ORIGINAL TOMB RAIDER MARKS 27 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Today marks twenty seven years since Tomb Raider released on the Sega Saturn in the United Kingdom and Europe. Tomb Raider, starring British archaeologist Lara Croft, was originally developed by Derbyshire-based studio Core Design and published by Eidos Interactive on 24th of October, 1996, as shown in an early advertisement for Tomb Raider on launch day courtesy of Daily Mirror.

Tomb Raider has gone on to become a powerful franchise, spawning eleven mainline entries, three motion picture adaptations starring Academy Award-winning actresses Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, a number of Lara Croft spin-off games, promotional crossovers and a steady stream of merchandise. U.S. studio Crystal Dynamics is currently developing a new multi-platform Tomb Raider title powered by Unreal Engine 5 that will continue Lara Croft's story in the Tomb Raider series.

Critically acclaimed as one of the most innovative and influential games of its genre, Tomb Raider follows the adventures of the British female archaeologist Lara Croft as she searches for the legendary Atlantean Scion.

In addition to being the first to feature a female lead character and setting the standard for future action/adventure games, Tomb Raider was also among the first games to introduce third-person perspective - the camera always remains behind Lara or around her, depending on her in-game position.

Tomb Raider was supported by a captivating score composed by Nathan McCree. The unique blend of synth and strings would become the signature sound of Tomb Raider for a further two Lara Croft-helmed adventures. Nathan McCree would later remaster the original Tomb Raider soundtrack in Abbey Road, London, and the accompanying Tomb Raider Suite would be performed live by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Lara Croft, daughter of Lord Henshingly Croft, was brought up in wealth and privilege. This changed when, on returning from a skiing trip, her plane crashed in the Himalayas. Lara - then aged 21- was the only survivor, and having to stay alive on her own in the wild had a huge impact on her. She found she could no longer bear the sheltered world of British aristocracy and turned to adventuring instead.

Lord and Lady Croft did not agree with their daughter's rejection of the lifestyle intended for her and Lara was soon disowned. She turned to publishing books about her discoveries to fund her trips, and has made a name for herself by discovering several important archaeological sites, as well as stamping out Bigfoot.

It is shortly after the Bigfoot discovery that Lara Croft is contacted by the CEO of Natla Technologies, Miss Jacqueline Natla, and hired to recover the piece of the Atlantean Scion from an unfound tomb in the Peruvian Andes. Ever the adventurer, Lara accepts the job - but soon discovers that she is not the only person after the artefact, and that her new employer isn't at all what she seems to be.

During her explorations, Lara Croft faces dangerous deathtraps, deadly enemies, complicated puzzles, and the best of all - powerful bosses. Being in control, the player's objective is to guide Lara throughout the vast, complex levels and find the artefact(s) she seeks. The game focuses primarily on puzzles and exploration, but there is also a fair bit of combat involved - making great use of the surprise factor.

Lara's movements were designed to suit her surroundings and allow her to interact with different objects. Movements include running, walking, jumping, side-flipping, side-stepping, swimming, rolling, traversing while hanging off a ledge and pushing movable objects. Lara is also able to perform two acrobatic special moves: the handstand and the swan-dive.

While underwater, a breath bar appears indicating the amount of air left in Lara's lungs. Lara can hold her breath for about 2 minutes, after which she will drown. While on land, Lara's default weapons are twin pistols with unlimited ammo. Additional weapons can be found during the progress of the game, including the Shotgun, Magnums and Uzis.

Many factors may lead to the death of Lara Croft. Some merely cause damage, while others are immediately fatal (such as falling off a high ledge or getting run over by a boulder). Damage caused by enemies varies by enemy type, with those at the beginning generally being easier to kill and less nasty than those near the end of the game.

Some of the more powerful enemies include dinosaurs, gun-wielding humans and various creatures. To restore Lara's health, players can use medipacks that can be found everywhere. They are either small or large, restoring 50% and 100% of Lara's health respectively. Fire causes rapid decrease of health and, unless put out by jumping into water, kills Lara in a matter of seconds.

The game has only one outfit, the default outfit which has become Lara's signature look. During Tomb Raider 25, a celebration of 25 years of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider, it was revealed the original Tomb Raider had sold 7 million units.

Take a trip down memory lane with a plethora of assets showcasing Tomb Raider, bolstered by content released as part of Tomb Raider 25, a celebration of 25 years of Lara Croft and Tomb Raider.

Original Tomb Raider Reimagined by Brenoch Adams for Tomb Raider 25