Tomb Raider (1996 video game)

Did You Know?

• The expansion pack Unfinished Business was released in 1998, containing new standalone levels.
• The game's music was composed by Nathan McCree, who took inspiration from English classical music.
• A remastered version of Tomb Raider, alongside Unfinished Business, was released as part of Tomb Raider I–III Remastered in 2024.

Development

The initial concept for Tomb Raider was created by Toby Gard during a 1994 brainstorming session at Core Design for the upcoming PlayStation. The staff approved, and Gard began work after finishing BC Racers. Gard and Paul Douglas fleshed out the concept for six months before the team expanded to six people, including programmers Gavin Rummery and Jason Gosling, and level designers Neal Boyd and Heather Gibson. The team mixed the adventuring style of Ultima Underworld with the 3D characters of Virtua Fighter. The development budget was approximately £440,000, and production lasted eighteen months, with excessive overtime and crunch near the end. During production, Core Design was sold to CentreGold, which was then purchased by Eidos Interactive in May 1996, making them the publisher.

Release and versions

Tomb Raider was announced in 1995, but little information was shared until a demo at the 1996 Electronic Entertainment Expo sparked significant interest from both the press and the public. Eidos mounted a major promotional campaign, using models to represent Lara Croft at trade shows—first Natalie Cook, then Rhona Mitra from 1997 onward. In August, a press event toured Egyptian archaeological sites, a feat its organizer Susie Hamilton found surprising. The Saturn version launched in Europe on 24 October 1996. North America saw simultaneous releases for Saturn, PlayStation, and MS-DOS on 14 November, with European PlayStation and MS-DOS versions arriving on 22 November. Later patches made the PC version compatible with Windows 95, though MS-DOS limitations meant it lacked in-game music. Victor Interactive Software published the PlayStation and Saturn versions in Japan in 1997 under the title Tomb Raiders.

Reception

Upon release in 1996, Tomb Raider was widely praised for its variety and depth of control, revolutionary graphics, intriguing environments, and occasional combat that maintained tension. Ryan MacDonald of GameSpot described it as combining puzzle solving from Resident Evil, gory action from Loaded, and 360-degree freedom. The game tied with Street Fighter Alpha 2 for Electronic Gaming Monthly's Game of the Month, with reviewers calling it the PlayStation's best release at the time. Next Generation called it a landmark title and potential trendsetter. Some critics rated the PlayStation version higher than the Saturn version; GamePro scored it half a point higher in every category. However, Next Generation found differences negligible, and Electronic Gaming Monthly stated both versions had identical graphics. Digital Foundry later called the Saturn version the least enjoyable due to lower frame rate and worse audio. Next Generation reviewed the PC version of Tomb Raider Gold, rating it three stars out of five.