Eidos has officially announced the next entry in the Tomb Raider series of games is being targeted for a December 2008 release on Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, and three other platforms. Tomb Raider Underworld is currently in development at Crystal Dynamics, the studio responsible for Tomb Raider Anniversary and Tomb Raider Legend.
In Tomb Raider Underworld, Lara Croft finds herself exploring the jungles of Southern Mexico. It is here she must solve the mystery of five missing days of the Mayan calendar, believed to be a time when unwelcome critters from the Underworld are able to find passage into our world.
Gameplay details are fairly scarce at this time, other than a handful of tidbits revealed in interviews such as Game Informer magazine’s piece with creative director Eric Lindstrom. From this we’ve learned Crystal Dynamics is aiming to combine shooting, climbing and puzzle solving into a single experience, rather than three separate entities that never intertwine. A new grapple feature is one of the methods Lara will use to help facilitate this new dynamic.
Olympic gymnast Heidi Moneymaker has been signed to provide motion capture for Lara’s acrobatic moves. They should look splendid running on an all-new engine that emphasizes dynamic lighting with maps designed to take advantage of light and shadow.
These first-released screenshots from the game are from the Xbox 360 build. Consider the PS3 version is likely to be near-identical, if not identical, we’ve labeled them as belonging to both consoles. Enjoy Lara artfully examining an ancient temple, and check back regularly for more Tomb Raider Underworld updates.
