The adventures of Lara Croft have entertained generations of gamers for decades. From the snowy mountains of Tibet to the cursed island of Yamatai, the Tomb Raider series has been at the forefront of the action-adventure genre. Now, in celebration of its 30th anniversary, Crystal Dynamics, Flying Wild Hog, and Amazon Game Studios are returning to the first title with Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. I was able to play around 45 minutes of the reimagining at Summer Game Fest and, as a fan, I couldn’t be happier with how the return to Lara’s inaugural exploration in gaming is shaping up.
Our demo started at the beginning of Lara’s time in Peru in her search for the Tomb of Qualopec. We are introduced to the puzzle and exploration mechanics as you’re tasked with solving a cog puzzle. Immediately, compared to the original 1996 version, Legacy of Atlantis feels much more intuitive with its playstyle and movement. Lara can still do her epic jumps and acrobatics, but it’s all smoother and without the dreaded tank controls.
Platforming played a big role within exploration, as using your environment (i.e. grapple points and ice axes) helped you make your way towards your goal, or even treasure in some cases. In fact, I spent some time scavenging the jungles of Peru and found several hidden items, including one behind a waterfall not accessible on foot. It screams old-school Tomb Raider in the best way.
One of the biggest positives of my demo was just how gorgeous everything looked graphics-wise. The vibrancy of the Peruvian jungles and textures was high-quality, almost life-like in a way. While it could be since it was a short preview, it still managed to impress me at just how good it looks, even during gameplay. I played on a PC with a PlayStation controller, and everything ran smoothly. I experienced no dips in quality, only a few texture pop-ins from time to time and a rather stilted jump from Lara.
Puzzles feel more or less like they do in the other Tomb Raider titles, as they utilize your equipment to unlock new paths or find clues. If you played the newer Survivor trilogy, it works more in line with those. For one part, I used my grapple hook to take down wood blocking a stuck cog, which I then jumped on to make it fall into the river. Still, it feels much more free-spirited, especially with Lara’s witty commentary, done perfectly by Alix Wilton Regan.
The biggest difference, however, came in the last section: combat. Lara comes face to face with vicious raptors and she has to defend herself. Donning her twin pistols, her aiming is looser, but it is reminiscent of the original trilogy’s gunplay. Enemies are fast, so dodging and doing fancy flips out of harm’s way comes in handy. It was intense and thrilling. For a split second, it felt like I was playing the original 1996 game, and that’s a huge compliment.
Our demo ended with, of course, a gigantic T. rex showing up. Despite my killer handling of the raptors, I stood no chance against the dinosaur and had to run. A quick platforming session occurs as we escape, ending with a close call with the maw of the prehistoric predator. While it does have an over-the-top blockbuster feel to it, it was nonetheless a fun segment.
Overall, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis impressed me in all the right ways. The reimagining of the classic 1996 title feels all the more deserving and, fortunately, may live up to those lofty heights. Blending both the new and old games, and collecting what made them good into one package is very impressive, especially with how smooth it works. Add to that some amazing graphics and traditional gameplay, and we may just have the definitive Tomb Raider experience.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis will launch on February 12, 2027, on PC (Steam), PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
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