Tomb Raider’s New Era Is Bigger Than We Ever Expected

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Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot.

Crystal Dynamics is ushering in a new age for Tomb Raider with two game releases that will be nearly back-to-back. It’s been a hot minute since the last new Tomb Raider game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which concluded Lara Croft’s prequel trilogy eight years ago.

Then, in 2027, Lara’s adventure succeeds Tomb Raider: Underworld with the newest entry in the canon timeline. If anyone’s ever been curious about Tomb Raider’s lengthy franchise but never made the leap, 2026 and 2027 are providing the warmest welcomes to the series imaginable via two games, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst, that each serve a significant purpose.

Legacy Of Atlantis Is A New Remake For Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis’ whole shtick is being a remake of the original Tomb Raider as a way to usher the franchise into a contemporary era. It’s technically not an origin story, as that would be Tomb Raider’s Survivor trilogy, but a remake of the first Tomb Raider game can be a springboard for anyone who knows nothing about Lara Croft and wants to experience one of her formative adventures after having already been established as the franchise’s eponymous tomb raider.

This isn’t the first time Tomb Raider received a remake to debut a new era. After Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, colloquially known as Tomb Raider 6, Tomb Raider: Legend was a redesign/reimagining that incited a new trilogy, which included its own Tomb Raider 1 remake, dubbed Tomb Raider: Anniversary.

Only, Anniversary launched as the eighth overall installment in the franchise, following Legend and preceding Underworld. Legacy of Atlantis is taking the responsibility of being the first Unreal Engine 5 Tomb Raider game, boldly going where no Tomb Raider has gone before, and allowing the upcoming entry to carve a path thereafter. Legacy of Atlantis will lay the brickwork for Catalyst—the bones and the muscles.

Catalyst Is A Glimpse At What’s Ahead For Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider: Catalyst is the more intriguing of Crystal Dynamics’ recently announced Tomb Raider games, as it’s the one that will actually be propelling Lara’s narrative and legacy forward. In theory, Catalyst won’t have the pressure Legacy of Atlantis will of being a new era’s first impression, specifically in terms of how players respond to any novel features that could translate into Tomb Raider: Catalyst’s gameplay.

The adherence to Tomb Raider’s hyperrealistic visuals is a given since that’s always been the franchise’s art style, even when the series’ graphics were highly polygonal on the earliest 3D consoles. Plus, the look of Tomb Raider’s new games has already been revealed to an overwhelmingly positive response, meaning that all of that weight is on the shoulders of gameplay and the story.