Game

Tomb Raider (2013)

2013

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, macOS, PCGenres: Action

16Score

Peak Gaming

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Game metadata from RAWG.

Is Tomb Raider (2013) Woke? Quick Answer

Tomb Raider (2013) scores 16/100 on the IsItWoke scale and falls into Peak Gaming.

That is the story-first end of the scale for this game.

The dialogue serves the narrative without overt moralizing. Characters are primarily driven by their roles in the story rather than for representation's sake.

See the full breakdown below.

Woke profile

How the score is shaped

Eight stored dimensions, each scored from 0 to 20.

Message

Characters

Story

Legacy

Politics

Lead

Tradition

Norms

Column height is the stored score out of 20

Message-first dialogue
4/20
Tokenistic characters
3/20
Ideology over story
5/20
Legacy rewriting
2/20
Modern politics injection
3/20
Protected protagonist pattern
4/20
Anti-traditional framing
2/20
Cultural normalization framing
3/20

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Why it received this score

Based on: Published title analysisConfidence: MediumLast updated: 2026-05-29

Key reasons

The dialogue serves the narrative without overt moralizing.
Characters are primarily driven by their roles in the story rather than for representation's sake.
While there are some ideological elements, they do not dominate the overall storytelling.

View full breakdown

The reboot respects the franchise while introducing modern gameplay mechanics.
Protagonist Lara Croft faces real challenges and consequences throughout her journey.

Score signals

Signal	What was measured	Strength	Impact
Message-first dialogue	How much the dialogue, monologues, or character interactions feel driven by overt messaging, moral lecturing, ideological framing, or making a point instead of serving the story naturally.	4/20	+3
Ideology over story	How much the overall storytelling prioritizes ideological framing, message delivery, social commentary, or activism-coded narrative choices over pacing, conflict, immersion, and entertainment.	5/20	+3
Protected protagonist pattern	How much the protagonist fits the protected-protagonist pattern (agenda-driven character construction) rather than competence fantasy. Score HIGH only when: competence appears unearned or unexplained; protagonist rarely faces consequences; antagonists exist mainly to demonstrate protagonist superiority; narrative treats protagonist as symbolically superior; plot shields protagonist from vulnerability. Score LOW when: competence is grounded in training, profession, or past experience; protagonist suffers damage or setbacks; real physical danger and survival tension exist (normal action storytelling). Do not penalize competence fantasy.	4/20	+3
Tokenistic characters	How much characters feel inserted or shaped primarily for symbolic representation, political signaling, or demographic checkbox value rather than narrative depth, organic fit, or strong characterization.	3/20	+2
Modern politics injection	How much contemporary political discourse, activist framing, or modern culture-war signaling appears injected into fantasy, sci-fi, historical, or otherwise escapist settings in a way that feels noticeable or immersion-breaking.	3/20	+2

AI cultural analysis

A short read on tone, themes, and messaging — not a plot synopsis.

AI read

Tomb Raider (2013) successfully revives the franchise with a focus on action and storytelling. The dialogue is crafted to enhance the narrative rather than push an agenda, allowing players to engage with Lara's character development organically.

Characters feel well-integrated into the plot, avoiding the pitfalls of tokenism, as they serve distinct roles in the unfolding adventure. The game respects the legacy of the series while updating its mechanics for a contemporary audience, ensuring that the storytelling remains engaging without succumbing to heavy-handed messaging.