I still remember the exact moment I fell in love with Lara Croft. I was twelve years old, sitting cross-legged on my bedroom carpet, wrestling with a borrowed PlayStation controller that felt enormous in my hands. The screen showed this impossibly confident woman somersaulting through ancient ruins, dual pistols blazing, hair perfectly braided despite diving into pools of deadly spikes. She felt like everything I wasn’t—fearless, athletic, untouchable.
That was 1997. Now, nearly three decades later, I’m watching trailers for not one but two new Tomb Raider games, and something feels different. The braid is still there, the pistols are still holstered, but the woman holding them seems… smaller somehow. More human. More real.
Maybe that’s exactly the problem.
The franchise that defined adventure gaming is getting a reality check
Crystal Dynamics just dropped two massive announcements that should have every Tomb Raider fan jumping out of their chairs. The first is “Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft,” a mobile-focused adventure spinning off from the hit Netflix animated series. The second is an unnamed AAA title being developed by Amazon Games using Unreal Engine 5, promising to “unify the timelines” and bring together every version of Lara we’ve ever known.
On paper, this sounds like a dream scenario for fans starving for new tomb raider games. In practice, it reveals something fundamental that’s shifted in how we think about iconic characters.
“What we’re seeing is Lara Croft being adapted for two completely different consumption patterns,” explains game industry analyst Sarah Chen. “The mobile game is designed for bite-sized sessions, while the AAA title needs to compete with massive open-world experiences. Neither approach feels quite like the focused, puzzle-heavy adventures that made the franchise legendary.”
The mobile title promises “quick, satisfying gameplay loops” perfect for commutes and lunch breaks. Early footage shows sleek platforming sequences that feel more like Temple Run with better graphics than traditional Tomb Raider exploration. Meanwhile, the Amazon Games project is being positioned as a sprawling narrative adventure that will somehow weave together the campy 90s original, the gritty 2013 reboot trilogy, and whatever comes next.
What these new tomb raider games reveal about modern gaming
The split between mobile and console development tells us everything about where the gaming industry thinks Lara Croft belongs in 2024. Here’s what we know so far:
| Game | Platform | Developer | Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Legend of Lara Croft | Mobile/PC | Crystal Dynamics | Bite-sized adventures |
| Untitled Tomb Raider | PC/Console | Amazon Games | Narrative adventure |
| Timeline | Both | Both | “Unified” continuity |
The mobile game is clearly targeting the Netflix generation—players who discovered Lara through the animated series rather than fumbling with tank controls on the original PlayStation. These are people who want their entertainment fast, polished, and easily digestible.
Key features of the mobile experience include:
- Short levels designed for 5-10 minute sessions
- Simplified controls optimized for touchscreens
- Visual style matching the Netflix animated series
- Focus on platforming over complex puzzle-solving
The AAA console version promises something different—a return to the sprawling tomb exploration that defined the franchise, but with modern production values and a more grounded take on Lara’s character.
“The challenge is maintaining what made Tomb Raider special while adapting to completely different player expectations,” says former Eidos developer Marcus Rodriguez. “The mobile audience wants instant gratification. Console players want deep, immersive experiences. Lara Croft somehow needs to be both things simultaneously.”
Why this shift matters beyond just tomb raider games
What’s happening to Lara Croft isn’t unique—it’s part of a broader transformation affecting every major gaming franchise. Characters who once embodied specific gameplay philosophies are being stretched across multiple platforms, each with different demands and limitations.
The original Tomb Raider games worked because they were uncompromising. You either learned to navigate Lara’s precise but clunky movement system, or you didn’t progress. The puzzles were genuinely challenging, often requiring players to spend twenty minutes studying a single room. Combat was secondary to exploration and problem-solving.
Modern game development doesn’t allow for that kind of singular focus. Mobile audiences expect immediate feedback and clear progression systems. Console players want cinematic storytelling and stunning visuals. Both groups have been trained to expect constant stimulation and measurable progress.
“We’re essentially asking Lara Croft to be three different characters,” explains gaming historian Dr. Jennifer Walsh. “The acrobatic action hero for mobile players, the emotionally complex protagonist for story-focused console players, and the nostalgic icon for longtime fans. That’s a lot of weight for one person to carry, even a fictional one.”
This fragmentation affects how developers approach core gameplay mechanics. The famous grid-based movement system that made precise platforming possible? Too clunky for modern audiences. The complex, multi-room puzzles that required genuine problem-solving skills? Too time-consuming for mobile sessions. The isolated, atmospheric tomb exploration? Too slow for players accustomed to constant action.
What emerges instead is something that looks like Tomb Raider and sounds like Tomb Raider, but doesn’t quite feel like the franchise that revolutionized action-adventure gaming. The new games promise to honor the legacy while updating it for modern sensibilities, but legacy and modernization often pull in opposite directions.
For longtime fans, this creates a strange kind of cognitive dissonance. You want new tomb raider games—desperately—but you also want them to recapture something that modern game design philosophy considers outdated. The result is a character caught between competing visions of what she should represent.
Whether this evolution represents progress or compromise depends largely on what you valued about the original games. If you loved the methodical exploration and challenging puzzles, the mobile format might feel like a betrayal. If you connected with Lara’s character development in the recent reboot trilogy, the unified timeline approach might seem like unnecessary complication.
What’s certain is that these new tomb raider games will define how we think about Lara Croft for years to come. The question isn’t whether they’ll be successful—with the Netflix series generating massive viewership and mobile gaming continuing to dominate the industry, both titles will likely find their audiences.
The real question is whether the Lara Croft who emerges from this process will still feel like the character who once made a twelve-year-old believe that ancient mysteries and impossible adventures were just a controller button away.
FAQs
When will the new Tomb Raider games be released?
No official release dates have been announced yet, though both games are expected to launch sometime in 2024 or 2025.
Will the mobile Tomb Raider game be free-to-play?
Crystal Dynamics hasn’t confirmed the pricing model, but given mobile gaming trends, it will likely include some form of microtransactions.
What does “unifying the timelines” mean for the Tomb Raider story?
The developers want to create a coherent narrative that connects the classic 90s games, the recent reboot trilogy, and future installments into one consistent storyline.
Will the new games feature the same voice actress as the Netflix series?
This hasn’t been officially confirmed, but the mobile game is directly connected to the animated series, so it’s likely.
Can I play the mobile Tomb Raider game on PC?
Yes, the mobile game is also being developed for PC, making it accessible across multiple platforms.
Will the Amazon Games Tomb Raider title be exclusive to any platform?
No exclusivity deals have been announced, and it’s expected to launch on multiple console and PC platforms.
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