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Tomb Raider pre-order bonuses include jackets, mud
Depending on which retailer you raid*, you'll get different bonuses with your Tomb Raider pre-order, as has become the custom for retail games.GameStop offers the "Challenge Tomb," a new location full of "environment puzzles." Amazon gives you a raft of content – though not an actual raft, which Lara would probably find useful. Instead, you get a "Hunter Skin" that basically covers Lara in mud; a Kindle Fire copy of The Final Hours of Tomb Raider; and an art book. Best Buy gives pre-orderers a 48-page hardback comic called "The Beginning," and an "Aviatrix Skin" with a bomber jacket for Lara.The images provided with these announcements suggest each retailer will have two more offers, revealed in December and January. There were pre-order announcements for the UK and Ireland, as well, which are detailed after the break.%Gallery-167918%*Please shop in an orderly manner.
The 'Final Hours' of Tomb Raider tells the story of telling a story
How do you reinvent an icon? No, seriously, how do you do that – we've never done it and it sounds hard. For many of the folks at Crystal Dynamics, it's the greatest undertaking of their careers, evidenced in this latest episode of the Final Hours series focusing on Tomb Raider.Tomb Raider lead writer Rhianna Pritchett weighs in with just how much of herself she's put into Lara Croft and what it's like being the first female lead writer in series history. Crystal Dynamics' Karl Stewart also goes into the game's Comic-Con 2012 presence and the anxiety that comes from showing off Tomb Raider to the general public for the first time.This latest episode also reveals pre-order bonuses through Amazon: an art book, in-game skin and a digital copy of the Final Hours series for Tomb Raider for Kindle Fire.
Square Enix bringing FFXIV, Lara, Agent 47, Sleeping Dogs guy to Gamescom
Square Enix has announced its Gamescom 2012 lineup, and all of its big names look to be attending. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn seems to be headlining the event, with on-stage gameplay promised alongside signing sessions by producer and director Naoki Yoshida (will every autograph come with an apology?). Gamescom will also play host to the first European hands-on sessions with Tomb Raider, Hitman: Absolution and Sleeping Dogs.Also on display will be the upcoming PC re-release of Final Fantasy 7 and the retro-styled mobile title Final Fantasy Dimensions.
Rhianna Pratchett announced as lead writer on Tomb Raider
Rhianna Pratchett is handling lead writer duties on the Tomb Raider reboot from Crystal Dynamics. Pratchett, the daughter of fantasy novelist Terry Pratchett, is no stranger to video game storytelling, having contributed to the Overlord games, Prince of Persia and Mirror's Edge.Pratchett has apparently been working on the narrative for Tomb Raider since "its early inception," and has brought "a depth and credibility to Lara" only she can, says Darrell Gallagher, head honcho at Crystal Dynamics. Pratchett, who is at San Diego Comic-Con 2012 this weekend, will participate in two Tomb Raider panels on Saturday. Full schedule and panel descriptions can be found past the break.[Image credit]
The 'Final Hours' of Tomb Raider documented in March, first episode out now
Geoff Keighley's behind-the-scenes "Final Hours" series is taking on Tomb Raider, and he's getting video help from Zachary Levi. Square Enix enlisted Keighley for a "Final Hours" Tomb Raider entry – which Keighley says he's "especially excited" about, due to it being "a tale about the act of reinvention, both of a studio and of a franchise." But Square also nabbed Levi for a video documentary supplement, which kicks off today, a full eight months before the game launches. Those are some long final hours, eh?The completed entry will launch in March 2013 alongside the game, and will once again be available on iPad and PC. Kindle Fire owners can also snag it via Amazon. Check out the first Zachary Levi video entry above.
Raid, Ruin, Sleep, and Dream with Square Enix at Comic-Con
Square Enix is going to be basically everywhere at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, with playable demos in multiple locations, panels, and various other events. The booth (number 3829) will host demos of Hitman Absolution, Kingdom Hearts 3D, Sleeping Dogs, and Tomb Raider.In addition, Kingdom Hearts and Heroes of Ruin will be at the "Nintendo Lounge" at the Marriott Marquis & Marina. Square games will also be on display at the GameSpot Gameroom, Spike booth, and the Xbox Lounge.In addition to all that, Square Enix will sponsor the "Nerd HQ" event and show off its games there, including over 20 playable Tomb Raider demo stations. There will also be a Tomb Raider panel on Saturday, a Hitman "photo sniping contest," a cosplay event, and several other ways to spend your whole Comic-Con only looking at one publisher's video game lineup.
Camilla Luddington is the new Lara Croft in Tomb Raider
Square Enix has announced that Lara Croft will have a new voice actress in the upcoming Tomb Raider series reboot: Camilla Luddington, recently seen on True Blood and Californication. Luddington was born in England, but as seen on this late night talk show, she apparently uses an American accent when appearing on American media.Worry not, though - Luddington has a lovely English accent as well (and you can hear her using it on this clip of Graham Norton's show in the very beginning). She definitely sounds younger than previous Croft voice actors, which Square Enix says will contribute "a depth of emotion and the youthful tone needed for Lara Croft" in the game.
Tomb Raider's first piece of DLC exclusive on Xbox 360
Xbox 360 owners will get an exclusive piece of DLC for Tomb Raider when it launches next year – remember, it was recently delayed to March 5, 2013. Crystal Dynamics' Darryl Gallagher revealed the news during Microsoft's E3 press conference, but didn't go into detail on what the DLC is or whether it would be offered gratis.%Gallery-156939%
Tomb Raider explores retail on March 5, 2013
"I hate tombs," Lara Croft groans in the latest trailer for Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider reboot. And you know what? For all the insanity that she goes through in the gameplay footage above, we're going to let Lara complain all she wants.Earlier this month Square Enix announced it had delayed Tomb Raider to Q1 2013, leaving us hanging for a more definitive date. Now we have it. Lara will arrive at retail on March 5, 2013, for the Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.
Tomb Raider delayed until Q1 2013
The younger, dirtier and unvarnished version of Lara Croft still needs some polish, according to Crystal Dynamics. The developer is pushing back the release date of the next Tomb Raider, from Fall 2012 into the first quarter of 2013. (Yes, the same quarter that now hosts another one of 2012's former heavy hitters, Bioshock Infinite.)"Our priority now is to make sure we fully deliver the very highest quality game," Crystal Dynamics Head Darrell Gallagher wrote. In a missive posted on the game's official forums, Gallagher shared the studio's push to make Tomb Raider "the best game of our careers." The delay will boost quality up to "a level that you deserve," he said.The shift in release date has also given us an unexpected sense of optimism. If enough promising games get pushed into next year, we might actually start rooting for the world's continued existence beyond 2012.
