The Reinvention of Tomb Raider

Explore the process of reimagining the iconic Tomb Raider franchise for a modern audience in this 2013 GDC talk. Delve into Crystal Dynamics' approach to rebooting the series as Darrell Gallagher and Noah Hughes share insights on challenges faced, goals set, and strategies employed. Learn about the shift from action-survival to survival-action gameplay, the creation of Lara Croft's origin story, and the implementation of the Rule of 1/3 Phasing. Gain valuable knowledge on production techniques, including the "game as VS episodic chunks" approach, preproduction and vertical slice statistics, and the use of experience tools for pacing and story comprehension. Discover pro-tips and lessons learned during this comprehensive look at successfully reinventing a beloved gaming franchise.

DYNAMICS
Outline
Tomb Raider Today
Challenges
Goals
Successful Franchise Re-Invention
Survival Fight to Action Survive
A Survivor is Born
Rule of 1/3 Phasing
Production Overview
Know as you go
Game as " VS Episodic Chunks"
Preproduction Stats
Vertical Slice Stats
Script
Post Production Stats
Experience Tools: Pacing
Story Comprehension
Pro-Tips!