Tomb Raider fans of old who have long felt flaccid with the recent regurgitations of the same-old, same-old formula rejoice, for a new Lara Croft is on the way, with a fresh vision built from the ground up. Never fear, oh faithful purists who have delved with Lara into every tomb since the first game back in 1996, for developer Crystal Dynamics is taking care in keeping the iconography that is Lara Croft intact, just with a modern makeover to make her more culturally relevant with today's gaming society. After all, we evolve as gamers, so shouldn't the games evolve?

I'll start the preview with Lara Croft herself, since her character is ultimately what has given the series its longevity, with several games and even a couple of movies packed away in the vault. Why not state the obvious? Lara Croft is a sex symbol, whose trademark braided hair, big brown eyes, full lips, busty chest, cinched waist, and long legs have attracted a throng a testosterone-driven gamers to play with her through the years, virtually of course. One of Crystal Dynamics main objectives for the new Tomb Raider was to make Lara more real, both emotionally and physically. This is accomplished by first making her younger. Lara is a twenty-one year-old fledgling archeologist, who is shipwrecked on an island and must rely on her instincts in order to survive. Being younger, she is not the chiseled athlete built from countless tomb romps, so a healthy bit of baby fat is apparent is her physique. Her hair will be loose, whipping around in the harsh environments. Her eyes are still big and brown, and her lips keeping that coveted M shape. She still has nice curves, but they are no longer blatantly over-exaggerated. Her outfit also has been adjusted to fit the new format. Losing the familiar blue cotton/lycra leotard and super skimpy cargo shorts (as well as other even more provocative outfits), Lara now is dressed more practically, donning cargo pants, boots, and layered tank tops. Emotionally, Lara is naive and untested. Gone is the indomitable heroine who can easily overcome any obstacle, no matter its impossibility. Throughout this origin story, there will be a psychological progression. Lara will at first greet encounters with uncertainty and anxiety.

From the images released, the environments look beautiful and untamed, with possible calamity lurking in every shadow. No specific venues of the island have been confirmed, however, we can assume from screenshots that there will be jungle areas, as well as caves and chasms, and of course, tombs. Contrary to what some other sites have implied, Tomb Raider will not be an open world environment. However, you will be given a lot of freedom to explore your surroundings, keeping the game from becoming too linear. Many of the paths will be laden with obstacles, which will require organic physics problem solving rather than ancient mechanical contraption (pulling a lever or stepping on a floor plate) in order to continue. There are plenty of in-game rendered cutscenes, which are interactive, using timed button prompts, also being designed with the realism of the game in mind. Surprisingly, the game engine is the same as that used for Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider Underworld, but has been completely rebuilt to utilize every ounce of graphical power.

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Lara's gear and equipment are almost as iconic as she herself... okay, maybe that's a stretch, but everybody knows she's always wielded her trusty double pistols. Well, not this time. In fact, at the start of the game you have nothing but the clothes on your back. You will acquire weapons and gear as your progress, and many of those items will be required to access different areas. The full roster of weapons is still being fleshed out, but released artwork indicates a pistol, a bow (ah, fond memories of Turok: Dinosaur Hunter are brought to mind), and an ice axe. That last one still has me scratching my head. While I estimate the ice axe will function as both a melee weapon and a multi-tool, it's an "ice" axe, designed to chip and grip ice, something I doubt will be prevalent in the jungle-esque locale.

Lara's clothing and appearance will also evolve with encounters. She is essentially beaten and battered from the start due to the shipwreck, and she will sport fresh cuts and tears in her clothes as she is damaged. And no, don't think you can "accidentally" get her tank top torn across her chest. Her injuries will be more real as well. In past games, Lara could jump down a thirty-foot cliff into a somersault and keep on going without so much as brushing herself off, but this time her injuries will be sustained until she heals herself with medical supplies.

Combat will play at least an equal part as the environmental obstacles. The biggest change for combat will be the removal of the lock-on system to give way to a "free aim" mechanic. You can expect both ranged and melee combat, but no other specifics about the combat system has been divulged so far.

The game's new design is darker and grittier, and although there is no official rating yet, you can probably bank on an M rating, which would make it the first in the series. Also, no release date is confirmed, just a speculation around the end of 2011. Developers have hinted about an official announcement mid-year. This could possibly make it an E3 announcement, where we hope a playable demo will also be available.

Crystal Dynamics certainly has taken a great deal of care in rebuilding the venerable Tomb Raider series, with a fresh face, an origin story, and gorgeous looking environments. I am hoping the gameplay is also up to par. For now, enjoy the screenshots and artwork of the new Lara Croft.

By Sean Engemann
CCC Freelance Writer