The leak felt like a tremor before the quake. A glimpse of the Tomb Raider remake surfaced, stirring anticipation, but also a nagging doubt – would it truly *feel* like the original? The initial trailer offered promise, yet lacked the spark of the classic adventures that defined a generation.
Then came the reveal of “Catalyst,” and a wave of relief washed over me. Stripped of the title, it was almost indistinguishable from the remake. This wasn’t a negative; it was a sign. A sign that Crystal Dynamics was finally acknowledging what fans cherished most about Tomb Raider – its unique identity.
For years, the series felt…lost. While individual games weren’t necessarily *bad*, they missed the core of Lara Croft. The spirit that Core Design, the original developers, so effortlessly captured. Lara wasn’t just an archaeologist; she was a charismatic, quick-witted adventurer, a female James Bond with a playful edge.
The reboot trilogy stripped away that personality, replacing it with a relentless seriousness. It felt as though a conscious effort was made to distance Lara from any hint of being a “sex symbol,” but the result was a character devoid of charm, lacking the playful banter that defined her earlier iterations. The adventures themselves felt weighed down by a forced gravity.
Tomb Raider’s plots have always embraced the fantastical, the absurd. They weren’t meant to be dissected for realism. “Shadow of the Tomb Raider,” for example, was delightfully nonsensical, yet it was presented with a straight face, diminishing its inherent fun. The series thrives on larger-than-life scenarios.
The return of the Tyrannosaurus Rex in the remake trailer – a villain who, despite a single appearance, remains iconic – was a brilliant move. It signaled a return to the bombastic, over-the-top action that made Tomb Raider so memorable. It was a clear message: embrace the spectacle.
Now, there’s genuine hope. Crystal Dynamics seems poised to steer the series back to its roots, but it’s crucial they recapture Lara’s joy. She needs to *enjoy* her adventures, to radiate confidence and charisma. She needs to be larger than life, not burdened by a contrived sense of realism.
Gameplay needs a fundamental shift as well. The focus should return to the intricate platforming, the challenging puzzles, the feeling of conquering a treacherous environment. The original games were, at times, like rock-climbing simulators, demanding skill and precision. That’s where the action should lie.
The attempt to emulate “Uncharted” was a misstep, ironic considering “Uncharted” initially drew inspiration from Tomb Raider. There’s no need to chase trends when the series, at its peak, was a trendsetter. Now is the time to rediscover what made Tomb Raider special.
Looking to the past isn’t always a sign of stagnation. When a series has strayed so far from its core identity, a return to its origins is not just justifiable, it’s essential. The new Tomb Raiders look promising, and I sincerely hope they lean even further into that classic, adventurous spirit.
