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Old 08-06-18, 11:32   #1
biscuits
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Default In defense of Reyes, and why I think she's a great character

One thing I don't get is all the hate Joslin Reyes gets. Most people reduce her to being an "Angry Black Woman" stereotype, but I think that's not true at all. Yes, she's cold and bitter, but the reason as to why she is the way she is is why I find her interesting.

Even when not taking the comics into account, and strictly looking at the journals she wrote, I think her behavior towards Lara is not justified but understandable. Reyes went on this expedition for mainly two reasons, to help support her daughter, and for Roth's sake. For further evidence, here's the letter Reyes wrote to her daughter:

Quote:
Alisha, honey, I didn’t want to write this, but if I don’t do it now, I might not have another chance. Your mama got herself into some trouble… and… I might have to be gone for a very long time. I don’t know when or if you’ll ever read this, but I want you to know I fought for you. Everything I did in my life was for you – all the time away, all the money I saved, all the sacrifices. I’m sorry for everything you’re gonna have to go through without me.

If I don’t make it back, find Conrad Roth. You’ve never met him, but he’s the best man I’ve ever known. And he’s your father. You have his eyes.

You’re the light of my life and I love you more than anything.
I also don't blame Reyes for being hard on Lara at all. The expedition Lara went on was a financial strain on almost everyone at the Endurance, especially Sam, who used her uncle's money to fund the trip. Lara journeys to discover a lost kingdom based on a hunch, can you really blame Reyes for being highly skeptical about this? You have this large, expensive expedition lead by the theories of a young girl, who just recently graduated! For all Reyes knows, this whole thing could lead to nothing but wasted time and money. This document really made me understand why Reyes is hard on Lara:

Quote:
Roth, I know you want me to ease off Lara. But I’m hard on her for a reason.

This big expensive ship and all its people are heading into uncharted, dangerous waters based on her theories. Lara need to understand the weight of that responsibility. I know it was your call, but sometimes I think you forget that she isn’t actually your daughter. No one else could get away with steering the Endurance into Dragon’s Triangle without at least some hard evidence. So you tell me – what convinced you?

She’s smart, I’ll give her that. And I admit the expedition has potential. But big ideas and grand plans will only get us so far. You know as well as I do, nothing like this ever goes according to plan. Lara’s green – if the **** hits the fan and she screws up, someone’s gonna get hurt. Maybe it’ll all play out fine. But until we’re sailing home safe and sound with a pile of riches, I’m not giving that girl any slack.
And guess what? Someone did get hurt. A lot of people. A large portion of the sailors in the ship were mercilessly killed by Solarii members. Reyes is in an island filled with blood and guts all over the ground, and for some reason, women are strung up with flies around their rotting flesh. Can you really blame her for being somewhat angry and bitter? She wasn't even that hard on Lara before Roth, Grim, and Alex died. Her crew members are dying left and right all because of Lara's theories. The woman wants to go back to her daughter, who doesn't even have any other parental figure. I wasn't angry at Reyes for that, I felt sympathy for her.


Now as to why Reyes is the way she is. Reyes joined the police force at a young age and partnered with an old cop, who taught her everything she knew and all the values of being a good cop. She was a happy individual back then. It all ended during a shootout with a bunch of drug dealers however.



She promised her mentor's family that she will make things right, but the drug dealers ended up getting away with it. She quit the force and carried out her own way of justice by killing the dealers. She then worked at her brother's garage, enjoying the machinery because it calmed her.



Reyes and Lara's relationship in the comics was also compelling. She was still bitter at Lara for the deaths that happened at Yamatai. While running from Solarii worshipers she says the following to Lara:





It's only until Reyes's daughter Alisha convinces her that she needs to stop being nasty to Lara that their relationship starts to heal. Reyes even acknowledges Lara as her "pain in the ass friend" when saving her from being killed by one of the Solarii worshipers.
I think what put Lara and Reyes on good terms was the shared memory of Roth. They both really cared about him. One thing I found really endearing was Lara and Reyes going on a hike together at Snowden, the same mountain that Lara and Roth climbed together. They dig up a hole and place a picture of him, in a sweet moment.




Reyes is also all around much happier person after the events of Rise. I find it really endearing how Lara and Reyes go kickboxing together. It shows that they have become great friends.




I'm of the opinion that Reyes and Lara's relationship is the most compelling one in the reboot series. I like how Reyes actually questions Lara and puts her in her own place, rather than simply blindly following her every wish. I think these two always share interesting moments.

Last edited by biscuits; 08-06-18 at 11:35.
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Old 08-06-18, 12:09   #2
Athukraz
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Exactly all of this. Also nobody would have left the island if Reyes didn't fix that PT boat. She gets way too much hate because she's angry at the the protagonist you grew up with guess what that protagonist is also human. Reyes is a great character and I'd love to have her back in any way. If not, she's still worthy of being mentioned once or twice in this game considering it's the last in the trilogy. Sam too. And Kaz. Thank you for this thread <3
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Old 08-06-18, 12:59   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by biscuits
The expedition Lara went on was a financial strain on almost everyone at the Endurance, especially Sam, who used her uncle's money to fund the trip. Lara journeys to discover a lost kingdom based on a hunch, can you really blame Reyes for being highly skeptical about this?
Isn’t that what they were doing before though, spending 22 days floating about with Whitman’s ideas and probably wasting most of the money until Lara proposed a new idea? I haven’t read the comics but it didn’t sound like the Yamatai expedition was her baby but rather something she re-directed when they were getting nowhere.

I understand what Reyes says about keeping Lara in line, but her attitude always felt like thinly veiled jealousy over Roth treating her like a daughter to me.

Quote:
I know it was your call, but sometimes I think you forget that she isn’t actually your daughter.
Why does it matter? Roth knows and believes in Lara, like most of the crew bar Whitman, and did practically raise her. Reyes comes across like she’s possessive of him, like how she reacts when Sam asks Lara if she’s alright; her father figure just died in her arms to save her, leaving her alone and devastated, but Reyes somehow makes it into a jab: “because it’s all about Lara, isn’t it!” Alex’s death too. A young guy just died getting Reyes her tools, which Lara managed to salvage, but suddenly it’s Lara’s fault, so let’s make her feel like crap.

I also felt pretty bad for Roth; his sacrifice and loss speech seems prompted by the journal you find at his old campfire containing Reyes’s confession that Alisha is his daughter. It was a choice made for him, a loss you can see in his eyes as Lara walks away, like he wasn’t really talking about her but himself. It just feels hypocritical for Reyes to be such a hardass on everyone while she makes her own mistakes.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Athukraz
Also nobody would have left the island if Reyes didn't fix that PT boat.
If Reyes had her way, she’d have forced everybody (except Lara who’s the only one getting up to fix the mess they’re in, she sucks) to get on the boat and sail into the storms, killing them all, which is another aspect of her character that’s grating. She has every reason to believe something supernatural is happening, but refuses to almost just to spite Lara.

Their hike together on Snowden post-Yamatai looks like a really nice scene, but that “I have to get my baby away from you” panel is everything wrong with Reyes to me. Projecting everything onto Lara when Yamatai, Roth and even her own parents’ deaths weren’t her fault.
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Old 08-06-18, 14:57   #4
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The fact that you have to point to the comics at all simply validates how poorly the character is written in the game.

In Reyes's defense, the whole game is poorly written and all of the characters are ciphers simply to react to Lara. No one says anything real people would actually say in that situation. Everyone alternately pumps up Lara or is mean to her. They really have no other function.
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Old 08-06-18, 15:06   #5
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I think the game has good writing. I also thought Reyes was a well written character before I even read the comics. I simply used them because I thought it did a good job of expanding the character.
I do somewhat agree on the supporting cast being rather undercooked. The narrative wasn't handled in an organised matter at all. The writing team and the gameplay designers frequently butted heads with one another.

That being said, I still love the story.
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Old 08-06-18, 17:06   #6
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Originally Posted by biscuits View Post
I think the game has good writing. I also thought Reyes was a well written character before I even read the comics. I simply used them because I thought it did a good job of expanding the character.
I do somewhat agree on the supporting cast being rather undercooked. The narrative wasn't handled in an organised matter at all. The writing team and the gameplay designers frequently butted heads with one another.

That being said, I still love the story.
Oh yeah, the writing of the games is a good B in terms of the basic.
The structure and pacing is fine, the characters are unique enough and serve a purpose.

The problem is simply the theme and the focus.
They gave Lara a good support cast but then put the strongest focus on her, the island and most of all on the "survivor" aspect of the story.

That is why in the end the support characters fell a bit flat while they are incredible well developed in the comics.
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Old 09-06-18, 04:02   #7
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I don't want to bring social justice into it. Maybe this is a mistake posting this but both Reyes and Nadine Ross from Uncharted get equal hate as "angry black women". Usually when it comes to gaming and politics I roll my eyes but I can't help but feel like this isn't a coincidence? If I'm thinking too hard than someone stop me but I actually liked these two, I feel like if Reyes was a different character but had the exact same narrative and mines the situation would be treated differently and it's not fair.
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Old 09-06-18, 13:09   #8
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Originally Posted by ActuallyArlow View Post
I don't want to bring social justice into it. Maybe this is a mistake posting this but both Reyes and Nadine Ross from Uncharted get equal hate as "angry black women". Usually when it comes to gaming and politics I roll my eyes but I can't help but feel like this isn't a coincidence? If I'm thinking too hard than someone stop me but I actually liked these two, I feel like if Reyes was a different character but had the exact same narrative and mines the situation would be treated differently and it's not fair.
no you make a very good point.
the gaming community isn’t exactly the most inclusive and open-minded of communities unfortunately, although it is getting better. but still, so many people are quick to yell “damn SJWs1!1!1!1” as soon as a character in a game isn’t a white male.
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Old 09-06-18, 15:12   #9
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Not just Reyes. Sam is a cipher for cute Asian girl.

Really, the writing is terrible in the game. Almost everything that leaves anyone's mouth is terrible. I think there were only two or three moments where I felt someone was telling the truth.
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Old 09-06-18, 15:37   #10
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compared to the other characters Reyes was interesting because she's one of the few good guys who didn't admire Lara. But by herself she's still pretty flat in game. If you didn't stumble upon a journal she mostly just seemed pissed off, and of course it didn't help that the Endurance Crew's animations weren't as good as Lara's.
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