It has been officially confirmed that Crystal Dynamics has a new Tomb Raider title. Since the game is in early development, not much is known about it, but we do have little tidbits of information to share. Stay tuned to find out more!
Who hasn’t heard of Lara Croft these days? This thrill-seeking adventuring icon is a famous movie and comic book hero, often appearing in other works of popular culture besides video games. You can even find her in Michigan online casinos and leading industry brands like BetMGM, where she is starring in her own dedicated slot game.
Her legacy began in 1996 when Core Design developed the first Tomb Raider title. The same developer team continued making more games until the release of 2006’s Tomb Raider: Legend when Crystal Dynamics took over their duties. The year 2013 gave birth to Tomb Raider, which was designed to be a reboot of the franchise, featuring elements of realism and survival. It ultimately became a huge commercial hit, selling over 14 million copies.
Following the success of 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider and 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the ever-popular video game is finally getting a successor. Allegedly, the sequel will be built using the Unreal five engine technology that allows for next-level gameplay and storytelling, pushing the limits of fidelity while delivering a cinematic action-adventure experience the franchise deserves. The previous games were built using the Crystal and Foundation engines, a significant jump.
Sadly, we don’t know the exact title of the sequel, but the fact the developers chose the Unreal five engine is enough to set high expectations for it. After all, it’s the same framework CD Projekt Red chose for the upcoming The Witcher title. At the same time, this means you’ll need some decent hardware to run it (a highly specced-out PC or the latest generation of consoles will do).
Traditionally, Tomb Raider games have been centered around third-person action-adventure platforming, and the newest addition to the series aims to improve upon the proven formula. We can also expect many puzzle-solving challenges to be thrown into the mix. However, cinematic elements may not have been as present in its preceding titles, at least not the kind that we are promised to see an increased extent of in the yet-to-be-named sequel.
Plot-wise, little has been revealed about it apart from some hints dropped by Will Kerslake, the franchise director. Based on these, the most likely chronological setting is Lara’s more experienced years instead of her childhood. He also revealed the goal is to have more unified storytelling and connect the dots of the events portrayed in the earlier games.
In the end, we’ll see the finished product when it arrives. Unfortunately, the release is still a couple of years away, with no definite set release date. There is speculation that the latest installment in the Tomb Raider franchise will be playable in 2025. But then again, no AAA game title has ever been developed overnight, so it’s all within the scope of normality.
Note that Crystal Dynamics also currently plays a role in developing Perfect Dark, partnering with Xbox studio The Initiative. This is the reboot of a first-person shooter that was released in 2000. In recent years, the development studio made efforts to expand its operations, establishing Crystal Southwest and Crystal Northwest as support studios. With an increased capacity to take on more work, we can expect to see great things down the line.
