The announcement of each Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst has sparked retcon hypothesis among the many franchise’s fandom.
Ultimately week’s The Sport Awards, Catalyst’s first trailer was instantly adopted by the reveal of Legacy of Atlantis, a “reimagining” of the unique 1996 traditional. Constructed with Unreal Engine 5, Legacy of Atlantis is due out subsequent 12 months because the franchise marks its thirtieth anniversary, with Catalyst set to observe in 2027.
Whereas some, fairly naturally, counsel beginning initially is smart given the anniversary, others are questioning if the announcement of the brand new recreation means the group has to return and retcon some features of Lara Croft’s story to ensure every little thing is smart within the character’s 30-year-old canon timeline.
“There are numerous theories about why the reimagining of TR1 is occurring. Some say it’s solely due to the thirtieth anniversary however I personally suppose it’s occurring as a result of it HAS to occur. We’re coming into a brand new unified timeline the place some issues should be retconned and a few should be reimagined,” urged X/Twitter person Merychxrry.
“This type of reimagining will possible must occur for each mainline recreation, however particularly for these 4 story-heavy titles: Tomb Raider: The Final Revelation, Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Tomb Raider: Legend, and Tomb Raider: Underworld.
“You may ask, ‘Why not TR2-3 first?’ Properly, they’re not story-heavy. As a lot as I’d like to see them remade, we first must unify these 4 story-focused video games. In any other case, it might take too lengthy to achieve them, and their tales would should be retconned.”
As Mery added, the order itself possible does not matter — “it might be 4 and 6 first, then Legends and Underworld, or vice-versa” — however for the reason that property for Legacy of Atlantis can be out there first, “it should not take too lengthy to supply these video games.”
“That’s truly genius!” replied one commenter, whereas one other stated: “Sure! This precisely!” “I really feel like LOA is a check, just like the [Resident Evil 2] remake was, urged another person. “TR1 was the most secure selection they’d for a reimagining due to its easy story.”
As recreation director Will Kerslake not too long ago instructed GamesRadar+, Catalyst suits into the timeline after the occasions of Tomb Raider: Underworld. The newest video games, referred to as the Survivor reboot trilogy — 2013’s Tomb Raider, 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, and 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider — are nonetheless thought-about as a part of Croft’s origin story.
Whereas the information of the recasting was a shock for some, actor Camilla Luddington — who portrayed Lara Croft within the Survivor Trilogy — shared a bittersweet Instagram put up about her time because the lead this week, saying she liked the followers and Croft will “endlessly be part of [her].” Alix Wilton Regan will now play Lara Croft in each Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst.
In the meantime, there’s the upcoming Amazon TV present to think about. The live-action Tomb Raider Prime Video collection, which is able to star Sport of Thrones alum Sophie Turner, will “reinvent the franchise on an enormous scale” and can interconnect “live-action tv collection and video video games right into a unified storytelling universe.”
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and guide with 15+ years expertise working with a number of the world’s largest gaming websites and publications. She’s additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually Excessive Chaos. Discover her at BlueSky.