Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis’ Beautiful Visuals Can’t Quite Hide Its Weird Changes

I know Lara Croft well. At least, I feel like I do. You see, we've grown up together. From the original Tomb Raider games, I was hooked. As a young girl, I had an insatiable sense of wonder following Lara's adventures, and as a teen I was enthused when Crystal Dynamics took over development and rescued Lara from Core Design's clutches back in 2007. I even remained on board for the series reboot in 2013, although my interest in the titular tomb raider had waned slightly. At the time, I was most keen to see how Lara fit into the gaming world almost 20 years on from her debut, and I came away feeling like she was the most realistic version of herself she had ever been--initially frightened and vulnerable, but honing her skills and gaining experience as the reboot trilogy progressed. Now, with an extra decade under her belt (and mine), Lara Croft is returning to her roots with a reimagining of her classic adventures that has me feeling pretty skeptical. I'm excited for another title in a franchise I adore, yet concerned that I was pretty happy with Lara's origin story, and rehashing it once more could tarnish that experience. The original Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis announcement l…