Shadow of the Tomb Raider Won't Include Lara Croft's Most Iconic Weapon

The forthcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider looks to be the largest -- and best -- game in the series, with a closer focus on storytelling, epic action and some of the best visuals in the series to date. However, that doesn't mean everything is going to be included with the next Lara Croft experience.

Sirus Gaming recently posted an interview with game director Dan Bisson, who explained that while she still has a lot of great weapons in her arsenal, a couple of key ones will be missing -- the iconic twin pistols she's had since the debut of the original Tomb Raider on the PlayStation.

"No, I don't want that. For us, this is her defining moment," Bisson said, speaking with Xbox Official Magazine in its June 2018 issue. "We're not going to put her in shorts with double pistols; wearing a bikini; that's not what this is."

For Shadow, Bisson is putting a lot more focus on Lara's bow and arrows. "It's because the twin pistols have an iconic thing about them," he explained. "For this trilogy -- not saying anything about later on, I don't know about the future titles -- but for this trilogy, the bow is still her signature weapon."

That may not be a decision that sits well with everyone. After all, Lara has become known for her twin pistols over the years -- not to mention their ample supply of ammunition. In fact, even the new Tomb Raider movie that debuted in theaters a while back features Alicia Vikander, as Croft, picking up a pair of twin pistols towards the end.

But based on the hands-on impressions we posted a while back, there's still a ton of thrilling action to go around, so they may not entirely be missed. And we agree that a younger, gutsier Lara Croft doesn't need shorts or a bikini to survive, as she's more about what she can get done instead of how she looks.

To that end we do hope that Square Enix considers returning Lara's twin pistols to her in the future. They're deadly accurate and pack a punch -- even if you have to shoot a bear a few times to bring it down. (Old-school memories of the original game there, folks -- look it up.)

Shadow of the Tomb Raider arrives on September 14 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.