What To Expect In A Tomb Raider Game With Sign Language

Nearly two years ago, we discussed what can make a spin-off of the Tomb Raider franchise accessible and entertaining for gamers with hearing impairments, primarily in the United Kingdom with a very specific new element [51] [52]. If you are familiar with the game Moss and how its adorable protagonist communicates [26], you may get the idea. As someone who gained an interest in learning sign language and earned a Level One and Level Two qualification in Makaton [54], I still strongly believe a concept could work with carefully selected and crafted aspects, considering how I can further develop my skill in Makaton by learning even more signs and continue to support the Tomb Raider franchise. In the meantime, Tomb Raider Reloaded is yet to be released globally later this year after its soft launch in 2021 [30], so the idea of another spin-off involving sign language can be planned out for the future. I am always up for new and interesting ideas that would expand on how accessible a game can be in quite a unique way, which could include a spin-off of the Tomb Raider series starring a brand new character who primarily communicates with sign language.

As rather fascinated I am at the art style of Tomb Raider Reloaded, in spite of how off-putting it seems to some tomb raiders [57] [58], I am once again honoured to discuss how a spin-off involving sign language can excel, especially for a more niche crowd [51] [52]. [48]

Celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Tomb Raider franchise in 2021 was awesome, including the time three memorable incarnations of Lady Croft were welcomed to the world of Fortnite [59]. But when it comes to a forthcoming global release and hopes for something unique in another spin-off, there is no going home. For a new spin-off game that involves sign language, a new protagonist who is deaf and skilled in sign language can potentially make deaf gamers feel more welcome to play a Tomb Raider game, much like how Lauren Ridloff portrayed Makkari in Marvel’s Eternals, expanding on the wide diversity of superheroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe [4] [10] [22]. I am also up for her to also be either lesbian, bisexual or pansexual, making her the next LGBTQ+ character in the Tomb Raider franchise [7] [40] [41]. She might as well have the occupation of an archaeologist too, giving her a legitimate reason to raid a tomb and prove that those with hearing difficulties can succeed in archaeology too. To further assure that she will be safe throughout her journey, she ought to follow the rules of Ms. Croft’s RPG book, don’t you think [38]?

A special thanks to ArtsyMii for this lovely artwork of what I briefly imagine a new deaf protagonist would look like she drew back in 2020. How about the option to change her tank top from green to yellow, quite like the recent change of a certain logo in 2022 [54]? [2]

It would be essential to not mistake signs in ASL (American Sign Language) for signs in BSL (British Sign Language) [20] [57] [58]. Besides BSL, there is also Makaton and SSE (Sign Supported English) to communicate with those with hearing impairments in the United Kingdom. While BSL is pretty much its own language with certain grammatical differences, SSE follows spoken English word-for-word [5] [17] [25]. While Makaton can be helpful for people who can hear but have other learning or communication difficulties [5], it is also available to learn in Australia and New Zealand since BSL is primarily used in the deaf community with its own regional differences in the United Kingdom [36]. There are a few different signs for Makaton, compared to BSL and there are some exclusive signs for SSE to follow the grammatical structure of spoken English, yet all three sign languages share a lot of similarities [16] [17] [25] [37]. It would be mindful to portray a deaf protagonist’s skill in sign language reliably by taking the small differences between BSL, SSE and Makaton into consideration, quite like how it would be important to know the differences between Mandarin and Cantonese when seeking employment in Hong Kong to avoid saying a word or phase in the wrong form of spoken Chinese [6] [14] [15].

As previously stated, sign language is not universal as there is also American Sign Language, Spanish Sign Language and more [1] [3] [5]. [8]

I personally think the best choice for a new hearing-impaired tomb raider’s language would be SSE as the way it follows spoken English word-for-word will make it easier for players who can hear to follow along [5] [17] [25]. The protagonist ought to sign in SSE directly to the player most of the time in a way that would make some fourth-wall breaking welcoming, but not overly patronising like Dora the Explorer’s fourth-wall breaks [31] [32]. [25]

Just because someone who is skilled in gunnery has hearing difficulties, does not mean their capability will be affected. Besides, as I previously stated, there would be a flash at the tip of a gun if a bullet is fired, just as long as the flashes at the ends of the protagonist’s guns will not be too flashy and bright to help the game remain accessible for those with photosensitive epilepsy [51] [52]. To bring the vibes of the well-received reboot that began back in 2013, there can also be an archery mechanic, which is what I would definitely be up for in terms of honouring the acclaim of the younger Lara Croft in the reboot timeline [29]. No matter how accessible a spin-off game can be to a gamer with hearing impairments or epilepsy, there still would need to be the same amount of violence and puzzling solving from the main games to prevent the experience from becoming rather patronising, whether the game will consist of highly similar graphics to the Lara Croft GO app [13], the same art style of Tomb Raider Reloaded or similar visuals to Lara Croft: Relic Run [28] [46] [48].

Surely, you cannot go wrong with some classic virtual shooting. [43]

Last but not least, there ought to be some underwater sections to increase the variety of experiences in the gameplay and further show that a new deaf protagonist can be just as capable as Lara Croft has always been. [45]

The environments in a new spin-off of the Tomb Raider franchise might as well be gritty with realistic textures and quite big with a lot of space to voyage through [9]. I strongly suggest that there can be a country or county that has not been established in the franchise before or could be given further exploration [39]. One location could be an ancient castle in Wales, quite like Gwrych Castle where the most recent series of I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here is set in [12] [56]. Another location could be in a building in South Korea where the protagonist can attend a formal party to gather some clues and bond a supporting character who is also skilled in BSL or SSE [17] [25]. A new wintery landscape could be the mountains in Vancouver with a mysterious volcanic area [19], like the one in the Snow Resort in Go Vacation [23] [24]. There can also be a summery landscape in a county in Australia or New Zealand, which could lead to the hearing-impaired protagonist wearing sunglasses, just like how the classic Lara Croft wore hers. Establishing new interpretations of real-life countries can increase the credibility of a new Tomb Raider with quite a twist [39].

It would take quite a lot of research to accurately portray new real-life locations. Aside from how a new playable character whose unique skill is communicating with sign language ought to be female to honour the female empowerment that keeps on blooming throughout the run of the Tomb Raider series [51] [52], there ought to be some new interpretations of real-life locations to increase the credibility of the series’ notability for being set in the real world [39]. [42]

In conclusion, the idea of BSL or SSE in a new spin-off of the Tomb Raider series might not happen, but it is fun to discuss how new instalments can work exceptionally [51] [52]. Similarly, there could be a new human character in the future of the Blinky Bill franchise who communicates with Auslan, which is short for Australian Sign Language due to being deaf [3] [27] [53]. Ultimately, there can always be relied on subtitles as an eventual patch for Spyro Reignited Trilogy provided subtitles for the cutscenes [11] [50]. To other terms of accessibility in the future of gaming, I would also be up for a new Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine to feature a control system that is similar to the DK Bongos [33], requiring a player’s hands instead their feet to make the series accessible for gamers who are unable to use their legs [18]. Moreover, I am always up for gaming franchises trying something new, much like how Talking Angela got into karate back in late 2021 [35] [36]. As for the main Tomb Raider series starring the one and only Lara Croft, how about a stunning HD remake of the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of Tomb Raider Legend for the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X in the near future of gaming [44]?

There would be a lot to expect in an HD remake of Tomb Raider Legend, such as a glamourously updated model of Lara Croft in her “Legend” look [45] [46]. Care to demonstrate an example, Konrad Majewski [21]? As for the concept of a spin-off involving sign language, especially for players with hearing impairment, I enjoyed further expanding on how such an idea will work with my fellow tomb raiders [51] [52]. [44]

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