Honestly, if you grew up in the 90s, you didn't just play a Lara Croft video game—you lived through a cultural tectonic shift. I remember the first time I saw those jagged, polygonal mountains in the original Tomb Raider. It was 1996. Everything was blocky. Lara’s hair was a stiff braid that looked like a lethal weapon, and her "dual pistols" were basically just gray rectangles. But it didn't matter. It was the first time a game felt like a real, lonely, terrifying adventure.
Fast forward to 2026.
The landscape has changed, but Lara is still standing. Just this past month, we’ve seen the reveal of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and the internet is basically losing its mind over Sophie Turner being cast in the Amazon live-action series. It’s a lot to keep track of. You’ve got three decades of lore, three separate reboots, and a "unified timeline" that is trying to stitch it all together like a digital Frankenstein.
The Identity Crisis: Who is Lara Croft Now?
There’s this weird thing happening where every generation has "their" Lara. For some, she’s the posh, sarcastic aristocrat who locked her butler in the freezer. (We all did it. Don't lie.) For others, she’s the "Survivor" Lara from the 2013 reboot—the girl who spent three games getting impaled, beaten, and covered in mud just to find her voice.
Recently, Crystal Dynamics and Amazon Games dropped a bombshell. They aren't just making one new game; they’re making two.
- Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (2026): This is a full-blown reimagining of the 1996 original. It's not just a remaster (we already got those in 2024 and 2025). This is built from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5.
- Tomb Raider: Catalyst (2027): This is the "forward-moving" sequel. It’s set in Northern India and supposedly features a 35-year-old Lara who is finally the confident, dual-pistol-wielding legend we remember.
It’s an ambitious move. They're trying to please the old-school fans who miss the "superhero" Lara while keeping the emotional weight of the newer games. Alix Wilton Regan, who voiced characters in Dragon Age and Cyberpunk 2077, is taking over the voice duties for both. It feels like the franchise is finally growing up, moving past the "traumatized girl" phase and into the "experienced badass" era.
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Why We Keep Raiding the Same Tombs
People often ask why this specific Lara Croft video game formula works. There are a million action-adventure games now. Uncharted basically perfected the cinematic "guy with a half-tuck" vibe. Horizon Zero Dawn gave us Aloy. So why do we still care about a British archaeologist with family trauma?
It's the isolation.
Most modern games are afraid to let the player be bored. They fill the screen with waypoints, side quests, and talking companions. But the best moments in a Tomb Raider game are silent. It's just you, a massive, crumbling Egyptian temple, and the sound of Lara's boots on cold stone. You're not saving the world—well, usually you are, but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like you're solving a giant, lethal clockwork puzzle that hasn't been touched in a thousand years.
The Sales Don't Lie
The "Survivor" trilogy (2013, Rise, and Shadow) sold over 38 million copies combined. That's nearly 40% of the entire franchise's lifetime sales. Even though "classic" fans complain that the new games became too much like Call of Duty with a bow and arrow, the numbers show that people wanted a more human Lara.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
If you try to map out the Tomb Raider timeline, you’re going to get a headache. Seriously.
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Basically, you have the Core Design era (1996–2003), where Lara was a globe-trotting superstar. Then you have the Legend/Anniversary/Underworld era (2006–2008), which added a bunch of Norse and Mayan mythology. Then the 2013 reboot wiped the slate clean.
But as of 2026, the developers are doing something called "Unification."
They are essentially saying: "Everything happened." The events of the 2013 shipwreck happened, then she went to Siberia, then Mexico, then she fought the T-Rex in Peru, and then she looked for her mom in Avalon. It’s messy. It’s confusing. But it allows the writers to use her entire history without feeling restricted. In the upcoming Catalyst, Lara is wearing her Survivor-era jade necklace but carrying her classic pistols. It’s a visual shorthand for "I've been through it all."
Real Talk: The "Sex Symbol" Controversy
We can't talk about Lara Croft without addressing the elephant in the room. In the 90s, her marketing was... well, it was the 90s. The "Nude Raider" urban legends, the oversized polygons—it was a mess.
Toby Gard, her original creator, actually left the company because he hated how the marketing department was objectifying her. He wanted her to be a dangerous, mysterious explorer. Instead, she ended up on the cover of The Face as a "Silicon Chick."
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The 2013 reboot swung the pendulum the other way. They made her more realistic, gave her sensible pants, and focused on her vulnerability. Some fans hated this, calling it "cowardly" or "pandering." Others felt it finally made her a character worth caring about. The current 2026 design seems to be the middle ground—muscular, capable, stylish, but not a caricature.
Actionable Tips for Playing the Series Today
If you’re looking to jump into a Lara Croft video game right now, don't just grab the newest one. The series is fragmented.
- For the Puzzler: Start with Tomb Raider I–III Remastered. The "tank controls" are a nightmare at first, but once you get the rhythm, the level design is actually more intricate than anything made today.
- For the Storyteller: Play the 2013 Tomb Raider. It’s basically a high-budget action movie. It’s the easiest entry point for modern gamers.
- For the Completionist: Go for Rise of the Tomb Raider. It’s widely considered the "perfect" balance of the new style—great exploration, solid combat, and tombs that actually feel like tombs.
- The Hidden Gem: Don't sleep on Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. It’s a top-down, co-op arcade game. It’s totally different from the main series but arguably has the best puzzles in the franchise.
The Road Ahead
As we look toward the release of Legacy of Atlantis later this year, it’s clear that Lara Croft isn't going anywhere. She’s survived being buried under an Egyptian pyramid, several studio acquisitions, and even a weird stint where she was a "survivalist" who didn't like raiding tombs.
The next step for any fan is to keep an eye on the Legacy of Atlantis gameplay trailers. If they can capture that 1996 sense of wonder with 2026 technology, we might be looking at the best year for the franchise since its inception.
Start practicing your platforming. The Scion isn't going to find itself.
Next Steps for Future Raiders:
- Check your platform compatibility: Legacy of Atlantis and Catalyst are skipping last-gen consoles (PS4/Xbox One). If you haven't upgraded to a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S, now is the time.
- Link your accounts: Amazon Games is offering exclusive "Legacy" outfits (like the Mediterranean Wetsuit) if you link your Amazon ID to your gaming profile before the 2026 launch.
- Watch the Netflix Series: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is officially canon and bridges the gap between Shadow of the Tomb Raider and the upcoming games. It's essential homework if you want to understand her new personality.