Since the release of the first opus of the famous video game in 1996, the Tomb Raider franchise has not stopped evolving and reinventing itself. Whether through several successful films or various derivative products, Lara Croft has today become an immortal name.
The birth of a true icon
Released over 24 years ago for PC, PlayStation and Sega Saturn, Tomb Raider was originally an action-adventure game. The gamer puts himself in the shoes of the main character named Lara Croft, an adventurous English archaeologist who travels through ruins all over the world (Peru, Greece, Egypt and Atlantis) in search of ancient and secret artefacts. On her way, the heroine must solve puzzles, cross or infiltrate dangerous areas and fight enemies. The title quickly saw great success, becoming one of the best-selling games of the first generation of PlayStation .
A year later, his second opus “Tomb Raider II” was announced as one of the most anticipated of the year. A saga was born. They then became one of the most iconic video games of the 90s and 2000s . In total and to date, Tomb Raider totals 18 titles in 24 years, released on 29 platforms and several generations of different consoles. Beyond that, a whole universe has been created around the adventures of Lara Croft.
Expansion of the universe and derivative products
The symbol of the popularity of Tomb Raider really arrived in 2001. This year, Lara Croft sets foot in Hollywood where the one who will become one of the greatest actresses on the planet will embody her on the big screens: Angelina Jolie. The American will be forever associated with the archaeologist ever since, playing one of the most iconic roles of her career . Two years later, a second film, Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, hit theaters. In 2018, after 15 years of waiting, it is finally a new face that will take over, with Alicia Vikander in the skin of a Lara Croft who seeks to find the trace of her father in a new film.
Like the actresses who embody him, it is the sexy and adventurous side of the main character of the video game that has been one of the keys to his success. This allowed him to reach both a male audience, but also a female audience. Many derivative products thus quickly emerged with as much success, surfing on the trend established by Tomb Raider: classic products such as statuettes and figurines, clothes and costumes, board games, comics and comics, etc. Several mobile mini-games have also been developed by Square Enix, while online casino games have taken on the Tomb Raider colors. For example, the Betway site offers a themed slot machine called “Lara Croft Temples and Tombs” with symbols bearing the image of the video game.
Taking advantage of the athletic side of the main character of the game, the universe of Tomb Raider has even extended to the field of sport. The Warner Bros. studio set up an ephemeral training camp called the “CroftCamp”, and the sports and energy drink brand Lucozade also released bottles bearing the likeness of Lara Croft, occasionally renamed “Larazade” .
What future for Lara Croft?
While no official release date has yet been set for the upcoming Warner Bros. studio film that was originally slated to hit theaters in March 2021, filming for Tomb Raider II starring Alicia Vikander is set to take place. next year. Lara Croft will make her big comeback on movie screens, 20 years after her first appearance.
On the video game side, the arrival of new generations of consoles such as the PlayStation 5 in particular, means that a new opus should follow suit. Especially since it has been two years that fans have been waiting for a sequel to “Shadow of the Tomb Raider”, released in 2018. Tomb Raider would thus be present on five generations of different consoles, confirming the longevity and notoriety of one the most successful franchises in the world. Twenty-four years later, Lara Croft has not finished impressing gamers and fans of pop culture
