Firstly, what is the last game you played, this will give us a good indication as to your #1 as always >_>
Secondly, yesss Lara. So good.
A - a lot of the reasons you stated. She's not a damsel but she's not a Chyna-like shemale either and like you said, a lot of games really fail to strike that balance. The Crystal Dynamics trilogy got her character spot on I thought, having not spoken all that much in games like Tomb Raider 2 (I'm not sure she talks from the end of Opera House until the tail-end of the game).
E - I like where this is going
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http://www.mariocube.nl/upload/XIII1008171346.jpg