Beginning with the reboot in 2013, Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider trilogy is a great a modern day adaptation of the iconic action-adventure series that dominated during the original PlayStation era. Going for more of a realistic and gritty take, this trilogy puts a younger Lara Croft through quite a bit, from crash landing on an island and having to survive against mercenaries to taking down an entire religious cult.
While the story of these games is certainly more grounded than some older Tomb Raider titles, this new plot isn't without its otherworldly plot twists and absurdly explosive set pieces. With a new Crystal Dynamics Tomb Raider game now confirmed to be in the works, there's never been a better time to recap the trilogy's story.
Tomb Raider (2013)
Acting as a brand-new origin for the Lara Croft character, 2013's Tomb Raider sees the young university student set out on her first adventure. While trying to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai, Lara's ship, the Endurance, crash lands on an uncharted island in the Dragon's Triangle. Unconscious, Lara is taken to a nearby cave by a scavenger, who is then killed as the cave collapses, and Lara escapes. Lara staggers her way around the island, trying to find her fellow crew mates. Lara eventually runs into Sam and Mathias, and the three set up camp.
The next day, Lara finds Whitman, Reyes, Jonah, Alex, and Grim, all members of the expedition. Whitman and Lara go in search of Roth, the last member of the crew. On their journey, the two find evidence that the island was once inhabited and its people worshipped Himiko, suggesting that this island is in fact Yamatai. Lara and Whitman are captured by islanders, and along with some other crew members, are hunted down after an escape attempt. Lara is confronted by Vladimir, who she has to kill in order to survive, marking the first life she's taken.
Lara then finds Roth, who is in an injured state. She takes it upon herself to climb the mountain, reach the relay at the top, and send out a distress signal. A plane receives the call and heads to Lara's location, but is quickly taken down by a mysterious storm.
As the plane's crew are killed by the islanders, Lara is told that Sam has been taken by the island's inhabitants, who have been identified as the Solarii Brotherhood. Lara rushes to rescue Sam, but Mathias turns on her. Just before Lara is killed, she is saved by some undead samurai warriors known as Oni, who then take her to a mountaintop monastery.
Lara makes another escape, this time ending up in an ancient ritual chamber. Here, Lara discovers that an "Ascension" ceremony is used to determine the island's next Sun Queen, and that Sam has been chosen as the successor, where she'll be burnt alive. In an attempt to stop the ceremony, Lara heads to the Solarii fortress with Grim, who is then captured. Grim sacrifices himself, and Lara barely escapes, with Roth coming to her aid. Lara sneaks into the fortress and interrupts the ceremony but is restrained by Mathias' henchmen. The ceremony continues, but Sam is not killed by the flames.
Upon stumbling upon the corpse of an old samurai, Lara discovers that the Sun Queen's original successor killed themselves before the ceremony, leaving the spirit of the Sun Queen to be trapped for centuries, which has led to the island's mysterious storms. Lara realizes the Ascension ceremony transfers the soul of the Sun Queen into a new body.
As Lara returns to the camp, she discovers that Whitman has betrayed the survivors and has given Sam back to Mathias. Lara and the crew arrive at the monastery, where Whitman is killed by the undead samurai. In the final moments of the game, Lara grabs two pistols and shoots Mathias, saving Sam by obliterating the Sun Queen's decaying remains. The crew are then rescued by a cargo ship and Lara vows to uncover more myths.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
Rise of the Tomb Raider opens with Lara and Jonah climbing some Siberian mountains. As the two spot the ruins of Kitezh, a flashback plays. Two weeks prior, in London, Lara spotted an unknown figure in her father's apartment window. A recording of her father Richard Croft plays, saying that he is close to finding immortality, but a zealous sect named Trinity is close behind him. Lara meets with Ana, her father's former lover, and explains that she's found the Prophet's Tomb, which allegedly holds the secret to immortality called the Divine Source. Ana tries to discourage her, but Lara is sure that her father was right.
In Syria, Lara finds the Prophet's Tomb, but finds it empty, and is soon surrounded by Trinity armed forces. The leader of this force, Konstantin, opens fire on Lara, but she escapes. Lara returns to Croft Manor and discovers that a cross symbol in the tomb links to the ruins of Kitezh in Siberia.
A mysterious figure breaks into Croft Manor and fights Lara, but is scared off by Jonah, but not before stealing the research of Lara's father. The two then head to Siberia. Now in present day, Lara runs into Trinity, who are also trying to find the Divine Source. Trinity is engaged in combat with the Remnant, a group dedicated to protecting the Divine Source.
Lara is eventually captured by Konstantin and thrown in a cell with Ana. Ana reveals herself to be Konstantin's sister. Lara refuses to join Trinity and is left in a cell with Jacob, the leader of the Remnants. The two escape, and with the help of the Remnant people, Lara finds the Atlus, an artifact which shows the way to Kitezh.
Lara learns that Jonah has been captured and wounded by Konstantin. Lara rescues him and brings him to Jacob, who heals him, revealing that he is the immortal Prophet. Lara enters Kitezh and fights Konstantin. Before killing him, he tells Lara that Trinity killed her father.
Before Lara can reach it, Ana picks up the Divine Source, but is overwhelmed by its power. Lara grabs the artifact and destroys it. In a post-credits scene, Ana is killed by a sniper, who is given orders not to kill Lara just yet.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Set a few months after Rise, Shadow of the Tomb Raider sees Lara and Jonah tracking down Trinity to Mexico, this time being led by Pedro Dominguez. In Mexico, Lara finds the Dagger of Chak Chel along with murals that warn of a Mayan apocalypse called the Cleansing. Dominguez captures Lara and takes the Dagger, revealing that the Cleansing has now begun, and Trinity intends to use its power to reshape the world to their liking. A tsunami then destroys Cozumel, with Lara and Jonah escaping just in time.
Lara and Jonah track down Trinity to the Amazon and find the hidden city of Paititi. Here, Lara finds the city's inhabitants, who tell her that the Box of Ix Chel can be used to stop the Cleansing and grant the user the power of the god Kukulkan. Lara and a native named Unuratu attempt to take the box from Trinity, but the latter is captured. Lara comes into contact with otherworldly beings known as the Yaaxil, who is led by Crimson Fire. She learns that the Box was stolen years ago by a Spanish conquistador named Andres Lopez. Lara attempts to save Unuratu, but she is killed by Rourke, a commander of Trinity.
Lara and Jonah find the Box in Lopez's tomb, but are confronted by Trinity, who leave with the Box and Dagger. The two return to Paititi, where they help the inhabitants to stop the ritual with the aid of the Yaaxil. Lara defeats the Trinity leader Amuru, and absorbs the power of Kukulkan, which she uses to stop the Cleansing. The post-credits scene reveals that Lara's new goal is to protect the world's mysteries, not steal them, setting up a new chapter for the Tomb Raider series.