How ‘Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis’ Is Reimagining Lara Croft’s Combat & Agility
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In anticipation of the 2027 release of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, the development team behind the game have released another episode of their ‘mini-documentary’ series letting fans know what to expect. While previous episodes touched on puzzles, environment and traps, this new episode focuses on combat and progression, discussing what players can expect in terms of gameplay mechanics and more about her iconic dual-pistols.
In the world of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, building an immersive world full of history, artefacts and wonder is important. Simultaneously, combat and gun fights are integral to the franchise. Crystal Dynamics, who are developing the game alongside Flying Wild Hog, has reimagined the gun gameplay and core mechanics that have defined Lara Croft as a cultural icon. That’s everything from her acrobatics, tenacity and giving her dual-pistols a nice polish.
What Are The New Mechanics In ‘Tomb Raider Legacy of Atlantis’?
One of the new combat mechanics the team has introduced is a ‘focus meter’. According to Crystal Dynamics’ game director, Raul Siqueira, when players deal damage, take damage and avoid attacks, “focus allows you to slow down time around you and showcase some of the things that Lara used to do in 1996.”
This echoes a similar mechanic called ‘adrenaline dodge’, seen in Tomb Raider: Anniversary. Dodging at the perfect moment allowed players to ‘slow down time’ and land a critical hit, primarily reserved for bigger enemies and bosses. In this iteration, however, it becomes a part of her base kit, a resource to build throughout combat encounters rather than being reserved to tougher enemies. Now, the acrobatics is an integral part of her character.
Lara’s Olympic-level gymnastics and agility are truly defining characteristics. Even if you haven’t played the games, you know the visuals of her hanging off a ledge, before pulling off a pike to handstand to forward-walkover with clarity. Cartwheeling and tumbling in the face of danger, the team have given special attention to the way the player experiences that feat of athleticism, forging a way to, in their words, “make sure there was a way on the sticks to be celebrated.”
Lara Croft’s Dual-Pistols and Weapons
Another defining piece of Lara Croft iconography is her dual-pistols. In Legacy of Atlantis, they’ve been given a polish, alongside other weapons she can obtain throughout the game. The trailer teases three possible weapons Lara can use in different combat encounters: a shotgun, an SMG and an assault rifle, with the dual-pistols being the base weapon set. This allows players to play the game in a variety of ways, mixing up the flow of combat to whichever is needed in the moment.
However, for those hardcore fans of the franchise, you can ignore all the other weapons completely for an extra challenge and stick with the dual-pistols. They’re iconic for a reason after all.
Increasing Lara Croft’s Efficiency And Potency
In case Lara wasn’t deadly enough, Crystal Dynamics’ design director, Jason Epps, has confirmed players will be able to access a skill tree, offering the chance to effect and increase Lara’s power. You will be able to craft your own Croft around your preferred play style.
You can decide to be a glass-cannon, focusing all your skill points on Lara’s efficiency with weapons, or become a well-rounded adventurer, spending your points in healing, defence and power.
Additionally, Epps has revealed a “herb collection” mechanic which allows players to, in his words, “brew those into foods that give you buffs like reduced damage, but also into healing.” This feels similar to the Survivor trilogy mechanic introduced in Rise of the Tomb Raider and later expanded in Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog’s transparency has been a crucial aspect in the hype and anticipation around the game. The integrating of previous mechanics from past Tomb Raider games, reimagining them for a modern audience while retaining the essence of Lara Croft in every aspect of development has been a cornerstone of hype-building for Legacy of Atlantis, and something other games could learn from.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is scheduled to release on PS5, XBox, Steam and Nintendo Switch 2 on February 12, 2027, and is available to pre-order now. The game is available in three versions: standard, deluxe and collectors editions, with both deluxe and collectors edition with pre-order exclusives skins and 48 hour early access. Additionally, the collectors edition contains everything in the deluxe package in addition to a mini art-book, an Atlantis keychain, DLC pack and a statue.
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