Amazon Game Studios Announces Not One, But Two New Tomb Raider Games

Tomb Raider: Catalyst and Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis blend both the old and the new, combining Unreal Engine 5 with stories related to previous reboots of the franchise.

While Amazon have previously teased that they were working on a new Tomb Raider game, it likely wasn't on anyone's bingo card that there were in fact two games, nor where either fits into the established Tomb Raider timeline.

There's been talk for a while around unification of the Tomb Raider series' three somewhat separate timelines - the classic games, the Legend series and the most recent Survivor reboot.

Amazon Game Studios have doubled down with a double announcement - Tomb Raider: Catalyst continues the story of the Legend series with a game set after the events of Tomb Raider: Underworld, while Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis take the series back to where it all started with what is being termed as "a stunning reimagining of the 1996 genre-defining [original] game".

Embracer Group head Phil Rogers had the following to say on the announcement:

"Together, these projects reflect our ambitious next chapter for Lara Croft’s world; reimagining her debut title to today's gamer expectations; and, the all-new adventure expanding her horizons"

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis - attempt two three at a remake

The original Tomb Raider is such a nostalgic piece of gaming for so many fans - this writer being one of them. From the (usually) polished gameplay, to the refreshing female protagonist, through the otherworldly plot and lore, it had everything gamers of the mid-to-late 90s wanted.

And it's probably why the various companies with ownership of the IP have tried so many times to remake it, with a pretty poor hit rate to date.

Original developers Core Design first attempted Tomb Raider: 10th Anniversary Edition back in 2005. Pitched as a shot-for-shot, faithful remake of the original game, it nonetheless fizzled out and was replaced by Tomb Raider: Anniversary from Legend's developer Crystal Dynamics.

But Tomb Raider: Anniversary was pitched as a re-imagining that over-simplified some of the best parts of the original, completely stripped out others, while adding some of the worst (in this writer's opinion) gameplay elements of the time, like the dreaded Quick Time Event completely replacing the major boss fights of the original.

Last year also saw the release of the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered, a faithful remastering of the first three that added a lot of beauty and atmosphere with its new high definition textures and models. It probably shouldn't be considered in the remake count though, being purely a polishing of the original games.

But if Legacy of Atlantis can bring some of the vibes of the survivor series to the original game, there's no reason to believe it can't succeed where the other remake attempts have failed. Details are pretty sparse at the moment, with the announcement trailer featuring a "mix of pre-alpha in game footage and cinematics".

The game is being built on Unreal Engine 5, signifying a move away from the in-house engines utilised in the main line series to date. Unreal Engine 5 has shown the capability to produce high fidelity, almost cinematic in game visuals, but many developers have struggled to optimise it for use on current generation platforms, so it remains to be seen if Legacy of Atlantis will offer the same polished technical experience the series has generally offered.

The announcement press release promises:

"jaw dropping visuals [...], modern game design, and new surprises, while honoring the spirit and atmosphere of Lara Croft's debut adventure"

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis will be developed in tandem by Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hogs. Slated for release sometime in 2026, the game will be releasing on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Tomb Raider: Catalyst - continuing the Legend timeline

The second announcement is also something perhaps, at least on face value, a little unexpected - a sequel to 2008's Tomb Raider: Underworld. Though given the focus on unifying the three previously disparate timelines, there was probably little else to go - with the pre-Legacy of Atlantis filled out after the survivor trilogy.

The announcement locks in Northern India as the setting for the game, which is described as "set in the wake of a mythical cataclysm that has unleashed ancient secrets and awakened the mysterious forces that guard them".

The cinematic-only trailer features Lara descending into some sort of tomb or catacomb, finding herself facing off against some sort of mercenary force led by a figure possibly set up as the game's antagonist, who states that Lara's legend, known around the world, is coming to an end. In true Lara style, she swiftly dispatches the mercenary force with her trademark twin pistols because stating that she's "just getting started".

From there, a transformation takes hold as tall stone pillars burst from the earth as Lara clings to one, providing a wide view of a semi-temperate landscape.

Catalyst is a little further off, launching sometime in 2027. Like Legacy of Atlantis, it is targeting PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.