Thu, Mar 04, 2010 | 12:05 GMT

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light announced, digi download this year [Update]

lara2

Update: Square’s refused to be drawn on the reasoning for dropping “Tomb Raider” from the game’s title, saying only, “The press release is the only information we’re giving out at the moment.”

Original: Square just announced the next Lara game, dubbed Guardian of Light. Note the lack of the words “Tomb Raider” in the press release.

The title is going to be a download, according to the press release, and will release later this year.

No platforms have been given on the game, by developer Crystal Dynamics has promised the IPs latest adventure will be “different”.

“This is a really exciting project for Crystal Dynamics, we have created something completely new and very different to what people might be expecting,” said Darrell Gallagher, Crystal Dynamics boss.

“Lara Croft is such an iconic character in videogames, with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light we have created what we believe is a truly original digital experience.”

It’s to be shown behind closed doors at GDC next week.

The game’s official site is now up.

Full announcement below.

CRYSTAL DYNAMICS ANNOUNCES NEW LARA CROFT™ ADVENTURE
LARA CROFT AND THE GUARDIAN OF LIGHT™

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – March 4, 2010 – Crystal Dynamics™, a part of Square Enix Europe, today announced Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light™, a new game developed by Crystal Dynamics, which will be released via digital download in 2010.

“This is a really exciting project for Crystal Dynamics, we have created something completely new and very different to what people might be expecting,” said Darrell Gallagher, General Manager of Crystal Dynamics. “Lara Croft is such an iconic character in videogames, with Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light we have created what we believe is a truly original digital experience.”

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light will be shown strictly “behind closed doors” at this year’s Game Developers Conference beginning on March 9th. Please contact Rob Fleischer at Sandbox Strategies (rob@sandboxstrat.com) for more information.

Crystal Dynamics is an award-winning studio located in San Francisco. Founded in 1992, the studio has created and developed key game franchises such as: Legacy of Kain™, Pandemonium™, Gex™ and most recently the Tomb Raider™ series.

For more information visit www.laracroftandtheguardianoflight.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook – @Crystaldynamics – Facebook.com/LaraCroft

31 comments

Thalius
04/03/10, 10:57 am

Screw Lara Croft… Bring back Legacy of Kain series

mington
04/03/10, 10:59 am

http://www.laracroftandtheguardianoflight.com/

they’ve dropped ‘tomb raider’, i suppose she hasn’t been raiding tombs for a long while

The Hindle
04/03/10, 11:01 am

Lara Croft and the attempt to claw back some dignity? Seriously they should just let the franchise go.

Aimless
04/03/10, 11:02 am

Hmm, interesting that it doesn’t have ‘Tomb Raider’ in the title, as mington says.

Any idea of what platform(s) this is for, Pat? I’d assume it’s for the HD gang, but it could just as well be an iPhone game.

mington
04/03/10, 11:05 am

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/27230/Interview_Crystal_Dynamics_Studio_Head_Talks_Change_Evolution.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GamasutraNews+%28Gamasutra+News%29&utm_content=Twitter

an interview with gamasutra a couple of days ago

mington
04/03/10, 11:07 am

i just really hope that woman with the wings isn’t in it

Bulk Slash
04/03/10, 11:08 am

I hope it’s better than Underworld. I thought Legend and Anniversary were excellent, but Underworld was just a bunch of samey caves and caverns. The only good level was the one they used for the demo.

Seems strange for this to be download only. Maybe it’s a bit far from the mould and Square want to test the waters… or Square has no confidence in it so they’re dumping it on XBLAh and PSN.

itsucks
04/03/10, 11:14 am

Underworld > Unshiterd.

mington
04/03/10, 11:15 am

digital download? maybe they are going episodic, the website looks like a book cover…books have chapters

ep1. Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
ep2. Lare Croft and the Warrior of Darkness
ep3. Lare Croft and the Grunt of an overcast sunday afternoon

#10

mington
04/03/10, 11:18 am

diving in the sea in underworld was really impressive, they should’ve kept that for the last level as the rest of the game was forgettable

oh wait its coming back to me…horrible motorbike bit…level ripped off from Hell boy with swinging hammers n shit

#11

dirigiblebill
04/03/10, 11:18 am

Take out combat entirely. Go on, CD, have the balls.

#12

SplatteredHouse
04/03/10, 11:24 am

I think losing the guns (particularly to remove Lara’s over-reliance on them) would make for a meaningful statement of what Crystal Dynamic’s intentions are.
I don’t know whether the entirety of the combat element needs pulling out, really.

#13

mington
04/03/10, 11:30 am

taken from the gamasutra interview

“When asked what platforms the team is focused on or whether they’ve begun to develop games for the motion control input devices Sony and Microsoft will launch later this year, “I can’t speak to what we are or aren’t doing for specific platforms,” Gallagher replies. But whatever they do work on is specific to an individual platform, he maintains.

“It’s important that we look at tailoring and targeting a specific platform in a unique way rather than just taking the approach of porting across a multitude of different platform,” he says. “It’s about looking at what we want to create with our franchises moving forward, and really specifically targeting the experience around the hardware rather than have one that runs across five different platforms.”

just the one platform then! maybe it’ll be a download for natal

#14

dirigiblebill
04/03/10, 11:31 am

Combat’s never been more than a distraction in Tomb Raider, IMO. I’m sure they could improve it, but not without pushing Lara into the arms of Nathan Drake, so to speak. I’d prefer there to be more emphasis on the acrobatics and emergent storytelling.

#15

SplatteredHouse
04/03/10, 11:33 am

Agreed. That would be a better focus of the team’s energies that are working on this.

#16

unacomn
04/03/10, 11:47 am

If it’s PC only digital, it may be good. If it’s an XBLA title, I’m not that confident about it.

#17

Patrick Garratt
04/03/10, 11:51 am

I’ll be very surprised if it isn’t PC, 360 and PS3.

#18

daytripper
04/03/10, 11:55 am

i have a feeling this is exclusive to PS3. Dont know why, just a gut feeling

#19

Patrick Garratt
04/03/10, 11:59 am

Just had a note from Square on the “Tomb Raider” thing. They’re not saying. Updated.

#20

Hunam
04/03/10, 12:08 pm

What does a note like that look like?

Dear Pat,

re: lack of Tomb Raider moniker on announcement:

Yours Sincerely,
Square.

#21

daytripper
04/03/10, 12:15 pm

“Dear Pat

“The press release is the only information we’re giving out at the moment as she’s gone the pub for her lunch. We’ll get back to you
sometime er…soon”

Regards

Mr.P.Nis

Head of typing stuff and things

#22

DaMan
04/03/10, 1:35 pm

is this going to be several episodes, released separately?

and dirigiblebill, couldn’t have said it better =)

#23

Blerk
04/03/10, 1:53 pm

Hmm… curious. On many different levels. Why no “Tomb Raider”? Why DD-only? I’m surmising this is actually going to bear little resemblance to the previous games, hence the name-change.

#24

DaMan
04/03/10, 2:02 pm

maybe this is a download title because it’s kind of a prologue to next TR.

#25

Freek
04/03/10, 3:40 pm

Weren’t there a ton of rumours about a reboot a while back? Maybe this is it.

#26

mington
04/03/10, 3:42 pm

there was leaked concept art of lara with a bow and arrow and on a horse? i might have made the horse one up, to much beastiality porn

#27

DaMan
04/03/10, 5:21 pm

http://www.tombraiderforums.com/showthread.php?t=165484