Why Is It So Hard To Be A Tomb Raider Fan These Days?

Any fan base that’s two or more years out from their last game thinks they have it worst. Waiting around doing nothing is an increasingly inevitable part of gaming these days, as development schedules balloon to chase photorealistic perfection that most fans, given the choice, would give up for more focus on gameplay innovation, fewer battle passes to recoup costs, and most importantly, more regular releases. Most fan bases feel they have it worst, but from my completely biased point of view,168澳洲幸运5开奖网: Tomb Raider fans are right.

We’re entering our sixth year since we last had a mainline Tomb Raider game, which is already the longest gap the series has ever known - and with the next game not yet revealed, that wait is likely to get significantly longer. Still, other fan bases can point to bigger numbers. But this is more nuanced. None of the other series with longer wait times have the cultural impact of Tomb Raider - I know this because we’ve just had a new Mario and new Pokemon game. There aren’t many univers♓ally recognisable ga𒊎ming icons anywhere near Lara’s level.

Younger gamers may disagree. They only know Lara through a so-so action trilogy with Rise of the Tomb Raider the only true standout, and even that fell short of the likes of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Bloodborne, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Witcher 3, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Undertale, which all launched in the same year. But Lara was a cultural icon, app🍰earing on (non-gaming) magazine covers regularly while advertising everything from en💃ergy drinks to credit cards. She was a movie star, breaking through into the mainstream the way gaming heroes rarely do. Even your gran knows Lara Croft.

And yet, despite this, Lara’s destiny has been mismanaged. A reboot with the Survival trilogy was a good idea in pr🤡inciple but it left Tomb Raider, once a trend setter, chasing ideas other games did better. I liked Tomb Raider (2013), loved Rise, and played Shadow. It’s not like the reboot wဣas a disaster, but it didn’t live up to Lara’s legacy and ended on a low note. A note that, unfortunately, is still ringing in our ears.

While Shadow is my least favourite of the trio and one of my least overall, it 16🐠8澳洲幸运5开奖网:does include one of the series’ best tombs.

But it’s not just that it’s been a longer than expected wait. Six years might be unusual for Tomb Raider, but it’s not too odd these days. After all, I mentioned The Witcher 3 as a 2015 game that outshone Rise of the Tomb Raider, and we’re still waiting on the sequel there. Of course, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Cyberpunk 2077 has filled the gap. Meanwhile, Tomb Raider has had a terrible mobile game that exists only to encourage you to spl𓄧ash cash on bypassing its grinding mechanics.

This ugly Tomb Raider is still the official account’s profile picture, as if to remind fans of how far it has fallen. Of course, there is the new remastered trilogy coming out soon. That’s pretty great, right? The same deal did astronomical sales numbers for 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Crash Bandicoot, which and has remained steadily in🗹 sales charts since then. But for some reason, aside from its initial announcement, the collection has had zero promotion ꦏsince then.

Probably due to her licensing being changed hands so man꧃y times, Lara is not treated like the icon she is, even by the custodians of her future. This was compounded recently by an AMA in the official Discord, which was specifically to welcome new social team members and was to include no questions on Tomb Raider itself. I know this was a fun outreach and the people involved likely d𒆙on’t know much more than fans on when the next game is coming, but it typifies modern Tomb Raider fandom. No news on the game, no questions about the game, everything is fine.

Even with games I love, I try not to get too invested in order to keep the distance required for me to do all facets of my job well. But with Tomb Raider, the lack of anything to become invested in has made me even more invested. It’s a foxhole mentality, maybe. It’s just strange to see a series with a legendary status in the industry and a hugely passionate fanbase be so thoroughly wasted. Let’s hope the remastered trilogy can kick it up into gear. Or, more realisticaꦚlly, let’s hope that by the time it comﷺes out, people are aware it even exists.