Tomb Raider’s Lara Croft is one of the most iconic video game characters and an image shows how her model has evolved across various games in the franchise. Lara Croft made her debut in 1996’s Tomb Raider and has been the face of this franchise for over 20 years.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the latest AAA game in the Tomb Raider series and it was released in 2018 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Shadow of the Tomb Raider received lower review scores than the two games preceding it, with most of the praise being directed towards the tombs and the puzzles. Following its release, Square Enix gave the franchise a break as its western studios were busy on Marvel's Avengers and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Now, one fan shares an image of Lara’s various models across 20 years of Tomb Raider games.
A Reddit user named CouchPotatoFamine has uploaded an image showing how Lara Croft’s model has changed across the Tomb Raider series. The image puts all the faces on top of each other, so it doesn’t show all the features of the various character models. Still, the face, neck, and hair are visible for fans to make some interesting comparisons. In addition to the increase in detail, users will notice how Lara’s hairstyle has changed throughout these years.
Some fans think that the fifth Lara Croft model looks the best, and many point out the awkward-looking third rendition of her face. Players also comment on how Lara appears to get dirtier as the series goes on, with the final model having more detailed dirt on her face. One fan remembers being blown away at the animated ponytail in the first version, and another user comments on how they thought video game graphics won’t get any better after seeing a mirror reflection in Max Payne 2. Many players agree that the first few models look like dolls, but opinions otherwise seem varied.
Square Enix recently sold Crystal Dynamics and the Tomb Raider series to Embracer Group in a $300 million deal that also included Eidos and Square Enix Montreal. Following its confirmation, it was revealed that the next Tomb Raider game is currently in development at Crystal Dynamics. It’s being built in Unreal Engine 5, although it’s said to be in early development. Not much else is known about this game, but Crystal Dynamics aims to give fans a "next-level storytelling and gameplay experiences."