It’s December 21, 2012 all over again. Lara Croft is tasked with stopping a Mayan apocalypse in reboot threequel Shadow of the Tomb Raider and, as the first full trailer shows, this is a Lara Croft who is being consumed by darkness, while possibly giving us a little hint at the game’s new style along the way.
The trailer, which you can see below, flits between a human sacrifice and Lara taking down a whole squad of special forces. This isn’t the timid Lara we’ve come to know, nor is it the cocksure archaeologist of the 1990s, twin pistols and all.
No, this is a new Lara, as the trailer is at pains to point out; one who can hunt from the shadows and pick off enemies one by one. It’s teasing a Ms. Croft who packs a bit more of a killer edge, sure, but it’s also showing its hand on the fact that we’ll be getting up to a few stealthier shenanigans in Shadow of the Tomb Raider when it hits on September 14. It’s certainly reminiscent of a certain Arkham City in that regard, which is no bad thing.
As the trailer winds down, we see Lara brutally murder the masked figures who were on the verge of sacrificing the young man and, as she goes to take the hand of the man to help him up, he recoils in fear.
I’m a little worried Shadow of the Tomb Raider is about to head down the Spider-Man 3 route of inner angst in its third entry but, still, it’s a road less travelled for Lara – and it’s about time one action-adventurer faces up to the all the people they’ve killed over the years. I’m looking at you, Nathan Drake.
