Corona | Coming Attractions

Since the seventies, moviegoers have been used to lining up for big blockbusters. While some see them as primarily about male protagonists (in everything from Jaws to Avatar) it is easy to forget there have been some excellent female big hitters as well and today we will be focusing on two in particular - Wonder Woman and Lara Croft.

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a relative newcomer to the world of video games, with her most recent appearance coming in the shape of an online game: the Wonderwoman online casino slot game at Guts, a five-reel, 40-payline experience that features the likeness of Lynda Carter. The game is one of a number of comic book heroes on the books at Guts, a site that also features a modern Batman slot. 

Injustice (and its recent sequel) was, on the surface, a one-on-one beat 'em up featuring DC superheroes such as Superman, Flash, and Wonder Woman. However, where the game received praise was through its in-depth storyline (itself spun off into an acclaimed comic) and a combat system that was both accessible but also provided plenty of depth for more experienced gamers.

Injustice 2 has only recently come out but already it is being hailed for building on the narrative of the original and adding an interesting spin on customisation. While other beat em ups offer alternate costumes, these are often purely for novelty or for Easter eggs and in-jokes. With Injustice 2, the additional costumes, weapons, and gadgets have a direct effect on how your character fights.

Tomb Raider

If you think about the words “games” and “strong women”, the chances are that the image of Lara Croft will come to mind. The Tomb Raider games have been iconic since the days of the first Playstation, while Angelina Jolie’s performance as the character further increased her popularity. In this instance it's the other way round to Wonder Woman where the games came before the films.

It is fascinating to see the changes to both the heroine herself and the games during this time. Naturally, people tend to think of the ponytail, lime green shirt, and shorts combination as well as some puzzles that had that "just one more go" quality to them. 

Recently Tomb Raider has gone the way of James Bond and Batman with a reboot that goes back to the origins of Lara - this includes the recent videogames and an upcoming new film starring Ex Machina's Alicia Vikander. In those games the focus is more on survival than puzzles or collecting, reflecting the experiences of a younger adventurer finding her feet.

One great thing about the various Tomb Raider games is that there are a diverse range out there. As well as the various main games you also have the simpler mobile phone maze runner games and, if you fancy something a bit more casual, you can always check out Tomb Raider: Secrets of the Sword, a slot machine game with a classic Tomb Raider twist.

More to come

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for these two particular franchises. In the case of Tomb Raider, the success of Rise of the Tomb Raider means another sequel is inevitable, though, if the film takes off, then it is likely there will be further pressure on the next title to deliver as newcomers try out the games for the first time.

With regard to Wonder Woman, it would be great to see more spinoffs. The Arkham games have been great for Batman but, given that she also has decades of storylines and a strong fanbase, it would be interesting to see if a developer steps forward and creates more games to cater for an audience that is clearly there.

As ever though, the law with anything in the entertainment industry is how many people take it up. In short, if people keep buying the games, new titles get made - you can make it happen!