Tomb Raider

About the Game

Tomb Raider (1996) is the first game in the legendary series starring British archaeologist and adventurer Lara Croft. Developed by Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive, it originally launched on Sega Saturn on October 24, 1996, followed by the PlayStation version in November.

The story revolves around the Scion, an ancient artifact associated with the lost civilization of Atlantis. Lara is hired by Jacqueline Natla to recover one part of the artifact from Peru. She eventually discovers that the Scion consists of three pieces, each connected to one of Atlantis' ancient rulers, with another piece hidden in Greece.

Greece becomes one of the game's major settings. Lara explores St. Francis' Folly, the Colosseum, the Palace Midas, the Cistern and finally the Tomb of Tihocan, an Atlantean ruler whose tomb contains another piece of the Scion.

The Greek section combines archaeological exploration with fantasy and mythology. Ancient structures are filled with traps, mechanisms and puzzles, while Lara encounters increasingly dangerous creatures and supernatural elements. The setting therefore plays an important role in the game's atmosphere and narrative rather than being merely a brief geographical stop.

Gameplay combines third-person exploration, platforming, environmental puzzles and combat. Lara climbs, swims, jumps across gaps, searches for hidden passages and fights both conventional and supernatural enemies. The game's third-person perspective and emphasis on exploration helped establish the formula that would define the Tomb Raider series for years to come.