Replace: It is lastly occurred. After months of rumors, Sq. Enix has lastly confirmed the existence of a brand new Tomb Raider sport.
The information got here by way of the official Tomb Raider Twitter account which, though gentle on particulars, promised that we would see extra at a ‘main occasion’ in 2018.
Though extra particulars would have been nice, we’re comfortable to see that the existence of the sport has lastly been confirmed, though Sq. Enix stopped wanting confirming the rumored title.
A message to our followers! pic.twitter.com/HlDYsUtZMsDecember 7, 2017
Fingers crossed we’ll see extra of the upcoming sport quickly.
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After the quite unceremonious leaking of what is going to most likely be the title of the following Lara Croft outing on a Montreal subway practice, hypothesis has been rife about what precisely we will anticipate from Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Will we see a darker Lara? A extra assured Lara? Or will your entire sport be a few Peter-Pan-style quest to retrieve her shadow? Most likely not the latter, however right here you’ll find all of the information, rumors and the whole lot we all know to this point about Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Minimize to the chase
- What’s it? The sequel to Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider
- When it’s out? Early 2018, possibly
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider builders: Crystal Dynamics…or Eidos Montreal?
- SOTTR writer: Sq. Enix
Launch date
The tentative launch date above comes from a quote in Official PlayStation Magazine: “Rumor squirrels inform us Shadow of the Tomb Raider could possibly be launched early in 2018.”
Nonetheless, the sport is not going to be at E3 2017, in response to a Facebook post from Meagan Marine, the Senior Group Supervisor for Tomb Raider, who mentioned “This will likely be a quiet E3 for Lara, however we’re trying ahead to catching up on her new journey later this yr.”
Possibly we gained’t be seeing Lara at E3, but it surely appears like there could possibly be trailers, particulars and extra quickly afterwards.
Leaked information
The title, and different snippets of details about the visuals, have been leaked in November final yr when an eagle-eyed Reddit consumer noticed somebody – presumably an worker of Sq. Enix Montreal, Eidos Montreal or somebody from Crystal Dynamics on a piece journey – open their laptop computer to take a look at a Tomb Raider slideshow presentation. The title on the slide, “Shadow of the Tomb Raider”, is now assumed to be the secret.
Nonetheless, the truth that this presentation was seen on the Montreal subway is attention-grabbing, as a result of the principle developer of the final two Tomb Raider video games, Crystal Dynamics, relies in California.
May this imply that Eidos Montreal, who helped Crystal Dynamics with improvement on the final two, are taking the reins on this one? Eurogamer and Kotaku appear to assume so, having the rumor confirmed by their (hopefully reliable) sources.
Nonetheless, it appears to be like like Crystal Dynamics is not finished with Croft but, having employed Ian Milham in August of final yr. Milham was the artwork director on Useless House and Battlefield Hardline, and had this to say about his new position:
“Journey video games have all the time been my old flame. When the chance got here to hitch Crystal Dynamics, I needed to leap on it. That is the house of Lara Croft, who’s a legend in action-adventure gaming and a pillar of the business. I’ve admired Crystal’s work for some time now, as they proceed to ship prime notch narrative and spectacle, coupled with deep methods and participant alternative. I’m very enthusiastic about the place the studio is headed and I’m desirous to be part of it.”
The final sport Crystal Dynamics launched was the 20 Yr Version of Rise of the Tomb Raider in 2016, which added VR-compatible DLC and the co-op Endurance mode to an already enormous sport.
There have been rumors that maybe the studio engaged on Shadow of the Tomb Raider is Sq. Enix Montreal, however provided that their focus has been cellular video games like Hitman GO, Lara Croft GO and Deus Ex GO for a number of years, it’s unlikely that they’re making a shift to full console video games.
Who’s writing it?
Rhianna Pratchett wrote the scripts for Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider, successful awards for narrative on the Recreation Builders Alternative Awards, the Writers Guild of America Awards and the DICE Awards, however she’s now engaged on “thrilling/terrifying new issues” as an alternative. “I prefer to assume we did some good issues,” Pratchett mentioned on Twitter as she introduced her leaving. “Possibly shifted the gaming panorama a wee bit. And that feels rattling good.”
Who’s in it?
Camilla Luddington has been the voice and mo-cap physique of Lara Croft for the previous two video games, however having simply had her first baby in March or April of this yr, it’s at present unknown whether or not she’s going to return.
What platforms will it’s on?
After each Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider got here out as timed Xbox One exclusives, many are questioning if Shadow of the Tomb Raider may even depart PlayStation followers out within the chilly. Xbox head Phil Spencer spoke concerning the exclusivity take care of Eurogamer again when Rise of the Tomb Raider was within the works, saying that the deal “has a period” however declined to say how lengthy that period was, precisely.
“It isn’t as a result of I am making an attempt to be a headfake on anyone,” he mentioned within the interview. “It is a deal between us and the accomplice. Individuals ask me how a lot did we pay. There are particular issues I am simply not going to speak about as a result of it is a enterprise deal between us and them.”
Similar to the final two, Shadow of the Tomb Raider will find yourself on PlayStation and PC – we simply don’t understand how lengthy which may take. What’s extra, it might even be a sport that prioritizes this new wave of mid-gen consoles such because the PS4 Pro and Project Scorpio. Solely time will inform.
What is going to it’s about?
The title implies a darker tackle Lara’s journey to this point, but it surely’s already been fairly darkish, with supernatural goings-on, Lara’s battle to turn into the assured raider of tombs everyone knows and love, and her troubled household historical past.
There’s additionally a 2018 Tomb Raider movie, which comes out on March 16, starring Alicia Vikander because the titular heroine and Dominic West as her deceased father (regardless of solely being 20 years older than Vikander).
Walter Goggins, who has been forged because the villain of the piece, described the plot as “Raiders of the Misplaced Ark meets a style model of the Joseph Conrad novel Victory: An Island Story,” which suggests islands, treasure, archaeology and intrigue. The movie will give attention to Croft looking for her father.
Will the movie play into the plot of Shadow of the Tomb Raider? Properly, it’s more likely to nonetheless be about household, as the brand new, rebooted sequence has been to this point.
The final DLC, Blood Ties, launched in October of final yr, focuses on Lara frantically making an attempt to show her mom’s dying to cease her uncle from taking the household manor. Protected to say her household may not be coming again any time quickly, however Lara’s journey to make them proud continues.
What are you interested in with Shadow of the Tomb Raider? What are you hoping to see? You’ll be able to all the time e mail us at [email protected] to tell us!