New 'Tomb Raider' game expands on Lara's backstory

Hot on the heels of the successful
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, there's another Tomb Raider game coming from the same Crystal Dynamics team.

Ninth in the core series yet titled simply Tomb Raider, the game is setting itself up as an origin story for the risk-taking archaeologist. This time, a shipwrecked Lara is primarily concerned with finding a way to stay alive.

1996's original Tomb Raider has already been remade as 2007's Tomb Raider: Anniversary, but the upcoming Tomb Raider appears to be a series reboot rather than a simple remake.

Crystal Dynamics studio head Darrell Gallagher said "We are exploring things that have never been done before in this game," promising a "character-defining journey like no other."

The company has issued precious little information other than a press release, artwork for a cover of Game Informer magazine's December 11 issue, and a new logo.

However, TombRaiderForums.com has compiled a more detailed list of speculated features, setting the game upon a remote Japanese island, and tasking Lara with uncovering its mysteries and fending off viscious wraiths by means of improvised tools and weapons.

The presence of those ominous creatures may be part of the reasoning behind the game's provisional 18+ rating displayed on the official website's UK variant, and implies that Tomb Radier is to take inspiration from the survival horror genre.

Corporate logos also indicate that the game is in development for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, with online functionality present.

Should the new Lara adventure launch towards the end of 2011 as expected, it could find itself contending with Infamous 2, Batman: Arkham City, and perhaps even Uncharted 3 and a new Assassin's Creed title - all of which inhabit a genre highly influenced by the first in the Tomb Raider series.

Official site: TombRaider.com