The most reckless archaeologist in video games returns and does so not directly on consoles or PCs, but through an animated project for Netflix and orchestrated by Crystal Dynamics. The plan she has in her hands: unify her legacy. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft will connect the survival trilogy with the original saga in a single timeline and at iGamesNews we have gathered what you need to know about how it will do it and when the event will occur. No spoilers, of course.
First things first: the streaming video giant has bet heavily on the project: the animation of Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is carried out by Powerhouse Animation Studios, responsible for its Castlevania series or Blood of Zeus, although video game fans have been able to see his work with the animations of the latest Sonic games. All in all, and as you can see, the visual style is greatly removed from the anime influences that Texans are so good at.
What is clear is that animation will have a substantial weight within the initiative. At least, as much as the predisposition that Lara has always had to get into trouble on a large scale. The interesting thing here is that, in addition, it is the direct continuation of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, picking up that universe where it left off and directing its protagonist to what happened in the saga prior to the 2013 reboot. Being a sequel and a prequel at the same timebut also one of the axes that will show where the saga is heading.
The good thing about playing between both video game legacies is that we will see a Lara who continues using her ice ax and shooting arrows, as in the survival trilogy, but also aspires to that kind of action more typical of a Hollywood blockbuster, reinforcing that iconic attitude with which we met her in the 90s.
How The Legend of Lara Croft fits into the Tomb Raider legacy
As a detail to keep in mind, in this series Lara’s voice in the original version is that of Hayley Atwell, Agent Carter in the Marvel Universe and Captain Carter in its enormous multiverse of possibilities. However, the other two characters revealed already show us the direction we want to go from this series:
- On the one hand, return Jonah Maiava voiced by Earl Baylon, the same actor who played him in the Tomb Raider survival trilogy.
- But also, it has been confirmed that Allen Maldonado will be Zipthe expert in all kinds of technology who debuted in Tomb Raider: Chronicles and of which nothing has been heard since Tomb Raider: Underworld in 2008. Before the reboot.
Trying to combine both legacies into one is the perfect incentive for those who have followed the saga forever, but also a superb bridge to take those who started from the reboot of Tomb Raider towards the previous games. Although what really counts for fans of the saga, those of the classic one and those of the most recent one, is not going to change at all: The legend of Lara Croft will once again take the reckless archaeologist to places full of dangers with the aim of discovering relics and mysteries of past civilizations.
Which brings us directly to the last question: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft will premiere exclusively on Netflix next October 10. At the moment, the total number of episodes has not been announced or if there are plans to offer them in two batches as Masters of the Universe (also from Powerhouse Animation). Of course, the date was chosen wisely: the first Tomb Raider was released on October 24, 1996, so the series will arrive on the eve of the anniversary.
And after that? Without knowing if there will be a second season, Crystal Dynamics has wasted no time and has secured a Live Action series with Prime Video. Although we don’t know if you will have to subscribe to both platforms to continue the story or if it will be something similar to a multiverse. Meanwhile, the next Lara Croft video game continues its development. We’ll have Tomb Raider for a while!
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