Tomb Raider Out Today: The Long and Winding Road

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Tomb Raider Out Today: The Long and Winding Road

Tomb Raider for PS3

Crystal Dynamics – where the Tomb Raider team works – can be found in a complex at the end of a long road in Redwood City in San Francisco. Without laboring the comparison, Tomb Raider’s journey from inception to being in stores today has some similarities. You exit a freeway – in our case the conventional expectations of what Tomb Raider should be, you negotiate a lengthy curve (securing support for a bold new direction), negotiate through the stop signs of constant testing and second guessing before finally enjoying what appears to be a smooth home stretch.

Here’s where my comparison breaks down however. While the Crystal team has learned to watch their velocity on approach to avoid speed tickets, Tomb Raider on the other hand has hit the gas and enjoyed a breakneck ride in the past few months to launch. It’s a clichéd term but it truly has been a rollercoaster ride for the team – an unforgettable one – to get to this point.

There’s a reason why we have been using the hashtag #Reborn to accompany all our discussion of Tomb Raider at launch. It truly does represent a new beginning for one of gaming’s most beloved franchises and protagonists. We wanted to make Lara Croft a real, relatable person – prone to the doubts and setbacks we all occasionally experience. What truly sets Lara aside from the average Joe on the street isn’t her biceps, her appearance or what firearm she carries – it’s force of will. Absolute power is compelling in theory but boring in execution – especially in a game. Will to power – or more accurately in Lara’s case, will to live – is the distinction we celebrate with in Tomb Raider.

Tomb Raider for PS3

Under the watchful eyes of the Tomb Raider community we’ve created an experience that tells a truly gripping origin story for Lara Croft, while including best of class combat, an elegant control system that makes traversal second nature, and a living breathing island setting that is not only gorgeous to look at, but perilous at every turn. We didn’t forget about exploration either – with tomb raiding being important both in the game’s critical path as well as forming one of the integral parts of multitudes of diversions on offer. But I’ll let you discover that for yourself.

It’s been my privilege to work alongside a truly dedicated and committed team at Crystal Dynamics. There’s an awe-inspiring level of passion that has gone into crafting this game from our home team as well as our valued colleagues at Eidos Montreal, who worked on the game’s multiplayer. So many people have been integral in the game reaching stores, however, it would be remiss of me not to draw attention to our head of studio, Darrell Gallagher, who has driven the game and pushed the Crystal team from day one to deliver something truly special.

Revisiting my analogy up top: Tomb Raider may have reached its destination, but by no means is it the end of the road. As any Crystal staffer can tell you – the road doesn’t end at Crystal – it loops all the way around. The final verdict on whether we’ve succeeded is a more personal one – but the early indications are we might have struck the right chord. The Tomb Raider community would expect no less from us than absolute commitment to excellence, and neither would we as a studio tolerate less.

In addition to all of this, I am delighted to announce that Tomb Raider is a day 1 download on PSN — you’ll be able to grab it as soon as PlayStation Store updates today.

I sincerely hope you enjoy your time with Tomb Raider. Let us know what you think – we’ll be listening.

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111 Comments

  • Playing it now, and it is really amazing. Love it.

  • Deaths are brutal though. @_@

  • Just in case anyone’s wondering, the store just updated a few minutes ago.

  • just picked my copy up !

  • is this even in the store yet? Cant find it

  • iiiii’m not realy looking for this game i got tired of tomb raider

  • 8:00 PM eastern time and still no PSN update…. guess I’ll try again tomorrow.

  • Tomb Raider Bundle
    SQUARE ENIX CO. LTD.

    – The full Tomb Raider game.
    – 3-pack bundle of the weapons Agent 47 uses in Hitman: Absolution™.
    – Shanty Town multiplayer map, which is a ramshackle area that features steep climbs, multiple ziplines for quick escapes, and deadly traps to set for your enemies.
    – TombRaider Outfit Pack (A 3-pack bundle of outfits for Lara — the Hunter, Aviatrix and Guerilla outfits.)
    – Quantum Conundrum Full Game

    WOW!!!!

  • definitely picking it up, as soon as i can afford it… and only physical copy for me… i like my game shelf…

  • I really wish that the store would update in the morning and at a more consistent time each week. I dislike waiting for the store to update in the evening, and wish it would be updated in the morning before I went to work so I could play when I got home.

  • Store updates are inconsistent, at least that’s what it seems like. One person reports it has updated and another says it hasn’t, even within the same region.

    As of 8:00pm est, store has updated for me :)

  • @Corey2678 just in case you’re suffering from hallucinations due to anxiousness, no it hasn’t.

  • Why do they choose such inconvenient time? Morning makes so much more sense. I find it strange how convenient the times are for Eu and how much better their PS+ subscription is.

  • PS Vita Games’ discounts will continue this week? (Psx as battle royal, dokuro ans others)

  • Does Canada and USA have different content? because my store updated and this isnt in it. Im getting kinda frustrated with the psblog telling me somethings going to be there when it isnt, this is the 3rd time in 4 weeks.

  • the store kind of updated for me..i was able to start downloading spec ops the line and battlefeld 3 endgame just a little while ago but the store layout hasnt shifted to the update yet

  • Tomb Raider Bundle and Metal Gear Rising also avaiable right now na PSN

    Thanks guys!

  • updated. Now downloading Spec Ops

  • Hey Karl. Congratulations on a great looking game, I’m sure it’ll be a blast. On a side note, is there any chance you can pull some strings to get Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen (PS1) and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (PS1) available for the PS Vita, as well as bringing the PS2 Legacy of Kain games to the PSN Store. Thank-you in advance.

  • Can we get an official store post please! I hate navigating the store and missing content.. Please!

  • The Tomb Raider Digital Edition bundle includes: –

    – The full Tomb Raider game.
    – 3-pack bundle of the weapons Agent 47 uses in Hitman: Absolution™.
    – Shanty Town multiplayer map, which is a ramshackle area that features steep climbs, multiple ziplines for quick escapes, and deadly traps to set for your enemies.
    – Tomb Raider Outfit Pack (A 3-pack bundle of outfits for Lara — the Hunter, Aviatrix and Guerilla outfits.)
    – Quantum Conundrum Full Game

    Okay, whoever’s decision it was to not let ANYONE know that TR would be available digitally, that was terrible.

    I picked it up retail, because I had no assurance it would be available on the PSN. Sony would have made more money if I had bought it here, but Saturday night I preordered it from Best Buy because I had given up hope of it appearing here.

  • @71 somebody’s just not getting it, which is a shame.

    Metal gear rising is on pan today and I would’ve waited.
    …sigh…

  • @71 It was announced in the drop over the weekend

  • Really wish this was mentioned on the Drop.

  • Chris_vs_Boulder

    What’s with the fine print statement near the end of the item description – something along the lines of “you’re paying a fee to access the content but Sony owns the digital title, and that you *must* be signed in to PSN to access the content?”

    Does this mean that, if I buy Tomb Raider digitally, I have to be signed in to the PSN to play it? I looked at the item descriptions for a few other recent digital titles and no such blurb appeared.

    Can anyone that has purchased TR digitally (and it has finished downloading) tell me whether or not the game will play if you’re offline?

  • Chris_vs_Boulder

    ^What I’m referring to is the item description in the PS Store.

  • @Chris_vs_Boulder

    That’s how it works on the 360. I bought Skyrim digitally and it only works if I’m signed in. I know it sucks.

  • FYI, for those who are waiting for the Store Update blog post, the store fronts have been updated.

    I’m downloading the free Vita games now :)

  • @75, 76, 77: You have sign in to get content to your PS3 after download you can play offline don’t worry with DLC

  • @79: What content you get for signing in?

  • Store Ops WHER is Store update?! 8.37 PM CST o_O are joking stop playing Tomb Rider I want that too

  • @with that DRM if I want to get the game, I will buy a retail copy used just to screw them!

  • @people worried about DLC purchases.

    Your PSN ID needs to be present on the console for digitally bought content to work.

    This is pretty standard for any digital content purchased from any digital storefront.

    As long as you have an account on your PS3 with that PSN ID attached to it, don’t worry about it.

  • Thanks igorrocks2, I didn’t know that. My internet went down last week for a few hours and I wanted to play Skyrim and it wouldn’t let me, I figured that was due to the fact I couldn’t sign in. Cheers.

  • 80@ look at 75 and 77 PSN is not XboxLive their policy is different

  • @83, with every piece of content I have bought through the PSN, I have never required to sign-in in order to get it to work, so WTF are you talking about?!

  • It clearly says that in order to play it, I need to sign in; and that I can not use the content on other console activated with the same account in a 24 hours period. WTF IS THIS CRAP?

    I buy most games digitally so that me and my brother can play the game. We share the account, so with this nonsense, if I play the game, he needs to wait 24 hrs before playing DAHELL!?

  • @86

    Again, your ID needs to be present ON THE CONSOLE :)

    The console needs to be one of the two devices (or one of the 5 devices if your purchase was pre-license change from November 2011) registered to your account.

    The PSN ID needs to be present on that console in order for it to work.

    I never said you had to be signed in ;)

  • @88 so you have downloaded the game and everything is fine?

  • No I have not, in all honesty.

    However, I would check the fine print with your other content.

    It would be interesting to see if they changed their policy overnight.

    Let me know what you find!

  • Once you create user your user has ID on system to make purchases online you have to have PSN ID once you create ID on system Attached ID PSN to User ID if User who has Online ID which has content delete content other users won’t be able access it on same system once you download content if it isn’t map pack or online related you cant access DLC locally you have to download it and that all as example You can play Skyrim DLC offline Xbox is isn’t PS3 but as matter of fact EA has it’s DRM online verification that’s sucks

  • I was ready to buy. Now i will get your game used when is dirt-cheap. In the next generation this will be the standard. Thanks for ruining gaming, thanks a lot.

  • That’s some mighty awesome DRM ya got there Square…

  • I was looking forward to getting the game but with that online-only DRM it’s unfortunately out of the question. Too bad.

  • this game is getting awesome reviews <3 i've already beat it before the actual release date, lucky for me i got an early retail copy & i'm gonna buy it digital & play it again :D AWESOME GAME

  • @92 no you will get it used cause you’re broke :D seriously u think square enix cares?? a lot of people are buying it & it’ll sell wether you decide to buy it or not

  • I could not agree more with how apt the #REBORN is for this game.

    It IS reborn, into an Uncharted clone!

    Nathan Drake > Lara Croft

    I know that there probably wouldnt be an Uncharted if there was no original Tomb Raider but Tomb Raider shouldnt try being a set piece/movie type experience imo.

    IT was always better when you were actually raiding tombs in the dark with spooky eerie music playing.

  • Soul Reaver reboot exclusive on the PS4!

  • lol if i wanted to play uncharded game I would…put uncharted in. Next time make a game that dont make me think of other games. thanks.

  • I never ever played a Tomb Raider game before, yeah i know it’s sad but i was busy playing other games back in the days, and now with a reboot im ready to give it a try! If i like it i might end up getting the classics just to see what i have missed. Im also glad to see that you guys will continue the story afterwards!

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