Tomb Raider Remake Gameplay Changes Are Dividing Fans

Amazon Game Studios has released the sixth installment in its behind-the-scenes series about the development of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis. The remake of Lara Croft’s original 1996 adventure is set to be released next year and will update the game for modern players. While that includes graphical improvements, the new video details gameplay changes and not everybody is happy about what was shown off.

The “Combat & Progression Reimagined” video posted on the official Tomb Raider YouTube channel this summer gives an in-depth look at a handful of new systems coming in Legacy of Atlantis. Game director Raul Siquera details one major addition to the remake: Focus.

“When you’re taking damage, dealing damage, dodging attacks, you’re building your Focus meter,” Siquera explained, “Focus allows you to slow down time around you and showcase some of the things that Lara used to do in 1996.” In practice this lets players unlock more of Lara’s iconic acrobatic moves after building Focus.

Design director Jason Epps detailed two more changes in Legacy of Atlantis: a skill tree and herb collecting. Both of these elements are heavily inspired by mechanics in Crystal Dynamics’ Survivor Trilogy, which revolved more around Lara needing to scavenge for materials and upgrade her skills. “When I played the Survivor series and I could suddenly affect and increase Lara’s power in the game, I felt much more engaged,” said Epps. Crafting takes on a Resident Evil-style system, letting players make items that heal Lara but also give her buffs.

Image: Crystal Dynamics/Flying Wild Hog, Amazon Game Studios

The response to the Focus meter has been fairly muted. In fact, in some of the footage shown off, it looks quite cool when executed properly. The skill tree and crafting, on the other hand, have been met with widespread derision. A ResetEra thread discussing the video is full of comments like, “No sir, I don’t like it,” and “I hate it.” Another user asks, “Isn’t she supposed to be a veteran treasure hunter in this game? Why would she be learning new skills at her age?” As the original Tomb Raider was a relatively straightforward game that had none of the RPG bloat that seems to permeate modern games, many hoped Legacy of Atlantis would harken back to this design ethos.

While the additions are divisive, it seems the developers are trying to merge elements of the original Tomb Raider games with the Survivor Trilogy. That’s not too unexpected given the series is trying to establish a more unified timeline with new games. Even the skill tree has an interesting twist, as Lara will gain skill points by collecting in-game artifacts rather than leveling up through experience points. In an attempt to reassure fans that Legacy of Atlantis‘ gameplay won’t stray too far from the original, the developers revealed that the entire game can be played with just Lara’s dual pistols. Epps said, “If you decide that you want to play with the dual pistols the entire way and be iconic. Absolutely.”

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is coming to Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X on Feb. 12, 2027.