The 25th anniversary celebration of Tomb Raider’s launch starts with a free copy of 2015’s Rise of the Tomb Raider for Amazon Prime members, plus versions of two Lara Croft games making the franchise’s debut on Nintendo Switch in 2022.
The Windows PC version of Rise of the Tomb Raider may be claimed via Prime Gaming from Nov. 1 to Nov. 14. No launch date was given for the Switch ports of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (2010) or Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris (2014), other than sometime next year. Feral Interactive, most recently behind the 4K remaster of Rome: Total War, is developing both games.
Tomb Raider, by Core Design and Eidos Interactive, first launched in Europe on Oct. 25, 1996 for Sega Saturn. Its North America launch, on Saturn and PC, followed Nov. 14, 1996. The series has since delivered more than 20 titles selling more than 85 million copies, earning the original game enshrinement in The World Video Game Hall of Fame at The Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Square Enix, Eidos, and Crystal Dynamics are celebrating the franchise’s silver anniversary with games and an anime series to premiere on Netflix soon.
The companies announced today that Allen Maldonado (Heels, The Wonder Years) will voice Lara Croft’s right-hand man, Zip, and Earl Baylon will return to the role of Jonah Maiava, whom he also voiced in the games. Netflix announced in September that Hayley Atwell will star as Lara.
In other news, Tomb Raider Reloaded, the arcade-style action game launching on iOS and Android next year, will allow players their choice of voice actor for Lara Croft. Alumnae Shelley Blond (the first Tomb Raider), Judith Gibbins (Tomb Raider 2 and 3), Jonell Elliott (Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Chronicles, and The Angel of Darkness) and Keeley Hawes (Tomb Raider: Legend, Anniversary, Underworld and the two Lara Croft games) have all reprised their roles for Tomb Raider Reloaded. That title does not yet have a launch date.
