So, you’ve raided every tomb, outsmarted every trap, and gazed into the abyss of Lara Croft’s pixelated past in Tomb Raider Remastered. But what’s next for our favorite dual-pistol-wielding adventurer?
Kudos to Aspyr for taking Lara on a modern-day makeover spree with the OG Tomb Raider trilogy remasters. We got to relive the thrill of dodging polygonal wolves and navigating pixelated pitfalls with a fresh coat of paint. But like any good adventure, there were twists and turns along the way. In the end, however, the reception was positive and successful overall. So, will Aspyr, the wizards behind the recent Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered, heed the fans’ call and resurrect Tomb Raider 4, 5, and 6 from the digital graveyard?
Will We See a Remaster of Tomb Raider 4, 5, and the Infamous Angel of Darkness?
Well, it seems the jury’s still out to determine whether Tomb Raider 4, 5, and 6 will be aboard the Remastered train. While the nostalgia train is chugging full steam ahead, Aspyr might be eyeing their next move carefully.
In an interview, director of product Chris Bashaar put Lara’s dodging skills to shame when he avoided a question about future remasters. “Our focus is on a great launch for Tomb Raider I-III Remastered,” he said.
It turns out not all tomb-raiding adventures are created equal in terms of sales. While the OG trilogy sold like Lara’s favorite artifacts at an auction, the later installments didn’t quite hit the same mark. Tomb Raider 4 and 5 didn’t even come close to the sales of the original trilogy. While 1-3 flew off the shelves, racking up a whopping 20 million copies sold, 4-5 only managed 6.5 million, with 4 doing most of the heavy lifting.
Plus, there is the issue of Tomb Raider 6, or Angel of Darkness, the awkward cousin at the family reunion. While some die-hard fans cling to its potential like Lara clings to her grappling hook, it seems Aspyr might be giving this one a wide berth. And as an AoD defender, I don’t blame them.
With a development cycle stretched thin by internal conflicts and grandiose ambitions, Angel of Darkness stumbled out of the gate with a laundry list of issues. The negative reception hit the franchise like a wrecking ball, which led to dismal sales that failed to meet expectations. The fallout was swift and severe, with Core Design feeling the financial strain and shutting its doors. If I were Aspyr, I wouldn’t touch AoD. Not even with a very long stick. It’s just sad we’ll never get to see Lara’s most iconic outfit remastered.
While the future of Tomb Raider remasters hangs in the balance, let’s not forget the journey we’ve embarked upon. After all, we’ve gone from blocky polygons to fully realized 3D environments. Lara’s adventures have evolved alongside gaming technology, and if that’s enough for Aspyr, perhaps it should be enough for us.
