GameSlice: Behind the Scenes of the Computer and Video Game Industry

GameSlice Daily Editorial

March 21, 2000

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Tomb Raider V?
Rumors have been circulating on the Internet that Eidos is planning to once again bring Lara Croft to the PC this fall with Tomb Raider V. Admittedly Eidos has created a marketable franchise with Tomb Raider (and the last PlayStation game did quite well). The company has proven that once you have a play mechanic that works, gamers will continue to buy a sequel that is little more than just a gussied up version of the original. However, with Con Air director Simon West about to start directing the Tomb Raider movie (starring Oscar nominee Angelina Jolie), I think it's about time that Eidos give Lara a brand new paint job – Heck, I'd rather see a Tomb Raider racing game come out this Christmas instead of another generic Tomb Raider sequel.
In reality what Eidos should do is license a high-quality 3D engine and breathe new life into the Tomb Raider series by adding a serious plot and a better control scheme. (To this day, I maintain that Heretic II's mouse controls are still more intuitive than Tomb Raider's). The character of Lara Croft has enough cachet to warrant a really high quality 3D game that could re-invigorate a series that by all accounts has began to stagnate. Sure, a assembly-line Tomb Raider V will probably still sell well, but if done right, an exciting new sequel could easily put Tomb Raider at the top of the PC sales charts.

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