Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for our weekly fan interview! And in the spotlight this week is Alex Croft, a Tomb Raider fan and aspiring journalist from Spain.
Please note that the original interview was conducted in Spanish. I’ve translated Alex’s replies for the benefit of those who don’t understand Spanish but do keep in mind that a) I’m not a professional translator and b) this is not a word for word translation.
En primer lugar, mi nombre es Alejandro Cambronero Albaladejo, nací en Madrid, España en 1998. Apodado Alex Croft dentro de la Comunidad de Tomb Raider. Actualmente, soy el miembro más joven en tener un sitio web de la saga, además es oficial. Soy escritor, actor, modelo y arquero, como Lara en el último juego. He escrito unos cuantos relatos basados en Tomb Raider y también he desarrollado bastantes reportajes de los juegos de la saga. Tengo pensado hacer un cosplay en el futuro.
Translation: Well, first of all, my name is Alejandro Cambronero Albaladejo and I was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1998. I go by the nameAlex Croft within the Tomb Raider fan community and I’m actually the youngest official Tomb Raider fan site owner. I’m also a writer, actor, model, and archer (just like Lara in the latest game). I’ve written a few stories based on the Tomb Raider series, have written a number of reports on the games, and have plans to cosplay in future.
When and how did you learn about the Tomb Raider series?
Conocí la saga de Tomb Raider de casualidad, con tan solo 5 años de edad. Mis padres me compraron el juego “El Ángel de la Oscuridad” en Málaga, ciudad en la cual se encuentra mi familia paterna y, desde entonces, me considero un fan incondicional de tan preciada saga. He completado todos los juegos y colecciono merchandising de Tomb Raider.
Translation: I discovered the Tomb Raider series by pure accident when I was only 5 years old. My parents bought me “The Angel of Darkness” in Málaga (where my paternal family is from) and I’ve been a loyal fan of the series ever since. I’ve completed all of the games and collect Tomb Raider merchandise.
Do you run a Tomb Raider fansite or blog? If so, what would you say was your biggest achievement to date?
En efecto, tengo un blog oficial cuyo nombre es Alex’s Tomb Raider Blog, lo empecé días más tarde del estreno deTomb Raider 2013, la idea surgió sola de mi cabeza, y de ahí nació mi actual blog. Tengo otra web, una plataforma llamada “Tomb Raider World”, en la que participan muchos Raiders. También, soy el creador de la ya conocida “Comunidad Oficial” entre todas las webs de Tomb Raider y Lara Croft.
Translation: As a matter of fact, I do. I run a blog called Alex’s Tomb Raider Blog, which I launched just a few days after Tomb Raider 2013 was released. The idea just came to me and so my blog was born. I’ve also launched another website, a fan community platform called “Tomb Raider World” and set up an official Tomb Raider community for websites on Tomb Raider and Lara Croft.
How has Tomb Raider changed your life?
Tomb Raider cambió mi vida por completo, fue un antes y un después en ella, sinceramente. Es gran parte de mi vida, 11 largos años. La colección me ha enseñado tantas cosas, he aprendido tanta geografía, y lo mejor es que he aprendido muchos valores. Tomb Raider fue mi entretenimiento cuando estaba de mal humor, cuando lo pasaba mal en el colegio, me siento muy orgulloso de haber conocido la saga tan pronto… Lara Croft es como una hermana mayor para mí.
Translation: Tomb Raider has completely changed my life quite radically. Over the past 11 years, the Tomb Raider series has played a major role in my life and has taught me a lot about geography and, more importantly, moral values. Tomb Raider kept me entertained when I was in a bad mood or when something bad happened at school. I’m extremely proud of having discovered the series at a young age. Lara Croft has been like a big sister to me.
Were you interested in archaeology before discovering Tomb Raider? Have the Tomb Raider games and films inspired you to learn more about ancient history?
Siempre he estado interesado en la arqueología, tuve una época en la que quería ser arqueólogo, pero ahora he descubierto que mi verdadera vocación está en ser periodista de investigación. Puede que la arqueología sea uno de mis puntos a la hora de investigar, quién sabe.
Translation: I’ve always been interested in archaeology. For a while, I even thought about becoming an archaeologist but I’ve now discovered that investigative journalism is my true calling. Perhaps archaeology will be one of the areas I can focus on in my future career. Who knows?
What are your thoughts on Lara’s image? Is she simply the product of a sexist gaming industry or can she be seen as a positive role model?
Lara es un ejemplo a seguir, una aventurera nata, una mujer intrépida y valiente. ¡Una diosa! A la gente le encanta difamar acerca de Lara Croft, no es ningún producto comercial sexista, es un personaje genial que llama la atención en todos los sitios, tiene un gran corazón, una personalidad de oro y un humor fantástico.
Translation: Lara is a great role model, a born adventurer and a daring, fearless woman. A goddess! People enjoy slandering Lara Croft but she isn’t a product of commercial sexism. She’s an amazing character that captures one’s attention and has a good heart, a golden personality, and a fantastic sense of humour.
What’s your favourite Tomb Raider game?
Mi juego favorito de Tomb Raider es, sin duda alguna, “El Ángel de la Oscuridad”, me inicié desde muy pequeño con él y, justamente por eso, no me di cuenta en ningún momento de los tan criticados bugs y problemas del juego. Todo lo contrario, lo disfruté al máximo, fue una experiencia absolutamente increíble y conmovedora. Tardé unos tres meses en terminar el juego, pero con 5 años es normal. ¡Me encantó! Y, a día de hoy, lo vuelvo a jugar cada año para rememorar viejos tiempos.
Translation: My favourite Tomb Raider game is, without a doubt, “The Angel of Darkness”. I started playing it at a very young age and because of this, I was completely oblivious to the bugs and problems that many have complained about. On the contrary, I thoroughly enjoyed playing AoD and found it an incredible and moving experience. It took me about three months to finish the game but I think this is pretty normal for a 5-year-old I loved that game! And even today, I still play it every year as a way to remember the good old days.
And your least favourite game?
Hablo con sinceridad cuando digo que no hay ningún juego de Tomb Raider que no me guste. Todos son maravillosos, cada uno tiene sus pros y sus contras. Pero, al fin y al cabo, son fascinantes.
Translation: I can say with complete sincerity that there is not one Tomb Raider game that I haven’t liked. They’re all wonderful and although each game has its pros and cons, they’re all fascinating.
Classic, Legend-Anniversary-Underworld or Reboot Lara?
He crecido mayoritariamente con la saga de Crystal Dynamics, por lo que la prefiero ya que es más conocida por mí, pero dentro de los clásicos incluyo sin duda a TR: AoD, que me introdujo de lleno en el mundo de Lara Croft.
Translation: I grew up with the Crystal Dynamics games so L-A-U Lara is my favourite as she’s the one I know the best. However, as far as the classic games go, I’d also include TR: Angel of Darkness as this was the game that introduced me to the world of Lara Croft.
Do you have any favourite Tomb Raider moments or quotes?
Cualquier frase épica de Lara Croft es buena, no sabría elegir una en concreto, pero está claro que todo lo que dice la señorita Croft es realmente sabio.
Translation: Any one of Lara’s classic phrases would fit the bill. I wouldn’t know which one to choose but it’s clear that everything Ms Croft says is a pearl of wisdom.
What about least favourite moments? Is there anything you dislike about the games/films/comics?
No puedo decir nada en contra de Tomb Raider, porque para mí no hay nada malo, no puedo mentir. Todo lo que esté relacionado con la saga me encanta, absolutamente todo. Me fascina su mundo.
Translation: I can’t say anything negative about the Tomb Raider series because, in my honest opinion, there is nothing wrong with it. I adore everything about the series, absolutely everything. I’m just fascinated by its world.
If you could change one thing about the Tomb Raider franchise, what would you change?
No quiero cambiar nada, Lara es genial, siempre lo ha sido.
Translation: I wouldn’t change anything. Lara is amazing and always has been.
Which places would you like to see Lara explore in future games?
Cualquier sitio que sea emocinante, aunque no niego que me encantaría que Lara visitase España alguna vez, porque es mi país natal.
Translation: Anywhere exciting, though I won’t deny that I would be over the moon if Lara visited my home country Spain someday.
Finally, if you could join Lara on one of her adventures, where would you go?
Si me fuera con ella, me iría hasta el fin del mundo, y más lejos. Pero me encantaría visitar lugares remotos y perdidos. ¿A quién no le gustaría?
Translation: With Lara by my side, I would go to the ends of the earth and beyond, though I’d really love to visit remote and forgotten places. Who wouldn’t?
A huge thanks to Alex for taking part in our series of fan interviews. Feel free to visit his Tomb Raider blog or follow him on Twitter (@AlexsTRBlog and @AlexCambronero5).
You can find an archive of all our fan interviews over here.
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