Tomb Raider Corner: My Wishes For Tomb Raider's Future

Article by @laraglasses

Cover Art: @illyne_cosplay

Tomb Raider is, of course, very important to so many of us. Going as long as we have without a

major release has been difficult, especially seeing so many other franchises constantly getting

installments. Tomb Raider has been collaborating with many different IPs and brands lately,

such as Fall Guys, The Walking Dead and PowerWash Simulator. This has helped us know that

Tomb Raider is, in fact, not dead, and it is just taking a very long time to get a new release. That

all being said, I personally have my own wishes for how I want the franchise to go moving on.

We all do, and they’re likely all different. I would like to use this article as a conversation starter,

and I invite everyone who is reading to comment their own wishes under the social media posts

linking to this article.

The Classic Era’s main strength to me is its level design. Sure, it’s gotten wonky at times (Tomb

Raider 3 I am death-staring you even though I love you) but overall it creates this sense of

vibrant exploration and wonder. Something I hope that the next Tomb Raider takes from this era

is its intricate level design. The feeling of exploring St Francis Folly for the first time in Tomb

Raider 1 was utter magic. To me, that level felt like a real place despite it being so fantastical.

This is the feeling I would like TR12 to replicate. Additionally, and this is a much more superficial

want, but I would love it if Lara had her long hair again. The feeling of launching Lara across a

gap and having her long braid follow behind her was so powerful to me. The gracefulness of

that braid swinging behind Lara after she just finished killing a yeti is such a unique vibe. Finally,

I would love the music of Tomb Raider to be more like it was in the classic era again. Of course,

I’d love to see elements of all eras plus some new things in the musical composition of the

game, but I would love to see the classic era’s motifs make a return. Tracks like Tomb Raider

3’s “Something Spooky In That Jungle” , Tomb Raider 1’s “St Francis Folly” and many more

create such a sense of intrigue and magical exploration.

The LAU (legend/anniversary/underworld) Era is such a beloved era, and for good reason. The

main thing I would love to see make a return here is the acrobatics. Particularly in Tomb Raider:

Underworld, I felt invincible. It created this feeling of gracefully flipping and diving through

dangerous and treacherous tombs and that's exactly how I think about Lara, thriving within the

chaos and loving every minute of it. Additionally to this, I would love to see Lara’s personality

take on some traits of how she was in this era. Underworld Lara is my favorite version of the

character, she is so headstrong and confident while also having some humanity and emotion to

her. I love the way she interacts with the other characters. You really get a sense that she

knows them, positively or negatively, and Keeley Hawes does such a fantastic job of conveying

it. Lastly, something I would love to see adapted into the next Tomb Raider is the level variety of

both Classic and LAU. You go to so many different locations in both eras and the full

globetrotting experience is something I feel is necessary for Tomb Raider. It helps you really

feel like Lara Croft, going out and exploring the entire world in search of what she wants. Also,

there's just the benefit of things feeling more fresh and new rather than it feeling like you’ve

been in the same location for too long.

The Survivor Era is, of course, controversial. I understand why it is, but I love it. I haven’t always

had the affinity for it that I do now, but I really do have a special place in my heart for the

Survivor era. The main strength of this era is its combat I believe. I would love it if Crystal could

find a way to combine cover shooting and free form acrobatic combat. Perhaps they could have

a system where you can press a button to take cover rather than Lara doing it herself, and if you

don’t press the button you are in a more free form combat mode. I think it's important to return

the series to its roots without disregarding what we learned in survivor. Lara is written

exceptionally well in this era, and the quality of writing is something I think needs to be

maintained. As well as having her feel like an older version of the character presented in

survivor, who has gained more confidence and has become the Lara we know and love without

losing herself within that process. Another thing I would love to see return from this era are the

bow and axes. These are part of Lara’s iconography now. I would love to do some crazy

acrobatic tricks with the axes, or backflip headshot someone with the bow. I think there are tons

of opportunities for over the top, campy combat here, and I really hope it isn’t missed. Of

course, Lara needs her duals, these are essential. However, I don’t think her bow or axes

should be swapped out for this.

In conclusion, I would love Tomb Raider to learn from its past mistakes and successes. I truly

believe this next era of the series has the potential to be the best we have had. What are some

of your wishes and wants for the franchise? Let us know, I know I can talk about it all day!

Thank You very much for reading, I’m excited to read your thoughts! Make sure to follow @tombraiderinfinite for all your latest Tomb Raider News, Cosplay, Fan Art, and more!