With our last 'What is this era' post we covered the 'Classic Era' of Tomb Raider games as an introduction to those new to the franchise. The Classic era built a foundation for the legacy to come. The next three games in the series are considered the first reboot of Lara Croft, after a massive shift in the industry focusing much more on active action-adventure style game play, enhanced 3D graphics, and deeper, more focused storytelling. The games released from 2006 to 2008:

• Tomb Raider: Legend

• Tomb Raider Anniversary

• Tomb Raider: Underworld

These three games would be developed on the Legend engine: an engine that would cater to custom realistic physics, an updated control scheme, and more open environments. In fact, the game engine used for Legend would be derived from another beloved series, Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. The AI for the games were made smarter, better, faster, but thankfully not a great deal stronger. Tomb Raider Anniversary in specific is unique in that it's a reboot of the original 1996 game.

When we took to social media to ask you what you, the fans, loved about the LAU era, we were once again overwhelmed with the positivity and praise you shared! Here are some snippets below:

"THE ACTING & WRITING! keeley portrays lara perfectly and elevates the character to new heights! the gameplay is really addictive mixing acrobatics, combat and puzzles together is fun and the customisation is another high note for me especially in legend! " - CROFTAOD

"If they want a Lara that's very much Agent-coded, LAU is the go to solution! " - Potchary

"My favourite games in the franchise!! I think this trilogy has such a great story, and one of my favourite things about it is how it intertwines Arthurian legend and Norse mythology. It also introduces some great characters and builds on existing ones (zip, natla, doppelgänger " - CroftCrazy31

"Best era of the series. Bridges the gap between classic and survivor PERFECTLY. Best voice actress - Keeley gave the definitive performance of the character, period. Tons of diverse locations. Best levelset in the form of Thailand. A fresh take on TR1. " - XXI

"They’re fun games to explore and play around in. The games connect to make a trilogy that a lot of us fans loved following between 2006 & 2008, with much fan-inspired media drawing from the cutscenes. Very memorable games that will stay with you forever " - MallowRex

"quite literally the *exact* definition of FUN - amazing voice acting/characterisation, fluid gameplay, varied and vibrant locations, and easily the best music the franchise has produced ‍ " - matthewostridge

"Legend specifically got me into Tomb Raider and still holds a special place in my heart. The writing, music and gameplay were a few of the standout aspects that made the game incredible. The trilogy as a whole was amazing and would be a shame to miss out on. " - TheSuperWicked

"When I was younger my dad showed me Angel Of Darkness and Legend, I liked AoD’s story but Legend felt so fresh and addicting. I vividly remember the teaser for Underworld and I was so f-ing excited to play." - itsyoboyKIMANI

"Mostly because of its enjoyable gameplay. Levels were placed in various and interesting locations. That was true action-adventure game. Lara was sassy, smart and also dependent on her environment. We had Zip, Croft Manor, ex-calibur, original soundtrack, dual pistols, interesting tombs, motorcycle, etc. But most memorable advantage of this trilogy was Amanda. In my opinion that was one of the best written characters and story throughout TR series. In my opinion Tomb Raider Legend is TR in its finest, " - Dorian

"Oh underworld... what a magnificent gem of a game... By far my favorite part of Underworld is the scenery!!! Whether you are undersea cave diving with a giant octopus, scaling cliffs, dodging panthers in the jungle, or descending into a norse realm, I think that is the game with the most beautiful landscapes from any TR game ever made... " - Jan

"I thought that it showed the humanity of Lara more than the original games, what they said they wanted the new games (tomb raider 2013, etc) to be about. When she freaks in anniversary about killing people, when you can see she's contemplating losing her mother and father when she destroys the scion, THAT cutscene with Amanda, when she finally finds her mother after all that time, when she swears on Alistair's body that she's going to kill a god. Thats what made Lara Croft a hero to me. " - Mandy

"Tomb Raider Anniversary made me fall in love with the Tomb Raider franchise. This trilogy has a strong, athletic beautiful and charming Lara. Her attitude and sassy dialogues are well written. And the most gorgeous of all, is her voice, given by Keeley Hawes The games are easy enough to play through, but difficult enough to enjoy it. Her acrobatics and the Croft manor are a gem! I recommend this trilogy very much for the beginners of the Tomb Raider gaming. " - Daniel

"Legend was interesting because of your guns locking onto the target! It also added a new feel about kicking and staggering your target. It also streamlined the whole bronze/silver/gold rewards for tangible rewards and cheat codes (neat sunglasses, golden weapons and infinite ammo, and a certain awesome sword skin). It also brought into play the speed run concept. As a trilogy, it was all linked as one coherent storyline—where is Lara’s mom? Not only sunglasses, but you could change outfits!!!!! " - Jeremiah

"The graphics (at least for the PC versions) have aged well, and both Lara and the scenery are stunning. They're fun and present varied locations, challenges and outfits. Cool supporting characters such as Zip and Anaya. Captivating antagonists. " - Ian

"How the story carries over, the PUZZLES, TOMBS to explore(their beauty and design as well), the music, and she had her iconic pistols TO. MAKE. HER. POINT. MOTHER!

She was strong, determined, smart, quick witted, sassy, athletic and resourceful.

I looked up to her as a childhood role model of sorts in her classic 90s era and the Legend Anniversary Underworld era just solidified my respect and admiration for her." - Sable

The LAU era was a trilogy that linked together parts of the broader Lara Croft story while exploring a whole new way to play as Lara Croft, with the introduction of new characters and new mechanics. What were your favorite moments in the LAU Era of Tomb Raider? What were some of your favorite additions? Make sure you're subscribed to our mailing list to get updates on the latest community blogs!

Community

Video Games

Tomb Raider: Legend

Tomb Raider: Anniversary

Tomb Raider: Underworld