Tomb Raider has been re-imagined through a modern filter

Tomb Raider senior art director, Brian Horton, discusses the reboot of the classic franchise including Lara's past, the game's mature flavour and additions that update the game.

Talking with AusGamers, Crystal Dynamics' Brian Horton explains the return to Lara's origins, which leads to her vulnerability in the game. "There’s been hints at her past in other games, but this is the first game that really explores that first adventure, that path that she was going to take to become a tomb raider, and that was one of our mandates: let’s re-imagine this franchise through a modern filter”.

"We wanted to make sure the essence of Lara Croft is in her character in our reimagining of the franchise -- we obviously looked at Lara herself. We did want strip away some of that steeliness -- at least at the beginning -- because, there’s a point where to get Lara to where she was, there was something that happened beforehand. So we needed to tell that story."

Horton explains how the first Tomb Raider influenced the game further. "So the essence of that game actually had a mature flavour to it, and I think we brought it a little bit back to that Tomb Raider One flavour, versus the more storybook flavour that it achieved as it progressed as a game."

The interview delves further into the weather, ecosystem and history of the island setting, the history behind the main foe, weapons systems in the game, the use of the open hub areas, the Apocalypse Now influence and the addition of fast travel using campsites.

The recurring theme of sacrifice and loss stemming from the first jarring kill is also discussed in more detail. The interview is available here to watch as a video or read the transcript. The latest trailer, To Be A Survivor, can be viewed here.