On March 5, the tenth anniversary of the reboot of one of the industry’s most iconic sagas was celebrated. Yes, we’re talking about Tomb Raider and its 2013 revival by Crystal Dynamics. A new start for one of the most important heroines of video games, who returns with a new opus prepared for the new consoles.
A new starting point that was not something new in the franchise, since it has already had several reboots and it seems that one could arrive soon. For this reason, and to celebrate the anniversary, we wanted to review Lara’s trajectory through the console generations, because, without a doubt, the Tomb Raider video game saga is one of the franchises that marked a before and after.
Antes de empezar, y para destacar su importancia dentro de la industria, solo señalaremos que, desde su lanzamiento en 1996, la serie ha vendido más de 81 million copies en todo el mundo y ha dado lugar a múltiples secuelas, películas y adaptations en comical.
Tomb Raider is an industry icon
The original Tomb Raider game was released in 1996 and introduced us to Lara Croft, a British archaeologist who travels the world in search of ancient treasures. The game was an instant hit thanks to its gameplay, intricate storyline, and lead character, who quickly became an industry icon. The success of the first game led to the creation of several sequels, including Tomb Raider II, III, and IV. Each game has expanded the Tomb Raider story and universe, adding new characters, locations, and treasures for Lara to explore.
In 2003, the first reboot of the series was released, Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, which featured a darker gameplay style and a more complex story. Although the game received mixed reviews, it laid the foundation for future reboots of the series. In 2006 he came out Tomb Raider: Legend, a complete reboot of the series that modernized the gameplay and presentation of the series. The story followed a younger, less confident Lara Croft on her quest to uncover the truth behind her mother’s disappearance.
This reboot was followed by two sequels, Tomb Raider: Anniversary there Tomb Raider: Underworldwhich continued Lara’s story and introduced some new game mechanics. However, the series got somewhat stuck after these releases, and it wasn’t until 2013 that the franchise received another reboot.
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And after these two reboots, the one that so far is the last has arrived. The launch of Tomb Raider in 2013 it featured a completely redesigned Lara Croft and a more open and exploratory game world. The story follows a young Lara who finds herself stranded on a mysterious island after a shipwreck. The game was a critical and commercial success and paved the way for a new series of Tomb Raider games. Its main success was, in the opinion of this writer, that of presenting a more human, not so superheroine Lara. The suffering, the feelings she transmits… are traits that humanize one of the most outstanding heroines in the industry. A very successful decision that allowed the creation of a new legion of fans of the character, while maintaining the essence of what characterized and popularized the character.
This release was followed by two sequels. The first was Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2015, which continued Lara’s story and introduced new gameplay mechanics, such as hunting and crafting. Three years later, in 2018 we would have Shadow of the Tomb Raider, title that completed the trilogy. With a darker, more mature story, it meant the end of Lara’s journey and her complete transformation into the heroine we all have in mind.
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In conclusion, the Tomb Raider video game saga is one of the most influential and enduring series in video game history. Since its launch in 1996, the series has evolved and reinvented itself many times, maintaining its place in the hearts of fans around the world. With an engrossing story, solid gameplay, and an iconic main character, the Tomb Raider saga is an example of how a franchise can evolve and remain relevant after more than 25 years.
And what can we expect from the franchise now? At the moment everything is unknown, since Crystal Dynamics and the IP were sold to Embracer Group, which in turn sold the Tomb Raider license to Amazon. How will the company handle the character? For the moment nothing is certain, but it seems that Amazon’s plans are rather on the work of creating an interconnected franchise between video games, films and series. And it seems that this 2023 we could have news of a new title developed under Unreal Engine 5.
