October 25, 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the release of the original Tomb Raider, a game that has become a symbol of video games.
The legendary title by Core Design and Eidos Interactive, which debuted on the Sega Saturn but was later released on PlayStation and PC a week later, is celebrating its 25th anniversary today. With the release of this first title, Lara Croft, an icon who transcended video games to become a very popular character in the late 1990s, began a long saga.
The beginning a successful franchise
The first Tomb Raider introduced us to Lara Croft, an adventurer and archaeologist who had to find an artifact in a series of catacombs and levels filled with puzzles and shootings. Toby Gard came up with the original concept, and development began in 1994, influenced by the comic Tank Girl and, of course, Indiana Jones films.
The design, inspired by Egyptian tombs, was very innovative for the time, as 3D was just getting started and almost everything in the genre had yet to be invented. All of these factors combined meant a success, both critically and commercially, and it became one of the most sought-after games of that year, alongside Resident Evil; in fact, until the 2013 reboot, this installment was the best-selling of the saga.
Following its huge success, the character of Lara Croft, and even the same name of Tomb Raider, made the leap to comics, movies, and permeated popular culture for a long time, despite its success fluctuating over time. Nonetheless, PlayStation and the Museum of London have paid tribute to this incredible title in video game history.
A special celebration
The official Tomb Raider Twitter account – which is composed of Eidos employees who worked on the first title and series fans – has announced that the official 25th anniversary celebration will take place on October 28th.
This is due to the upcoming release of Eidos Montreal’s new game, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, as they want to leave a few days between the game’s release and the anniversary celebration. They have also stated that there will be announcements, special well-wishes, and other events to make this anniversary memorable.
My Take
It seems like every major franchise is celebrating some kind of big anniversary these days. In a few weeks, Halo is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
