Let’s start with the good news. Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis looks incredible. A full reimagining of Lara’s 1996 debut with modern tech, classic tombs, ancient puzzles, lost cities, dinosaurs, boulders, acrobatics, secrets, and that iconic backflip that unlocks pure muscle memory. This trailer feels like it was made by people who grew up playing Tomb Raider and finally got their hands on next gen hardware. It understands the fantasy. Exploration first. Mystery first. Lara as an agile, clever adventurer, not a generic action movie lead.
And then there’s Tomb Raider: Catalyst. Coming later. Bigger. Louder. And somehow… emptier. The trailer literally says “Not actual gameplay” and then shows the most forgettable cinematic action beats imaginable. Talking in caves. Slow motion seriousness. Vague danger. It feels like it was written by an algorithm trained on action movie trailers from the last ten years. It’s trying very hard to sell us a new Lara instead of celebrating the one fans already love. Also, Catalyst is a terrible name.
So yeah. Ask any fan which one they’ll play. The love letter or the lecture. I’ll be in Atlantis, thanks.
