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The year is 1999 and Lara Croft is back in her fourth adventure. Excitement ran rampant for fans when Tomb Raider officially surpassed the trilogy mark. Many games of the early Playstation era were strong trilogies with the odd spin-off game or two, take Crash Bandicoot or Spyro. However, the team at Core Design were busy developing more adventures for our explorer in Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation.
Every month, Square Enix will be celebrating a different entry in the Tomb Raider franchise. 2021 marks Tomb Raider’s 25th anniversary. Grab your impossible backpack and let’s embark on Lara’s journey across Egypt.
“I Seem to Remember That Being Down to Your Affinity With Pulling Hazardous Levers”
Growing up with Tomb Raider, I was always desperate to see Lara explore the hidden secrets that lay beneath the pyramids of Egypt. It’s safe to say that Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation made my heart very happy.
On a journey of discovery across Egypt, we join Lara as she races to imprison the Egyptian God, Set after accidentally him on a path of destruction.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation actually opens with a teenage Lara. I can distinctly remember playing the opening tutorial levels with this youthful version of Lara, complete with swinging pigtails on the top of her head. This is one of my clearest memories with the franchise, thinking of it always brings a smile to my face.
Before she became Tomb Raider, Lara spent her youth learning from the very best. We’re not talking about her father, Richard Croft, yet but we will get to him in good time! In this cold open, we see Lara acting as an apprentice of sorts to Werner Von Croy, a renowned archaeologist. It is here that our heroine learns the importance of methodical thinking and how dangerous both greed and pride can be. Her mentor Von Croy hastily retrieves the Iris artefact and triggers a trap, forcing Lara to leave the professor for dead. Or so she thinks…
“Dear Lara, You Are a Valuable Asset to the Quest”
The rest of the game follows our present-day Lara as she explores the Tomb of Set where the God of chaos spends his days. In the depths of the tomb, Lara discovers that Von Croy survived all of those years ago and is enacting his own plan.
Tomb Raider The Last Revelation still has quite the notorious reputation amongst those who played it, thanks to its ending. After trapping Set underneath the Great Pyramid of Giza, we watch in agony as a tired and broken Lara must race to escape the crumbling structure. As she approaches her only chance of escape, Von Croy steps out of the shadows and offers a hand of salvation.
Jaded and injured, we are forced to watch Lara refuse his offer as he is forced to leave her suspended on the pyramid’s edge. This couldn’t be the end of the game. They wouldn’t dare kill off Tomb Raider? Alas, The Last Revelation ends with Lara's fate uncertain and players reeling on what could be the end of this gaming icon. This game gave Lara a breath of fresh air and truly got fans talking.
“On Your Head Be It… Von Croy”
In terms of the 25th celebration, fans were treated to even more content. As Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation took place entirely in Egypt, fans got to explore this stunning culture and unique setting in their artwork, cover reimagining and cosplays.
Crystal Dynamics also marked their support and celebration of PRIDE with Tomb Raider’s 25th anniversary. By the fourth game in the franchise, Lara became a beacon of hope to many. With a large LGBTQ+ community at the heart of the fandom, Ms Croft inspired many to tell their story and to connect with other fans all over the world.
“I Presume By ‘We’ You Refer to Me”
With such an ambitious ending, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation left many gamers with burning questions. Burning questions that will only get expanded upon in the fifth instalment of the franchise, Tomb Raider Chronicles.
For a full breakdown of each and every month of the Tomb Raider 25 celebrations, keep your eyes peeled on Zatu.