i think the best way forward is to avoid any further reboot and start adding characteristics from the previous laras to the current one. keep the model, add the sass and dual pistols, avoid the sidekicks, limit the story to the game and avoid as much as possible all references to her dad or mother.
I just can't stand how simplified they made Lara Croft "Protector of artifacts". I miss when Lara wasn't a 'good-guy' altogether and had a unique personality to her and actual flaws that were interesting. It's like they can't have a woman be completely self-made and have goals that are her own and not her parents. Heres to hoping for the best in the future games.
To be fair, a modern approach to AOD would be surprisingly adequate, seeing how the whole Goth Y2K aesthetic is making a comeback. A gritty, edgy Lara would be welcomed with ease as long as they make it campy enough. This really is the chance to make it right, because AOD was a disaster back in the day, but its potential and most importantly its enthusiasm was always recognisable, just badly timed perhaps
"Maybe crystal dynamics will accidentally write something captivating" pahahaha this tickled me. Also thank you for pointing out Core lara was an anti-hero.... I've always thought that and that's what made her relatable and fun and charismatic. If you take away that aspect you're left with a wet flannel.
Maybe its because i grew up on them, but I quite like LAU Lara and her sense of wonder. Psychopath "I kill dinosaurs for fun" Classic Lara is still the best tho
I hadn't really thought about Legend Lara as 'soft' but, comparatively, yea I guess so. It's just that Reboot Lara is so sensitive it made me forget. This is a nice look at the nuances between the versions. As an American, it is an interesting point to bring up the differences British players will notice about a British character. The elevator/lift thing went right over my head when I played the game- and that's an obvious one!
Always appreciate when someone gives a decent critique that actually discusses her increasing lack of individual agency and motivation as a character and isn't just "iT's GoNe WoKe".
Damn, you really hate LAU Lara. I grew up with Classic Lara but LAU is my favourite. I just see her as a more fleshed out, rounded version of Classic Lara. Sure she was motivated partly by her parents in the trilogy, but she was still a famous explorer whose reputation was built on the back of all her previous adventures, so it's not like LAU Lara was only motivated by one thing. And the only reason she says things Classic Lara wouldn't have is because Classic had hardly any dialogue that wasn't purely narrative. I can absolutely imagine Classic Lara commenting on the beauty of Madubu Gorge, or the architecture of the Great Wall. And LAU is a badass when she needs to be, but I like that it's tempered with a slightly softer side. I don't want her to be a two dimensional, wisecracking, one-liner spouting heroine 24/7. Anyway, still love you and your videos :)
i thought the same! LAU was my favorite voice actor and therefore probably my favorite lara. sure the games felt incomplete and short or uninspired, but keeley? she was perfection. give her the right script and she is the best lara.
Regarding the Classic Lara Commenting her surondings comments. I think someone managed to pull it out without disorting her character. That's Nicobass with his Tomb Raider : The Dagger of Xian Demo Remake. In that game we have hints once we reach certain Points for the next step we have to make to move forward. Lara writes in her journal in first person and comment her suroundings to guide us.
I love all the Laras tbh but this was an excellent analysis of them all. I just hope we see returning characters for the unification like Kurtis Trent, Natla, and Von Croy. You could even reinvent characters like Sophia, Eckhardt, or Sam into completely different characters. Like how comic book movies take obscure characters and give them an interesting story.
@@Trisred Tomb Raider always tries to “move on” for every new reboot instead of taking existing characters and building upon them they make up a whole new cast of allies and villains. With this being a literal “unification” this time it’s inevitable if they stay true to the word. Also we saw Von Croy and Kurtis in Reloaded which gives me hope we’ll see them for the reboot. Worse case scenario that could’ve just been a good excuse to use them, in an obscure mobile game, which I hope isn’t the case.
I’m glad you actually speak honestly about what the reality of the “unified timeline” is going to be. I see all of the major TR fans that are usually in the spotlight being so PR friendly about it and drinking the cool aid, as if Crystal is going to make anything remotely resembling Classic Lara. It’s also always been funny to me how during 2013’s development and marketing cycle they stated that Lara’s parents had both actually been missing and declared dead, but Lara refused to touch the money. So they tried to get away from making Lara motivated by her parents, and then in Rise they just threw all of that out the window and went right back to putting Lara up Richards ass.
The LAU timeline is more of a retcon than a reboot, making a few slight alterations to align the games more closely to the movies. Legend didn't say that the previous sequels didn't happen. Instead, it simply avoided referencing those games (outside of the inclusion of Zip from Chronicles) and left it up to the audience to decide whether they wanted to count the poorly-received Angel of Darkness in their personal timelines. Then the next game cemented it: on top of fully confirming that the first game's storyline had mostly survived the tweaks to continuity, Anniversary strongly suggested that the events of the first two sequels were still canon. In other words, LAU Croft is Pierce Brosnan's 007. Very few details explicitly connect the James Bond of the 1990s with the character from previous films, but the underlying assumption is that the earlier events generally did happen in some sense. (Naturally, the events of Dr. No could not have happened in 1962, as Bond would have been 9 at the time. The timeline has been condensed to fit with the actor's age.) And while Brosnan is far more emotionally vulnerable and less guarded than Connery or Moore, he is still meant to be the same character at his core.
Regarding 007 I don't see each film as being each year or two after each other, multiple films could have happened in the same year. Regarding LAU, a retcon is reinterpretation of past events, not anything that directly contradicts. TRA proves this because otherwise, did she move into two different manors at the same time? No, they're different universes
@@SethMcKenzieTV Regarding the house and the crates, Lara isn’t moving in and this isn’t necessarily a contradiction. TR1 Lara says she’s putting the crates in storage. TRA Lara says that they’ve just been delivered. The PDA entry for Croft Manor in TRL says she has three estates - it’s entirely possible she owns both and is moving the crates from one to the other. Retcons by definition can be any change (including contradictory) to an established story. I don’t see LAU as a different universe, it retcons areas that are largely not important to the stories of TR1-6 (as told in the cutscenes, anyway). LAU avoids implying that the prior games didn’t happen, it leaves a lot to interpretation. It also drops some hints - if you read the books in TRA’s Croft Manor, Lara has a voiced line about the sinking of the Maria Doria. By contrast, the Survivor Trilogy is a different universe because it changes Lara’s bday to 1992, making the events of TR1/TRA occurring in 1996 impossible without a lot of further explanation. LAU avoids these issues by simply not assigning Lara an official bday.
"I admire your perspective on seeing Lara as a distinct personality. The 2013 remake softened her character so much that Crystal Dynamics can no longer portray her as the Old School Lara. People often overlook the true meaning behind the game's title, TOMB RAIDER - she raids tombs without unnecessary melodrama. Many professional archaeologists undertake similar actions. Lara trained herself to be tough; it's that simple. Why do people feel the need to judge her for that? She also carries a hint of a rich person's attitude, which adds to her realistic personality. Crystal Dynamics aimed to make her seem like a superhero, which she isn't. She's just a Tomb Raider. My English isn't great, but my feelings are sincere. Please don't judge based on my English skills."
In my honest opinion, Core already had two distinct Laras. TR1-3 Lara is the “true” classic Lara while LR, Chronicles and AOD already somewhat changed her character and her origins by tying her story directly to her former mentor Von Croy.
@@SethMcKenzieTV It‘s a small re-direction for sure but yes, ultimately still compatible with the OG vision. They should absolutely take this approach for the unification if they really want to go for it
I agree that Crystal Dynamics, being an American studio in Hollywood, has very much diluted the originality and appeal of the original "timeline". I was very disappointed to see on their site that they can only hire artists based in the US. This makes Lara feel much more like a Hollywood action hero than the edgy British anti hero we got when she first appeared in the gaming world. I mean, her entire biography and purpose in life was a tongue-in-cheek joke on British royalty and aristocracy (which is very much something British people find funny, relatable and entertaining). After CD took over, she was just a traumatised billionaire, much like a clone of Bruce Wayne. Also, the whole "timelines" theme sounds like " we're going after the next big Hollywood trend of multiverses". I guess only time will tell if Tomb Raider can get back to its former glory.
Every once in a while I just sit back and think about how awful the reboot really was. The gameplay was just Uncharted, and stories nowadays seem to think the more vulnerable and righteous a character is, the better written they are. I’m really excited about the OG Remasters coming though!
you're right.. crystal dynamics have never been able to understand who Lara was.. they created a perfect monster that kills everyone and called her a saviour and made her cry to be a human.. I mean the og Lara was a killer but never a hero or something.. I don't know..
I quiet liked 2013 Lara, until the next game came out and there was no development… I wanted her to grow and become more like classic Lara, which seemed to be the goal until Rise came out
I don’t like that the discourse surrounding the different versions of Lara is so toxic. Classic Lara is my favorite but I understand that characters evolve and change. That’s not to say we should accept all changes to the franchise but there’s certainly no need to throw tantrums when discussing the versions of the character we don’t like.
I did get rude but I hope I also articulated the differences well enough so even those that disagree can at least see the angle I'm coming from. There's rationale I tried to get across
@@SethMcKenzieTV ah, you’re a great sport. Forgive me if I came across as a little rude myself. You did make some good points. Believe me, I’m not the biggest fan of Survivor or LAU Lara either. But I also sympathize with the fans of those versions because they’ve been collectively told for nearly two decades that their favorite version of the character sucks.
I understand what you mean, and it's true some people have grown up with a 'different version'. But to me that's the problem. I've never understood this idea of accepting different takes on characters. With many franchises, people are happy with that and I don't understand it, because it clearly is just a simple and fast way to make money. It's like liking getting lied to. Why aren't they making up their own stories and characters? It's just easier to leech on famous, successful titles. It would have been interesting to see AoD continued. It's called reboot so we forget it's erasure
@@plskn2569 Well, that depends on what you mean in regards to “different takes on characters.” Characters will ultimately evolve with the times because the world evolves too and with that comes new generations with different tastes and perspectives. Understanding this is fundamental not necessarily to appreciate new versions of iconic characters but to, at the very least, understand that they won’t remain the same characters we grew up with. As to your second point, I think it’s evident that new creators, if that’s who you refer to as “they,” are creating new characters but as part of established franchises. That’s inevitable, as the original creators ultimately move on(as Toby Gard did because he didn’t like how the studio was overly sexualizing Lara), or pass away, if their stories and characters are iconic and beloved enough to last decades if not centuries. There will always be new creators that will bring new interpretations of a character to life.
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you here completely. I liked that Lara had a soft spot in legend; it made her more realistic and grounded, as well as relatable. I personally love that line where she's in Ghana, and she comes upon the ruins; it shows she has a love for history and ancient architecture. Some of us don't want a masculine Lara all the time; we like that she can be a girl when she wants to be. I love that. She's a badass on missions and soft when she wants. Otherwise, It's the same "girl boss" archetype plaguing the industry. She can still be a badass and a woman whenever she wants. I'm a Lara fanatic, so I don't want to hear that I'm a "noob" fan or whatever, but I love when she shows her feminine side, that's what attracts me to her because although she's a badass. She can also be a kind, loving, and sweet person as a woman.
I completely agree with your feelings, but the true in-game character is not soft. She is a strong, intelligent, self-confident, and mature woman. We should accept that-she's a character after all! Trying to make her appear attractive and emotional would alter her characteristics, which originally define her swift decision-making, unlike OG Lara. The reality is, being soft can lead to mistakes in tough situations. It's tough to admit, but being a badass isn't always the answer. This is what makes her less vulnerable. You can't switch between being soft and hard in attitude without becoming a confused personality. I'm not saying she's a girl boss; she has emotions. Understanding her character reveals this. :)
I clearly don't know how they gonna unite the survivor trilogy and old games without messing up, but I'm happy that Lara Croft (whatever version we are talking of) is still in our consoles in 2024 and next... Anyway, good video ! I followed you recently and really enjoy you work
I gotta say, I really disagree with your take on the Legend series Lara. I think they developed her more into a person in a positive way. Her voice actress was my favorite of all of them. She had the sass of classic Lara while also coming across like a good person. She had more dimensions to her and, to me, was more interesting. Plus, the Legend series of games were fun as hell to play! The Survivor series Lara is where it lost me. While I loved playing in all the locations with so much detail and realism, Lara had no personality. She's not even interesting to look at. I have all the Lara Croft action figures from TR to the Play Arts Kai Lara from Survivor. The newest Lara is just so boring looking.
To be short, I love your multiverse idea. I’m a hardcore fan of tomb raider, my first game was TB1 in 96-97. And I played all of them, because it was one of my favorite games. They all were great, I didn’t really cared for Lara’s accent, because English is my third language, or personality because I loved the idea of an adventurer who visited ruins. Bottom line, I love that this old school series is multi platform and still going, and I love all of them!!! *Although it took me some time to love Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft movies .
In all reboots, comics, movies, models.. She has the same adventural spirit.. One of the most mysterious charming, influencing & popular female heroin in the entertainment industry.. Thsnk you seth... The video is more than amazing.. ❤️✌️👍👍👍👍👍👍
What happened with Lara seems to happen to a lot of female protagonists in gaming. In particular, Samus Aran. As an aside, did the Lara Croft COD crossover happen yet? I don't play COD, but I heard she'd be in it which makes sense..... I also know there's an Alucard from Hellsing crossover planned....Hellsing Ultimate is my favorite show....dammit...
@SethMcKenzieTV I just wish Alucard wasn't in a game that has such a bloated storage size. I'm don't feel like installing something with hundreds of gigs for what is basically just a cosmetic option. I also haven't played COD since Black Ops 1 on Xboz 360, so I'm rusty, to say the least.
Just make a Lara Croft Tomb Raider multiverse game where they all meet up for some tea then go on an adventure with each of them all to fix the multiverse.
Well, Tomb Raider, if it was a multiverse as a videogame series, would have different personalities to Lara herself. The way I see it though, is that Lara is actively going on a journey of self-reflection. You can see this when The Last Revelation happens. She does not want to cause the end of the world by taking the amulet, so, she decides to right the wrong by getting the armor of Horus, and putting the holy sculptures on pedestals. She puts her faith in Horus to right the wrong that the amulet has caused. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider she tries to get the silver box to try and right the wrong that she caused in the first place by getting the dagger. Is this not similar to her attitude in Last Revelation. In Anniversary her core philosophy is to still want all the pieces of the scion to stop Natla, even if they try to add more 'character' to her personality. Or in Temple of Osiris, when Lara tries to stop Set by reassembling the body of Osiris. That seems to be similar to Lara reassembling Horus to help stop Set. Lara just evolves as a character, to me it is still the same Lara in the same Universe. Also, the games themselves in the classic era don't do a good job of explaining Lara's parents. So, I can totally see them as being dead. It actually makes sense that they are dead. Why wouldn't they intervene in Lara's life? Why would Lara be forced to have mentors in her life, if her parents weren't dead? Like I said before, how can you trust the books, and the movies when talking about Lara's timeline? How are they each a multiverse when the character remains? Also, the last three games of the series are meant to be prequels, before she goes on her first adventure. In Angel of Darkness she has to grapple with the fact that her obsession almost killed her, which convinces her to start anew. She gets friends in Legend, ones that could help her on her adventures, because she doesn't trust herself to not fail again. When one of her friends dies, she decides to become the old Lara, go after the belt and hammer, and put an end to her first real foe. If only Anniversary had more nuance to the changes in characters shown, but sadly it doesn't convey those characters properly. There is a lot of potential lost in that game. It should have been a remaster of the original game, and in some levels it is, but sadly overall it falls flat of meeting that old standard.
Looks like they're being put into a different engine so things could go wrong but it's hard to conclude. Looks wise I think they've made all the right decisions and I'm stoked you can select old graphics
If a perfect TR could be combined of past games, how? What would be your choice? As for me, Lara's personality should come deffinitely of classic games, 100% agree with you. Independent, plays for sport. She is not some poor victim, she does what she likes. Cool, confident, sarcastic, that's how we love her. Voice? I love Jonell Elliott the most, but I think Keeley Hawes is also perfect. As for control, that is difficult. It should be relative to Lara as in the classics, not to camera as in, sadly, all games nowadays. No auto grip. Some smart combination of classic controls, including mouse. And manipulation with objects and climbing as was best in Underworld. And let's admit it, combat control is best in the reboot trilogy. Separate control for aim and fire, limited time to release the arrow. That is more control. Although I think there is too much combat in the reboot. As for level design, I am not sure. In older games, hours of two meter cubes might tend to turn boring in some levels. In the newer games, they were often too linear. All games have some wonderful locations. I'd like to have more underwater sights, TR2's 40 fathoms and Underworld's initial level Path to Avalon were so cool. It is also nice, if you travel around the world in a single game. Maybe, they substituted variety of world locations in Yamatai island by sudden weather changes. Thank you for the video!
Basically, the series had two reboots. Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider 2013 are about as related as Goldeneye and Casino Royale. James Bond is never going to jump through a portal to meet himself in another world
Classic Lara will always have a special place in my heart cause I sort of grew up with her. However I do like and appreciate all versions of her, they all have qualities and sides to them that I really like. Only one I don't like at all is Survivor Lara, the tone of the game and gameplay is really not for me, it's too different and really completely lost the special feeling and vibe the older games had. Her voice actress is off as well, and also something about her face that doesn't really look like Lara to me.
As I grew up on the legends trilogy I came to appreciate Lara’s character in that game but this video made me realize she did have her flaws but like any criticism theirs room to grow and I hope In the reboot we get a personable but stoic and bad ass Laura with minimal family drama and make it where she plays for sport cause she wants to live her own life in spite of her parents rejection of her
I like OG Lara she had her own unique charm but a lot of criticism towards LAU is unwarranted and doesn't make sense. Like here 5:15 It's true, that Classic Lara would never say it but how is it bad? It didn't change her or take anything from her, it added to her character. Classic Lara never seemed to care about all the amazing discoveries she made, seemed completely indifferent and uninterested whereas Crystal's Lara felt more like archeologist who shows fascination with ruins of ancient civilizations. You can she she's in awe Fun fact: Toby Gard, the creator of LC, always wanted to give her a personal story but those in charge didn't and preferred to double her breast size instead so he left. You can actually see the change in her behaviour from there onwards. Core didn't shy away from sexualizing Lara either and it's unfair to say that only Crystal Dynamics did. On top of giving her ridiculously huge boobs, they eventually removed her abs and created official CGI art that was featured in playboy where she's be completely exposed except for towel cowering her lower half and hands crossed cowering her breasts. I'm all for fair criticism but I'm at loss for words when the basis for it is 'change is bad because it's not like original' . Originals are never perfect, and changes are neither bad nor good by default.
The changes were stuff that is at odds with the source material, to where I think it'd make more sense to just write a new character and IP While classic Lara had big tits, the sexualisation was strictly only in outside the games, marketing material. Crystal started the sexualisation within the games themselves with the sexualised outfits
Lara was a CELEBRITY in the 90’s. She was on magazine covers! She was endorsing products! She had one of the biggest film icons Angelina Jolie play her in 2 movies! She was a cultural ICON and the first and only gaming IT girl. She was a digital avatar doing things that were UNPRECEDENTED for the gaming industry and she lived in the public consciousness almost like a real person. And now? Now she’s nothing and nobody. No one cares anymore. Every game except Legend and 2013 has failed to meet sales expectations, selling far less than the classics in an industry that is exponentially bigger. Nothing against you personally, but you should think about that.
@@greydeleon5730 I never denied any of this did I? This is discussion of how her character was handled in the games. It's ridiculous to say that Crystal giving her more personality is a bad change because it's somehow outragous that she shows fascination with the ruins she finds. Like I said, I like OG Lara she has her charm but being a cold, indifferent, stone-faced terminator-alike had its limits. True, I don't care myself about current Tomb Raider. It doesn't feel like Tomb Raider anymore and I can't find any traces of Lara in the survivor girl but that's another topic. I find it interesting that you admit that TRL did well as opposed to subsequent titles. TRA was aimed at OG fans, and that's probably what doomed the game. It wasn't as packed with story and cutscenes as TRL and the levels were long.
@@SethMcKenzieTV We're still talking about Crystal's Lara? They gave her more personality and that somehow changes her so much that she's a completely different character? Just because she's fascinated by the ruins she discovers? Her manner of speaking is actually quite close to TR1. She was intended to be a perfectly polite character but after TG left they slowly made her more confrontational and abrasive. Something akin to action movie protagonisst from 90s and 80s. Again, I like that Lara but she was not a consistent character even during Core era and it apparent they were experimenting with how they wnated her to be. Also reflected by changing VAs. Core was progressively sexualizing Lara more each game. Made her boobs ridiculously large, removed her abs(less athletic-looking) and her classic outfit became more revealing. Compare TR1 outfit to TLR, skin showing on the side of her waist plus exposed chest that shows boob crack. It's easier to dismiss beacause of poor graphics of that time but core didn't have as much respect twards her as you think. When she climbs she spreads her legs as wide as in the clip you show in 6:20 . If you want to look at 'respectfully' done Lara look no further than Nicobass' TR2 remake.
I always felt Lara and Tomb Raider as a whole, violently stopped to grow as a character and franchise once Crystal started to make the games. The first contact I had with Legend was the PC Demo when I was about 14. I was waiting for a sequel to AoD so much that, when the Austin Power Opening kicked in I was baffled. Playing it I felt like we went from an Occult Thriller with exploration to a Saturday Morning Cartoon with Arcade Like progression. I stoped playing Tomb Raider for 7 years up until the 2nd Reboot in 2013. Then, when I reashed Rise and saw Shadow I realised that these 3 games were all making no progress. If LAU was a Sat Morning Cartoon, Survivor felt like a TV series that lost the plot in fear of stoping production early. After that, I was sad, angry and overall disapointed to see how much damaged Crystal did to the Legacy of my childhood hero. Contrary to som believe, she was smart, competent, reckless and clumsy. A sophisticated modern woman who could stand on her own and yet was relatable. Crystal did so much to confuse people that I am still exhausting myself to explain why Anniversary is not a proper Remake to the original but a Reimagining made to retrofit her their own Continuity trying to legitimise it. I truly believe, deep in my heart, that the biggest issue she is facing since Lara left Core Design is that she has been Americanized so much since the first movie that we all lost seight on what made her special an memorable. She needs to be developped by a European Based studio with a proper love for the property. Hell, look at Baldur's Gate 3! In this day and age, who could have thought a sequel made 20 years after the 2nd game from another studio would have been able to make it to the public interest! On another front, 3 of the biggest video game come back which lost seight of what made them what they were: Hitman: World of Assassination from IO Interactive Doom (2016) from ID Software Devil May Cry V from Capcom They came back from disapointing entries and managed to capture the core of what used to make them what they were. And now that I think of it... these three games are still made by the Studios that created them. I hope the future will be bright for Tomb Raider. At least the Remastered Trilogy looks promissing.
Well said. Everything you said about Crystal D is absolutely true. They made everything so cringe and embarassing that TR fully lost its core audience. Their 3rd reboot (which they misleadingly call “unification”) of an iconic IP that never needed one in the first place will be more of the same. I hope and pray that the franchise will be taken away from them because their misguided decisions have lead TR to lose its entire brand identity and any cultural relevance it ever had. Truly no fandom has suffered as much as TR fans since 2006. Since day one, the fandom has been screaming NO but they arrogantly refused to listen. They’re a lost cause and always have been!
Such a great video! I’ve been a fan of Tomb Raider since I can remember but no matter what, I will forever love classic Lara out of the many other timelines we’ve got.
I’m calling it now, the only tomb raider that deserves a remake is ANGEL OF DARKNESS, and the subsequent sequels that were supposed to be released after that game.
Great idea for a video but I think it was a bit spoiled by not keeping it more neutral, to make it more informative instead of combative. I also prefer Classic Lara above all, but I feel like this wasn't a good place to go into such judgements. Of course, it's your video and your decisions. Oh, I guess all the little Re/Vision stories could have been mentioned as their own timelines. Not to mention the short comic series where Lara has sworn to never kill, it's an interesting premise.
Honestly,i really love sottr Laras look and i really liked the games,but i wish she had more of her former personality beeing more like Indy Jones or Nathan Drake,seeking adventure by choice.However, maybe future will be good.
Great video bud!! I didn’t hate Legend’s gameplay at all! Hate the story and QuickTime events but gameplay was top-notch IMO TR2014 is a great spin-off game but a terrible TR game! 😂 Angelina’s movies are my personal favourite but Alicia’s also not bad! Regarding the future, IDK man, I’m optimistic they’ll manage to do something not too bad! It will be inconsistent with most of the classic lore we know that but hope they can make us forget that by delivering a good game with classic elements with great music and a good story! I’m not worried about the gameplay or graphics, I’m sure it will be great! 🤞
In france we are very lucky: we had a wonderful voice actress named Françoise Cadol who voiced Lara from the first TR until Underworld, she also voiced Angelina Jolie. So it felt it was the same Lara all along. Unfortunately, she had youngers differents voices actress for the last trilogy. And TR never felt the same again for me Also I hate all theses multiverses nonsense, that is why I hate Bayonette 3 so much
5:28 legend trilogy Lara or as you say LAU Lara was definitely based off Angelina Jolie's looks and personality. They even copied the house from the movies.
You forgot one: there's actually two different Top Cow Laras. The one from the main series and crossovers, who lives in the main Top Cow universe, and the one from Tomb Raider Journeys, which was a standalone comic in its own continuity. In it, Lara has sworn an oath never to kill (which is very silly for a character who uses twin pistols, I admit), which is quite incompatible with the rest of her Top Cow comics
Well, there is at least a chance of more interesting stuff happening, now. The remastered originals are finally coming out soon, after all, and publicity for them has been pretty good - if they find a new audience, that could bring Classic Lara back into the public eye, and maybe convince new fans of her that THIS is what they want their Tomb Raider to be like, not the knock-off versions we've gotten for the past twenty years.
Man i'm so sad when i heard there won't be no sequel to 2018 tomb raider movie. Alicia Vikander was so good as Lara. Maybe they could do like an hbo show for every lara croft there was lol. Would definitely watch all of them
Survivor Lara was nowhere close to Classic Lara's personality, and the ludonarative dissonance is strong in the former, but I'm glad they went in this direction. The LAU games were unplayable, and the OG series were of their time.
I feel like the "business school example" roasting is a bit of a reach. This is hardly the franchise with the most different incarnations of its lead - there's about four-thousand different flavours of Batman and Spider-Man for instance, some great and others questionable, some very true to the generally-agreed core of the character and others being major deviations. People seem to be able it comprehend it fine. At least Lara is explicitly divided into these different continuities, rather than the character just massively drifting over the years as creative teams change but still ostensibly being the same person, which happens in many long-running franchises.
Yep. Angelina jolie is based of 90's Lara and what's interesting enough is that they based the legend trilogy Lara heavily after Angelina Jolie (the face totally changed from the classic and made it so much similar to angie's) and the croft manor is a direct copy from the movies. However, Alicia vikander's Lara is inspired by the reboot trilogy Lara obviously. Can't wait for the new Lara to come..
my most like is the legend, anniversary, Underworld series then Og my less and to me most boring is the origins reboot survive what ever i was so excited when they say lara croft is back with the new game in my mindset she gonna do more acrobatic and parkouring turn out it was boring but i still finish it but my rating for it is a boring 2out10, then they rebooted the tomb raider movie i thought its gonna be shot for shot like the origins turns out kinda continuation of Angelina Jolie's version that's what i like the only thing that don't kinda make sense is no super natural in there 👍🏻🤣
When do you start talking about the multiverse, actually ? I'm already at the Alicia Vikander part and you've just been enumerating different versions from different continuities or timelines, while telling you don't like non-classic Lara ... but, apart from that, where's the actual 'MULTIVERSE' ??? How exactly are all those versions and timelines canonically united, by following the in-game lore ? Did all continuities spawn from Lara's 're-creation' of the world, at the end of Shadow Of The Tomb Raider ? Did Lara and Amanda accidentally create parallel timelines, with their time traveling experiences ? Did Chronicles Lara find the Amulet Of Timelines or something like that ? Did Angel Of Darkness Lara shatter the Mirror Of Multiverse or some similar artifact ? Is there an ACTUAL 'multiverse' in all of that or are you just throwing a bunch of completely different and totally unrelated, 100% separated continuities together and calling it a 'multiverse', because that's a fancy name - despite the fact that no character actually visits alternative timelines and parallel worlds from different games ?
@@SethMcKenzieTV Thanks 🙂. My 'Tomb Raider culture' is quite limited, so I wanted to make sure I haven't missed anything. I have only played the Survivor games, Chronicles and the one with the magic sword and time travel. Sorry, if my initial post was a little too dismissive (to say the least), but I was really excited about a potential multiverse that would merge all continuities. And, to tell you the truth, that franchise definitely has what it takes to do it. If done right, they clearly could explain each timeline as an erased continuity, after Lara and Amanda discovered their first time rift. Or they could explain that another timeline has been erased when Lara re-wrote History at the end of Shadows Of The Tomb Raider. It feels a bit like wasted potential.
i think the best way forward is to avoid any further reboot and start adding characteristics from the previous laras to the current one. keep the model, add the sass and dual pistols, avoid the sidekicks, limit the story to the game and avoid as much as possible all references to her dad or mother.
I just can't stand how simplified they made Lara Croft "Protector of artifacts". I miss when Lara wasn't a 'good-guy' altogether and had a unique personality to her and actual flaws that were interesting. It's like they can't have a woman be completely self-made and have goals that are her own and not her parents.
Heres to hoping for the best in the future games.
Personally, what I think they should do, is remaster all the Core game up till AOD, then do a remake of AOD and continue the series from there.
To be fair, a modern approach to AOD would be surprisingly adequate, seeing how the whole Goth Y2K aesthetic is making a comeback. A gritty, edgy Lara would be welcomed with ease as long as they make it campy enough. This really is the chance to make it right, because AOD was a disaster back in the day, but its potential and most importantly its enthusiasm was always recognisable, just badly timed perhaps
Keeley Hawes is the iconic Lara for me
"Maybe crystal dynamics will accidentally write something captivating" pahahaha this tickled me. Also thank you for pointing out Core lara was an anti-hero.... I've always thought that and that's what made her relatable and fun and charismatic. If you take away that aspect you're left with a wet flannel.
Can't beat the classics, can't wait for the remaster!
Maybe its because i grew up on them, but I quite like LAU Lara and her sense of wonder.
Psychopath "I kill dinosaurs for fun" Classic Lara is still the best tho
classic lara is definitely on the ASPD spectrum which has never been quite captured right again
I want cold, angry, reckless Lara from 1996. Bring back the Laura Cruz in Lara Croft.
I wouldn't call classic Lara angry at all lol but I agree with the other stuff
Everything about this was true. Bring back dual wielding, acrobatic Lara that was just her own badass self
I hadn't really thought about Legend Lara as 'soft' but, comparatively, yea I guess so. It's just that Reboot Lara is so sensitive it made me forget. This is a nice look at the nuances between the versions.
As an American, it is an interesting point to bring up the differences British players will notice about a British character. The elevator/lift thing went right over my head when I played the game- and that's an obvious one!
Always appreciate when someone gives a decent critique that actually discusses her increasing lack of individual agency and motivation as a character and isn't just "iT's GoNe WoKe".
LAU Lara is my favourite tbh.
Great Video as always !
Damn, you really hate LAU Lara. I grew up with Classic Lara but LAU is my favourite. I just see her as a more fleshed out, rounded version of Classic Lara. Sure she was motivated partly by her parents in the trilogy, but she was still a famous explorer whose reputation was built on the back of all her previous adventures, so it's not like LAU Lara was only motivated by one thing. And the only reason she says things Classic Lara wouldn't have is because Classic had hardly any dialogue that wasn't purely narrative. I can absolutely imagine Classic Lara commenting on the beauty of Madubu Gorge, or the architecture of the Great Wall. And LAU is a badass when she needs to be, but I like that it's tempered with a slightly softer side. I don't want her to be a two dimensional, wisecracking, one-liner spouting heroine 24/7. Anyway, still love you and your videos :)
i thought the same! LAU was my favorite voice actor and therefore probably my favorite lara. sure the games felt incomplete and short or uninspired, but keeley? she was perfection. give her the right script and she is the best lara.
and LAU discards mostly TR4 and 5, cuz the creator don't like those games, if you think that legend is a sequel to TR3 it starts to make more sense
Regarding the Classic Lara Commenting her surondings comments. I think someone managed to pull it out without disorting her character.
That's Nicobass with his Tomb Raider : The Dagger of Xian Demo Remake.
In that game we have hints once we reach certain Points for the next step we have to make to move forward. Lara writes in her journal in first person and comment her suroundings to guide us.
LAU? Lol i always thought it was called the legend trilogy but i'll take this one too
I personally don't see it but I totally respect your angle my friend :)
classic is by far the best! no more family drama PLEASE!!!
I love all the Laras tbh but this was an excellent analysis of them all. I just hope we see returning characters for the unification like Kurtis Trent, Natla, and Von Croy. You could even reinvent characters like Sophia, Eckhardt, or Sam into completely different characters. Like how comic book movies take obscure characters and give them an interesting story.
SAME. I honestly don't care. I even think the new Lara is slightly better than the old. (Don't come for me people)
Please no returning characters ! Wee need to move on
@@Trisred Tomb Raider always tries to “move on” for every new reboot instead of taking existing characters and building upon them they make up a whole new cast of allies and villains. With this being a literal “unification” this time it’s inevitable if they stay true to the word. Also we saw Von Croy and Kurtis in Reloaded which gives me hope we’ll see them for the reboot. Worse case scenario that could’ve just been a good excuse to use them, in an obscure mobile game, which I hope isn’t the case.
@@InjusticeJosh well I just hope their not gonna shoe horn some previous characters like they did with Natla in Underworld
I’m glad you actually speak honestly about what the reality of the “unified timeline” is going to be. I see all of the major TR fans that are usually in the spotlight being so PR friendly about it and drinking the cool aid, as if Crystal is going to make anything remotely resembling Classic Lara.
It’s also always been funny to me how during 2013’s development and marketing cycle they stated that Lara’s parents had both actually been missing and declared dead, but Lara refused to touch the money. So they tried to get away from making Lara motivated by her parents, and then in Rise they just threw all of that out the window and went right back to putting Lara up Richards ass.
I remember thinking that having Lara refuse to touch the money was a good half-half between LAU and classic, but yeah...
The LAU timeline is more of a retcon than a reboot, making a few slight alterations to align the games more closely to the movies. Legend didn't say that the previous sequels didn't happen. Instead, it simply avoided referencing those games (outside of the inclusion of Zip from Chronicles) and left it up to the audience to decide whether they wanted to count the poorly-received Angel of Darkness in their personal timelines. Then the next game cemented it: on top of fully confirming that the first game's storyline had mostly survived the tweaks to continuity, Anniversary strongly suggested that the events of the first two sequels were still canon.
In other words, LAU Croft is Pierce Brosnan's 007. Very few details explicitly connect the James Bond of the 1990s with the character from previous films, but the underlying assumption is that the earlier events generally did happen in some sense. (Naturally, the events of Dr. No could not have happened in 1962, as Bond would have been 9 at the time. The timeline has been condensed to fit with the actor's age.) And while Brosnan is far more emotionally vulnerable and less guarded than Connery or Moore, he is still meant to be the same character at his core.
Regarding 007 I don't see each film as being each year or two after each other, multiple films could have happened in the same year. Regarding LAU, a retcon is reinterpretation of past events, not anything that directly contradicts. TRA proves this because otherwise, did she move into two different manors at the same time? No, they're different universes
@@SethMcKenzieTV
Regarding the house and the crates, Lara isn’t moving in and this isn’t necessarily a contradiction. TR1 Lara says she’s putting the crates in storage. TRA Lara says that they’ve just been delivered. The PDA entry for Croft Manor in TRL says she has three estates - it’s entirely possible she owns both and is moving the crates from one to the other.
Retcons by definition can be any change (including contradictory) to an established story. I don’t see LAU as a different universe, it retcons areas that are largely not important to the stories of TR1-6 (as told in the cutscenes, anyway). LAU avoids implying that the prior games didn’t happen, it leaves a lot to interpretation. It also drops some hints - if you read the books in TRA’s Croft Manor, Lara has a voiced line about the sinking of the Maria Doria. By contrast, the Survivor Trilogy is a different universe because it changes Lara’s bday to 1992, making the events of TR1/TRA occurring in 1996 impossible without a lot of further explanation. LAU avoids these issues by simply not assigning Lara an official bday.
9:08 OMG! 😂
😁
"I admire your perspective on seeing Lara as a distinct personality. The 2013 remake softened her character so much that Crystal Dynamics can no longer portray her as the Old School Lara. People often overlook the true meaning behind the game's title, TOMB RAIDER - she raids tombs without unnecessary melodrama. Many professional archaeologists undertake similar actions. Lara trained herself to be tough; it's that simple. Why do people feel the need to judge her for that? She also carries a hint of a rich person's attitude, which adds to her realistic personality. Crystal Dynamics aimed to make her seem like a superhero, which she isn't. She's just a Tomb Raider. My English isn't great, but my feelings are sincere. Please don't judge based on my English skills."
Thanks! And no your English was perfect
In my honest opinion, Core already had two distinct Laras. TR1-3 Lara is the “true” classic Lara while LR, Chronicles and AOD already somewhat changed her character and her origins by tying her story directly to her former mentor Von Croy.
I say they added to her origin story rather than wrote anything that directly contradicts
@@SethMcKenzieTV It‘s a small re-direction for sure but yes, ultimately still compatible with the OG vision. They should absolutely take this approach for the unification if they really want to go for it
Hopefully with the remasters, they forget anything happened after AoD and go from there
'Daddy wasn't there' from Austin Powers comes to mind with Lara's daddy issues.
Oh behave
I feel stronger now. @@falconeshield
I miss classic Lara
I agree that Crystal Dynamics, being an American studio in Hollywood, has very much diluted the originality and appeal of the original "timeline". I was very disappointed to see on their site that they can only hire artists based in the US. This makes Lara feel much more like a Hollywood action hero than the edgy British anti hero we got when she first appeared in the gaming world. I mean, her entire biography and purpose in life was a tongue-in-cheek joke on British royalty and aristocracy (which is very much something British people find funny, relatable and entertaining). After CD took over, she was just a traumatised billionaire, much like a clone of Bruce Wayne. Also, the whole "timelines" theme sounds like " we're going after the next big Hollywood trend of multiverses". I guess only time will tell if Tomb Raider can get back to its former glory.
Love this
Classic Lara for sure! Cant wait for the remaster of 1,2,3 lol.
Tomb Raider will always be one of my favourite franchises. Honestly though, I think there are still new things to add.
Every once in a while I just sit back and think about how awful the reboot really was. The gameplay was just Uncharted, and stories nowadays seem to think the more vulnerable and righteous a character is, the better written they are. I’m really excited about the OG Remasters coming though!
You are right .
Saints words.
Yes, I've read the Classic Tomb Raider Comic series as a teenager. It was very good.
you're right.. crystal dynamics have never been able to understand who Lara was.. they created a perfect monster that kills everyone and called her a saviour and made her cry to be a human.. I mean the og Lara was a killer but never a hero or something.. I don't know..
Oh good grief, great throwback to tombraidertrailerman's videos 😂😂😂 Great video - really comprehensive for newcomers and oldies alike.
Hehe, thanks for your little part in this video 😁
I quiet liked 2013 Lara, until the next game came out and there was no development… I wanted her to grow and become more like classic Lara, which seemed to be the goal until Rise came out
"It's called a lift you dumb ho" 😂😂 I'm dead
Everything you said is on point!!!!! 💯% agree!!!!
I don’t like that the discourse surrounding the different versions of Lara is so toxic. Classic Lara is my favorite but I understand that characters evolve and change. That’s not to say we should accept all changes to the franchise but there’s certainly no need to throw tantrums when discussing the versions of the character we don’t like.
I did get rude but I hope I also articulated the differences well enough so even those that disagree can at least see the angle I'm coming from. There's rationale I tried to get across
@@SethMcKenzieTV ah, you’re a great sport. Forgive me if I came across as a little rude myself. You did make some good points. Believe me, I’m not the biggest fan of Survivor or LAU Lara either. But I also sympathize with the fans of those versions because they’ve been collectively told for nearly two decades that their favorite version of the character sucks.
I understand what you mean, and it's true some people have grown up with a 'different version'. But to me that's the problem. I've never understood this idea of accepting different takes on characters. With many franchises, people are happy with that and I don't understand it, because it clearly is just a simple and fast way to make money. It's like liking getting lied to.
Why aren't they making up their own stories and characters? It's just easier to leech on famous, successful titles. It would have been interesting to see AoD continued. It's called reboot so we forget it's erasure
@@plskn2569 Well, that depends on what you mean in regards to “different takes on characters.” Characters will ultimately evolve with the times because the world evolves too and with that comes new generations with different tastes and perspectives. Understanding this is fundamental not necessarily to appreciate new versions of iconic characters but to, at the very least, understand that they won’t remain the same characters we grew up with.
As to your second point, I think it’s evident that new creators, if that’s who you refer to as “they,” are creating new characters but as part of established franchises. That’s inevitable, as the original creators ultimately move on(as Toby Gard did because he didn’t like how the studio was overly sexualizing Lara), or pass away, if their stories and characters are iconic and beloved enough to last decades if not centuries. There will always be new creators that will bring new interpretations of a character to life.
I love everything in the Survivor games...except the main character
😂😂😂
I grew up playing the original tank control games on PC and i still think Keeley Hawes Lara is still the best and definitive version 🤷
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you here completely. I liked that Lara had a soft spot in legend; it made her more realistic and grounded, as well as relatable. I personally love that line where she's in Ghana, and she comes upon the ruins; it shows she has a love for history and ancient architecture. Some of us don't want a masculine Lara all the time; we like that she can be a girl when she wants to be. I love that. She's a badass on missions and soft when she wants. Otherwise, It's the same "girl boss" archetype plaguing the industry. She can still be a badass and a woman whenever she wants. I'm a Lara fanatic, so I don't want to hear that I'm a "noob" fan or whatever, but I love when she shows her feminine side, that's what attracts me to her because although she's a badass. She can also be a kind, loving, and sweet person as a woman.
I also don't and wouldn't want her to be masculine/a "girlboss" :)
I completely agree with your feelings, but the true in-game character is not soft. She is a strong, intelligent, self-confident, and mature woman. We should accept that-she's a character after all!
Trying to make her appear attractive and emotional would alter her characteristics, which originally define her swift decision-making, unlike OG Lara. The reality is, being soft can lead to mistakes in tough situations. It's tough to admit, but being a badass isn't always the answer. This is what makes her less vulnerable. You can't switch between being soft and hard in attitude without becoming a confused personality. I'm not saying she's a girl boss; she has emotions. Understanding her character reveals this. :)
The next tomb raider will be a male tomb raider. His name will be Larry Croft.
There's already plenty of concept art on line for this idea, and it is _amazing._
Already exists. That Dude Raider became one hell of a gaming icon.
What is the "Throat singing Track" called that is playing the whol video? It really adds to the mystic touch of multiple timelines, actually.
Tomb Raider Legend Nepal 1 or 2 😊
I clearly don't know how they gonna unite the survivor trilogy and old games without messing up, but I'm happy that Lara Croft (whatever version we are talking of) is still in our consoles in 2024 and next...
Anyway, good video ! I followed you recently and really enjoy you work
We get the Remastered version of Classic 1 - 3 luckily.
I gotta say, I really disagree with your take on the Legend series Lara. I think they developed her more into a person in a positive way. Her voice actress was my favorite of all of them. She had the sass of classic Lara while also coming across like a good person. She had more dimensions to her and, to me, was more interesting. Plus, the Legend series of games were fun as hell to play! The Survivor series Lara is where it lost me. While I loved playing in all the locations with so much detail and realism, Lara had no personality. She's not even interesting to look at. I have all the Lara Croft action figures from TR to the Play Arts Kai Lara from Survivor. The newest Lara is just so boring looking.
I respect your opinion 😊
The Evil Mr Bean Mona Lisa cracks me up! I’d love to see that in a mod for AOD, maybe the Definitive Edition as a toggle.
To be short, I love your multiverse idea.
I’m a hardcore fan of tomb raider, my first game was TB1 in 96-97. And I played all of them, because it was one of my favorite games.
They all were great, I didn’t really cared for Lara’s accent, because English is my third language, or personality because I loved the idea of an adventurer who visited ruins.
Bottom line, I love that this old school series is multi platform and still going, and I love all of them!!!
*Although it took me some time to love Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft movies .
In all reboots, comics, movies, models.. She has the same adventural spirit.. One of the most mysterious charming, influencing & popular female heroin in the entertainment industry..
Thsnk you seth... The video is more than amazing..
❤️✌️👍👍👍👍👍👍
Was literally thinking about this the other day
I mean is it though? I feel like switching developers and constantly rebooting it doesn't make it a multiverse
Eh, it's a stretch, I'll admit, but it's close enough.
What happened with Lara seems to happen to a lot of female protagonists in gaming. In particular, Samus Aran.
As an aside, did the Lara Croft COD crossover happen yet? I don't play COD, but I heard she'd be in it which makes sense.....
I also know there's an Alucard from Hellsing crossover planned....Hellsing Ultimate is my favorite show....dammit...
The crossover has happened, yeah :)
@SethMcKenzieTV I just wish Alucard wasn't in a game that has such a bloated storage size. I'm don't feel like installing something with hundreds of gigs for what is basically just a cosmetic option.
I also haven't played COD since Black Ops 1 on Xboz 360, so I'm rusty, to say the least.
Just make a Lara Croft Tomb Raider multiverse game where they all meet up for some tea then go on an adventure with each of them all to fix the multiverse.
Did Lara just “YOU PEOPLE” really?! Wow!
Well, Tomb Raider, if it was a multiverse as a videogame series, would have different personalities to Lara herself. The way I see it though, is that Lara is actively going on a journey of self-reflection. You can see this when The Last Revelation happens. She does not want to cause the end of the world by taking the amulet, so, she decides to right the wrong by getting the armor of Horus, and putting the holy sculptures on pedestals. She puts her faith in Horus to right the wrong that the amulet has caused. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider she tries to get the silver box to try and right the wrong that she caused in the first place by getting the dagger. Is this not similar to her attitude in Last Revelation. In Anniversary her core philosophy is to still want all the pieces of the scion to stop Natla, even if they try to add more 'character' to her personality. Or in Temple of Osiris, when Lara tries to stop Set by reassembling the body of Osiris. That seems to be similar to Lara reassembling Horus to help stop Set. Lara just evolves as a character, to me it is still the same Lara in the same Universe. Also, the games themselves in the classic era don't do a good job of explaining Lara's parents. So, I can totally see them as being dead. It actually makes sense that they are dead. Why wouldn't they intervene in Lara's life? Why would Lara be forced to have mentors in her life, if her parents weren't dead? Like I said before, how can you trust the books, and the movies when talking about Lara's timeline? How are they each a multiverse when the character remains? Also, the last three games of the series are meant to be prequels, before she goes on her first adventure. In Angel of Darkness she has to grapple with the fact that her obsession almost killed her, which convinces her to start anew. She gets friends in Legend, ones that could help her on her adventures, because she doesn't trust herself to not fail again. When one of her friends dies, she decides to become the old Lara, go after the belt and hammer, and put an end to her first real foe. If only Anniversary had more nuance to the changes in characters shown, but sadly it doesn't convey those characters properly. There is a lot of potential lost in that game. It should have been a remaster of the original game, and in some levels it is, but sadly overall it falls flat of meeting that old standard.
So how do you think the remasters are going to be handled?
Looks like they're being put into a different engine so things could go wrong but it's hard to conclude. Looks wise I think they've made all the right decisions and I'm stoked you can select old graphics
If a perfect TR could be combined of past games, how? What would be your choice?
As for me, Lara's personality should come deffinitely of classic games, 100% agree with you. Independent, plays for sport. She is not some poor victim, she does what she likes. Cool, confident, sarcastic, that's how we love her.
Voice? I love Jonell Elliott the most, but I think Keeley Hawes is also perfect.
As for control, that is difficult. It should be relative to Lara as in the classics, not to camera as in, sadly, all games nowadays. No auto grip. Some smart combination of classic controls, including mouse. And manipulation with objects and climbing as was best in Underworld. And let's admit it, combat control is best in the reboot trilogy. Separate control for aim and fire, limited time to release the arrow. That is more control. Although I think there is too much combat in the reboot.
As for level design, I am not sure. In older games, hours of two meter cubes might tend to turn boring in some levels. In the newer games, they were often too linear. All games have some wonderful locations. I'd like to have more underwater sights, TR2's 40 fathoms and Underworld's initial level Path to Avalon were so cool. It is also nice, if you travel around the world in a single game. Maybe, they substituted variety of world locations in Yamatai island by sudden weather changes.
Thank you for the video!
Thanks for the comment. I did a video ages ago about the definitive blueprint for me which answers that question 😁
Top Cow franchise will forever be my favorite!
its not a multiverse and not everything has to be connected. tis called different writers take on the character
Basically, the series had two reboots. Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider 2013 are about as related as Goldeneye and Casino Royale. James Bond is never going to jump through a portal to meet himself in another world
Classic Lara will always have a special place in my heart cause I sort of grew up with her. However I do like and appreciate all versions of her, they all have qualities and sides to them that I really like. Only one I don't like at all is Survivor Lara, the tone of the game and gameplay is really not for me, it's too different and really completely lost the special feeling and vibe the older games had. Her voice actress is off as well, and also something about her face that doesn't really look like Lara to me.
2:38 I loved the Witchblade crossover. Michael Turner was such a brilliant artist.
As I grew up on the legends trilogy I came to appreciate Lara’s character in that game but this video made me realize she did have her flaws but like any criticism theirs room to grow and I hope In the reboot we get a personable but stoic and bad ass Laura with minimal family drama and make it where she plays for sport cause she wants to live her own life in spite of her parents rejection of her
typical "modern women"
I like OG Lara she had her own unique charm but a lot of criticism towards LAU is unwarranted and doesn't make sense. Like here 5:15
It's true, that Classic Lara would never say it but how is it bad? It didn't change her or take anything from her, it added to her character. Classic Lara never seemed to care about all the amazing discoveries she made, seemed completely indifferent and uninterested whereas Crystal's Lara felt more like archeologist who shows fascination with ruins of ancient civilizations. You can she she's in awe
Fun fact: Toby Gard, the creator of LC, always wanted to give her a personal story but those in charge didn't and preferred to double her breast size instead so he left. You can actually see the change in her behaviour from there onwards. Core didn't shy away from sexualizing Lara either and it's unfair to say that only Crystal Dynamics did. On top of giving her ridiculously huge boobs, they eventually removed her abs and created official CGI art that was featured in playboy where she's be completely exposed except for towel cowering her lower half and hands crossed cowering her breasts.
I'm all for fair criticism but I'm at loss for words when the basis for it is 'change is bad because it's not like original' . Originals are never perfect, and changes are neither bad nor good by default.
The changes were stuff that is at odds with the source material, to where I think it'd make more sense to just write a new character and IP
While classic Lara had big tits, the sexualisation was strictly only in outside the games, marketing material. Crystal started the sexualisation within the games themselves with the sexualised outfits
Lara was a CELEBRITY in the 90’s. She was on magazine covers! She was endorsing products! She had one of the biggest film icons Angelina Jolie play her in 2 movies! She was a cultural ICON and the first and only gaming IT girl. She was a digital avatar doing things that were UNPRECEDENTED for the gaming industry and she lived in the public consciousness almost like a real person. And now? Now she’s nothing and nobody. No one cares anymore. Every game except Legend and 2013 has failed to meet sales expectations, selling far less than the classics in an industry that is exponentially bigger. Nothing against you personally, but you should think about that.
@@greydeleon5730 I never denied any of this did I? This is discussion of how her character was handled in the games. It's ridiculous to say that Crystal giving her more personality is a bad change because it's somehow outragous that she shows fascination with the ruins she finds. Like I said, I like OG Lara she has her charm but being a cold, indifferent, stone-faced terminator-alike had its limits.
True, I don't care myself about current Tomb Raider. It doesn't feel like Tomb Raider anymore and I can't find any traces of Lara in the survivor girl but that's another topic.
I find it interesting that you admit that TRL did well as opposed to subsequent titles. TRA was aimed at OG fans, and that's probably what doomed the game. It wasn't as packed with story and cutscenes as TRL and the levels were long.
@@SethMcKenzieTV We're still talking about Crystal's Lara? They gave her more personality and that somehow changes her so much that she's a completely different character? Just because she's fascinated by the ruins she discovers? Her manner of speaking is actually quite close to TR1. She was intended to be a perfectly polite character but after TG left they slowly made her more confrontational and abrasive. Something akin to action movie protagonisst from 90s and 80s. Again, I like that Lara but she was not a consistent character even during Core era and it apparent they were experimenting with how they wnated her to be. Also reflected by changing VAs.
Core was progressively sexualizing Lara more each game. Made her boobs ridiculously large, removed her abs(less athletic-looking) and her classic outfit became more revealing. Compare TR1 outfit to TLR, skin showing on the side of her waist plus exposed chest that shows boob crack. It's easier to dismiss beacause of poor graphics of that time but core didn't have as much respect twards her as you think. When she climbs she spreads her legs as wide as in the clip you show in 6:20 .
If you want to look at 'respectfully' done Lara look no further than Nicobass' TR2 remake.
I always felt Lara and Tomb Raider as a whole, violently stopped to grow as a character and franchise once Crystal started to make the games.
The first contact I had with Legend was the PC Demo when I was about 14.
I was waiting for a sequel to AoD so much that, when the Austin Power Opening kicked in I was baffled. Playing it I felt like we went from an Occult Thriller with exploration to a Saturday Morning Cartoon with Arcade Like progression.
I stoped playing Tomb Raider for 7 years up until the 2nd Reboot in 2013.
Then, when I reashed Rise and saw Shadow I realised that these 3 games were all making no progress.
If LAU was a Sat Morning Cartoon, Survivor felt like a TV series that lost the plot in fear of stoping production early.
After that, I was sad, angry and overall disapointed to see how much damaged Crystal did to the Legacy of my childhood hero.
Contrary to som believe, she was smart, competent, reckless and clumsy. A sophisticated modern woman who could stand on her own and yet was relatable.
Crystal did so much to confuse people that I am still exhausting myself to explain why Anniversary is not a proper Remake to the original but a Reimagining made to retrofit her their own Continuity trying to legitimise it.
I truly believe, deep in my heart, that the biggest issue she is facing since Lara left Core Design is that she has been Americanized so much since the first movie that we all lost seight on what made her special an memorable. She needs to be developped by a European Based studio with a proper love for the property.
Hell, look at Baldur's Gate 3! In this day and age, who could have thought a sequel made 20 years after the 2nd game from another studio would have been able to make it to the public interest!
On another front, 3 of the biggest video game come back which lost seight of what made them what they were:
Hitman: World of Assassination from IO Interactive
Doom (2016) from ID Software
Devil May Cry V from Capcom
They came back from disapointing entries and managed to capture the core of what used to make them what they were. And now that I think of it... these three games are still made by the Studios that created them.
I hope the future will be bright for Tomb Raider. At least the Remastered Trilogy looks promissing.
Yeah, nicely said. :) I actually think, ironically, the Hollywood films did not Americanise her tbh
@@SethMcKenzieTV I still think the Top Cow Comics must have inspired the First one though.
Well said. Everything you said about Crystal D is absolutely true. They made everything so cringe and embarassing that TR fully lost its core audience. Their 3rd reboot (which they misleadingly call “unification”) of an iconic IP that never needed one in the first place will be more of the same. I hope and pray that the franchise will be taken away from them because their misguided decisions have lead TR to lose its entire brand identity and any cultural relevance it ever had. Truly no fandom has suffered as much as TR fans since 2006. Since day one, the fandom has been screaming NO but they arrogantly refused to listen. They’re a lost cause and always have been!
Such a great video! I’ve been a fan of Tomb Raider since I can remember but no matter what, I will forever love classic Lara out of the many other timelines we’ve got.
😇
They really should separate her from the parental lore again
Different and so much better, the walkthroughs I've watched.
I’m calling it now, the only tomb raider that deserves a remake is ANGEL OF DARKNESS, and the subsequent sequels that were supposed to be released after that game.
I hope they go with the multiverse and have three laras in the new game. Represent Core's Lara with AOD Lara.
Indeed, there is a multiverse. Now when the Lara´s are going to meet a la Spiderman : No way Home ?
Great idea for a video but I think it was a bit spoiled by not keeping it more neutral, to make it more informative instead of combative. I also prefer Classic Lara above all, but I feel like this wasn't a good place to go into such judgements. Of course, it's your video and your decisions.
Oh, I guess all the little Re/Vision stories could have been mentioned as their own timelines. Not to mention the short comic series where Lara has sworn to never kill, it's an interesting premise.
Yeah, I do see what you're saying 😊
You made a mistake, there are two separate comic timelines, both by Top Cow.
Are there?! 😲🤦♂
lol that AI Lara dialogue. XD
I like this multiverse idea - like, look what they did with Bayonetta...
Case. And. Point.
Hello 😊 Hope to see you in Derby again this year 👀
I only like the classic Lara and Angelina’s version even though I condemn those movies for the stupid parent trauma plot.
I actually liked alivia vikander's Version too 😭 hell i like all of them. Idc as long as it's Lara croft lol
yep!
feels great for me to be one of the very few people to know about those comic crossovers
I haven't read all of the comics, but I'm pretty sure there's divergent timelines there too.
Nice video, as always!! ❤
Thanks 😊
Honestly,i really love sottr Laras look and i really liked the games,but i wish she had more of her former personality beeing more like Indy Jones or Nathan Drake,seeking adventure by choice.However, maybe future will be good.
I have touched some internal things on the new game. There's a new Lara in town, but she's passed off as Survivor Lara.
Great video bud!! I didn’t hate Legend’s gameplay at all! Hate the story and QuickTime events but gameplay was top-notch IMO
TR2014 is a great spin-off game but a terrible TR game! 😂 Angelina’s movies are my personal favourite but Alicia’s also not bad! Regarding the future, IDK man, I’m optimistic they’ll manage to do something not too bad! It will be inconsistent with most of the classic lore we know that but hope they can make us forget that by delivering a good game with classic elements with great music and a good story! I’m not worried about the gameplay or graphics, I’m sure it will be great! 🤞
Yeah man. It is exciting to be a TR fan tbh because anything could happen. Let's see 😎
In france we are very lucky: we had a wonderful voice actress named Françoise Cadol who voiced Lara from the first TR until Underworld, she also voiced Angelina Jolie. So it felt it was the same Lara all along. Unfortunately, she had youngers differents voices actress for the last trilogy. And TR never felt the same again for me
Also I hate all theses multiverses nonsense, that is why I hate Bayonette 3 so much
5:28 legend trilogy Lara or as you say LAU Lara was definitely based off Angelina Jolie's looks and personality. They even copied the house from the movies.
I just wanna know why temple of Osiris and guardians of light are part of LAU since it's a trilogy
@@adoptedbyangelinajolie She has the same backpack, boots, and voice actress as LAU Lara so it's a clear continuation
@@SethMcKenzieTV oh ok yea that makes sense
You forgot one: there's actually two different Top Cow Laras. The one from the main series and crossovers, who lives in the main Top Cow universe, and the one from Tomb Raider Journeys, which was a standalone comic in its own continuity. In it, Lara has sworn an oath never to kill (which is very silly for a character who uses twin pistols, I admit), which is quite incompatible with the rest of her Top Cow comics
Nothing to add, but great vid.👍
Thanks :D
Well, there is at least a chance of more interesting stuff happening, now. The remastered originals are finally coming out soon, after all, and publicity for them has been pretty good - if they find a new audience, that could bring Classic Lara back into the public eye, and maybe convince new fans of her that THIS is what they want their Tomb Raider to be like, not the knock-off versions we've gotten for the past twenty years.
Great vid
This isn't the video I was expecting, but I'll take it.
Shadow of Tomb Raider was the worst Lara. At least Crystal Dynamics one was somewhat positive and quirky at times.
The 2010s games were done by Crystal Dynamics, too.
This is a tasty video. ... (Speaking like Samuel Jackson)...
When tomb raider remaster comes out for switch I'm getting it
Same but for PS5
@@SethMcKenzieTV my friend got the PS5 he's just waiting for the Internet people to come out so he can use Wi-Fi. He just brought his house
Man i'm so sad when i heard there won't be no sequel to 2018 tomb raider movie. Alicia Vikander was so good as Lara. Maybe they could do like an hbo show for every lara croft there was lol. Would definitely watch all of them
Yeah I actually really liked her and her TR film
Same here. The movie made a decent profit, so I don't get why they didn't make a sequel.
I got exposed to croft games through underworld it seems good to me
Survivor Lara was nowhere close to Classic Lara's personality, and the ludonarative dissonance is strong in the former, but I'm glad they went in this direction. The LAU games were unplayable, and the OG series were of their time.
i hated the Tomb raiders after Chronicles.
great
I feel like the "business school example" roasting is a bit of a reach. This is hardly the franchise with the most different incarnations of its lead - there's about four-thousand different flavours of Batman and Spider-Man for instance, some great and others questionable, some very true to the generally-agreed core of the character and others being major deviations. People seem to be able it comprehend it fine. At least Lara is explicitly divided into these different continuities, rather than the character just massively drifting over the years as creative teams change but still ostensibly being the same person, which happens in many long-running franchises.
Nope!!!! Only is classic Lara and Angelina Jolie Lara (which is literally just based on classic Lara) and that's it!!!
no no, Angelina movie Lara is ps2 era Lara, that Lara that is a morale good person, and has the companions
Yep. Angelina jolie is based of 90's Lara and what's interesting enough is that they based the legend trilogy Lara heavily after Angelina Jolie (the face totally changed from the classic and made it so much similar to angie's) and the croft manor is a direct copy from the movies. However, Alicia vikander's Lara is inspired by the reboot trilogy Lara obviously. Can't wait for the new Lara to come..
@@adoptedbyangelinajolie Alicia's Lara's image is based off survivor Lara but thankfully her personality is more like Angelina's Lara
my most like is the legend, anniversary, Underworld series then Og my less and to me most boring is the origins reboot survive what ever i was so excited when they say lara croft is back with the new game in my mindset she gonna do more acrobatic and parkouring turn out it was boring but i still finish it but my rating for it is a boring 2out10, then they rebooted the tomb raider movie i thought its gonna be shot for shot like the origins turns out kinda continuation of Angelina Jolie's version that's what i like the only thing that don't kinda make sense is no super natural in there 👍🏻🤣
1:32 John o Elliot- that sounds like a woman's voice
Because I said Jonell, lmao
No no no multiverse every other one is just a poor taste copy
When do you start talking about the multiverse, actually ? I'm already at the Alicia Vikander part and you've just been enumerating different versions from different continuities or timelines, while telling you don't like non-classic Lara ... but, apart from that, where's the actual 'MULTIVERSE' ??? How exactly are all those versions and timelines canonically united, by following the in-game lore ? Did all continuities spawn from Lara's 're-creation' of the world, at the end of Shadow Of The Tomb Raider ? Did Lara and Amanda accidentally create parallel timelines, with their time traveling experiences ? Did Chronicles Lara find the Amulet Of Timelines or something like that ? Did Angel Of Darkness Lara shatter the Mirror Of Multiverse or some similar artifact ? Is there an ACTUAL 'multiverse' in all of that or are you just throwing a bunch of completely different and totally unrelated, 100% separated continuities together and calling it a 'multiverse', because that's a fancy name - despite the fact that no character actually visits alternative timelines and parallel worlds from different games ?
Ok ok I stretched the word multiverse a bit but it could be seen as down to interpretation 😅
@@SethMcKenzieTV Thanks 🙂. My 'Tomb Raider culture' is quite limited, so I wanted to make sure I haven't missed anything. I have only played the Survivor games, Chronicles and the one with the magic sword and time travel. Sorry, if my initial post was a little too dismissive (to say the least), but I was really excited about a potential multiverse that would merge all continuities. And, to tell you the truth, that franchise definitely has what it takes to do it. If done right, they clearly could explain each timeline as an erased continuity, after Lara and Amanda discovered their first time rift. Or they could explain that another timeline has been erased when Lara re-wrote History at the end of Shadows Of The Tomb Raider. It feels a bit like wasted potential.
All of your videos should be entitled "me ranting about reboot Lara for no reason for 15 minutes"