Here's What Lara Croft Would Look Like If She Got Old
If you've ever wondered what Lara Croft might look like now, you're in luck. Dr. Carol Holland, a professor of aging at Lancaster University, has assisted UK comparison company ComparetheMarket.com in creating virtual models of what famous video game characters would look like as they aged. Dr. Holland has previously worked on projects that anticipate how individuals will age and what their needs might be, making her the perfect candidate to assist with the models.
One of the featured characters in ComparetheMarket's project, Lara Croft, made her debut in Tomb Raider in 1996. In the first Tomb Raider game, Lara was a spritely 21 years old, which would make her 46 in real-world years since her first appearance. However, Croft's birthday from the original timeline is in 1968, which would actually mean she's in her 50s. Regardless of what her age is or isn't, Holland and ComparetheMarket.com accounted for Croft's dangerous lifestyle when determining her appearance.
According to a press release received by AZ Central, "various factors were considered when visualizing the characters including their original age, career, where they live and how physically active they are." For example, Mario's renowned jumping skills would likely age his knees more harshly, while too many chili dogs might have had an effect on Sonic the Hedgehog.
Full 360 renders of the aged video game characters don't show too much fine detail, but they do offer a good idea of what these familiar faces could look like if they reflected their real age. For the most part, Laura Croft doesn't seem that much different. Sure, her face is a bit rounder, as is her middle, but she still seems ready to take on any creature and raid any tomb. Though her hair has grown gray, ComparetheMarket.com specified that Croft regularly applies sunscreen, which accounts for her glowing, healthy skin. Whether she's 46 or 56, Croft will always hold a special place in fans' hearts.
As for the other characters featured in ComparetheMarket.com's project, their appearance varied based on how realistic they looked to begin with. Mario and Luigi, of Super Mario Bros. fame, looked more realistic than they've ever appeared in a game. Getting physically older probably isn't how Mario and Luigi wanted to spend their 35th anniversary. Meanwhile, CJ from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas appears to simply be a slightly grayer version of himself. While GTA fans still don't know exactly what happened to CJ after the events of San Andreas, this render provides a hopeful look at where he might be now.