After years of silence, Tomb Raider Reloaded will finally be released on February 14. The top-down roguelike mobile game has already confirmed that players will go through familiar locations such as the Lost Valley and the City of Vilcabamba. Keeley Hawes will also reprise her role as the iconic voice of Lara Croft following her appearances in Tomb Raider: Legend, Tomb Raider: Anniversary, Tomb Raider: Underworld, and Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. However, there are other familiar characters from older Tomb Raider projects that fans can expect to see again in the upcoming game.
Tomb Raider Reloaded was announced in November 2020, but got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its early trailer showed off a more cartoonish version of Lara, and had a tone with more in-line with earlier games as opposed to the darker elements of Crystal Dynamics' Survivor trilogy. Since fans last heard about the mobile game, a sequel to the film Tomb Raider (2018) was canceled, and the adaptation rights were bought by Amazon Studios - which reportedly has plans for a film and television series. Fans have not gotten anything new from the British adventurer in five years, but it seems as though Tomb Raider Reloaded will harken back to their nostalgia.
Familiar Faces in Tomb Raider Reloaded
Players can expect many of the characters they met in previous titles to appear in Tomb Raider Reloaded, playing important roles as Lara progresses through the mobile game's various levels. Werner Von Croy, Lara's former mentor-turned-enemy, is set to appear so that he can provide support and bonuses that will inch players closer to progression. Anaya Imanu from Tomb Raider Legend and Winston Jeeves from the series' original timeline are also confirmed to appear. Anaya can heal Lara at no cost to the player, whereas Winston offers a boost in exchange for watching in-game advertisements.
Many other characters that fans will recognize are also confirmed for Tomb Raider Reloaded as the game approaches its official release, although it is not yet clear if they will also act as supportive entities. Demon Hunter Kurtis Trent from Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness has appeared in several promotional materials, but has not yet been confirmed to provide any particular benefits for the player. Larson Conway makes an appearance in a cutscene as part of an early level set in the Andean Mountains, though his boss Jacqueline Natla and fellow mercenary Pierre Dupont are only briefly mentioned.
Soon fans will be able to tell for themselves how Tomb Raider Reloaded holds up compared to the other games in the franchise. But until then, there is still time for prospective players to speculate on what other characters not yet announced could be making an appearance, and what kind of help they may be offering Lara on her next journey. Tomb Raider Reloaded has yet to confirm any characters from the iconic 2001 film or from the Survivor timeline, but with Tomb Raider (2013)'s 10th anniversary fast approaching, the mobile game may be holding off for that special occasion.
Tomb Raider Reloaded launches on February 14 for iOS, Android, and Netflix Games.