With Shadow of the Tomb Raider just a few weeks away from release, Square Enix is riding high on hype for the franchise, as players celebrate the immaculate return of Lara Croft. So it would make sense then for Microsoft to highlight her legacy in their own special way.
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Today, the company announced that two classic Lara Croft games will be joining the Xbox One backward compatibility program. In fact, they should be available now — and if you haven’t picked them up yet, they’re on sale for pretty unbeatable prices if you’re an Xbox Live Gold member.
Let’s look at each of the games, and why you should add them to your growing digital game library! (Physical discs work well too, if you want to take that route.)
Also, if you’re curious, the full list of Xbox One backward compatible titles can be found here!
Tomb Raider: Legend
Following the release of the disappointing Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness in 2003, Square Enix shuffled Core Design — the original creators of the series — off of the project, instead giving it to the talented crew at Crystal Dynamics. What happened next would change the course of the series for the better.
Tomb Raider: Legend released in 2006, becoming Lara’s debut on Xbox One while also entertaining fans on PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. The game became an instant success, cementing Crystal Dynamics as the series’ continuing developer for years to come, including Lara Croft’s effective reboot in 2013.
Here’s the official game description:
“Lara Croft, one of the greatest explorers of our time, is on the path of one of History’s greatest legends, a weapon with the power to command peace or destroy. In hostile locations around the globe, diabolical traps, ancient guardian machinery and a figure from Lara’s past stand between her and the powerful relic. In this thrilling adventure for the truth behind a Legend, Lara will discover the key to her own past, and her future.“
What’s more, the game is on sale right now for an unbeatable price, as you can snag it for just $1.99. That sale price should be good all week — and the game’s content more than justifies its purchase. Don’t miss it!
Tomb Raider Anniversary
Following the successful release of Legend, Square Enix tasked Crystal Dynamics to “remake” the original Tomb Raider for contemporary audiences to enjoy. What followed was the enjoyable Tomb Raider Anniversary, a game that paid loving tribute to the adventure that started it all while providing a few new wrinkles here and there for fans to enjoy. The game sold reasonably well, prompting Crystal Dynamics to continue on an original new adventure, Tomb Raider Underworld, which released a year later. (By the way, Underworld is currently on the Xbox One backward compatibility list as well, and going for an incredibly cheap price of $2.)
Here’s the official game description for Anniversary:
“When Lara Croft is hired to retrieve a mythical object called the Scion, she begins a dangerous search across isolated and desolate worlds, places untouched for thousands of years. But Lara is not alone; the tombs are guarded by fearsome creatures, and close behind are others desperate to learn the Scion’s powerful secrets. Celebrate ten years of Lara Croft with her latest action adventure inspired by the original Tomb Raider, one of the greatest action adventure games of all time.“
It’s also on sale for just $1.99 for Xbox Live Gold members, so don’t let this nostalgia pass you by!
Shadow of the Tomb Raider releases on Sept. 14th for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
