Lara Croft Was Losing Relevance According To Crystal Dynamics.

The game looks phenomenal. But with Lara Croft established as a house-hold name, what pushed Crystal Dynamics to reboot the historical franchise? Brand director Karl Stewart told Rock Paper Shotgun that the character and series was "losing relevance".

The problem, according to Stewart, is that gamers are tired of ol' invincible Lara. It's a trait Crystal Dynamics has reversed emphatically in the upcoming title, beating the young explorer to a bloody pulp. Then stomping on her face. Whilst wearing Doc Martens.

"I think Lara's a beloved character and Crystal has really enjoyed their time they've been able to spend with her," said Stewart.

"We felt she was losing some relevance in the gaming world, that she was a little too hard and removed. We wanted to make her more approachable and relatable.

"I think she became an icon. When you do, you remove yourself from relatability. We wanted to bring her to a place where she didn’t have all those skills, she wasn’t perfect. The modern gamer can relate to that, they want a complex hero."

Stewart also explained that rebooting the series allowed Crystal Dynamics to take the character in new places.

"I think Lara had done all the growing she could. We'd taken her to a great place, to somewhere she had some closure. There weren’t really many more stories we could have told. So we feel like with this new place we have fertile ground and there’s a lot of places we can go."

We're still worried Crystal Dynamics might tone down some of Tomb Raider's more "uncomfortable" moments after a slightly negative reaction from the American press, but we're personally hoping the British developer goes all the way with the reboot's survival horror inclinations.