The Tomb Raider devs could be hinting that Lara's next adventure will be a reimagining of her first outing, but not all fans are convinced.
Shortly after it was announced that a new Tomb Raider game is in development in Unreal Engine 5, the official Tomb Raider Twitter account updated its cover image. It now displays reimagined artwork of the original Tomb Raider, leading to speculation that the upcoming instalment might be a remake of Lara Croft's first adventure. The artwork, which shows Lara and a fearsome T-Rex, was unveiled last year as part of the series' 25th-anniversary celebration.
Reddit user Stock_Presentation_9, who spotted the suspiciously updated image on the Tomb Raider Twitter account, also noted that the new logo for the franchise bears a striking similarity to the one used in Lara's earliest escapades. This lends further credibility to the idea that Ms Croft's future might lie in a reimagining of her past.
One commenter notes that this logo could be linked to Tomb Raider titles discovered in a leaked GeForce Now database, possibly listing upcoming game announcements. Tomb Raider Anniversary (2021) and Tomb Raider 25th Anniversary (2021) are among those listed.
A remake of 1996's Tomb Raider would make sense as Crystal Dynamics has confirmed that the next Tomb Raider game will unify the reboot trilogy with the classic games. The developer may be aiming to bring the treasure hunter's iconic first outing up to date to provide a continuing narrative with all the modern bells and whistles.
The first Tomb Raider was remade by Crystal Dynamics once before when they acquired the series from original developer Core Design. Titled Tomb Raider Anniversary, this remake offered updated gameplay and an expanded story, but even this version is now 15 years old.
But not everyone is convinced that another remake is a good idea. Reddit user SpectralVoodoo says, "How many remakes is this series going to get? Can't they just stick with one version and develop it?" While illage2 comments, "So they're going to remake the remaster of a game that's a reboot. Okay, sure." Elsewhere, fans have pointed out on Twitter that Crystal Dynamics has suggested that it "envisions the future of Tomb Raider [...] as unfolding in a time beyond [Lara's] established adventures."
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