In commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Tomb Raider, the developer of the reboot trilogy, Crystal Dynamics, prepares to let loose a plethora of surprises throughout the year. Such a revelation followed on the heels of yet another exhilarating news – Legendary Entertainment and Netflix are joining forces to produce a Tomb Raider animated series.
Tomb Raider was released in 1996 as an action-adventure title on Sega Saturn, then soon thereafter took the gaming world by storm on PlayStation. Fans were fascinated with the level of gameplay and design, which allowed the exploration of Greece, Peru, Egypt, and even Atlantis.
However, most players were particularly taken by the titular tomb raider, the bold and courageous Lara Croft. In the 25 years since, the character became a pop culture icon who is endeared the world over, thanks to her worldwide endeavors in comics, films, and games. If any action heroine is deserving of a yearlong festivity, it is her.
We're celebrating 25 Years of Tomb Raider throughout 2021, with community features, nostalgic content, and surprises along the way! pic.twitter.com/cOmsfVj8jr
— Tomb Raider (@tombraider) January 27, 2021
In a post made on the official Twitter account of Tomb Raider, developer Crystal Dynamics revealed its plans for the franchise’s 25th anniversary. Starting next month, and lasting throughout the year, community celebrations will include livestreams, interviews, fan art highlights, cosplay, and more that remain under wraps for now.
Additionally, every month will have its own theme inspired by past Tomb Raider games, starting with the 1996 classic. Will Kerslake, the series’ game director, also teased on the future of the brand. According to the director, Crystal Dynamics “envisions the future of Tomb Raider unfolding after [its] established adventures.”
He mentioned that whatever comes next will bring together the timelines of the older entries and Crystal’s reboot trilogy. With such a massive challenge ahead, the development team needs time to finalize everything out. Thus, a new game reveal is not set to appear in the near future.
All the aforementioned details sound like an exciting way to honor Lara Croft’s legacy. Because of the global pandemic, there were likely other plans in development that simply are not possible at this difficult time. However, it appears Crystal Dynamics still plans to provide Tomb Raider the yearlong dedication and celebration it truly deserves.
While there are no new titles in the foreseeable future, the reboot trilogy depicts a great start off point for those interested in exploring the series further. As a matter of fact, the trilogy’s final entry – Shadow of the Tomb Raider – is now available as a PlayStation Plus freebie. PS Plus members who have yet to add the game to their collection should do so before it leaves the service on February 1, 2021.
