Crystal Dynamics reinvent Tomb Raider as a survival adventure with a young, moving Lara Croft on Yamatai island. The staging is cinematic, the combat gains real urgency, and the adventure remains one of the greatest emotional shocks ever lived in a modern Tomb Raider.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player18+
Description
Action-adventure by Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix, March 2013. Young Lara Croft is shipwrecked on the mysterious island of Yamatai and must survive, hunt and fight to escape cult warriors. Survival mechanic with resource gathering to upgrade bow and weapons, semi-open world infiltration and character transformation narrative. Franchise reboot revealing Lara Croft's origins.
Tomb Raider review
MAX
Art direction
★★★★★
"Iconic"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
A hostile island bathed in rain and mud, striking natural light and raw realism: the reboot plunges Lara into a brutal, credible survival. The care of the settings and the expressiveness of the faces reach a rare intensity. This art direction, polished and immersive, magnificently reinvents an icon.
European (PAL) edition of Tomb Raider, a Crystal Dynamics reboot that reinvents Lara Croft as a survivor on a hostile island, praised for its intensity and production, a big success that relaunched the franchise. Very widespread in Europe, its collector interest is modest, its desirability resting on this status as a successful rebirth rather than scarcity. A prime piece for an action-adventure set.
Is Tomb Raider still worth playing in 2026?
Released in 2013 on Xbox 360, Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider reboots the series with a young, vulnerable Lara Croft, forged by brutal survival on a cursed island. The blend of nervy cover action, exploration and progression through tool acquisition creates a cinematic adventure of great intensity. The careful art direction and the staging of the tense moments leave a mark. The heavier emphasis on combat over tomb exploration sparked debate. But the sweep and the overall quality remain. For fans of action adventure and survival storytelling, this reboot keeps a strong appeal today.
