The Tomb Raider prequel/reboot has managed to wow audiences with tight gameplay, memorable locations and set pieces, and one of the best portrayals of Lara Croft ever. Thanks to players, she has overcome countless challenges and overwhelming odds, evolving into a badass who, while not quite the dual-pistol wielding femme fatale gamers originally fell in love with, is still quite the ass-kicker. And now, we’ve finally got a good look at the final chapter of the origin of the titular Tomb Raider.
While the trailer is pre-rendered and not representative of actual gameplay, it demonstrates that Lara will be an efficient killing machine in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, effortlessly running through jungles and taking out armed mercenaries as if she were Batman. Well, a Batman who doesn’t have any qualms against killing. Not only does Lara keep her signature ice axe, but she has also picked up some strange ceremonial Aztec knife or machete. Also, Lara has upgraded her trusty bow to fire rope arrows that string up enemies, and she now uses fire arrows as makeshift torches. Again, not unlike a Batman who isn’t above killing.
Speaking of killing, Shadow of the Tomb Raider will feature two different enemy factions: the aforementioned mercenaries decked out in military gear and weapons, as well as some death-happy cultists. While we don’t know if these cultists are a bunch of people who came across some Aztec ruins or are actually a long-lost group of Aztecs, we do know that, judging by the masks, they worship Mictlantecuhtli, the god of the dead. Moreover, these cultists love human sacrifice, although in all fairness, Aztecs sacrificed humans to all their gods, not just Mictlantecuhtli.
Given Lara’s monologue throughout the trailer and how the cultists and human sacrifice (who were rescued by Lara) react to her, Shadow of the Tomb Raider will prominently feature Lara questioning everything she’s done to survive in the past two games. Granted, most of her actions were in self-defense, but she did kill countless people and more than a few supernatural beings. As she asks, just what is Lara becoming? Is survival really worth it if it turns her into a monster in the eyes of everyone else? We’ll just have to wait until the game is released to find out.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider is set to launch September 14th for PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.
