Square announce 'Tomb Raider', Crystal go with "origins story"

[Chaos Raiden]

That new Tomb Raider game from Crystal Dynamics? Well it's called 'Tomb Raider' and yes there's a boat, a beach and a babe - a stranded Lara Croft.

We get a "young and inexperienced" Lara whose only goal is to survive. Crystal say "forget everything" we know of Tomb Raider, this is her "origins story".

Square Enix have dropped a press release bomb that confirms our suspicions of poor Lara Croft getting ship wrecked on some island, all alone (sort of) and having to fend for herself.

"Forget everything you knew about Tomb Raider," said Darrell Gallagher, big boss of Crystal Dynamics. "This is an origins story that creates Lara Croft and takes her on a character defining journey like no other."

The upcoming issue of Game Informer will have 10 pages exposing the new Crystal Dynamic's videogame, which is available now for subscribers or in newstands December 11th. Check out the full press release below from Square Enix.

FULL PRESS RELEASE:

TOMB RAIDER

A New Game from Crystal Dynamics

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 6, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Square Enix, Inc., is excited today to announce TOMB RAIDER®, the new game from Redwood City based studio Crystal Dynamics®.

'After a brutal storm destroys the boat she was travelling on, a frightened young woman is left washed ashore on an unknown beach. On her own but not alone she has only one goal, to survive'

Here begins the first adventure for a young and inexperienced Lara Croft in a story which charts the journey of an ordinary woman who finds out just how far she must go in order to stay alive.

"Forget everything you knew about TOMB RAIDER," said Darrell Gallagher, Head of Studio, Crystal Dynamics. "This is an origins story that creates Lara Croft and takes her on a character defining journey like no other."

TOMB RAIDER makes its worldwide debut in the January issue of Game Informer® magazine. The cover story features 10 pages of exclusive content and is available beginning today for subscribers and on newsstands December 11. Follow Game Informer on Twitter @GameInformer.

Follow TOMB RAIDER on Twitter @TombRaider. For more information on TOMB RAIDER please visit www.TombRaider.com.

About Square Enix, Inc.
Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix Group. The Square Enix Group operates a global network of leading development studios and boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property, including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 97 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 54 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 35 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at http://www.square-enix.com/na/.

TOMB RAIDER ©2010 SQUARE ENIX LTD. EIDOS, IO INTERACTIVE, CRYSTAL DYNAMICS and TOMB RAIDER are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Ltd. DRAGON QUEST, FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. "PlayStation" is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft.

Source: http://www.strategyinformer.com/news/10089/square-announce-tomb-raider-crystal-go-with-origins-story

Unlike DmC reboot and Castlevania reboot, this reboot seems to be remain faithful to it's original game series. Looking forward to this game.

 

[aka958]

Hmm... what's up with all these reboots?

 

[Chaos Raiden]

Hmm... what's up with all these reboots?

Ask the developers since they know about it the most.

But yeah, I am grew tired of reboots, except for the new Castlevania game, as it is a great reboot. For DmC however, I am not certain on how good it will be though.

 

[Esura]

What do you mean Castlevania LoS isnt faithful to its source material? It cant get any more faithful in 3D than that. Remember, LoS was mostly inspired from pre-Symphony of the Night, Metroidvania type Castlevania games, you know, the originals.

Now, this reboot for Tomb Raider doesn't seem too faithful to the original series to me. Then again, the original series is stale, even the hardcore fans know that, so this Tomb Raider reboot is much needed...the Castlevania reboot was most needed as well. I'm still not understanding the need to reboot DMC though.

But I'm looking forward to this though.

Dont Lara's face remind you of the CG work of *cough*Square*cough*? Not that I mind...I love Square btw.

 

[LordOfDarkness]

Why all of the Reboots all of a sudden? It's like they think it seriously necessary or something, when it isn't.

And sorry, but forget everything?... Oh right, so from the earliest years of Lara Croft up until modern day, that all never happened? So all my money wasted on the games to see the story develop is wasted? Because excuse me, but doesn't TR: Legend explain that Lara survived a plane crash that led to the disappearance of her mother? And therefore, that was kind of her origin? She has a huge family history, and background. And her mother and father disappearing, along with her finding sacred artefacts is the essential point towards the plot of the story. Now they are going with, she gets stranded on an Island?

Unless we are saying that she found her skills here to face dangerous threats, and become the great explorer we know. And this is set years after she survived the plane crash. Like, her early twenties or something. Because they can't just say this is her beginning, and tell us to forget everything else. That's ridiculous.

 

[aka958]

Ask the developers since they know about it the most.

But yeah, I am grew tired of reboots, except for the new Castlevania game, as it is a great reboot. For DmC however, I am not certain on how good it will be though.

Well... maybe the devs want to create a new generation of gaming? Renewing old characters and forget how they were in the past. Like a new time epoc, or something like that.

 

[Esura]

Why all of the Reboots all of a sudden? It's like they think it seriously necessary or something, when it isn't.

And sorry, but forget everything?... Oh right, so from the earliest years of Lara Croft up until modern day, that all never happened? So all my money wasted on the games to see the story develop is wasted? Because excuse me, but doesn't TR: Legend explain that Lara survived a plane crash that led to the disappearance of her mother? And therefore, that was kind of her origin? She has a huge family history, and background. And her mother and father disappearing, along with her finding sacred artefacts is the essential point towards the plot of the story. Now they are going with, she gets stranded on an Island?

Unless we are saying that she found her skills here to face dangerous threats, and become the great explorer we know. And this is set years after she survived the plane crash. Like, her early twenties or something. Because they can't just say this is her beginning, and tell us to forget everything else. That's ridiculous.

Well reboots are for mainstream appeal. It was the main reasoning behind Castlevania LoS story change, because the director or something didn't think new people to the IP will understand the 20 years worth of Belmont's struggle against Dracula. I know us fans are like, "WTF reboot NOOO!" but its the most logical route in today's gaming. Games are market with mass appeal in mind, emphasing mass. So, I can dig with reboots if its for the benefit of the series, and as I stated before...Tomb Raider NEEDED a reboot anyway, cause the quality of said games were falling...bad. What I dont understand is why DMC needed a reboot, because it is one of Capcom's biggest selling IPs. DMC4 SOLD well...EVERYONE LIKED OLD DANTE...iunno. But I digress.

And this Tomb Raider seems so survival horror-ish, which isnt bad. I'm liking the concept so far. I guess we need a new survival horror since Resident Evil abandoned the genre and Dead Space 2 seems to be more shooter-ish than survival horror.

Also, this Laura is really hot...despite being beaten up.

 

[aka958]

Well reboots are for mainstream appeal. It was the main reasoning behind Castlevania LoS story change, because the director or something didn't think new people to the IP will understand the 20 years worth of Belmont's struggle against Dracula. I know us fans are like, "WTF reboot NOOO!" but its the most logical route in today's gaming. Games are market with mass appeal in mind, emphasing mass. So, I can dig with reboots if its for the benefit of the series, and as I stated before...Tomb Raider NEEDED a reboot anyway, cause the quality of said games were falling...bad. What I dont understand is why DMC needed a reboot, because it is one of Capcom's biggest selling IPs. DMC4 SOLD well...EVERYONE LIKED OLD DANTE...iunno. But I digress.

And this Tomb Raider seems so survival horror-ish, which isnt bad. I'm liking the concept so far. I guess we need a new survival horror since Resident Evil abandoned the genre and Dead Space 2 seems to be more shooter-ish than survival horror.

Also, this Laura is really hot...despite being beaten up.

Final Fantasy can't get a reboot, thus it will always be appealing! XD

Every game is a game for itself with the typical FF trademarks, like bosses, dungeons, themes, characters, classes, abilities, spells, items, creatures, enemies, etc.

 

[Esura]

Final Fantasy can't get a reboot, thus it will always be appealing! XD

Every game is a game for itself with the typical FF trademarks, like bosses, dungeons, themes, characters, classes, abilities, spells, items, creatures, enemies, etc.

When you think about it, Final Fantasy games are constantly rebooting because none of the games are the same. Similar, yes, but the same, hell naw. Its a different experience between different games so thats why people are so opinionated on their Final Fantasy games. Its not like Dragon Quest games, where if you played one and like it....you will like the others and stuff, because Dragon Quest's gameplay hardly evolved over the years. Not that I hate Dragon Quest, I like it but, we got to be realistic, Dragon Quest is a stale series.

 

[aka958]

Yeah, Final Fantasy do change. But it still feels like Final Fantasy, it has that feel that makes it Final Fantasy all the time. At least to me. Always something deep in it, story, lore, gameplay, music, whatever it is. It keeps being new, it has no fans to truly "disappoint" when it comes to not using the same characters of past games in direct sequels, and still keeps being the same game still.

 

[BlueDevil]

Tomb Raider: Last Revelation's first chapter was about Laura Croft as a yonug girl...is this replacing that part, or is it even before that?

 

[Vergil'sBitch]

WTF?! ANOTHER Tomb Raider?!
Come on! Where's all the Legacy of Kain disappeared to.

 

[Devil Hunter 95]

I miss Kain as much as the next guy but... chicks with guns has always lured me somehow, and Lara has done it for years and years to come. And I can't wait to try out this game!

 

[Darth Angelo]

I didn't even know that guardian of light game was out yet. Seems like they are determined to get people back into TR somehow.

 

[Esura]

NOTICE NOTICE

NEW INFORMATION!!! FROM NEOGAF!!!


Tomb Raider Game Informer info #1
- Lara is 21 in this game
- It's not only a reboot of the franchise but a reboot of the entire brand. As a result there will be no "real" Lara model this time.
- They're doing performance capturing with this game
- There are brutal deaths in the game this time. One is described as a deranged man stabbing Lara in the chest and then closing her eyes after she's dead. Another includes a boulder falling on her leg to trap her before another falls and crushes her head.
- CD won't talk specifics on weapons but concept art shows a bow, shotgun and pistol
- The lock on targeting system is gone and it now has a free aim system. CD says that it can compete with any of their competitors.
- "I think that the major difference between this game and the old is the concept of smoke and mirrors," begins Darrell Gallagher, the studio head at Crystal Dynamics. "There was an illusion of freedom because of streaming and loading that would pop you out in a different location, but this is absolutely real. You can literally go any direction that you see and carve your own way to the finish line instead of being guide."
- "It was important in the game to not only deliver the character arc of Lara Croft emotionally, but to deliver it in gameplay as well so the player gets to grow into a hardened survivor," says experienced director Noah Hughes. As the game unfolds, Lara will scavenge new tools and gear that augment her abilities. Lara's athletic prowess will also evolve. Some areas begin inaccessible due to physical limitations or scarce supplies. With the right skills and gear, however, the island is Lara's for the taking.
- There are base camps in the game. Here you can combine items to create something new and access a skill system to upgrade Lara's abilities. You'll also be able to use base camps to fast travel to different locations to minimize backtracking.
- You'll need to gather food and water in order to survive
- There are humans in the game, including some of the crew members from the shipwreck off the coast of the island.

That's about it. It seems like CD is still be fairly secretive about the gameplay details. There are some nice in-game screenshots. One features Lara hanging upside down in what looks to be a cocoon. Also several screenshots showing her bloodied and with bandages on.

Should be put into OP

 

[BlueDevil]

^I want to play this very badly now.

 

[Esura]

Also, note how it states,

- It's not only a reboot of the franchise but a reboot of the entire brand. As a result there will be no "real" Lara model this time.

As I said before in another post. Tomb Raider was getting stale, much, much, more than Castlevania (whose only problem was their 3D games are subpar) and even moreso than DMC (Capcom is retarded). It needed it, and the latest Tomb Raider game (Underworld) didn't sell well at all. From what I heard, TGOL, the downloadable Lara game, was ok though.

 

[BlueDevil]

Would you mind providing a link for the screenshots if you can find them? I can't.

And agreed. Ever since the TR games moved to PS2, they were pretty bad.

 

[Damien]

I can use my sources to help bring new information about this game to you people when I have some , My uncle (Philip Chapman) designed the first 6 games and when Tomb Raider Chronicles was released and i asked him " Does Lara Croft die in this game?" And he then pulled out a copy of the game and said " Find out for yourself"

Now I know some people here wont believe this BUT it's very true indeed. Will bring new info very soon ( around new years day )

 

[Esura]

I can use my sources to help bring new information about this game to you people when I have some , My uncle (Philip Chapman) designed the first 6 games and when Tomb Raider Chronicles was released and i asked him " Does Lara Croft die in this game?" And he then pulled out a copy of the game and said " Find out for yourself"

Now I know some people here wont believe this BUT it's very true indeed. Will bring new info very soon ( around new years day )

I have no reason NOT to believe you. Unless you say some outright outrageous shnit then, yeah we wont.

I believe until proven unbelievable (if that makes sense).