Noah Hughes Discusses the Legacy of Tomb Raider: Legend

Today, we celebrate 19 years of Tomb Raider: Legend, Crystal Dynamics' first entry in the iconic franchise. To mark this milestone, our Creative Franchise Director, Noah Hughes, shared his thoughts on the game's legacy and lasting impact:

“When Crystal Dynamics took on the challenge of developing Tomb Raider: Legend, it was with deep respect for the work that came before us. Core Design’s original Tomb Raider games had already made Lara Croft a cultural icon, and our goal wasn’t to redefine her, but to carry the torch forward in a way that honored that legacy while still leveraging the strengths of our studio.

Our first step was to bring Lara to life in a way that felt grounded and believable based on the increased fidelity supported by modern hardware. Working alongside her original creator, Toby Gard, and with character artist Kam Yu, we set out to evolve Lara visually without losing the qualities that made her model from the previous games so iconic. Kam, whose influence on Lara continues to this day, helped us shape a version of her that reflected her confidence and athleticism in a way that was familiar, yet fresh.

You can see this vision clearly in the game's opening level in Bolivia, where Lara emerges into the lush cliffs and ruins, showcasing a new level of expressiveness and realism supported by a variety of technical enhancements.

A major focus for us was Lara's movement and control. Under Riley Cooper's leadership, we took a hard look at how players interact with Lara, with a special emphasis on the "3 Cs": character, controls, and camera. Rather than dramatically changing what traversal meant, we aimed to create a more fluid experience that supported the same kind of exploration and platforming fans had loved for years. We saw this as an opportunity to reimagine what was already great. This design philosophy is fully realized in the Tokyo rooftop sequence, where Lara ascends a neon-lit skyscraper using pole swings, grapple-assisted climbs, and timed jumps. The flow of this sequence offers a clear demonstration of the traversal fluidity we hoped to achieve.

Puzzle design was another area where we wanted to build on the series' foundations. With inspiration from early leadership by Doug Church, we introduced physics-based interactions that encouraged players to experiment and intuit their way through challenges. Our aim was to create environments that invited curiosity and allowed Lara’s intellect to shine in new ways, while staying true to the spirit of discovery that defined the series. A clear example of this is the teeter totter puzzle in the Bolivia level, where Lara must use her weight to launch objects to complete the puzzle. It's a simple but effective moment that highlights how the puzzle designs would incorporate more dynamic physical systems.

Looking back, Legend was Crystal’s first step into Lara’s world, and we approached it with admiration and humility in search of the right balance between fresh and familiar. Whether or not we achieved that balance is ultimately up to the players to decide. What mattered most to us was doing right by Lara’s legacy and we were honored to have the opportunity to contribute something meaningful to her iconic tapestry. Many of the things we learned on Legend by working with Toby and the amazing fans of the series continue to inform our choices as we shape the next chapter in Lara's story and the future of the Tomb Raider franchise.”

Tomb Raider: Legend, originally released for the PlayStation 2, is available on the PlayStation Store.

Video Games

Tomb Raider: Legend