Rhianna Pratchett, lead writer ofย Tomb Raider (2013)ย andย Rise of the Tomb Raider (2015)ย is finally saying goodbye to Lara Croft. In a tweet posted by Pratchett, she says that she is “packing up her climbing axe, plus a little venison jerky for the road, and bidding a fond farewell to Lara Croft”. It is time for “new adventures”.
There were a few years between Tomb Raiderย games before the 2013 reboot happened. When it was finally released, playersย witnessed a lot more characterization to Lara Croft and a depth to her that had been essentially nonexistent for almostย fifteen years. Her flaws were more visible, as were her undeniable strengths and it all made her well-rounded and realistic, a character that players could easily root for during the nearly thirteen hour game.ย Pratchett succeeded in bringing out a story thatย was uniquely Lara’s, a backstory befitting of the icon that millions around the world have come to know.
Pratchett continued to exploreย the depth of Lara’s character and push the excitement of her adventuresย inย Rise of the Tomb Raider. Now a more experienced adventurer and hardened survivor, Lara’sย story unfolded even more smoothly than in the reboot, with stakes that were even higher.
Rise of the Tomb Raiderย thenย went on to win “Outstanding Achievement in Video Game Writing” at the 2016 Writers Guild of America over other popular titles likeย Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, Pillars of Eternity,ย and the heavily-driven narrative gameย The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.ย Not only the did Rise of the Tomb Raiderย release to overwhelmingly positive reviews, but the ending of the game was open enough where a third installment in the reboot series would not seem far-fetched.
In addition to being bittersweet, Pratchett’s tweet was also humbling. Sheย thanked the Tomb Raiderย community and fans of the series,ย as well as the Crystal Dynamics team for “their dedication”.ย We are looking forward to seeing new projects from Pratchett in the future.
Keep checking The Nerd Stash for more news.
