Amazon Game Studios and Crystal Dynamics have released a new trailer for Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. It’s the sixth instalment in a series of ‘behind-the-scenes’ videos chronicling the making of the upcoming remake, which is being developed by Flying Wild Hog. This latest video shows us some previously unknown elements of the game, and they mark a pretty big departure from the original 1996 title.
Legacy of Atlantis’ “fiery, fabulous and fit” incarnation of Lara has been designed to feel agile and dangerous. She also comes with a ‘focus’ meter that fills as you deal damage, take damage, and dodge attacks. ‘Focus’ allows you to slow down time around you and engage in acrobatic maneuvers that feel good “on the sticks”. This is different from the original title where Lara could perform acrobatic movements on the fly, without the need for a specific ‘focus’ bar.
“When I played the Survivor series [Tomb Raider 2013 onwards] and I could suddenly affect and increase Lara’s power in the game,” says design director Jason Epps, “I felt much more engaged.” As a result, he notes, there is now an RPG-like skill tree in the game, as well as a mechanic that sees you collecting herbs that can be brewed to give you buffs that reduce damage or restore health. Unlike the Survivor series, you don’t gain experience points for upgrades by performing different tasks, but rather by collecting artefacts found dotted around the levels.
“No, sir, I don’t like it,” notes one user on Resetera, referring to the new-fangled mechanics making their way into the classic game. “I hate it,” replies another. “I’m so disgusted, damn it,” says a poster on X/Twitter. “I was really hoping to be rid of all the RPG elements after the Survivor trilogy.” My favourite reply, though, reflects on the dissonance between mechanic and story here: “Isn’t she supposed [to be a] veteran treasure hunter in this game? Why would she be learning new skills at her age?”
Elsewhere in the video, Flying Wild Hog confirms that the iconic dual pistols – a “baseline” tool for Lara – make a return. “We have four weapons in the game, and each weapon is focused on different playstyles, [for] different distances from your enemies,” explains Marcin Steliga, senior system designer at the studio. The devs go on to detail how the shotgun, SMGs, and assault rifle will complement the dual pistols in different situations.
These are some pretty big changes to the game that seem to be going down poorly with the Tomb Raider community. It’s not the first time Amazon, Crystal Dynamics and Flying Wild Hog have come under fire during the development of this title, either: back in June, there was a furore over the studio’s use of AI during the game’s development.
Tomb Raider was once slated for release in 2026, but Legacy of Atlantis will now arrive next year, on 12th February, 2027, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC via Steam. Our own Chris Tapsell enjoyed his time with the game, and remarked on how strangely double-A the whole affair felt.
