The PlayStation era<\/h2>\n
Tomb Raider \u2013 1996 \u2013 PlayStation \u2013 Eidos Interactive, Core Design <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n Introducing the young British aristocrat to the world, Tomb Raider set the scene with a quest to discover the three pieces of an ancient artifact known as the Scion.<\/p>\n The result is a global and twisting trek across locations such as Greece, Egypt, and Atlantis, with what was then a revolutionary blend of 3D levels, gun-toting action, puzzle solving and acrobatic traversal. And who can forget that heart-stopping T-Rex encounter?<\/p>\n Available on PlayStation Store as part of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Tomb Raider II \u2013 1997 \u2013 PlayStation \u2013 Eidos Interactive, Core Design<\/strong><\/p>\n Now a more seasoned adventurer, Ms Croft began the search for the mystical Dagger of Xian, said to possess the power to transform its bearer into a dragon. In an attempt to claim it before the dangerous cultists of the Fiamma Nera, Lara blasts her way across Venice, Tibet, and even back at her mansion in England.<\/p>\n Expanding in every way on the already massively successful formula, with new weapons, the ability to climb walls and larger levels, Tomb Raider II also introduced controllable vehicles such as boats and snowmobiles, marking the start of a beautiful relationship between Lara and practically anything with a motor (and even some without).<\/p>\n Available on PlayStation Store as part of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Tomb Raider III: The Adventures of Lara Croft \u2013 1998 \u2013 PlayStation \u2013 Eidos Interactive, Core Design<\/strong><\/p>\n Four fragments of an ancient, power granting meteorite. Grisly experiments. Nods to the movie classic, The Thing. Lara\u2019s third outing went big, pitching her across Nevada, the South Pacific Islands, and Antarctica to get the job done \u2013 with the novel option to play the middle locales of the game in any order. <\/p>\n As with Tomb Raider II, this sequel featured smarter enemies and equipped Lara with an even wider move set such as monkey swings and a stamina limited sprint. It also introduced dynamic lighting, weather and smoke effects, giving the series a serious visual punch.<\/p>\n Available on PlayStation Store as part of Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation<\/strong> \u2013 1998 \u2013 PlayStation \u2013 Eidos Interactive, Core Design<\/strong><\/p>\n Compared to its self-assured prequels, The Last Revelation carried a more tentative tone as Lara\u2019s attempt to claim the Amulet of Horus accidentally unleashes the malevolent Egyptian God, Set, who possesses her former mentor.<\/p>\n Saving humanity from Set has Lara journey through a greater variety of indoor and outdoor areas as she fights across the streets, ruins and canyons of Cairo and Alexandria, as well as the Pyramids of Giza.<\/p>\n Along with a less polygonal looking Croft, her fourth outing introduced more new moves and the ability to combine items in her inventory to craft puzzle pieces or create enhanced weapons. We\u2019ll come back to this element later\u2026 <\/p>\n Coming soon to PlayStation Store as part of Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered.<\/em><\/p>\n Tomb Raider: Chronicles \u2013 2000 \u2013 PlayStation \u2013 Eidos Interactive, Core Design<\/strong><\/p>\n Presumed dead after the events of The Last Revelation, Chronicles featured Lara\u2019s nearest and dearest reminiscing over her past, revealing her hunt for the Philosopher’s Stone in Rome, searching for the Spear of Destiny off the coast of Russia, fending off Hellspawn in Ireland as a teenager, and infiltrating a high-tech facility in New York \u2013 complete with cyborg assassins. <\/p>\n Coming soon to PlayStation Store as part of Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered.<\/em><\/p>\n Having survived the events of The Last Revelation, Lara eventually resurfaces in Paris, only to be framed for the murder of her former mentor.<\/p>\n True to its title, The Angel of Darkness featured a more tonally sinister story compared to previous games in the series, with PS2 powered visuals to match its new style and revamped controls. It also introduced a dialogue system, an upgradable stamina bar, and a second playable character in antagonistic partner Kurtis Trent.<\/p>\n Coming soon to PlayStation Store as part of Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered.<\/em><\/p>\n Tomb Raider: Legend \u2013 2006 \u2013 PlayStation 2 \u2013<\/strong> Eidos Interactive, Crystal Dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n Rebooting the entire series and balancing Lara\u2019s bold sense of adventure with a more grounded emotional core, Legends saw Ms Croft searching for the mythical sword Excalibur as a way to help find her missing mother.<\/p>\n Increasing the locations that Lara typically explored (from Japan and Peru to Nepal and Kazakhstan) but taking a back-to-basics approach to her weapons and gear, Legend reformatted the series\u2019 controls, combat, enemy AI, and even crafted a custom physics engine to give the gameplay a fresh yet familiar feel.<\/p>\n Available on PlayStation Store and included with <\/em>PlayStation Plus Premium<\/em><\/a>.<\/em> <\/p>\n Tomb Raider: Anniversary \u2013 2007 \u2013 PlayStation 2 \u2013<\/strong> Eidos Interactive, Crystal Dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n By this point the series had hit a great balance between series reverence and new mechanics, remixing the very first Tomb Raider\u2019s story while following the events of Legacy, in an enhanced engine.<\/p>\n Lara\u2019s weapons cache was given a bump, while the iconic style of the first game was preserved as much as possible, albeit with more contemporary considerations across the puzzles and level design to help integrate elements from Legend, such as the grapple to traverse the environments.<\/p>\n Rounding off the Legend timeline, Underworld saw Lara search for Thor\u2019s hammer in order to enter the Norse underworld, Helheim, and discover the truth of her parents\u2019 ultimate fate. The game smartly used real world analogues for the mythological locations, taking Lara to places such as Jan Mayen Island and the Arctic Circle.<\/p>\n Underworld took advantage of the powerful PS3 hardware with more expansive environments, motion captured animation (via Olympic gymnast Heidi Moneymaker) and a raft of new moves and weapons, including\u2026 Thor\u2019s hammer. Oh yes.<\/p>\n Tomb Raider<\/strong> \u2013 2013 \u2013 PlayStation 3 \u2013<\/strong> Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n The series\u2019 storytelling style took a more grounded and filmic focus with this second reboot of Lara\u2019s adventures, tracking her development from a frightened young traveller to a steel nerved survivor. Stranded on a mysterious island off the coast of Japan, Lara has to find her friends and escape before the violent Solari Brotherhood cult murders them all.<\/p>\n Starting off with rudimentary weapons that can eventually be upgraded (fulfilling the promise of The Last Revelation\u2019s early crafting style system), Tomb Raider is all about stealth and survival in a savage, more open environment, complete with changeable weather effects and dramatic lighting.<\/p>\n Tomb Raider also became the first game in the series to feature an online competitive multiplayer mode, so can you expand the hunt to your friends, too\u2026<\/p>\n Available on PlayStation Store and included with <\/em>PlayStation Plus Extra<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Rise of the Tomb Raider <\/strong>\u2013 2015 \u2013 PlayStation 4 \u2013<\/strong> Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n The leap to PS4 meant the sequel to 2013\u2019s Tomb Raider remains one of the series\u2019 most aesthetically impressive entries, with improved motion capture technology to include facial animation.<\/p>\n Seeking to finish her later father\u2019s research on the mythical city of Kitezh and its immortality granting artifact, Lara finds herself in Siberia in a fight for her life, not just against the paramilitary organisation Trinity, but more hostile wildlife, too. The guerilla style combat was developed further, albeit with a wider weapons and skill set selection for Lara to utilise.<\/p>\n Available on PlayStation Store and included with <\/em>PlayStation Plus Extra<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Shadow of the Tomb Raider <\/strong>\u2013 2018 \u2013 PlayStation 4 \u2013<\/strong> Eidos-Montreal, Crystal Dynamics<\/strong><\/p>\n Capping off the Survivor trilogy, Shadow of the Tomb Raider saw Lara attempting to prevent a Mayan apocalypse she unwittingly unleashed. Set mostly in Mexico and Peru, the story covers a more philosophical awakening for Lara, exploring the cultural impact of her actions as she evolves into the more recognisable version of her character.<\/p>\n As the beautiful visuals took another step forward, so did the game\u2019s stealth elements, with the ability to hide in the undergrowth from enemies, or camouflage Lara with mud. Not that she’s hiding anymore \u2013 animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft picks up from where Shadow of the Tomb Raider left off in the series\u2019 continuity.<\/p>\n Available on PlayStation Store via <\/em>PlayStation Plus Extra<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/arcader.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/tomb-raider-series-retrospective.jpg\")
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<\/a> <\/p>\nPlayStation 2 era<\/h2>\n
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<\/a> <\/p>\nTomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness \u2013 2003 \u2013 PlayStation 2 \u2013<\/strong> Eidos Interactive, Core Design<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/a> <\/p>\nPlayStation 3 era<\/h2>\n
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<\/a> <\/p>\nTomb Raider: Underworld<\/strong> \u2013 2008 \u2013 PlayStation 3 \u2013<\/strong> Eidos Interactive, Crystal Dynamics<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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<\/a> <\/p>\nPlayStation 4 era<\/h2>\n
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