In addition to numerous main series video game entries, the Core Design-created character has graced numerous spinoffs, including a 2007 animated TV series, Revisioned: Tomb Raider Animated Series, and multiple comic books and novels. Croft has even been the subject of iGaming properties. In this Tomb Raider slot review you can see that the character has lent her likeness to a five-reel casino title that features iconography and sounds associated with the video game series, as well as symbols and bonus features – such as the Idol Bonus – being based around the franchise’s explorative themes. Unlike traditional three-reel slot machines, five-reel titles such as Tomb Raider offer multiple paylines and multiple ways to win to players; here you will find the best list of casinos to play 3 or 5 reel slots.

More recently, publisher Square Enix afforded Lara Croft a full reboot in the form of 2013’s Tomb Raider, released for current and last-gen consoles. The title won praise for doing away with the over-the-top adventures of the voluptuous, one-dimensional Croft of the late-1990s in favor of a more grounded, down-to-earth narrative that depicted the explorer as a strong yet human, multi-faceted young woman. Thankfully, if a recent interview Uthaug gave to GQ magazine is any indication, Rhianna Pratchett’s characterization of Croft as seen in the 2013 title and its 2015 sequel is likely to serve as a major inspiration for the latest big screen adaptation of the popular series. “Our movie takes a more realistic, grounded approach,” the director insisted when discussing how the film stacks up next to other cinematic adaptations, adding that while Croft is undoubtedly a strong protagonist, “she is not a superhero”.

Much like the 2013 video game reboot, the 2018 movie will serve as the origins story of Alicia Vikander’s Lara Croft, introducing players to the character at a time when the young woman – despite having “spirit and potential” – is still questioning her purpose in life and beginning to hone her survival skills as well as shape her personality. “Our goal is to show the complete journey that Lara Croft takes, and that means acknowledging both the emotional and the physical aspects of her evolution,” Uthaug said. In Swede Vikander, distributor Warner Bros. have a refined actor who is both experienced but yet to be typecast; and, providing Geneva Robertson-Dworet’s script is up to scratch, could well come to positively redefine who audiences know the character of Lara Croft to be.

O said in a statement,

They wanted an emotional song that captures the intensity of the moment Lara Croft transforms into the Tomb Raider, the theme of a young woman becoming an icon. I was very intrigued by the challenge and I guess I was amidst a significant transformation of my own being pregnant at the time I wrote it. Now that I have a brought a life into the world I have no trouble relating to a character like Lara’s who pushes past her own limits to prevail under extreme circumstances.

Rise of the Tomb Raider hits Xbox One first, but the PC and PlayStation 4 version will launch in 2016.

Enjoy the trailer!

Here is a plot summary for the game, that accompanied the latest trailer release:

In “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” Lara Croft embarks on her first great tomb raiding expedition to uncover an ancient mystery that places her in the cross-hairs of a ruthless organization known as Trinity. This new trailer – entitled “Descent Into Legend” – features never-before-seen gameplay footage as Lara explores vast, awe-inspiring ancient tombs filled with traps and puzzles, and battles the harsh elements and landscapes in her search for the Lost City of Kitezh.

Rise of the Tomb Raider will later be made available for Microsoft Windows in early 2016 and subsequently on PlayStation 4 in late 2016.

With a new day and night system, Lara will encounter different types of animals throughout the game. In addition, dynamic weather will also affect these animals and challenge Lara with dangers such as avalanches and fragile ice walls. For a fresh look at some of the new locations and hostile wildlife in Rise of the Tomb Raider, we suggest you check out the gallery of brand new, high-resolution images of the game above.

Rise of the Tomb Raider launches this Holiday Season exclusively for Xbox One and Xbox 360. At a later date, the game will be made available for other platforms like the PlayStation 4.

Tomb Raider Sequel

Tomb Raider fan boys, or fan girls, should be thrilled to hear that Crystal Dynamics might be the ones developing a sequel to the reboot, which launched earlier this year. Square Enix confirmed it’s coming, but on next-gen consoles such as the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. However, it was not mentioned who will develop it or if the game will launch on current consoles.

CEO of Square Enix Europe Phil Rogers stated in writing the following message:

“I am also excited to reveal that we are well into development on a next-generation Tomb Raider sequel –something you may have heard about recently.”

“In the future, we’ll offer gamers more choice, support more platforms, and try new things — but we will make sure that whatever the platform, we’ll always keep our focus on raising the quality bar. We feel that is what gamers should expect from a Square Enix game.”

Gamespot was the first to report the news, and I think we can expect the Tomb Raider sequel to be released next year.

Stay tuned for more updates on Yell! Magazine.

If you played Crystal Dynamics’ excellent 2010 twin-stick shooter, Tomb Raider: Guardian of Light, you were probably among the throngs of gamers delighted to hear that the developer would be at the helm for Lara Croft’s reboot. Oh sure, GoL wasn’t as grand as many of today’s action-adventure shoot-’em-ups, but it was endlessly entertaining, full of mind-blowing puzzles and downright clever at times. These same elements have made their way into the newly released Tomb Raider, and if Crystal Dynamics has proved one thing, it’s that the first lady of gaming (sorry, Princess Toadstool… you just get kidnapped too damn much) still has a trick or two up her sleeve.

We join a young Lara Croft (and we’re talkin’ way before the other games in the timeline) as she and a team of doctors, researchers and various others are hot on the trail of a mythological Japanese queen who may have just had dominion over the elements. For thousands of years, scientists have attempted to find the tiny island Queen Himiko called home, but a misunderstanding handily cracked by our here Ms. Croft leads the team to the Dragon’s Triangle. It is worth noting that an NPC mentions the area is way worse than the Bermuda Triangle, but as history generally amps up these types of people, they go anyway. Big mistake. Stranded on the island, Lara and her band of homies must fight to survive against its mysterious inhabitants. Will these people ever make it home? Who knows? Who knows?

The Good

Do you like Naughty Dog’s incredible Uncharted series? Of course you do… everyone does. Lucky for you, Crystal Dynamics also enjoys this series. A lot. So much so that anyone familiar with the exploits of Nathan Drake will automatically be awesome at Tomb Raider. And whereas emulation isn’t usually as good or as interesting as the results of inspiration, this game manages to fit the mold while adding a heavy dose of its own panache. You’ll run, climb, jump, and gun just like you always have as Drake, but here we are given a much more harrowing story of survival and the evolution of one woman who, despite falling off of things more often than anyone since Chris Pine in that Star Trek reboot, becomes the iconic hero we’ve all felt weirdly amorous about for ages.

Everything in this game is downright beautiful, from the facial animation and staggeringly huge environments to the lighting and water effects. Jungles and forests are complex locations with tons of verticality and secret collectibles hidden around every corner. It’s almost hard to believe this is the same development team from GoL, but these guys have really upped their game as it were.

Lara is as beautiful and kick-ass as ever, but she is now relatable and her new and improved (read, down to earth) personality is far more accessible than the wise-cracking Lara who’s been murdering wolves since before she sashayed onto consoles. We grow with her from her first harrowing moments on the island and as she faces horror after horror, forcing her to become the strong and skillful woman we know she’ll grow to be.

With a subtle nod to their previous game, Crystal Dynamics has created hidden, puzzle-based tombs throughout each area. These puzzles range from head-scratcher to straight-up brain buster, but are a blast to find and even more fun to solve. Solving these areas will provide you with extra salvage with which you can upgrade and mod Lara’s ever-growing arsenal of killer weaponry. That is, you may start out with an unreliable SMG, but through collecting salvage and completing challenges, you’ll soon be wielding a savage assault rifle complete with grenade launcher. No weapon is quite as exciting and versatile as the bow. This primitive weapon allows for such exciting abilities as taking out enemies like a stealth champ to creating ziplines for different means of traversal. It’s especially badass that we can unlock even more upgrades and perks at later stages in the game (mark my words, you’re gonna love the fire arrows).

You’ll be hard-pressed to think of a game with more jaw-dropping set pieces than Tomb Raider. This is where Naughty Dog’s influence shows the most. Even Nathan Drake would probably have to give our girl a hearty, “Damn, girl!” when she is faced with escaping a fire-ravaged palace or must parachute through a dense forest or is forced to take some medical steps in what is one of the most difficult moments to watch in gaming history.

Story-wise, Tomb Raider makes the previous events of the timeline seem kind of boring. This is a complex tale that reveals bits and pieces of information with such spot-on pacing that it’s incredibly hard to put down. You’ll always want to discover what’s behind the next door or why Mathias does what he does to the point where you will just about laugh with glee at the big reveal. Don’t worry; we’re not about spoilers in this review… but for real, it’s awesome.

Continue reading the Tomb Raider review after the jump…

Yell! Rating (x/5 Skulls):

[rating:4.5]

Published by:

Square Enix

Developed by:

Crystal Dynamics

Year Released:

5 March 2013

Also Available On:

PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Genre:

Action Role-Playing

Official URL:

Tomb Raider

Among the other piece of news unveiled within the recently announced details is the number of gameplay hours the campaign will offer in Tomb Raider. Crystal Dynamics confirmed via Twitter that it will span between 12 to 15+ hours, depending on your play style. Karl Stewart, the global brand director at CD, also responded this “at least one additional game is needed” to complete the story, when asked about a possible sequel. The success of the first game will also be a major factor to determine the sequel, as well.

“@Ste7enR: @tombraider @crystaldkarl how long will the game be?? #TombRaider” <- 12 to 15 + depending on your play style.

— Tomb Raider (@tombraider) November 25, 2012

Due to development delays, Tomb Raider has been rescheduled, and is now slated for March 5, 2013 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC.

Tomb Raider Reboot Gameplay Hours

All this extra content to pre-order customers only which, will be available to you on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on the day of the launch, that is March 5, 2013.

Tomb Raider

No more pre-rendered cinemas, we finally get a real glimpse at the gameplay for Lara Croft’s most recent attempt to regain her relevance in the eyes of gamers. Basic survival appears to be the name of the game.

Metal Gear: Revengeance

Lack of Snake, effeminate lead character and English language butchering title aside, the Metal Gear franchise’s first foray into most Devil May Cry-type action-heavy gameplay seems to be coming along nicely.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2

Speaking of franchises struggling to maintain relevance, 2010’s Castlevania reboot, with input from Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima was a valiant if flawed attempt to shine the spotlight on what was once one of gaming’s premier series. While this trailer for the sequel is admittedly amazing, I’ll withhold judgment until I see the actual gameplay.

Lord of the Rings: Guardians of Middle Earth

Well, Tolkien’s characters have taken part in every type of video game genre under the sun. From RPGs to MMORPGS to real-time strategy… Gandalf and company have done it all! Oh wait, here comes Guardians Of Middle-Earth, a DOTA-style online arena game. OK, now they’ve done it all. Unless they’re making a first-person bow-and-arrow shooter starring Legolas? Get on it, devs!

Lollipop Chainsaw

Zombie-killing cheerleaders with chainsaws? Why is it nobody ever thought of putting these things together in a video game before?? SOLD!!!!

Dishonored

Coming off as the bastard child of Bioshock and Assassins Creed, Dishonored blends a Victorian-era setting with steampunk aesthetics. Bethesda promises that the game will deliver stealthy gameplay and enough political backstabbing to make Game Of Thrones blush in envy. Dishonored is a game that’s still a bit under the radar. I’m taking a wait and see approach with this one.

Injustice: Gods Among Us

Let’s ignore the fancy title and call this game what it truly is: the follow-up to the popular Mortal Kombat vs. DC fighting game… minus the MK part. Injustice is all about the greatest DC characters brawling their little hearts out. Personally, I’m a little turned off by the fact that all the characters presented in the trailer are from DC’s New 52 era. Blah!

E3 2012's Most Anticipated Games

While most of the games being shown at E3 2012 have already been previewed on many websites and have released enough screen shots to make Google image search wheeze like a Biggest Loser contestant, it never hurts to have one last sneak peek at the products soon to be reducing work productivity and splitting up couples around the world. Without further ado, here is Yell! Magazine’s look at the games being shown at E3 2012 – we can’t wait to get our grabby hands on them.

Tomb Raider

Square Enix

Buxom archeologist Lara Croft went from a polygonal industry phenomenon with triangular boobs in the mid-’90s to industry laughing stock in record time. Broken games, rehashed gameplay and nonsensical plots seemed to promise that the next tomb Lara explored might be her own. Luckily, gamers were treated to a rebooted, younger, harder-edged Lara in a fondly looked-upon E3 2011 trailer.

Featuring cutting-edge graphics, a story leaning more toward survival than Indiana Jones-style heroics, Tomb Raider is set for a more expansive unveiling at E3 2012. Little is known about what gameplay mechanics the title will employ, but quick peeks hint at careful preservation of light sources via torches, exploration mechanics similar to those found in the Uncharted franchise and Lara fighting more against a hostile environment than human opponents.

Will Lara live to raid again? Or does this archeologist belong in a museum?

Developer Crystal Dynamics is about to embark on its fifth(!) attempt to bring Lara Croft back to relevance, we wish them luck!

Assassin’s Creed III

Ubisoft

As often praised as it is mocked, the Assassin’s Creed franchise is an odd duck. There’s a section of gamers enthralled by its gameplay, setting(s), and convoluted century-spanning storyline. Others, of which I must include myself, really don’t get what the big deal is. Either way, get ready to throw another log on the argument fire because Assassin’s Creed III is one of the biggest attractions at E3 2012.

Consisting of the biggest leap forward in the series’ continuity, the story jumps forward in time to the American Revolution, spanning the years 1753 to 1783.

Free-style running takes an innovative turn as new protagonist Connor Kenway uses snowy forests instead of crowded city streets as his playground, and gamers should expect guns to introduce a major shift in how combat works. Oh, and I’m sure the game will constantly takes breaks to bore us to tears with the modern day perils of good old Desmond Miles. Hope they have Kleenex at E3 2012.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance

Konami

Oh look, it’s the ghost of E3’s past! Officially first announced at E3 2009, the latest entry in Hideo Kojima’s ever-popular is one bi-polar game. Intended as a spin-off for series costar Raiden (aka, not Snake, never Snake, not as cool as Snake, mop-topped pretender to Snake’s throne… I could go on.) the game was almost cancelled because of difficulties in making the title’s ground-breaking gameplay mechanics work. An instant favorite with the crowds at E3 2010, a trailer showcased innovative sword-swinging gameplayand over-the-top action sequences.

Apparently ditching the franchise’s penchant for sneaking around battlefields, Revengeance opts for a more God Of War-style mechanic to slicing and dicing foes with sharp implements. However, Kojima has stressed on several occasions that the game hasn’t completely abandoned stealth, focusing instead on a more “hunting stealth” approach rather than lying in wait for opponents to walk by. Still, considering the disgusted fan reaction to Raiden’s initial introducing in Metal Gear Solid 2, it remains to be seen if the blond fop can carry a title on his own. Those at E3 2012 will know first.

The real question is… DOES SNAKE MAKE A CAMEO!?

Borderlands 2

2K Games

Guns! More guns! Tons of guns! No other game in my over 25 years of video gaming as tickled my inner lootaholic more than the original Borderlands. Featuring an infinite diversity of guns presented in infinite combinations, Borderlands’ armory was a veritable box of chocolates: you never knew what you were going to get.

Borderlands 2 was first unleashed upon the world at Gamescom 2011. Since then, character videos for each of the title’s classes have been unveiled, but it’s at E3 2012 that the game will have its most massive presentation yet. Developer Gearbox Software promises more of the unique brand of humor that made its forebear so beloved and, lest we forget, tons of guns! Judging from videos released thus far, the designers have truly tasked themselves with making each firearm as unique as possible with different reload and idle animations, elemental effects, rotating and segmenting parts, and a whole lot more. If there’s one title in 2012 likely to take me away from my obsessive Diablo III item hording, Borderlands 2 is most definitely it.

E3 2012 - Preview Edition: Day 1