Tomb Raider: Difference between revisions

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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''}}

 

 

 

The first six games were created by British developer Core Design, but when the series began to decline and an attempt to give it a [[Darker and Edgier]] makeover [[Your Mileage May Vary|failed]], the publisher handed it over to an American development studio, Crystal Dynamics (who were largely responsible for the ''[[Legacy of Kain]]'' series).

'''The Core Design era'''

 

** 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.

 

** 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.

 

 

** 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.

 

** 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.

 

** 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]].

 

*** Also marks the point where Toby Gard came back into the picture after Confounding Factor shut down, though as a creative consultant this time.

 

** ''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''.

 

** ''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)...

 

 

 

'''Films'''

 

 

'''Animation'''

 

* [[Action Dress Rip]]: Happens in ''Legend''.

* [[Action Girl]]: Lara Croft, an absolute [[Badass]].

* [[Advancing Wall of Doom]]: Usually with [[Spikes of Doom]].

* [[Adventurer Archaeologist]]: Which makes her kicking open old vases looking for treasure all the more cringing.

* [[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.

* [[Badass Preacher]]: Father Dunstan.

* [[Bare Your Midriff]]: Lara seems to be quite fond of this.

** She ''does'' sport a braid in the first game's FMVs, but not during gameplay or non-FMV cutscenes.

* [[British Accents]]: Lara has one because, well, she is British. Where she hails from exactly in the UK is apparently Surrey, but no [[Word of God]] has been verified.

* [[Breaking the Fourth Wall]]: The ending of ''Tomb Raider II''.

* [[Broken Bird]]: Lara, by the time of ''The Angel of Darkness''.

** ''Anniversary'' had a lot of things behind various waterfalls

*** In the "Lost Valley" level:

**** {{spoiler|Exit from the level behind the lower waterfall in the cave.}}

*** {{spoiler|In the "Natla's Mines" level the exit from the initial room is behind the waterfall.}}

** Such as when {{spoiler|Lara's [[Doppelganger]]}} blows up Lara's mansion, kicks her ass inside her burning mansion, and {{spoiler|kills Allister.}}

* [[Darker and Edgier]] vs. [[Lighter and Softer]]: The original series generally veered towards [[Darker and Edgier]] as it went along, but ''The Angel of Darkness'' was the only major leap towards it. After the failure of that, ''Legend'' signaled a [[Lighter and Softer]] change arguably even over the earliest games. ''Underworld'' seems to be adding elements of [[Darker and Edgier]] again, making the series currently be in somewhat of a slalom.

* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Lara Croft in spades, especially when it's combined with her [[Bond One-Liner]]. Alister and Zip also have their quips in ''Legend'' and ''Underworld''.

** In ''Tomb Raider III'', after Lara winds up knocking herself out from a failed jump with her ATV, some mooks comment on how crazy she was to pull a stunt, then one of them wonders if Lara is an eco-terrorist. The other mook sarcastically replies "And they wear hot pants, huh?"

* [[Death Course]]: What the series is all about.

* [[Demonic Possession]]: Von Croy is influenced and sometimes directly possessed by Set for much of ''The Last Revelation''.

* [[Distant Prologue]]: Many of the games begin this way:

** The original game begins in an unnamed time period but it's far in the past where an explosion in New Mexico takes place, as the next cutscene flashes forward to the present day, where we meet Lara for the first time. ''Anniversary'' uses the same type of intro, but with minor script changes and improved graphics.

** ''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.

** 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''.}}

* [[Dynamic Loading]]

* [[Egyptian Mythology]]: A huge part of the plot of ''The Last Revelation''.

* [[Enemy Mine]]: At the end of ''Underworld'', Lara and {{spoiler|Amanda}} team up to stop {{spoiler|Natla}} from destroying the world.

* [[Everything Trying to Kill You]]: Bats, bears, wolves, crocodiles, eels, tigers, monkeys, gorillas, sharks, ravens, random hobos and ''museum security guards''. Lampshaded in ''Legend'', when [[Mission Control]] wonders why predators always attack prey larger than themselves.

* [[Lava Adds Awesome]]: Loads and loads of lava to be found in the first and second games.

* [[Evil Albino]]: Amanda Evert. While she's not explicitly albino, her skin and hair become considerably lighter after she is possessed by the wraith.

* [[Evil Counterpart]]: Amanda again.

* [[Evil Twin]]: {{spoiler|Lara's evil clone in ''Underworld''.}}

* [[Excuse Plot]]: The [[Gaiden Game]]s, and, arguably, 80% of ''Tomb Raider III''.

* [[Fan Girl]]: The series has gained plenty thanks to Kurtis, Larson and Karel.

* [[Fan Service]]: Lara, of course, but ''Legend'' gives most of its male cast huge, muscular frames and half-unbuttoned shirts.

** The [[Dark Chick]] - Boaz

* [[Foe Yay]]: Lara and Natla, Lara and Amanda.

** ''Anniversary'' really plays up the [[Foe Yay]] with Lara and Larson.

* [[Franchise Zombie]]:''Chronicles'' was thrown together on publisher demand for a quick buck.

* [[Giant Spiders]]: The large spiders encountered in the Temple of Xian in ''Tomb Raider II''. Even bigger ones are encountered in ''Underworld''. {{spoiler|Dr. Willard}}'s [[One-Winged Angel]] form also has elements of this.

* [[Girlish Pigtails]]: Teenage Lara sports them.

* [[Guns Akimbo]]: Lara, of course.

* [[He Knows About Timed Hits]]

* [[Heel Face Turn]]: Werner von Croy, although it's mainly down to [[Demonic Possession]].

* [[Heroic Sacrifice]]: Sargent Aziz in ''The Last Revelation'' drives his truck filled with explosives into the dragon blocking that is blocking the Citadel, making it explode and killing the beast and himself in the process, which allows Lara to progress. Lara even gives Aziz a farewell salute after the deed is done.

* [[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]].

* [[Indy Escape]]

* [[Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons]]: Those who have the courage to plunge the Dagger of Xian into their heart are rewarded with being able to transform into a dragon.

* [[Large Ham]]: Quite a few, but Verdilet, the demon from the Ireland levels of ''Chronicles'', is [[No Indoor Voice|particularly noteworthy]].

* [[Living Motion Detector]]: In the third game, the T-Rex can not see Lara if she doesn't move (a direct [[Shout-Out]] to ''[[Jurassic Park]]'') - but it ''can'' harm her, as it will stomp around very close to her even if she stays completely still.

* [[Locked Into Strangeness]]: In the Ireland levels of ''Chronicles'', Father Dunstan's hair turns white and stays that way after an offscreen encounter with a demon.

* [[Malevolent Architecture]]: Lampshaded and then justified in ''Legend''.

* [[Marathon Level]]: Each game has at least one level that's longer than the others. "Temple of Xian" from the second game, and three of the four England levels in the third game being some notorious examples.

* [[Metroidvania]]: Apparently, the 2012 reboot will allow free-roaming across the island, but certain areas will only be accessible once you have the right gear or skills.

* [[Mind Over Matter]]: Kurtis Trent demonstrates telekinetic powers in ''The Angel of Darkness'' ([[What Could Have Been|which would have been a lot more apparent]] [[Executive Meddling|had Core been allowed to finish the game on time]]). Amanda's [[Black Magic]] ability is functionally similar.

* [[Misplaced Wildlife]]: Are those baboons in India? And lions in Egypt and China? They're extinct in both those places.

** Well, ''now'' they are...

** 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.

* [[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.

* [[Multi Platform]]

* [[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.}}

** 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.

* [[No-Gear Level]]: Almost every game does this where Lara gets captured and loses her guns. By ''The Angel of Darkness'', she gained the ability to punch and kick.

** On the other hand, a segment in ''Chronicles'' uses a younger Lara (introduced in the tutorial and prologue for ''The Last Revelation''), who is always unarmed.

* [[Non-Indicative Name]]: Each game features levels that aren't considered "tombs" by the strictest definition. Some games even predominantly feature non tomb-based levels (''Tomb Raider Chronicles'', with half the game taking place aboard a modern submarine and in a high rise skyscraper).

* [[Noob Bridge]]: Sometimes happens. In the second major area in ''Tomb Raider: The Prophecy'' for [[Game Boy Advance]], there's one place where you just have to use the run button; if you never learned of it you'd be stuck with a door that just closes too soon. In ''Tomb Raider II'', there's an area where Lara must make a long jump into a pool of water far below. There is only a small square of space in the pool that isn't so shallow that it would lead to a lethal fall. However, even a perfectly executed running jump cannot reach it. This is the only point in the game where she absolutely must perform a dive while jumping in order to reach the small square of deep water.

** {{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.

* [[Omnicidal Maniac]]: Natla.

* [[One-Hit Kill]]: {{spoiler|Dr. Willard}} can fire homing energy projectiles that will instantly kill Lara if they touch her.

* [[Scaled Up]]: Marco Bartoli at the end of ''Tomb Raider II''. The intro of the same game also shows the same happening to the then-Emperor of China.

* [[Scenery Porn]]: Practically everywhere.

* [[Selective Condemnation]]: ''Angel of Darkness''

* [[Shape Shifter]]: {{spoiler|Karel - this is one of his Nephilim aspects.}}

** Lara's costume fully reveals her legs in ''Legend'', ''Anniversary'' and ''Underworld'' (thanks to incredibly short shorts).

* [[Shower Scene]]: Subverted at the end of ''Tomb Raider II''. Doubles as a [[That's All Folks]].

* [[Sinister Subway]]: The derelict Aldwych station in ''Tomb Raider III''.

* [[Small Reference Pools]]: One of the Lara Croft CG renders is a nude Lara sitting in a chair with the chair back covering her front. How many nowadays know this is a parody of a Christine Keeler photo?

* [[Smashing Hallway Traps of Doom]]

* [[Soft Water]]: in the third game, you are forced to dive off a cliffside. Lara's scream ends and starts again three times. Until you hit the water, just fine after falling roughly 100 ft.

* [[Spy Catsuit]]: Lara dons a short-sleeved variant in the London levels of ''Tomb Raider III'', and a more traditional one in the VCI Headquarters levels of ''Chronicles''.

* [[Stalactite Spite]]: Seen in ''Tomb Raider II'''s "Catacombs of the Talion".

* [[Sudden Sequel Death Syndrome]]: {{spoiler|Von Croy}} returns in ''Angel of Darkness'', only to be brutally killed off in the game's intro.

* [[Super Drowning Skills]]: Lara has an oxygen meter when you are underwater. If it runs out, you rapidly lose health until you die.

* [[Suspicious Videogame Generosity]]: Most noticeable with flares; there's rarely a reason to hoard them, since the games will usually give you more right before you enter a dark area.

* [[Take That]]: See [[Shout-Out]] above.

* [[Temple of Doom]]

** Made even more fun in the second and third games with the grenade launcher and the rocket launcher.

* [[These Hands Have Killed]]: Lara does this in Anniversary. ''[[Anvilicious|Repeatedly]]''.

* [[Those Two Bad Guys]]: Larson and Pierre.

* [[Too Awesome to Use]]: The Grenade Launcher (Tomb Raider 2 and 3), the Rocket Launcher, and the Desert Eagle (both in Tomb Raider 3) will hardly get any use by most players simply because ammo for these weapons is not common. Even players that go out of their way to find the game's secrets and find more ammo for these weapons will never use these guns except on the [[Final Boss]].

** Averted in ''Tomb Raider Chronicles''. Each story chapter has their own set of levels and items don't carry over between stories, so you're free to waste as much supplies and ammo as you want as long as you can find them in the levels.

* [[Trophy Room]]

** In ''III'', you can unlock one that has all of the artifacts that Lara got in all the previous games and sidequests, plus a ''T. Rex'' skull.

* [[Unnecessary Combat Roll]]: In ''Legend'', if you complete a combo of somersaults and flips (which serve little purpose in the gameplay), Zip or Alister will complement you over your headset.

** [[Fridge Logic|...even when they've supposedly lost contact with Lara in the Ghana level.]]

* [[Vertigo Effect]]: Seen in the first game's level 1 FMV, right before the wolves attack Lara's guide.

* [[Video Game Cruelty Potential]]: Not only are you perfectly able to kill the Tibetan warrior monks in the second game (who are perfectly tolerable towards Lara, unless she decides to shoot them), the friendly monkeys (first level only, after that they get nasty) and the now-helpful (after Lara agrees to help them) members of "the Damned" (London levels) in the third game, you are also able to kill security guards and prison guards in assorted games. Okay, so they are attacking you at the time, but, hey, they're just doing their jobs...

** There are many, many videos on [[YouTube]] that show people diving Lara head first off a cliff onto solid ground. Heck, you can brutally be killed by almost anything in the series and people have happily done every single one of these things to Lara just to see what would happen.

** The trope is purposely invoked by one of the developers of ''Tomb Raider Anniversary'' in one of the commentaries. Another developer joked that the developer who was invoking the trope always killed Lara by impaling her on spikes and was upset that the ESRB wouldn't allow the game to have Lara be impaled by spikes anymore (this was supposed to let the game remain rated T, which is odd since the Playstation Tomb Raider games were also rated T and showed Lara getting impaled by spikes).

* [[The Walls Are Closing In]]

* [[We Can Rule Together]]: Natla's speech to Lara in ''Anniversary'' and Egyptian god Set's offer to Lara in exchange for the [[MacGuffin]].

* [[Wham! Episode]]: The ending of ''The Last Revelation''. {{spoiler|Lara is apparently killed in a cave-in.}}

** Jean-Yves, a close friend of Lara's, completely disappears between ''The Last Revelation'' and ''Chronicles''. This was due to legal trouble between Eidos and an archaeologist of the same name, who complained that Jean-Yves resembled him in both profession and name. [[What Could Have Been|Because of this, the decision was made to remove Jean-Yves]] from ''Chronicles'' and replace him with a different friend of Lara's, Charles Kane.

** Nearly played straight; originally, the series' protagonist was going to be a white male, but the development team dropped that for fear of being sued due to too many similarities with Indiana Jones.

* [[Willing Suspension of Disbelief]]: You're gonna '''NEED''' it when you play TRs 2-5. But [[Narm Charm|the craziness]] is [[Rule of Fun|what makes the series so fun.]]

* [[Womb Level]]: The last levels of the first game in Atlantis has walls of pulsating flesh and tissue [[Bloody Bowels of Hell|mixed with]] [[Lethal Lava Land|tons of lava]].

* [[You Fail Biology Forever]]: As mentioned above, [[Misplaced Wildlife]] and [[Everything Trying to Kill You]] abound in most of the games.

* [[You Killed My Father]]: In ''Underworld'', just before the final battle {{spoiler|Natla}} reveals she killed Lara's father.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:The Nineties]]

[[Category:Mobile Phone Game]]

[[Category:Action Adventure]]

[[Category:Third-Person Shooter]]

[[Category:Tomb Raider]]