Could this be the rebirth of a legend? James Gearing examines the Tomb Raider relaunch, and what it means for the future of Lara Croft
A dirty and bloodied young woman kneels on a beach surrounded by wreckage, resetting a broken limb she has strapped up in a tourniquet. She is pretty, but not in the traditional gaming heroine ‘boobs and bum’ sense; she has curves, but they are natural. This is far removed from the Lara Croft gamers are used to, the one with the twin pistols who let no animal (no matter their status on the endangered species list) stand in her way. She is independent and clearly a true survivor, but this time not through choice.
The latest foray into the life of gaming’s most famous woman sees a return to the roots of Ms. Croft, delving into her inspiration for the thirst for adventure that has propelled her through countless adventures for the past 15 years. But what do we know about it thus far?
Gameplay footage at E3 promises a gorgeous looking game – that much is certain. The ‘Caverns’ level demoed, while dark and gloomy, offers a claustrophobic jaunt through a subterranean water-logged maze, lit only by flickering candles. Tomb Raider has always been known for it’s tension – the earlier games had it by the bucket-load thanks to the huge environments, deathly silent until a huge bear whacked you on the back and roared in your face. And then you were dead, and you started again.
The footage shown would suggest something different is afoot this time around. Lara certainly still faces peril at every turn, but the return of quick-time events (save your groans!) mean that death may not be as sudden and cut-throat as previous titles. That’s not to say there won’t be any leg-snapping when you plunge her off a cliff though. It wouldn’t be Tomb Raider without that.
As stated in the E3 preview the new game will feature a huge free-roaming island to navigate. This wouldn’t be the first time Tomb Raider has experimented with the open-world dynamic. However, the Paris Streets section of ‘The Angel of Darkness’ is probably best forgotten (along with the rest of the game).
Hopefully the creative talent behind Lara have learned from their mistakes, as they hope to craft a more ‘grass roots’ experience for our Lady – survival from the ground up. From what we’ve seen so far, we can’t wait to fashion weapons from sharp sticks and precious fire. Wait… Does that mean there won’t be twin pistols?
