The 2013 Tomb Raider reboot almost took a different shape. It was almost a spookier title that was more like a mix of Silent Hill and Ico. But Square Enix didn’t speak much about it. The publisher released a slew of videos about the canceled title called Tomb Raider: Ascension, showing branding and early gameplay, some of which had already leaked out years prior.
The official Tomb Raider YouTube channel has released three videos so far on Ascension. The first shows early concept art of the game, revealing a more realistic version of Lara Croft. Her more grounded approach has some similarities to the iteration seen in the 2013 reboot. These slides also have monsters in them, hinting at its horror origins, as well as more classic, naturalistic Tomb Raider environments.
The second video has actual gameplay in it, which is admittedly quite rough. The gameplay is mostly placeholder assets and effects, but shows Lara traversing a dark cave, shooting arrows, using a flamethrower against foes in a building, hacking and slashing against a monster, and riding a horse outside while a huge being stalks her. It’s quite different from what Tomb Raider has been in the past.
The most recent video shows what box art the game could have had as well as potential logos. It is paired with “exploratory VO” to evoke a certain tone.
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“You think you know me?” she says. “Think you’ve seen me before? The Brit princess. The rich girl with the pretty face, shiny guns, and a flair for gymnastics. I think you have got me mixed up with someone else. I’m not perfect. I’m not bulletproof. I struggle. I bleed. I get cold. I get lost. I have doubts. I know pain. I know fear. One day, I will become a legend. A warrior. A hero. A raider. But first I will be a survivor. Still think you know me? Think again.”
This canceled reboot hasn’t had this much official attention, but it has been a known quantity for some time. Rough gameplay made its way onto YouTube in 2013 and even showed some of the same footage found in Square Enix’s newer videos, proving its legitimacy. Geoff Keighley’s Final Hours on the game even had some information about it. And in an interview with MinnMax from February 2021, former Creative Director and Franchise Director Tim Longo spoke openly about the title and how it related to games like Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, Lara’s cut companion character (which is likely one of the beings in the concept art), and the tricky balance of trying to do new things with a franchise without alienating what it is at its core.
