It's been 30 years since the first Tomb Raider game put Lara Croft in her first tomb. Crystal Dynamics celebrated the anniversary with a new trailer for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis.
Legacy of Atlantis remakes the original Tomb Raider in Unreal Engine 5. The trailer goes back to the same old formula of puzzles, danger and big areas to cross. The difference from 1996 is how it looks: the environments are much more detailed, and the visual effects are modern.
The post that shared the footage made no effort to hide the excitement: “We revealed a new Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis sneak peek at TR30 Derby and MCM London. If you think “you’ve seen enough,” this video contains teases of iconic content 👀”
A more connected set of tombs
Level structure is where the remake departs most from the original. Its areas link up more closely, so players have more room to explore. That suits a game whose high points came from wandering lost through old, silent places.
Combat is heading in the opposite direction. The developers are aiming for clearly faster, more agile fights, which makes them land with more force next to the slower, moodier exploration.
Focus drives the new combat
A mechanic called Focus sits at the center of the new combat system. Lara builds it by dealing damage, taking damage and dodging successfully. The effect is that the game pays you for staying in the thick of a fight. Most of us played the original by backing away with a finger held on the trigger, and that approach earns you nothing here.
Release date and platforms
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis comes out on February 12, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC. There are three editions to pick from: the standard game, a Deluxe Edition and a Collector’s Edition.