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Tomb Raider: Difference between revisions
Undo revision 2015466 by DemonDuckofDoom (talk) The *hell* a 16-installment franchise spanning nearly 30 years is a "cult classic". If this is a cult classic, *everything* is.
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Looney Toons (talk | contribs) (Undo revision 2015466 by DemonDuckofDoom (talk) The *hell* a 16-installment franchise spanning nearly 30 years is a "cult classic". If this is a cult classic, *everything* is.) Tag: Undo |
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{{quote|''"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that ''nothing'' is lost forever."''|'''Lara Croft''', ''Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light''}}
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** The game got much critical acclaim (including a couple of "game of the year" awards), and established many of the tropes of the [[Action Adventure]] genre. As a result of the amount of genre conventions it established, it is frequently cited as one of the most influential games of all time.
* ''[[Tomb Raider II]]'' (1997) - Lara is after the legendary Dagger of Xian, which is said to give its owner "[[Literal Genie|the power of a dragon]]". She finds herself in conflict with Italian mob boss/cult leader Marco Bartoli, who is after the same item. Locations in the game include Venice, an offshore oil rig, the sunken ocean liner Maria Doria, Tibet and the Great Wall of China.
** The game was generally considered as an [[Even Better Sequel]], although many considered it to have too much combat.
*** Creator Toby Gard left Core Design during the development of this game, due to "[[Creative Differences]]" (he was unhappy with Lara's oversexualisation), and [[Start My Own|co-founded Confounding Factor]]. Their first game was ''Galleon'', a [[Spiritual Successor]] to ''Tomb Raider'' that took about ten years to make. It was actually pretty damn good, but bombed on release. Confounding Factor closed down shortly afterward.
* ''[[Tomb Raider III]]'' (1998) is actually five, loosely connected stories. Lara is gathering four crystal artifacts, with mystical (and [[With Great Power Comes Great Insanity|insanity-inducing]]) powers. The first is found in India and then the player can then choose in which order to seek out the remaining three, visiting Area 51, London and an unspecified island in the South Pacific. Finally, she travels to the impact site in Antarctica, fighting through an excavation filled with creatures mutated by the meteorite.
** ''Tomb Raider III'' was mostly well received, but is [[Nintendo Hard|extremely merciless in difficulty]] and has a punishing save system on the [[PlayStation]] version, but is also very ambitious in other areas; this resulted in it becoming a [[Love It or Hate It]] game with people generally either considering it one of the (or the) best games in the series or hating it. This was also the start of a general split in the overall reception of the series.
* ''[[Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation]]'' (1999) - Lara unwittingly releases the Egyptian god Set from his sarcophagus and must travel across Egypt to gather the pieces of [[Plot Coupon|Horus's armor]] and re-seal him before he brings about the apocalypse. Lara's former mentor, Werner Von Croy resurfaces and becomes the host for the evil god.
** While the first three games are relatively similar, ''The Last Revelation'' made various attempts to change things up, with many new items and puzzle ideas, along with the brave move of setting the whole game in one location. However, this was the point where the series began to lose its luster among reviewers, not helped by the fact the graphics engine was becoming dated at this point (despite minor improvements). While not to the degree of ''Tomb Raider III'', this is also a [[Your Mileage May Vary]] game, with it either being considered the sequel most faithful to the original format and with many interesting advancements, or a game with a theme that starts to get repetitive and several unnecessary interface changes.
* ''[[Tomb Raider Chronicles]]'' (2000) - After {{spoiler|Lara's apparent death}} at the end of ''The Last Revelation'', some of her friends gather and recall her past exploits, in the form of four mini-stories. The first is an old-school adventure, where Lara seeks the Philosopher's Stone in Rome. The second is a an action-horror themed one, where Lara infiltrates a submarine to recover the Spear of Destiny from a sunken ship, before the Russian [[Mafia]] gets to it. The third takes place in Lara's teenage years, where she is trapped with a ghost on an island in Ireland, without any weapons. The fourth story tells how Lara stole an artifact from her former mentor in a New York skyscraper.
** The point of conversion to [[Franchise Zombie]] and [[Sequelitis]]; there were no plans for ''Chronicles'' at first, but it was made for a quick buck during the production of ''The Angel of Darkness''. It shows; the level design is far less intricate, shorter and certain sequences clash with the series's own established canon, plus a couple of levels are incredibly easy to break and make [[Unwinnable]] (even compared to some of the buggier levels in the earlier games). While most weren't bad, its reviews were still mediocre compared to the earlier games. The release of the [[Game Mod|level editor]] with the PC version is quite possibly the most interesting thing about the game.
* ''[[Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness]]'' (2003)- The ill-fated attempt to revive the series by giving it a [[Darker and Edgier]] makeover. Lara is accused of the murder of her former mentor Werner Von Croy and sets out to [[Clear My Name|clear her name]]. However, she ends up caught up in the plot of main villain Pieter van Eckhardt, the leader of the Cabal, who is plotting to revive the Cubiciulum Nephili, a powerful Nephilim, thus placing the word in great danger.
** The final straw for Core's involvement in the series; while the graphics and storyline were excellent, the game was incredibly buggy, the controls were pretty much broken and various features were implemented in an obviously unfinished state ([[Executive Meddling|not helped by Eidos' determination to get it released as soon as possible, despite Core not being happy with it]]). It got bad reviews and had one of the highest return rates for a game ever. Despite this, it does have its fans, mostly due to the storyline and atmosphere.
'''The Crystal Dynamics era''' Lara, for these games, is voiced by British actress [[Keeley Hawes]]. [[Hey, It's That Voice!|That]] [[Ashes to Ashes|Keeley Hawes]].
* ''[[Tomb Raider: Legend]]'' (2006) - A [[Continuity Reboot]] of the franchise, ''Legend'' delves into Lara's [[Backstory]] and motivations. She seeks the fragments of an ancient sword that is connected to a traumatic event from her own past. The main antagonist is Lara's college friend, Amanda Evert, who returns after being believed dead for years and wants the sword for her own reasons. The locations in the game include Bolivia, Peru, a Yakuza-infested skyscraper in Tokyo, Ghana, an old paranormal research facility in Kazakhstan, the ruins of cheesy King Arthur museum in Cornwall and Nepal.
** ''Legend'' showed that the series was still very salvageable despite the state ''The Angel of Darkness'' had left it in; it was the fastest selling (note, not highest selling) game in the series so far and got very good reviews. However, many of the changes from earlier games caused controversy, such as the [[No Sidepaths, No Exploration, No Freedom|much more straightforward level design]] and [[Stop Helping Me!]] sidekicks. It was a [[Surprisingly Improved Sequel]] to many. [[They Changed It, Now It Sucks|The change in canon also caused ire amongst some fans]].
*** Also marks the point where Toby Gard came back into the picture after Confounding Factor shut down, though as a creative consultant this time.
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** ''Anniversary'' pleased many irritated by the changes in ''Legend'', with the level design more complex and the sidekicks gone. Its reviews were about the same as ''Legend'' (namely depending on whether the reviewer preferred the original style or the new ''Legend'' style). Some of the changes as a remake came under heavy scrutiny though, especially Atlantis and the T-Rex encounter, which were both generally regarded as being very lacking even by those with no particular memory of their original incarnation. Also a [[Surprisingly Improved Sequel]] to many let down by the changes in ''Legend''.
* ''[[Tomb Raider: Underworld]]'' (2008) - Another attempt to be [[Darker and Edgier]], this time succeeding. Lara is searching for Thor's hammer and the Norse underworld, believing it to have a relation to Avalon, where her mother is (apparently) trapped.
** ''Underworld'' attempts a sort of combination of ''Legend'' and ''Anniversary'', with the narrative integration of the former and the level design style, isolation and other aspects from the latter. [[Your Mileage May Vary|Although its success is arguable]]. The game has received quite mixed reviews, partially due to being obviously rushed out for Christmas and let down by various bugs and issues (along with a [[Camera Screw|camera from hell]]) for many people. Some overlooked those issues, or got lucky, and considered it one of the best in the series, others were completely put off by them or ended up with an overall impression more along the lines of [[So Okay It's Average]]. It seems the series is back in heavy [[Your Mileage May Vary]] territory (and, as a result, yet another [[Surprisingly Improved Sequel]] for many)...
* ''Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light'' (2010) - A downloadable [[Gaiden Game]] with online co-op. The game is a third person 3D rendered isometric platformer/action title with puzzle elements. It is the only game in the series ''not'' to have ''Tomb Raider'' in the title. It also doesn't seem to have any place in either of the series' continuity (although it does use some of ''Legend'''s music), meaning players can interpret it how they wish.▼
'''Square Enix Era'''
▲* ''[[Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light]]'' (2010) - A downloadable [[Gaiden Game]] with online co-op. The game is a third person 3D rendered isometric platformer/action title with puzzle elements. It is the only game in the series ''not'' to have ''Tomb Raider'' in the title.
* ''[[Tomb Raider (2013)| Tomb Raider]]'' (2013) - Yet another reboot of the series. It follows a young Lara, trapped on a Pacific island [[Survival Horror|mostly alone and without any supplies]] and takes a hard turn toward [[Darker and Edgier]]. Heavy on [[Press X to Not Die]] and wild [[Gameplay and Story Segregation]] in regards to Lara's character, causing her to be crying about having taken human life one moment and be an emotionless killer during gameplay immediately after. Square-Enix infamously deemed its 3.4 million copies sold "disappointing", despite also stating it achieved profitability within 10 months of release, presumably due to an absurd budget <ref>While the budget numbers were never released, its sequel ''Rise of the Tomb Raider'' is known to have cost 110–135 million USD to produce and market (making it one of the highest budgeted games of all time) despite reusing the engine and some art assets from the 2013 game.</ref>. Due to a long lifespan in reduced price digital sales and a few re-releases on newer consoles, these numbers reached '''14.5 million''' at the time Eidos was sold in 2022, and the new owner doesn't anticipate them stopping.
* ''[[Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris]]'' (2014) - A sequel to ''and the Guardian of Light''.
** ''Lara Croft and the Frozen Omen'' (2014-2015) - A comic that finishes off the sub-series.
* ''[[Rise of the Tomb Raider]]'' (2015/2016) - A direct sequel to ''Tomb Raider'' (2013). It takes place primarily in Siberia, with a portion in Syria. Lara is still very much in prequel mode.
* ''[[Shadow of the Tomb Raider]]'' (September 14, 2018) - Is the sequel to ''Rise of the Tomb Raider'' and takes place in Mexico and Central America. Notably includes a playable flashback sequence depicting Lara at 11 years old, showing her to have been an adventurous daredevil even then.
'''THQ Nordic/Amazon Era'''
* Following the series failing to meet Square Enix's extreme sales demands (among other reasons), Eidos as a whole was sold to THQ Nordic. The IP was then "leased" to Amazon ([[Chain of Deals|for twice what THQ Nordic had bought all of Eidos from Square Enix for]]) who intended to turn it into a multimedia franchise. As part of this, Amazon agreed to fund and publish the next game in the series. Before the sale to THQ Nordic yet another reboot, to be made with Unreal Engine 5, was in the works and this Amazon project may or may not be a continuation of that.
'''Films'''
[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider|
'''Animation'''
* ''[[Revisioned: Tomb Raider Animated Series]]''
{{franchisetropes}}
* [[Action Dress Rip]]: Happens in ''Legend''.
* [[Action Girl]]: Lara Croft, an absolute [[Badass]].
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* [[Artifact of Doom]]: Lots and LOTS of them.
* [[Ascended Glitch]]: Lara's iconic mammaries came about due to a programmer accidentally slipping a decimal point and the team throwing 'em in.
* [[Back
* [[Badass Normal]]: Lara has encountered various supernatural beings, [[One-Winged Angel]] Superbeings and outright gods, and beaten (or [[Sealed Evil in a Can|re-sealed]]) them all.
* [[Badass Preacher]]: Father Dunstan.
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** ''Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation'' features two levels at the beginning where you control teenage Lara, guided by her (then) mentor Von Croy. After these tutorial levels, the game switches to present day.
** ''Legend'' begins when Lara was nine.
* [[Doing
** The first game does the same for both Ancient Egyptian mythology and Atlantis.
* [[Doppelganger]]: Used as part of a puzzle in one of the final levels of the first game and ''Anniversary'', {{spoiler|and an evil one blows up Lara's mansion in ''Underworld''.}}
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* [[Hollywood Skydiving]]: Lara's base jump that opens the Kazhakstan level in ''Legend'', which is an "interactive cutscene". If the player doesn't press the right button as it appears on the screen, Lara won't deploy her chute and will fall to her death.
* [[Hot Mom]]: Lady Amelia Croft. Da-yum.
* [[
* [[I'm a Humanitarian]]: The Polynesian tribe in ''Tomb Raider III''.
* [[In the Hood]]: The Damned. They wear the hoods and masks to hide their [[Body Horror]].
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** Let's not forget Crocodiles in Greece as well, or the fact that these animals have lived for centuries with no food in enclosed spaces.
** But the Blue Ribbon goes to the ''Velociraptors'' and ''T-Rex'' that live in, of all places, ''the frozen Peruvian mountains.'' And China. And Polynesia.
* [[Modesty Shorts]]: 11 year old Lara in ''Shadow of the Tomb Raider'', electing for short black spats rather than a [[Mythology Gag]].
* [[Mook Horror Show]]: Lara can polish off entire armies of trained mercenaries by herself.
* [[More Dakka]]: As Lara's signature weapons are her dual Pistols the dual Uzis essentially function as this for her character (and were used almost as much as the pistols in earlier art for the series). Also, while other weapons had higher overall damage output the mix and agility and damage the Uzi's offered made them the overall best weapon of the first couple of games, although they were overshadowed by other weapons from ''Tomb Raider III'' onwards. Due to being a remake, ''Anniversary'' did give them some extra limelight again.
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* [[Multiple Choice Past]]: Lara's origin seems to be "whatever the designer of the current game/movie feels like."
* [[My God, What Have I Done?]]: In ''Anniversary'', Lara has this reaction {{spoiler|after killing Larson.}}
* [[Never Found the Body]]: The ending of ''Chronicles''; only her backpack is found in the rubble. Surprise: she's [[Not Quite Dead]] / [[Back
** Also, {{spoiler|Kurtis Trent}} at the end of ''The Angel of Darkness''.
** And Amanda in ''Legend''; they only found an untied shoe in the ruins of Paraiso. She's still alive, of course.
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** {{spoiler|Amanda's}} apparently certain death by drowning and crushing in the ''Legend'' flashback. But when Lara returned, she [[Never Found the Body]], just an untied shoe. Guess what that means?
* [[Nothing Is Scarier]]: This trope is invoked quite a lot as Lara is frequently exploring places no-one has entered in thousands of years.
* [[Older Than They Look]]: Sophia Leigh, who, in the words of one of her henchmen looks to be in her "late twenties; early thirties", but is actually much, much older, as the same henchman says that his father and grandfather before him also worked for her. It is later revealed that Sophia is testing treatments for everlasting beauty and keeps the best results for herself. Given that the failed experiments of some of the treatments, the Damned, cannot die, it is also quite possible that Sophia herself is immortal. {{spoiler|Indeed, she does come [[Back
* [[Omnicidal Maniac]]: Natla.
* [[One-Hit Kill]]: {{spoiler|Dr. Willard}} can fire homing energy projectiles that will instantly kill Lara if they touch her.
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** In ''Legend'', it is possible to push a crate ahead of you through such obstacles, so you are safely in between the two smashing walls that have been stopped by the crate.
* [[We Can Rule Together]]: Natla's speech to Lara in ''Anniversary'' and Egyptian god Set's offer to Lara in exchange for the [[MacGuffin]].
* [[Wet Sari Scene]]: In ''Tomb Raider: Legend'', Lara has a costume, "Classic, Gray," with a white shirt and plaid shorts. In the remastered version for the [[
* [[Wham! Episode]]: The ending of ''The Last Revelation''. {{spoiler|Lara is apparently killed in a cave-in.}}
* [[What Happened to Mommy?]]: When Lara finally manages to find her mother at the end of ''Tomb Raider: Underworld'' {{spoiler|she discovers she's already an undead Underworld zombie, and apparently has been so for the past twenty years or so. Sadly, it's not like a human being could survive in the hellish zombie-filled Underworld for 20 years anyway.}}
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{{reflist}}
{{World Video Game Hall of Fame}}
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[[Category:The Nineties]]
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[[Category:Steam]]
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[[Category:Third-Person Shooter]]
[[Category:Tomb Raider]]
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[[Category:Video Games of the 1990s]]
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