sorry this has not been better explained. We’ll certainly be more careful with what is said in future.’
Source: The Independent