Whereas *Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis* is a remake of the very first recreation within the sequence, our gameplay evaluate concludes: It’s primarily trying towards the longer term.
Effectively, let somebody attempt to complain about that. After years the place new Lara Croft video games had been rarer than honest 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 in addition 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 flicks with out always checking your cellphone.
There’s only one downside.
Lara Croft has modified over time. Within the newest installments, her dialogue typically seemed like a Tumblr account, whereas the previous Lara from again then steals the present from each ice dice with regards to coolness. So does the heroine in Legacy of Atlantis should 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 season Sport Fest 2026, I can state with all eloquence: No./p>
A Remake of a Totally different Type
The extra skilled shrews amongst you’ll 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 route than Tomb Raider: Anniversary from 2007.
Don’t count on a remake within the sense of a trustworthy re-release, like Metallic 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 coloration palette to create a totally new murals.
I used to be in a position to expertise this firsthand throughout my half-hour hands-on session on the Peru degree.
The opening situation of Legacy of Atlantis can be very acquainted to followers of the unique: the hard-nosed archaeologist Lara Croft is recruited by company govt Jacqueline Natla to recuperate remnants of the legendary Atlantis. One in all these is alleged to be hidden within the Inca ruins of Vilcabamba within the Andes, so the sport promptly begins in Peru.
All through the whole demo, Lara exudes the allure of the basic 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 proper candy spot.
“One of the stunning video games I’ve ever seen”
The brand new Peru degree shares a couple of fundamental 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 fully contemporary.
Whereas ranges in Tomb Raider 1 (and likewise 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 panoramic panorama the place all the things seems distinctive.
I’ll even exit on a limb: Legacy of Atlantis is likely one of the most stunning video games I’ve ever seen. Positive, its predecessor, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, already flexed its graphical muscle tissues 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 seems plausible.
A lot Much less Modular
Because of this, the gameplay additionally feels a lot much less like a modular system. Positive, at its core, Lara Croft’s arsenal stays very acquainted; the design signature of Shadow of the Tomb Raider carries over nearly one-to-one: I’ve to climb, resolve puzzles, and battle every now and then.
However Atlantis achieves a a lot smoother circulation 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 wood beam and expose the loot.
For the second, I’ve to control an historic water pump. And for the third, I climb up a large waterfall, hack by way of 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 way in which, 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 types of crops and sources within the atmosphere that she will be able to use to cobble collectively helpful… stuff. Right here, too, the demo stays very restrained with regards to well being objects.
And “imprecise” level quantity three: Within the choices, I can manually modify all types of problem ranges, together with the puzzles. I don’t know but what concrete impact this has, although. In accordance with the outline, it’s principally about hints and UI suggestions which are lacking on greater problem ranges.
So that you see: The devs are nonetheless conserving many genuinely new mechanics underneath wraps; the demo session stays a tough first impression.
Talking of conserving issues underneath wraps: You don’t really battle till the very finish of the demo. And I feel that’s nice.
The Proper Focus
Through the years, Tomb Raider has sometimes flirted with the thought of being extra of an motion shooter than an action-adventure. In spite of everything, Name of Obligation raked within the money within the 2000s, and the 2013 reboot specifically felt fairly heavy on the gunplay at occasions.
Legacy of Atlantis appears—a minimum of based mostly on the demo—to remain near the extra puzzle-heavy authentic. From expertise, I can verify: it’s undoubtedly a press release (and a threat) when a press demo consists of 90 p.c puzzles and exploration, however in my view, an excellent 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 permits her to scan all types of interactive or essential objects within the recreation world to get extra data and suggestions. This underscores the deal with exploration.
Conversely, this additionally means: You in all probability 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 a substitute, 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 shortly take down the vicious dinosaurs. It’s enjoyable, no query, however it feels extra like a utilitarian expertise.
The escape from the T-Rex, then again, 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 soar right here and there whereas all the things round you explodes and crumbles. It seems unbelievable, however in no way captures the true attraction of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.
That appears good
And Legacy of Atlantis has loads of attraction. If the remainder of the journey maintains the demo’s degree of high quality when it comes to degree design, selection, and circulation, then you may count on not solely among the finest action-adventures since Uncharted 4 or Shadow of the Tomb Raider, but in addition probably the most stunning.
For me, the most important query marks nonetheless dangle over the story: Other than the cool areas, the plot of the unique may 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 most important shock of the story even in 2027, then I’m nearly trying ahead to my tax invoice, as a result of that guarantees extra thrills.
However effectively, to be honest, I’ve solely peeked on the first degree, so my conclusion stays optimistic for now: Legacy of Atlantis has made a unbelievable impression in each respect up to now. 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 upset. When you 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 might 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 totally 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 –when 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 special path, and did so very, very effectively—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 should do with out the precise sequel in any respect.
