Tomb Raideris still widely considered to be one of the most influential video game franchises ever created, with its original PS1 entry redefining the action-adventure genre back upon its 1996 debut. Though it’s occasionally taken a brief year or two hiatus,theTomb Raiderfranchisehas continued to pump out new entries fairly consistently over the last almost three decades, ranging from mainline titles to reboots and remasters and even some mobile spin-offs.
Tomb Raideris still a renowned franchise with an impressive, well-known legacy behind it, but it’s long past its golden era. That said,Tomb Raiderhas actually had a surprisingly busy year, and its new Embracer Group owners shouldn’t waste the franchise’s recent resurgence.
Lara Croft Has Made Her Way Around The Gaming Industry in 2024
Over the last few years,Tomb Raider’s Lara Crofthas quickly become one of the most prolific characters in gaming, having appeared in a wealth of games as a cameo character or skin. 2023 saw Lara Croft appear inFall Guys,Magic: The Gathering,The Walking Dead: Survivors, andCall of Duty, and the illustrious Croft Manor even made an appearance inPowerWash Simulator.
Lara Croft’s tour around the gaming world has continued throughout 2024, with the iconic adventurer appearing inHero Wars,State of Survival, andNaraka: Bladepoint. But by far Lara Croft’s most memorable cameo this year came in July, with the hero appearing as a new playable Survivor in theasymmetrical horror gameDead by Daylightalongside some unique Perks that reference her distinct tomb-raiding abilties.
Lara Croft’s Own Ventures Have Done Well
Alongside all of her cameos, Lara Croft has also starred in a few of her own franchise projects. The Aspyr-developedTomb Raider 1-3 Remasteredlaunched back in February of this year, taking the belovedoriginalTomb Raidertrilogyand giving it a fresh coat of paint, some revamped controls, some quality-of-life improvements, and a handful of new gameplay mechanics and features.
Just last month, Lara Croft received an animated adaptation, withTomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Crofthitting Netflix in October. This 8-episode series takes place in the same continuity asCrystal Dynamics’Tomb RaiderSurvivor Trilogy, taking place shortly after the events of 2018’sShadow of the Tomb Raider. Hayley Atwell – of MCU fame – voices Lara in this adaptation.
WhileTomb Raider 1-3 Remasteredreceived a solid 75 on Metacritic,Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croftdidn’t fare quite as well, with the animated Netflix series sitting at a 65 on the same site. That said, bothTomb Raiderprojects seem to have been successful enough, as Aspyr is getting ready to release aTomb Raider 4-6 Remasteredtrilogyfor next year andThe Legend of Lara Crofthas been renewed for a second season.
Amazon is also developing a live-actionTomb Raiderseries, with Sophie Turner allegedly in the running to play Lara Croft.
The Tomb Raider Franchise Should Strike While The Iron is Hot
After all ofLara Croft’s cameosover the last few years, and after the recent Netflix show and remastered trilogy, it feels likeTomb Raideris slowly creeping its way back into the spotlight. But it isn’t there yet, and whileTomb Raider 4-6 Remasteredwill likely do a good job of keeping the franchise in the public consciousness, it’s going to take something a bit bigger to giveTomb Raiderthe push it needs to enter a new golden age.
Back in 2022, Crystal Dynamics announced thata newTomb Raiderwas in development and that it would attempt to unify all of the franchise’s timelines. Earlier this year, the studio revealed its new design for Lara Croft. But there’s still no official reveal on the horizon for the nextTomb Raiderentry, and this recent resurgence is the perfect opportunity to finally deliver one.
