Rumor: Next Major Tomb Raider in the Works, Christmas 2011 Release Planned [Updated]

June 30, 2010 8:10 AM

[Update: 4:03PM] A Square Enix representative has told Shacknews the company has "no comment" regarding a new major Tomb Raider installment.

[Original Story] Eurogamer reports, citing an unnamed source, the next "main game" in the Tomb Raider series is currently in development at Crystal Dynamics and will see life during the 2011 holiday season. According to Eurogamer's source, "some" of the artwork that was recently added to ex-CD artist Joel Boucquemont's online portfolio relate to the new title.

In July 2009, a leaked document supposedly detailing a new title in the Tomb Raider franchise described an adventure starring "a young and inexperienced" Lara Croft stranded on an open-world island off the coast of Japan. The document called for the title to feature "survival" elements and would serve as a complete series reboot. Eurogamer's source claims the July 2009 document does relate to the title in development.

Crystal Dynamics is currently developing a downloadable side story in the Lara Croft universe, titled Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. Shacknews has contacted Square Enix for comment but has yet to hear back at the time of this publishing.

Xav de Matos

Xav de Matos was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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mastermike569

 reply
June 30, 2010 8:27 AM

I've lost excitement for the Tomb Raider series long ago. I thought the first one was cool and the second one was ok. My big thing was that it used real references to actual civilizations and lost places referenced in history. The recent batch of Tomb Raider games just did its own thing and turned into a horrible monster. Maybe the game needs a reboot and a look at what made the game cool in the first place. This lost on an island in Japan and focus on survival sounds like crap.
- Thund3rball
  
   reply
  June 30, 2010 8:52 AM
  
  Hm, yes story wise you are right. I think it would be cooler if the games tried a little harder to work a mythos into real world history, like the Assassin's Creed series does. But otherwise, I find the games a great romp. :)
  - AlexW1203
    
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    June 30, 2010 11:20 AM
    
    Did either of you actually play Legend and Underworld? If so, how can you say that they didn't include references to actual civilisations, when the entire point of the games is discovering the underlying truths behind a series of related myths and legends?
    
    Sure, go ahead and say you're improving the pro-feminist movement by refusing to play a series of well-designed games with great art, music, and puzzles, just because the protagonist happens to be well-endowed, but it rings a ltitle hollow when the titles put emphasis on Lara as a person. Heck, with the rate male characters die, and the utter domination of antagonist roles by women as well as Lara's absurd qualifications, it reads a heck of a lot more like Charmed than it does like a 1950s gender roles propaganda piece.
    - Thund3rball
      
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      June 30, 2010 12:11 PM
      
      Uh, I have no idea what you are talking about and I played them all and totally enjoyed them. But I guess that part escaped you? *shrugs*
      - AlexW1203
        
         reply
        June 30, 2010 1:31 PM
        
        Okay, my bad. I think I'm on edge after reading an RPS comments thread on Crysis 2, and getting into Underrated Franchise Mode.
        
        Still, though, the story's considerably improved since earlier iterations. I had no idea what was going on in TR2 and 3 even at the beginning. Heck, if I recall, they didn't even have an intro blurb.
        
        Thund3rball
        
         reply
        June 30, 2010 2:43 PM
        
        Agreed story is much improved over earlier games.