Whereas *Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis* is a remake of the very first recreation within the sequence, our gameplay evaluation concludes: It’s primarily trying towards the long run.
Nicely, let somebody attempt to complain about that. After years the place new Lara Croft video games had been rarer than truthful hire costs in main German cities, we’re now getting not only one new Tomb Raider, however two! With Tomb Raider: Catalyst comes a large sequel that goals to coherently proceed not solely the most recent reboot trilogy but additionally the three Legend video games that got here earlier than it.
After which there’s Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. This 2027 Tomb Raider is being developed by Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog (Evil West, Shadow Warrior) and has a noble mission: To reimagine the origin story of Lara Croft—that’s, the very first recreation within the sequence—for all of the younger folks for whom 1996 sounds much more historic than going to the films with out consistently checking your telephone.
There’s only one drawback.
Lara Croft has modified through the years. Within the newest installments, her dialogue typically appeared like a Tumblr account, whereas the previous Lara from again then steals the present from each ice dice on the subject of coolness. So does the heroine in Legacy of Atlantis must tone it down to suit the brand new fashion of the reboot period?
After taking part in Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis on the Summer time Recreation Fest 2026, I can state with all eloquence: No./p>
A Remake of a Totally different Form
The extra skilled shrews amongst you should have already caught on: Wasn’t there already a remake of the primary Tomb Raider? That’s proper, however Legacy of Atlantis takes a really completely different path than Tomb Raider: Anniversary from 2007.
Don’t count on a remake within the sense of a trustworthy re-release, like Steel Gear Stable Delta or the upcoming Murderer’s Creed: Black Flag Resynced. Legacy of Atlantis attracts inspiration from the unique 1996 Tomb Raider, however treats the unique extra as a shade palette to create a very new murals.
I used to be in a position to expertise this firsthand throughout my half-hour hands-on session on the Peru stage.
The opening state of affairs of Legacy of Atlantis can be very acquainted to followers of the unique: the hard-nosed archaeologist Lara Croft is recruited by company government Jacqueline Natla to get better remnants of the legendary Atlantis. Considered one of these is claimed to be hidden within the Inca ruins of Vilcabamba within the Andes, so the sport promptly begins in Peru.
All through all the demo, Lara exudes the attraction of the traditional Tomb Raider period: she delivers sarcastic one-liners, splendidly voiced in a British accent by Alix Wilton Regan, doesn’t let anybody inform her what to do, but by no means comes throughout as foolish or, conversely, too disinterested. At the least within the demo, the builders have hit the right candy spot.
“One of the vital lovely video games I’ve ever seen”
The brand new Peru stage shares a couple of primary concepts with the unique: Lara should work together with historic column and water methods to open paths, and a T-Rex awaits on the finish. The “how,” nevertheless, feels utterly recent.
Whereas ranges in Tomb Raider 1 (and in addition Anniversary) nonetheless felt like gyms with a Peruvian, Greek, or Egyptian theme, the place crates, ledges, and rooms didn’t actually really feel pure, Legacy of Atlantis presents me with a wide ranging panorama the place every little thing appears to be like distinctive.
I’ll even exit on a limb: Legacy of Atlantis is without doubt one of the most lovely video games I’ve ever seen. Certain, its predecessor, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, already flexed its graphical muscle mass right here, however Atlantis attracts an opulence from Unreal Engine 5 that’s second to none. The ruins of Peru are overgrown with vegetation, and each crack within the rock appears to be like plausible.
A lot Much less Modular
Consequently, the gameplay additionally feels a lot much less like a modular system. Certain, at its core, Lara Croft’s arsenal stays very acquainted; the design signature of Shadow of the Tomb Raider carries over virtually one-to-one: I’ve to climb, remedy puzzles, and struggle from time to time.
However Atlantis achieves a a lot smoother move than the unique as a result of I hardly ever carry out the identical motion twice in a row. To activate a mechanism, for instance, I’ve to gather gears. I attain the primary one pretty simply through the use of my grappling hook to tear down a picket beam and expose the loot.
For the second, I’ve to govern an historic water pump. And for the third, I climb up a large waterfall, hack by dense vegetation with my pickaxe, swing throughout chasms utilizing makeshift crossbeams, after which use sheer brute power to smash a mechanism so the gear can float down the waterfall.
By the best way, there’s additionally a brand new talent system: By discovering secrets and techniques, I earn talent factors that I can use to… unlock one thing. The mechanic was nonetheless disabled within the demo, however I’m guessing we’re speaking about crafting and well being boosts right here.
Talking of crafting: Similar to within the Reboot video games, Lara finds all kinds of vegetation and sources within the atmosphere that she will use to cobble collectively helpful… stuff. Right here, too, the demo stays very restrained on the subject of well being objects.
And “obscure” level quantity three: Within the choices, I can manually alter all kinds of problem ranges, together with the puzzles. I don’t know but what concrete impact this has, although. In line with the outline, it’s principally about hints and UI ideas which are lacking on greater problem ranges.
So that you see: The devs are nonetheless protecting many genuinely new mechanics below wraps; the demo session stays a tough first impression.
Talking of protecting issues below wraps: You don’t truly struggle till the very finish of the demo. And I feel that’s nice.
The Proper Focus
Over time, Tomb Raider has often flirted with the thought of being extra of an motion shooter than an action-adventure. In any case, Name of Responsibility raked within the money within the 2000s, and the 2013 reboot specifically felt fairly heavy on the gunplay at instances.
Legacy of Atlantis appears—not less than based mostly on the demo—to remain near the extra puzzle-heavy unique. From expertise, I can affirm: it’s positively a press release (and a threat) when a press demo consists of 90 % puzzles and exploration, however for my part, a superb Tomb Raider ought to do precisely that! Legacy of Atlantis rekindles the fun of exploration and the enjoyable of discovering secrets and techniques hidden all through the degrees.
Lara Croft now even has a scanner—very like her counterpart Samus from Metroid—that enables her to scan all kinds of interactive or necessary objects within the recreation world to get extra data and ideas. This underscores the give attention to exploration.
Conversely, this additionally means: You most likely shouldn’t purchase the sport only for the motion. On the finish of the demo, Lara fights some raptors, revealing a somewhat rudimentary fight system. Because you hardly ever face human opponents, the sport does away with the quilt mechanics of the reboot trilogy; as an alternative, the fights are very harking back to the Legends, Anniversary, and Underworld eras.
In different phrases: Lara dodges the raptors’ assaults with acrobatic maneuvers; utilizing a particular button, she briefly slows down time after which lands exact headshots to rapidly take down the vicious dinosaurs. It’s enjoyable, no query, however it feels extra like a utilitarian expertise.
The escape from the T-Rex, alternatively, is “fashion over substance,” simply as we’ve come to count on from most chase sequences within the reboot period: You press the run button and leap right here and there whereas every little thing round you explodes and crumbles. It appears to be like unbelievable, however certainly not captures the true enchantment of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.
That appears good
And Legacy of Atlantis has loads of enchantment. If the remainder of the journey maintains the demo’s stage of high quality when it comes to stage design, selection, and move, then you possibly can count on not solely among the finest action-adventures since Uncharted 4 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but additionally some of the lovely.
For me, the largest query marks nonetheless grasp over the story: Apart from the cool places, the plot of the unique might match on a beer mat. The primary remake from 2007 solved this shortcoming with a intelligent twist, combining the previous story with the bigger narrative of Tomb Raider: Legend and Underworld to inform a brand new and larger story.
To date, Legacy of Atlantis reveals no indicators of that. The primary trailers and the playable demo adapt the 1996 setup one-to-one; and if Natlas’s apparent betrayal from the very first second stays the largest shock of the story even in 2027, then I’m virtually trying ahead to my tax invoice, as a result of that guarantees extra thrills.
However properly, to be truthful, I’ve solely peeked on the first stage, so my conclusion stays optimistic for now: Legacy of Atlantis has made a unbelievable impression in each respect to this point. And that makes me, as a Tomb Raider fan, happier than I’ve been in a very long time.
Editor’s Verdict
I’ve to admit: After the preliminary announcement of Legacy of Atlantis, I used to be disenchanted. If you happen to depend the 2024 remaster, that is the fourth time I’ve been served Lara Croft’s first journey—and hey, nothing towards the primary Tomb Raider, however in comparison with the equally unbelievable second, third, and fourth installments, the unique doesn’t deserve such a excessive pedestal, neither when it comes to story nor when it comes to precise recreation design. The primary Tomb Raider was nice again then, however personally, I’d have been a lot happier with a remake of the second, third, or fourth installment.
After taking part in it, I see issues in a different way. For one factor, Legacy of Atlantis doesn’t simply restore the unique’s ranges and recreation mechanics; it creates a very new journey throughout the acquainted framework. For one factor, no materials is healthier suited to bringing Lara Croft again to her core enterprise than the Atlantis chapter.
Globetrotting, exploration, puzzles, battles towards prehistoric monsters –in case you really feel Lara has strayed too removed from her path over the previous 15 years, right here you’ll discover all of the strengths that made the model nice within the first place. No tacked-on open-world nonsense, no whiny demystification of a heroine, no shooter in Tomb Raider’s guise. I don’t need to badmouth the reboot trilogy right here—in spite of everything, it merely took a distinct path, and did so very, very properly—however it feels nice to expertise Lara Croft in such an old-school approach once more in spite of everything these years. Particularly since, with Catalyst, we don’t must do with out the precise sequel in any respect.
