According to a leaked listing on the Microsoft Store, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics may be marking Tomb Raider‘s 25th anniversary with a collection of her three most recent adventures.
Eagle-eyed ResetEra users spotted a listing for the “Definitive Survivor Edition” before it was retracted. Supposedly due on March 18, the collection would include “all the definitive edition content from each critically acclaimed prequel title—Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Rise of the Tomb Raider: 20 Year Celebration, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition.” Each game in the trilogy received a bounty of post-launch DLC outfits and bonus challenges, so this will be one hefty bundle, which the listing promises as “dozens of hours of breathtaking exploration, challenging puzzle-solving, and survival combat”. Lara travels from the island of Yamatai in the south Pacific, to the Siberian tundra, to the mountains of Peru, as she embraces her destiny of extreme archaeology.
Details on other platforms are not yet available, given the source of the leak, but the collection will likely hit both PlayStation and PC as well, and hopefully with some next-gen enhancements.
While celebrations for the franchise’s 25th anniversary have been minimal so far, Lara Croft appears to be gearing up for a renaissance in the coming years. The sequel to the successful 2018 film, starring Alicia Vikander, has signed Misha Green of Lovecraft County fame to write and direct, and Netflix is producing an anime set after the events of the Survivor trilogy. A new mobile game is also in the works, returning to the classic style of the series’ original era, called Tomb Raider Reloaded.
Though they have nothing to formally announce at this time, Crystal Dynamics recently hinted that the next major installment of the franchise will unify the classic and reboot eras, combining Lara Croft the survivor with the “seasoned and confident adventurer” originally depicted on PlayStation in 1996. “We envision the future of Tomb Raider unfolding after these established adventures, telling stories that build upon the breadth of both Core Design’s and Crystal Dynamics’ games, working to unify these timelines,” said Tomb Raider franchise game director, Will Kerslake.
If so, Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Edition will be a convenient way for new and old players to get up to speed before the next generation begins. If Crystal Dynamics doesn’t give the original titles a similar treatment, devout fans who want a history lesson can find most of them currently available on Steam.
