What Could Have Been / Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider

What Could Have Been in this series.

---

Concept art of a scrapped male playable character and an early version of Lara Croft with her last name being Cruz

General

• Before things started to formalize with legal assistance, in the early days of the franchise, there was a project for a comics series by Glénat, green-lighted by Eidos. Dark Eons managed to only release a single issue before it was quickly cancelled and removed from the market, as other branches of Eidos finalized their deal with TopCow. The single issue has a considerably different tone, themes and atmosphere.
• Before Square Enix took over and went for a complete reboot, Crystal Dynamics was working on Tomb Raider: Ascension, which was going to be a completely different genre and experience than any previous game. It was intended as a Survival Horror game set in open world, with Lara travelling around on horseback and fighting for her survival against hordes of supernatural beings summoned by something in that area. The game also had very detailed physics for bows... and flamethrowers. Many elements from Ascension were later retooled to be used in Tomb Raider (2013), which might explain why certain elements of the 2nd reboot feel a bit disjointed from the rest (like the concepts of finding shelter and food).
• A LEGO crossover game between Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider was proposed (at the time, Travelers Tales was on good terms with Eidos, and it was felt that the latter series wasn't quite popular enough to warrant its own standalone LEGO game and most likely not demographically appropriate ether), but the idea was immediately shot down when pitched due to George Lucas' dislike of the Tomb Raider series, feeling the series was a shameless ripoff of the Indiana Jones series. The closest thing we can probably get would be the Avatars recreating her.
• A port for the Gizmondo was cancelled after the handheld's disastrous launch.
• Lara Croft was also floated for inclusion in Playstation All Stars Battle Royale at one point. Crystal Dynamics were approached, but ultimately turned it down because they wanted their rebooted version of Lara to appear in her own title first (strangely, they were never asked for Kain or Raziel, despite Legacy of Kain's association with PlayStation). Just imagine how awesome a fight between Lara Croft and Nathan Drake would have been.

Core Design era

Tomb Raider I

• In this early beta FMV, from when it was still Laura Cruz, a Moai head from Easter Island instead of an Egyptian temple is shown when she combines the Scion, implying the location of the third and final piece. Also, a journal on a boat shows the name of "Arthur Hamilton Graves", who was originally intended to be the antagonist before Jacqueline Natla.
• Lara Croft was originally envisioned as a Spicy Latina character named "Laura Cruz", who was rather militaristic, with Cruz being an outright mercenary. It was decided to make her British in order to appeal to the home market more.
  • And before that she was envisioned as a man, before Core started worrying about how much they would be sued for.
• One mechanic was "Permadeath" that was scrapped early on.
• Lara was originally intended to have her iconic braid in gameplay, but the programmers couldn't get it to work right. They managed it by the sequel, though.

Tomb Raider II

• The game was originally going to have dynamic lighting to reflect the passage of time, such as going from day to night. This was never realized in the final version - it wasn't until Tomb Raider III dynamic lighting other than flares was added to the game engine.

Tomb Raider III

• All Hallows might've been another level in the London section with the Cathedral Key being required to unlock a door to the next level (the key itself is only used as a secret in the final version of the game). The filename of All Hallows is called STPAUL.tr2, which would indicate that the level would be based on Saint Paul's Cathedral. It would also make sense that the next level would have taken place there since Lara jumps down the shaft of the bell tower at the end of Thames Wharf, but the final version of the game has her falling down a shaft leading to the decommissioned Aldwych subway tubes.
• As shown in the behind-the-scenes featurette on one of the PlayStation Underground discs, Lara was supposed to have a knife in this game but it never came to fruition.
• The second level, Temple Ruins, was originally named Temple of Shiva. Since no-one was that willing to desecrate an actual temple, the name was dropped.

Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation

• Apparently, no one at Core or Eidos ever thought to ask Jean-Yves Empereur if they could use him as the basis for Lara's friend. Jean-Yves, a French archeologist residing in Alexandria (Empereur's specialty and excavation site for most of the 90s) - was a bit of a stretch for the pure coincidence Core was claiming. The in-game version of him even looks as close◊ as the engine would allow◊. Empereur was livid after discovering that his likeness was being used without his formal consent, and threatened to sue. The issue ended up being hastily settled, including a formal apology from Eidos to Empereur with the assurance that it would never happen again. This included the character being retired and promised to never appear in future games. Empereur himself later stated that if anyone had simply asked or informed him in advance of the intent to include him in the game, that he'd have had no real problem with it and could've even offered time as a consultant. To make matters worse, Jean-Yves was replaced by a new character in Tomb Raider Chronicles, Charles Kane, for the sake of being Lara's best friend to fill the void. Which ended up garnering a "who the hell is this guy" reaction from most of the fanbase. The change was made so hastily as well, that when some copies of Chronicles were actually shipped out early - they ended up being beta copies that still featured Jean-Yves.
• Also, in the early planning stages of Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, it was Jean-Yves, not Von Croy, who would be killed at the beginning of the game.
• Originally when they wanted to kill off Lara they thought of decapitating her but the idea was scrapped.

Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness

• The game was meant to take place in four separate locations at the beginning of development - Paris, Prague, Germany, and finally Cappadocia. With this structure, The Angel of Darkness was also originally conceived as a single game rather than a trilogy. The strict deadlines imposed by upper management meant this original concept was unfeasible with the time allotted for development. Murti Schofield, the lead writer of AOD, ended up having to condense the story as much as possible to fit inside of Paris and Prague, since there wasn't nearly enough time to flesh out the other two locations in a single game. The idea for a trilogy to expand the concepts not explored in Angel of Darkness came about because of this, though obviously the game's negative reception meant this never came to be.
• After Tomb Raider Chronicles wrapped up production, Core had intended to begin focusing the games on Lara herself and leaving the "Tomb Raider" persona behind, since Chronicles was intended to be the last game in the "classic" format (which is also why they released the Level Editor for that game.) One such indication of this was that they had planned for The Angel of Darkness in particular to just be titled Lara Croft: The Angel of Darkness. The decision was two-fold - to highlight that it was a more personal narrative than they'd ever done before, and also to tie into events like the murder mystery surrounding Von Croy in the game itself. When they relayed this decision to Eidos, they refused on the grounds that the series had been established long enough at that point that no one would buy the games unless they recognized the distinct brand carried by "Tomb Raider" itself and the style of gameplay it had. Because of this, Core was ultimately forced to re-add Tomb Raider back to the title, even though they knew that much of the game was not created in the classic Tomb Raider format. This ended up backfiring heavily. In addition to the game's other problems, many a player ended up being confused as to why the game was distinctly urban in nature for a large part of the game, and why so little of the game's levels were spent in anything resembling a tomb.
• Kurtis' inclusion in the game was intended by Core to be the start of branching out from Tomb Raider into other potential IPs. The idea was that if he was well-received in The Angel of Darkness, he would continue to appear and possibly have a larger role in any sequels to the game as well as receive his own game series - tentatively titled Demon Hunter. If he wasn't liked, then his implied death near the end of the game would be final and the character would be retired. Due to the game's negative reception, Core were forced to cancel any potential sequels and spinoffs - which put a firm end to any of this. However, ex-Core members have mentioned in the years since that they were satisfied at the time with how he was received in general.
• The random strength upgrades applied to Lara after completing seemingly menial tasks was intended to be part of a much larger upgrade system for the game. The idea was that after the events surrounding The Last Revelation and Lara escaping death, she'd become "rusty" with her abilities - to supplement the idea of "starting over". The upgrade system itself was intended to add more depth by adding RPG-like features such as determining what the upgrades could be used towards in regards to her abilities. It was described by Operations Director at Core, Adrian Smith, as "build your own Lara." The strength upgrades themselves were meant to relay the idea that Lara was having to rebuild her actual physical strength after so long. The system was reportedly complete and functional and would've most likely shipped with the game, but the shift to having the game released by June 2003 meant that the level designers and programmers most likely had no time to integrate the system across the game. Instead, an extremely basic implementation was used instead to give Lara upgrades when she needed them. This ended up being extensively criticized by fans, who found the system in the released game to be pointless and silly.

Crystal Dynamics era

Tomb Raider: Legend

• Early trailers showcased a variety of things that didn't make it into the final product. Examples include Lara being able to use a rocket launcher and doing backflips off of diagonal surfaces. The Tokyo level was originally meant to have a longer biking segment upon the rooftops which would culminate with Lara crashing the bike into a traditional Japanese garden. Lara was also shown visiting more locations, one of which was nearby a beach, possibly an early version of Croft Manor. The Nepal level had Mooks in different apparel and what looked to be a small camp.
• Other minor changes include Lara originally having a Core-like braid. Also, in the flashback section of Peru, 2 early models of Lara resembling her look in Angel of Darkness are hidden under the ground, untextured.
• The guidebook revealed there was supposed to be a motorcycle segment on a motorway in the England level, as Lara chases down Rutland's thugs who have kidnapped Zip and Alister. The segment was cut.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary

• Both the concept for the project and its initial production were conceived by Core Design in a bid to either get the franchise back or at least deliver a remake of the first game. Core’s version of the project was known as Lara Croft Tomb Raider: 10th Anniversary Edition and slated to release on PSP and PC. Leaked materials reveal a game that resembles a genuine remaster of the original, updating its assets but keeping Core's trademark complexity of levels and not touching the plot, gameplay, or characters that much. This is in stark contrast with the Broad Strokes approach of Crystal Dynamics, with all of the game's content rebuilt and re-imagined from the ground up, making a lot of changes that didn't sit well with fans of the original, tying the story with their overarching narrative and, which alienated the fandom the most, greatly shortening and simplifying all the Marathon Levels. After Core’s pitch was shot down, they hastily retooled the game into an Indiana Jones title, before being scrapped. The engine from that game ultimately was used as a basis for Free Running, a sport game about parkour. Assets from Core’s project have slowly leaked on the internet over the years, culminating in the release of a playable alpha build of the PSP version in December 2020.
• There was going to be blood shown on Lara's hands in the cutscene where she kills Larson, but it was removed in the final version. However, people found out that certain unlockable outfits would have the blood show up on Lara's hands and in the final cutscene, they would be gone to signify that Lara has come to terms with what she did to save the world. This is likely what the developers had intended for Lara's default outfit before they disabled the blood textures and it's also likely they forgot to disable the blood toggle on the other outfits.

Tomb Raider: Underworld

• Discussions took place for a 3rd DLC level to follow Lara's Shadow. One idea involved the thralls breaking up through the streets and invading London, which would've resulted in Lara sacrificing her life in order to save the city. The idea was well received but was ultimately decided to be too grand in scope for a downloadable level. The next concept was tentatively called Raiders, and would've been an isometric level that would've featured an army of Lara doppelgangers. Though the idea was abandoned, the isometric format was repurposed for Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light.
• A Dummied Out cutscene shows an extension to the game's ending where Amanda tries to kill Lara with a rock, causing Lara to avoid the attack, shoot her in the leg, and leave her behind. The scene being cut was likely done to keep the ending bittersweet rather than having the two women continue their hatred towards each other after everything they went through.

Crystal Dynamics/Square Enix era (survivor timeline)

Tomb Raider (2013)

• Tomb Raider: Ascension, the proposed game that eventually turned into the 2013 reboot. To say it would have been different than the previous games is an understatement:
  • The game was fully open-world, with Lara using a horse to travel to and from areas. Her design in the early prototypes used the same character model from Tomb Raider: Underworld, although this was a placeholder – the same model was used as a stand-in for Sam in an early shot of the scrapped opening sequence.
  • The game heavily focused on survival-horror and featured fantasy-inspired enemies and creatures, with some being the size of giants and others being undead. As shown in prototype demonstrations, one gameplay encounter had Lara (on horseback) flee from a hulking monster that chases her through a forest by a coastline, which causes Lara to fall off her horse and eventually jump into an open ravine (pursued by other demonic creatures) in order to escape.
  • Lara also had a female child as a companion, who she would be able to pick up and carry on her back. As shown in concept art, the child would also protect Lara at one point from an enemy. Likewise, at least one piece of concept art hints at the fact that Lara may have had a nightmarish doppelganger of herself, who carried her signature pickaxe.
  • Lara also had several different weapons. Aside from her pickaxe (which appears in the final game), she could wield a machete (or dual-wield with a gun), and used a flamethrower to clear out enemies in a tomb, as well as an improvised flamethrower consisting of a gas tank and lighter.
  • Lara herself went through several different design iterations, including variants where she wore her signature holsters and a ripped outfit and (as the game eventually became a reboot) a different face for her eventual player model that sported a braid. In addition, there were originally plans to have her clothing get gradually more ripped and tattered throughout the game.
• Rhianna Pratchett has stated in interviews that if she could have gotten away with it, Lara would have been revealed to have been in a lesbian relationship with Sam. As it stands, Lara's orientation is never explicitly stated in the game, although there is a lot of subtext in her interaction with Sam, depending on whether one chooses to interpret it as such. Gail Simone said she would have liked to have written Lara and Sam as a couple in the comic continuation, had she been permitted.
• An unused soundtrack piece indicates that the ending was going to be much darker, with Lara likely forced to kill Sam to stop Himiko. This was confirmed by a developer: in a cutscene, Lara would stab Sam in the back with a knife once Himiko possessed her. The idea was shot down as "nobody liked that ending" and it was deemed "very unsatisfying." Interestingly, this would have fit the moral that Roth explains to Lara that "Sometimes you've got to make sacrifices, Lara. You can't save everyone.
• The flooding of the S. S. Endurance and Lara's subsequent escape from the sinking ship were originally playable sequences. However, the entire section was ripped out and only present in the final game as brief video flashbacks accessed at the base camps. Before completely scrapping this segment, the developers attempted to move parts of it to a "flashback sequence", intended for the late game when Lara explores the shipwreck on the beach. However, according to a developer, "it didn't work at all so we removed it."
• Early builds of the game used a health system closer to that of earlier games, including the use of medipacks to heal. However, the health bar was one of the "victims of modernization", according to a developer.
• An S. S. Endurance crew member named Steph can be seen in some concept art, and also found tied up in the first sacrificial shrine that Lara finds (although she goes unnamed). She had a larger role in earlier versions of the story, but the overabundance of characters forced the development team to cut out most of her role in the game.
• The game originally featured a 4-player co-op campaign, with other players controlling other characters besides Lara. The mode was scrapped due to story and scope considerations.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

• The initial trailer for the game involving Lara speaking to a therapist about the events of the previous game implied the focus of the sequel would be Lara's PTSD from everything that occured. This had little to do with the released game and instead Crystal Dynamics opted for a more standalone story. Lead writer Rhianna Pratchett has stated since in interviews that it was indeed her intent to focus on Lara's PTSD. As it didn't fit the direction the gameplay department wanted to take the game, she was encouraged by the studio heads to instead make the narrative work on its own to fit the gameplay design. This decision apparently gutted her from being relinquished the control of the story she wanted to tell, as she stepped away from and vowed to never write in the AAA game industry ever again. The Microsoft exclusivity deal made for the game is also believed to have affected this somewhat.

Film Series

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

• Amongst the candidates to play Lara Croft included Christina Applegate, Drew Barrymore, Sandra Bullock, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst, Elizabeth Hurley, Milla Jovovich, Ashley Judd, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Moore, Denise Richards, Charlize Theron, Uma Thurman, Liv Tyler and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
• Nathan McCree and Michael Kamen were originally set to score the film at various points, but due to Executive Meddling, Graeme Revell was selected as a last-minute replacement.
• Martin Clunes was originally asked to play Lara's butler, but filming dates clashed with his wedding anniversary (he makes a special point of never working on his anniversary), so he turned it down.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life

• Craig Armstrong was originally announced as the film's composer before Alan Silvestri was hired.
• A third film was planned for a 2005 or 2006 release since The Cradle of Life did better internationally, but it was scrapped when Jolie decided that two films was enough and thus the next film ultimately became the 2018 reboot.

Tomb Raider (2018)

• Several actresses were considered for the role of Lara Croft before Alicia Vikander landed it, such as Gemma Arterton, Hayley Atwell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Emily Blunt, Emilia Clarke, Alexandra Daddario, Rosario Dawson, Summer Glau, Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Lawrence, Rhona Mitra, Elizabeth Olsen, Daisy Ridley, Kaya Scodelario, Kristen Stewart and Emma Watson.
• Kathryn Bigelow was considered to direct.