A new Tomb Raider game was announced by Crystal Dynamics, it will be using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 which is now available for download.
The details about the new game are sparse outside its engine. The game was announced at the tail end of Epic’s State of Unreal presentation on April 5. The original Tomb Raider launched on the PlayStation in 1996.
It spawned numerous sequels, a reboot, and three movies. It’s been four years since Laura Croft’s last adventure, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which launched to less than enthusiastic reviews. It is not yet known when and where the new game will take place.
But what is known at this point, are the details of Unreal Engine 5. The new tech will allow developers to create next-generation real-time 3D content. The new features and workflows have already been tested and proven in Fortnite and The Matrix Awakens: An Unreal Engine Demo.
Some key features include Lumen, a fully dynamic illumination solution that enables creators to make believable and realistic scenes where indirect lighting reacts realistically. Plus, Virtual Shadow Maps provides soft shadows with affordable performance costs. More information can be found here.
Crystal Dynamics‘ franchise director, Dallas Dickinson said, “This new engine translates into next-level storytelling and gameplay experiences.” The highest-rated Tomb Raider, according to Metacritic, is actually the first one with a 91.
Since then, the best game in the series is generally agreed upon to be 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider, which launched on the PS4 and Xbox One. The game currently has an 86 on Metacritic. Crystal Dynamics is mainly known for their Lara Croft focused games, but also happen the developer behind Perfect Dark and Windows and Xbox platforms, and Marvel’s Avengers, on Windows, PC, Stadia and PlayStation systems.
There is no release date for the newly announced entry in the series as it was only announced yesterday. However, fans can still try out Unreal Engine 5 for free by heading to Unreal Engine’s website.
