Tomb Raider is celebrating its 25th anniversary throughout the entire year and Square Enix is pulling out all the stops to celebrate all things Lara Croft. For August, both Tomb Raider Legend and Anniversary are feeling the love; yet with Anniversary's timeline of Lara differing from its original, the 10 year revamp has seen many changes from its 1996 Core Design release.
Lara’s adventure takes her from Peru to Greece, to Egypt, and finally to the mystical world of Atlantis, running into quite a few adversaries along the way. Unfortunately, we are unable to threaten Winston with a somewhat chilly vacation this time around. Here are some other differences between Anniversary and 1996's Tomb Raider.
10 The Changing Faces Of Pierre Dupont
While Pierre’s littering of canned goods remains upon the Grecian Mountains, his face has certainly changed. For starters, Pierre’s chestnut locks are absent and his resemblance is reminiscent of that of Charles Kane, Lara’s companion from Tomb Raider Chronicles. Pierre’s outfit also had an upgrade; he ditches the puffed collar, maroon leather jacket for a sleek turtleneck - Anniversary’s Natla must prefer him a little more Agent 47.
However, Pierre's missing hair isn't the only enigmatic thing about him. His death has remained quite the conspiracy, leaving us not knowing which tale to follow. In Core Design's era, Tomb Raider Chronicles is said to be set before the original in 1996. This means that Pierre's fall in Rome, where he landed with an almighty thud, wasn't so final as we were led to believe, leaving us shocked at just how light on his feet he is on his hunt for The Scion.
9 A Way In
In the original 1996 release, the second cinematic shows Ms. Croft with her guide, trekking across the snowy Peruvian mountains. After an encounter with some newly released wolves, a now fallen guide, and an epic eyebrow raise, Lara heads inside and your journey alongside her begins.
In Anniversary, getting up to the doorway in Mountain Caves serves as the game’s tutorial. Her companion faces a near-fatal fall as the bridge he uses collapses, however never one to let much stand in her way, Lara finds another path above the main doors. As soon as she presses one of the glyphs on the wall, the FMV plays out as per the original.
8 No Need To Thaw A Butler
Anniversary’s Croft Manor begins with Lara entering the foyer in her iconic attire as opposed to her original gymwear. She reads a note from Winston regarding a shipment of antiquities. He was first introduced in Tomb Raider II, yet in Anniversary his letter speaks of a few issues within the manor that need resolving.
We’re also able to explore Croft Manor’s secrets and gardens, with a number of books that hold histories and nods to the previous games, serving as quite the treat for fans from the beginning.
7 Blood On Her Hands
Lara showed little, if any, remorse from filling Larson Conway with lead in the original release. Like others in the game, his character differs and not just in clothing. Larson has gone from milkshake drinking idiot to a quick-witted, far more capable, henchman.
Larson’s demise serves as a story arc for Lara in Anniversary. Originally he met his poor fate in Sanctuary Of The Scion, yet with Larson in possession of the final fuse that Lara needs in Natla’s Mines, it’s clear that she won’t let anyone stand in her way. Larson is quickly proved wrong of his flippancy in a QTE, he soon falls and takes his last breath, reaching out for his enemy’s hand in help. It’s clear that this is the first time she’s ended a life, yet it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
6 One More For The Team
One new recruit is added to Lara’s arsenal that was missing from the 1996 original. Crystal Dymanics first introduced the grapple in Legend, and would continue to use it in Underworld, so it makes sense that she would have it in Anniversary, too.
With the changes to the environment being so different from the first title, the grapple becomes a handy tool for Lara to utilize. She can implement swinging, ascending and descending, pulling and wall-running across ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs etched in stone; probably not the best thing to be doing, yet with spiked laden caverns beneath, what's a gal to do?
5 Jurassic Lara
Ah, The Lost Valley - stunning greenery awaits you and resembles a scene from an idyllic postcard; until Raptors and the infamous T-Rex shows up. Once you hit the trigger point in the first game, the accompanying score from Nathan McCree would begin just before it stomped its way through the valley. PC players, however, were left without warning.
The remake’s due-to-be epic reveal quickly became lackluster as Legend’s QTE game mechanic came into play once more. You fought the T-Rex in a somewhat arena with the prehistoric menace now having its own health bar and a penchant for Ms. Croft being its afternoon snack.
4 Natla’s Wardrobe Changes
Jacqueline Natla swaps the boardroom attire for Demonic Chic in Anniversary. Her now long, blonde locks are traded for the fiery flames of hell, with her crimson body covered in Atlantean scrawlings. Definitely a change from her previous flights in the Great Pyramid in a pencil skirt with a cannon for an arm. Whatever she wears, she's our first villain in the franchise and makes an appearance later down the line.
It’s not just her final form that differs; she appears far taller and her face is certainly more sinister and gaunt as opposed to the original, almost alluding to the player that she’s anything but human.
3 New Digs
It’s not just Lara who’s had a polygon overhaul since the ’90s, the tombs she raids have had a makeover, too. Anniversary displays a whole new look while keeping signature elements relatively the same as its predecessor. The vertical labyrinth that is St. Francis’ Folly feels even more grandiose than it already was in its original. However, this time around, it features accurate Greek mythology above the challenge doors. The Coliseum in Anniversary has also been renovated, with a more accurate representation than its blocky original.
Locations such as Palace Midas feel far more regal; the room that the statue resided in 1996 is now tiny in comparison to its successor, however, Lara's death animation after standing on Midas's hand is still just as harrowing.
2 So Long, Cowboy
Natla’s had a company clearout and this time around, the Cowboy was axed from the payroll. Never a man of many words, it's no surprise that he didn't return for another shootout in Natla's Mines.
Focus and backstory were also provided for her other hired henchmen; Bald Man was now named ‘Kold’ Kin Kade and his colleague, once aptly named Skateboard Kid, was now known as Jerome ‘The Kid’ Johnson. You can understand why Kold has been hired; he puts the hench in henchman, whereas The Kid seems like a bit of an odd option for the Atlantean Queen to have interviewed for the role. Either way, these two have never exactly been the best of friends; it becomes even more apparent when The Kid fires a shot at Kold to aid Lara with a little leeway as she delivers the final blow.
1 A Different Kind Of Croft
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It's no surprise that ten years after its original release, Lara would look a little different. The braid that Core Design initially wanted for her in the original could not be featured in-game, as throughout development, it would swing through her body. Thankfully, this was fixed in time for Tomb Raider II's release in 1997, alongside smoother edges. With technology being in a far better position than it was in the mid-'90s, Crystal Dynamics was able to retell her tale with the braid in-game.
Many attributes from the original made it into Anniversary, yet her stone-cold personality was warmed and her backstory was reimagined to fit in with Legend's new origin story. Where Lara was disowned by her family originally, Anniversary introduces her father a touch more, as he was on the hunt for The Scion many years prior.