There are some of these characters who have left a deep mark on the video game world. Such is the case of Lara Croft, that intrepid adventurer who was introduced to the public in 1996. 25 years later, Lara hasn’t aged a bit and continues to animate the screens with her incredible adventures. Will Kerslake, Game Director at Crystal Dynamics, has also confirmed that the Tomb Raider saga is not dead and the studio is working on new games. Nevertheless, the great story of Lara Croft could have ended prematurely in 1999, and above all.
The birth of a legend
It all starts with a man’s idea: Tobias Gard. Hired by Core Design to work on BC Racers, a history-themed racing game, he quickly won their trust. It is therefore quite natural that he will be elected, from 1993, to lead a team of six responsible for the development of a new 3D adventure game. When some people think of game mechanics or universe first, Toby most of all wants a hero to throw it. Finally a hero … more of a heroine.
However, this did not follow from the start. Toby actually visualized an adventurer with a hat and a whip, Surveying (often dangerous) ruins in search of forgotten treasures. Suffice it to say that the comparisons would have skyrocketed immediately, especially since Dr. Henry Walton had already given his name to a game, Indiana Jones and the Mystery of Atlantis (1992).
Neither one nor two, Toby takes his pencil and decides this time bring a woman to life. And even if it means being original, he chooses to move away from the stereotypes of the time. In fact, the young man can no longer bear the fact that women are too often restricted to the roles of princesses or simple chicks. He is inspired by very different things, such as the album cover Raw like sushi from Neneh Cherry or the boards from Tank girl (the comic punk heroine of the same name). After various sketches, Gard finally stops at a South American with a sculpted body with a long braid. It is this version that he decides to present Jeremy Heath-Smith, co-founder of Core Design. The latter, however, is skeptical of this idea. “A woman as the leading actress? It will never work “ he says to him. But Toby Gard doesn’t move and that’s how Lara Croft was born, or better said Laura Cruz, as he originally wanted to call her (Anglicized very quickly with a new name and a new origin).
In 1996 the first Tomb Raider game is released. We find a Lara in three dimensions, without a braid, but with an imposing chest. As you probably know, this last point would be due to an accidental increase that could be corrected. But the marketing potential of such a body would have been too enticing to Core Design and Eidos Interactive, the editor, who would have decided to keep it. A pretty representative decision Marketing restrictions that animated the development process of this first Tomb Raider (and those following). Restrictions that also urged Toby Gard to get off the ship quickly.
What bothered me was the marketing that wanted us to portray Lara in a way that was inconsistent with the character. I didn’t like it then and it made me want to be in control of my characters in the future. That’s why I left.
Toby Gard for The Guardian
Crunch one day, always crunch
Despite its creator’s departure, Tomb Raider does well on both the critical and sales sides. Not less than seven million copies sold worldwide, a sizeable number, especially for the time being. Core Design has its new goose that lays golden eggs and wants to make the most of them.
A year later, a second plant was created. When Core Design has given itself the means to achieve its ambitions by hiring more people, the deadlines are more than tight (less than a year development time) forces the team to work day and night to complete the project. Hard work that will continue to pay off is also well received by this second work. But at what cost? The developers are exhausted … So when the idea for a third title comes up, they ask for a longer deadline. Especially since they have great ambitions to make Tomb Raider III a new generation game with a different game engine and animation system. The request was denied, marking the departure of some members of the Tomb Raider team. And the majority of those still present were not out of pure passion.
In all fairness, it was the royalties that kept us going.
Gavin Rummery, programmer especially for Tomb Raider I and II, for Euro Gamer
But Core Design has not been defeated so far, bringing developers together who are working on other projects to develop their next piece of work. Whether at the development or communication level, the studio brings the small dishes into the big ones: improved artificial intelligence, a different style of play, revised graphics and a huge communication campaign with British model Nell McAndrew. All of this for a bug-filled game that is far from a failure, but does not catch up with the previous two opus in the hearts of gamers and critics alike. Because in order to definitely want to ride the wave of success, Eidos Interactive has rely on speed instead of quality.
The Tomb Raiders were never in perfect shape. When the third episode arrived we warned you that this might be even less than the other two. A month and a good hundred hours later, the results are even more impressive than we thought.
Dave Martinyuk in PlayStation Magazine January 1999
But the publisher decides to ignore the warning signs and starts core design for a fourth episode that is rescheduled for the following year. Development started parallel to Tomb Raider III and the developers couldn’t take that much anymore. Exhausted and cramped, they reluctantly throw themselves into the creation of this new opus, even more ambitious despite an equally tight deadline. But an idea is a game changer and brings a very specific motivation for the team: and whether it would be possible to kill Lara Croft.
Lara (1996-1999)
Andy Sandham, who worked on Tomb Raider II & III is entrusted with the difficult task of writing this fourth work, Tomb Raider: The Final Revelation. As he slowly envisions Lara’s return to the Egyptian lands, a crazy idea occurs to him.
We knew we couldn’t get away with it, but it was a moment of catharsis.
Andy Sandham for Euro Gamer
Burned out, Killing Lara turned out to be the only way to end these far too long days and insurmountable pressures. The developers worked on this little secret for many weeks until they finally presented their vision of the game to Jeremy Heath-Smith. If he is excited about the return to Egypt and the innovations of this new opus, he will quickly become disillusioned when he discovers the fate of his heroine. While trying to escape from the Temple of Horus (which is falling into ruins), Lara falls and we see her body, lifeless, buried under the rubble. A shock for the co-founder of Core Design.
He called us all into his office and said, “What the hell are you doing?” And we said, “You know, we got really tired of her.” So he said, “Well, you need to fix that.”
Andy Sandham for Euro Gamer
But the developers thought their move through well. The game has progressed too far and it is impossible to go back. At the end of 1999, the players therefore witnessed the baffled death of Lara Croft, who concluded a surprisingly not-so-bad opus. Most developers even remember the latter as their best game, despite the chaotic conditions of its development. And in the end it might have been better if it had been the other way around.
With this opus, the saga is far from giving away its potential. Eidos Interactive therefore intends to continue using it. The editor then asks Core Design to switch back to coal. This is one time too many. When developers don’t really have a choice of getting their check, they don’t put their own money into it. The result is a Tomb Raider: not really thriving in Lara Croft’s footsteps (“catastrophic” according to Marcus), looking back at past exploits of the young woman. But with Tomb Raider: The Dark Angel, the saga really hits the ground.
Released in 2003, it casually revives Lara Croft’s adventures without even bothering to offer the slightest explanation for her incredible resurrection. That was expected, of course, but the release of the game has been brought forward by the publisher so that this coincides with the release of the film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, cradle of life, the 2001 sequel. With so much rush, it was impossible to get things right. Core Design had to shed some goals and other essential narrative or gameplay elements. Not to mention the many errors that exist in this sixth work. From the perspective of this critical flaw, It would probably have been better if Andy Sandham had followed his first intuition: behead the heroine directly so she could never return.
If the figure of Lara Croft succeeded in being reborn from her ashes today, she almost sank into mediocrity and oblivion. The one who was supposed to die was resurrected by Crystal Dynamics and his new recipe for Tomb Raider has paid off. It’s hard to say the same for core design. After the release of Tomb Raider: The Dark Angel, Jeremy Heath-Smith resigned from his post. The Lost Dominion project, a sequel to this opus, was quickly abandoned. A few weeks later, Eidos Interactive withdrew the franchise from the studio and turned it over to Crystal Dynamics. The studio then began producing three low-budget games before Eidos severed ties with them as of 2006. After a takeover, the studio was renamed Rebellion UK Derby. Another attempt to save a studio that will close for good in early 2010 after two commercial failures (Rogue Warrior and Shellshock 2: Blood Trails). Even then, the dramatic consequences of the crisis and other burdens could already be felt.
