Tomb Raider Chronicles Announced (PC, PS, DC) : GameSpot UK News

Tomb Raider Chronicles, as it will be known, begins just days after the end of The Last Revelation. Chronicles opens with a memorial service for Lara, but her body hasn't been found. Jean Yves, Winston and Father Dunstan, the Croft family priest, take the opportunity for a few sherries and retire to reminisce about four previously untold episodes in Lara's life. It is these four adventures that will make up the game.

These adventure flashbacks take Lara to Rome, to Ireland as a 16 year-old, into a U-boat and then to the top of a high-tech tower block.

Core is keen to point out that that the gameplay has returned to the clearer, linear style with objectives and goals made plain from the start of the level. Other improvements have been made, say Core, to the graphical detailing and the level of interaction between the characters.

TR Chronicles promises new weapons, including a grappling-hook gun and sniper rifle, and Lara will also sport several new moves that will, says the developer, open up new gameplay areas. Core is keen to emphasise the new stealth elements of the game: enemies now react to sounds and their artificial intelligence has been beefed considerably. Apparently Lara will be able to sneak up behind guards and either cosh them or chloroform them into submission, all without making a sound.

Among these new powers is a "search" option so Lara can rifle through drawers and the like in an attempt to gain information or locate items. She will also be able to combine a large number of items to produce more useful goodies.

Perhaps the greatest news is of the two new costumes, a slinky black catsuit and a natty little camouflage number.

I guess we'll have to wait and see whether Lara returns from her rocky crypt in time for the end of the game.

Tomb Raider Chronicles will be released by Eidos in November for the PC, PlayStation and Dreamcast.

Click on the link above to see PlayStation screens and the link on the right to check out the fabulous PC screens and details of the level editor that will feature in the PC version. Core Design has asked us to point out that these are work in progress screens.