The Toy Fair is in town – New York City to be precise – and pop culture giant Funko took the opportunity to announce that Reboot Lara Croft has gotten her very own Funko Pop! vinyl figure. Equipped with her bow, red climbing axe, radio, and pistol and sporting her trademark green pendant, this new Lara Croft Pop! figure pays homage to the 2013 reboot game and the upcoming 2018 film starring Alicia Vikander. Unlike her Classic Lara counterpart, this Lara is looking a little worse for ... [Continue Reading]
In this special guest article by Jaden, writer and admin of The Sudden Stop, we take a look at the renowned polar explorer Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton, whose ill-fated voyage to Antarctica and subsequent shipwreck inspired the narrative of the best-selling 2013 Tomb Raider reboot. The Final Voyage The Fated Journey of the Endurance Written by Jaden For Tomb Raider (2013), Crystal Dynamics took inspiration from myths and historical icons to create a tangible world within a blend of different ... [Continue Reading]
Mark your calendars! The Archaeology of Tomb Raider will be taking part in VALUE’s upcoming live-stream event, “Streaming the Past: Fortune & Glory”, which will delve into the topics of treasure hunting and the misrepresentation of archaeology in the Tomb Raider series. The VALUE team and I will be joined by archaeological ethics scholar Meghan Dennis (University of York) for this exciting event and we’re inviting all of you to tune into the live-stream on ... [Continue Reading]
In their first major announcement of 2017, Crystal Dynamics announced that Rhianna Pratchett, the lead writer for the best-selling games Tomb Raider (2013) and Rise of the Tomb Raider, will be parting ways with the Tomb Raider franchise to focus on new projects. The team thanked Rhianna for her dedication and tireless efforts on both games and wrote that she was “instrumental in helping [them] find Lara’s voice in the 2013 origin story” and shaping Lara Croft “into the ... [Continue Reading]
Long-time visitors to this site will probably be familiar with Tomb Raider fan Jean Michel Thery’s stunning hand-made dioramas. Over the years, he’s made models of Egyptian tombs and Mesoamerican pyramids, created an amazingly detailed diorama of an Angkorian temple similar to those seen in The Last Revelation and the first Tomb Raider film, and won an award for his replica of the “Well of Tears” challenge tomb from Tomb Raider 2013. And now Jean Michel has been kind ... [Continue Reading]
Two narrative designers who worked on Rise of the Tomb Raider recently talked with the guys from Spawn on Me podcast and shared their thoughts on working as writers within the game industry as well as some personal stories about the game’s development process (their segment begins at approximately 00:16:50). John Stafford (Lead Narrative Designer) and Cameron Suey (Narrative Designer) are no strangers to the game industry. As they told the podcast’s presenters, they’ve ... [Continue Reading]
The Tomb Raider series has always had its fair share of “Easter eggs”, hidden secrets, and amusing references to pop culture icons, and Lara’s latest adventure, Rise of the Tomb Raider, is no exception. From references to Lara’s earlier adventures to touching tributes to one of the world’s most-loved fantasy authors, there’s plenty to keep the eagle-eyed fan busy. Here’s my attempt to catalogue some of Rise of the Tomb Raider’s most memorable ... [Continue Reading]
It’s not every day you get the chance to visit Yamatai or take a leisurely stroll around Himiko’s tomb. But one hot (and thankfully not too humid) day in September, my husband and I got the chance to do just that when we took some time off from our regular sightseeing and boarded a train bound for Nara, a former capital city not far from Osaka that’s renowned for its ancient temples, giant Buddha statue, and free-roaming deer. Once there, we transferred onto a smaller ... [Continue Reading]
Guest Blog by Rurik. It has been my experience that gamers are regularly type-cast as a sedentary lot who prefer to live out lives full of danger and excitement through the various characters of their games of choice rather than making the more difficult choice to step outside and build an exciting life of their own. Whether or not that remains the entirety of the truth, I do think you would be doing the wonder of existence a disservice to spend every waking moment on your buttocks in front ... [Continue Reading]
Crystal Dynamics and Xbox have kicked off what will surely be an exciting month for Tomb Raider fans by releasing a new teaser trailer for Lara’s next adventure, Rise of the Tomb Raider. The CGI teaser trailer, dubbed “Discover the Legend Within” sees our heroine relying on her wits, quick reflexes, and trusty climbing axes to traverse and survive the treacherous peaks of Siberia and gives us a sneak preview of what we can expect to see at the Xbox E3 Briefing in 2 ... [Continue Reading]
One of the greatest pleasures in video gaming is the discovery (intentional or otherwise) of “Easter eggs”, those little jokes, secret levels, or hidden messages that game developers insert in their games for the players’ amusement. With a back catalogue spanning almost two decades and across multiple platforms, the Tomb Raider series has had its fair share of “Easter eggs”, ranging from humourous references to fan community in-jokes to visual gags that may be ... [Continue Reading]
Ever since eagle-eyed gamers spotted the word “Croatoan” written in the book seen in Tomb Raider 2013’s closing scene, there has been a lot of speculation as to what this may mean for the future of the Tomb Raider series. Were the development team hinting at the storyline or location for the next game, perhaps a mission to find the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Were there any other clues to Lara’s next adventure scribbled across the pages visible in the closing scene? ... [Continue Reading]
Rumours of a new Tomb Raider film have been floating about the Internet ever since the release of the critically-acclaimed Tomb Raider 2013 and there appeared to be some glimmer of hope when GK Films and MGM announced that Marti Noxon, a screenwriter best known for her work on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, had been hired to work on the script. Everything was falling into place. Or so we thought. Months went by without an update and Noxon’s reluctance to discuss her involvement in the project ... [Continue Reading]
In Game Informer’s latest online feature, Raiders of the Lost City – Lara’s Search for Immortality, we learnt that Lara will be searching for the lost city of Kitezh in her upcoming adventure and that her experiences on Yamatai the previous year have sparked off an almost unhealthy obsession with immortality myths. But what triggered this obsession in Lara? And why did Crystal Dynamics choose to set their latest game, Rise of the Tomb Raider, in Siberia? Here’s an ... [Continue Reading]
2014 has been one rollercoaster of a year for Tomb Raider fans. The year kicked off with the release of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One, giving new-gen console owners the chance to relive Lara’s ordeal on Yamatai in all its high-def glory. Tomb Raider fans have also been treated to a wide range of new Tomb Raider merchandise, including a brand-new comic series penned by Gail Simone and Rhianna Pratchett, the novel The Ten Thousand Immortals, and a slew ... [Continue Reading]
Fans of Tomb Raider 2013 will recall that Lara and the Endurance crew venture into the region known as the Dragon’s Triangle in search of the lost kingdom of Yamatai. Throughout the course of the game, players became well-acquainted with this fictional island, its inhabitants, and the supernatural conditions that prevented people from leaving its shores. But what do we know about the Triangle itself? The Dragon’s Triangle, also referred to as the Devil’s Sea (Ma no Umi, ... [Continue Reading]
After a somewhat disappointing first story arc, Dark Horse Comics’ Tomb Raider comic series kicked off a brand new story arc in August 2014 with Tomb Raider #7. Co-written by comic writer Gail Simone and acclaimed game writer and long-time Tomb Raider afficionada Rhianna Pratchett, “Losing Her Grip!” (or is it “In Memoriam”?) is the first part of a new story arc that promises a return to the globe-trotting adventures of yesteryear. I’ll admit that I’m ... [Continue Reading]
When rumours of a new Tomb Raider film failed to come to fruition, fans wasted no time filling in the void in their fandom. Last year, we were treated to Croft, a 20-minute film shot in British Columbia, Canada, and starring Cassandra Ebner. And now there’s another fan-produced film on the horizon: Hunted. Hunted is the brainchild of a group of talented actors, artists, and writers and is based on the hugely successful Tomb Raider 2013. Written by Kate Sykes and directed by Josh Pate, ... [Continue Reading]
This novel is now available to purchase on Amazon and Amazon UK. BradyGames have announced that a brand new Tomb Raider novel will be coming our way later this year. Written by the bestselling author and comic book writer Dan Abnett and his partner Nik Vincent, Tomb Raider: The Ten Thousand Immortals will continue and build upon the events of Tomb Raider 2013 and, like the ongoing comic series, will become canon within Crystal Dynamics’ reboot timeline. Little is known about the ... [Continue Reading]
** Update ** To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of the release of Tomb Raider (2013), Jean Michel Thery is putting his “Well of Tears” model up for sale. The complete model (including the Lara figurine) is being sold for 250 euros, though you can buy the model sans figurine for 200 euros. Please note that since Jean Michel lives in Belgium, there may be some issues regarding the sale and delivery of the model to buyers outside mainland Europe. I am unable to answer any questions ... [Continue Reading]
It’s been a while since I last wrote about one of Tomb Raider 2013’s collectible relics and since it’s been a year since the game was released, what better time than to examine one of the ancient coins Lara finds inside the Cliffside Bunker on Yamatai? The 100 mon coin, also referred to as a “Tempō Tsūhō” (天保通寶), is one of the two Japanese coins Lara finds inside the cliffside bunker (the other being the “2 sen coin“) and, as Lara quite ... [Continue Reading]
Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition will be out in the shops within the next couple of weeks so Playstation 4 and Xbox One users will finally be able to enjoy last year’s reboot on their next-gen console. But for those who already own a copy of Tomb Raider 2013, is it worth forking out your hard-earned cash for the Definitive Edition? IGN have posted a video that compares the PS3 and PS4 editions and highlights the latter’s enhanced graphics. The PS4 version features improved ... [Continue Reading]
Most of you have probably heard about this by now but for those of you who haven’t, a brand new Tomb Raider fan film was released online during the Christmas holidays and it’s already made quite an impression both online and off. Croft is a non-profit short film that was inspired by Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 Tomb Raider reboot and was produced by a team of independent filmmakers and actors as a way to showcase their talents. This 20-minute film follows the ... [Continue Reading]
Rumours of a next-gen release of Tomb Raider 2013 were confirmed at the VGX awards on Saturday 7th December when Crystal Dynamics announced that they will be re-releasing the game for the XBox One and Playstation 4 in late January 2014 (Click to watch the trailer and interview). Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition will feature improved visuals, including a next-gen Lara Croft model, new environmental effects and TressFX hair rendering, and will include a bundle of downloadable content, including ... [Continue Reading]
It’s been a while since I last wrote about an artefact from Tomb Raider 2013. Over a month, in fact. So without further ado, it’s time to examine one of the many collectible items hidden throughout the Shanty Town: the Metal Inrō. Inrō are small cases that were once used by Japanese men and women to carry identity seals (hanko), herbal medicine, tobacco, acupuncture needles, or other small personal effects around with them, not unlike a modern-day wallet or pouch. These cases, ... [Continue Reading]
