Camilla Luddington is frowning seven different ways. She's an experienced actor, so each frown carries its own nuance and meaning: defiance, confusion, vulnerability, fear.
She's filming in a Los Angeles facial capture studio for her role as Lara Croft in the forthcoming Rise of the Tomb Raider. Since the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot, Luddington has provided the basis for the face and voice of one of video gaming's most recognizable characters.
A few days later, some 350 miles north of L.A. in the offices of Tomb Raider developer Crystal Dynamics, Senior Technical Artist Jon Robins leans into his monitor and carefully studies the Luddington footage.
He notes how light bounces off the ridges on Luddington's forehead, how her eyes move in a slightly different fashion for each frown, how the lines around her eyes transfer to the particulars of her smile, the angle of her cheekbones, the jut of her chin.
He imports the images into facial engine models of Lara Croft. The mesh of her face represents thousand of data points.
Robins manipulates blend shapes in order to tweak Lara Croft's expressions, each designed for a specific moment in the game — for a flash of peril, a quizzical exchange of dialog or an internal moment of self-reflection.
He is tasked with making Lara Croft look as human as possible. She must seem like a real person while also being an action hero. She must convey both power and vulnerability. She must be visually and emotionally appealing to the player. She must seem like the same Lara Croft we have known for two decades.
As Croft shows a variety of on-screen emotions, Robins sits back in his office chair and gazes at her face. He frowns. Something isn't right.
It takes a moment for him to articulate the problem. There's a woman on his screen but she isn't Lara Croft. He's looking at an actor. He's looking at Camilla Luddington.
Mess a whole year. I'm glad I'm a PC gamer at least for once.
The constant doom-saying ever since the exclusive deal was announced is really too much though, it's going to be fine. If the series can survive Angel of Darkness, it can survive a seasonal exclusive deal. The Queen always wins.
Poor Lara getting to compete and smothered with UC4, Horizon, TLG, Third Party Games on PS4. While ha value gets discounted, no one would pay for full value on ha And the fact the next sequel will be dead because no one would buy a sequel of a game they bought for free, steam sale or the next year 's $20 platinum version.
Poor Lara getting to compete and smothered with UC4, Horizon, TLG, Third Party Games on PS4. While ha value gets discounted, no one would pay for full value on ha And the fact the next sequel will be dead because no one would buy a sequel of a game they bought for free, steam sale or the next year 's $20 platinum version.
Lara >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> these boring games you said, ,
seriously Horizon?
Lara remains the best !
Poor Lara getting to compete and smothered with UC4, Horizon, TLG, Third Party Games on PS4. While ha value gets discounted, no one would pay for full value on ha And the fact the next sequel will be dead because no one would buy a sequel of a game they bought for free, steam sale or the next year 's $20 platinum version.
Horizon and TLG are not going to be released next year. I smell delays.