Summary
As far as famous video game characters go, few can claim they’re quite as iconic asTomb Raider’s Lara Croft. Debuting all the way back in 1996 withthe very firstTomb Raidergame, Lara Croft became an icon in the gaming world long before her debut title even released, with her likeness slapped on the cover of just about every magazine under the sun. And being such a popular character, Lara Croft is always turning up in places she’s least expected, and her next destination is none other thanCall of Duty: Warzone.
Announced just a day ago,Call of Duty: Warzoneis set to receive its Season 5 update on August 2. Much like the last four,Call of Duty: Warzone’s Season 5 update will add a slew of new content to the game, ranging from new vehicles to a new Resurgence map to a surprising number of new DMZ mode features. But the content that’s getting the most talk online at the minute isWarzone’s Season 5 Operators, with hip-hop icons Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, and 21 Savage all coming to the game soon. But - according to the PlayStation Blog - alongside those other larger-than-life figures,Warzoneis also set to addTomb Raider’s own Lara Croft, which puts the nextTomb Raidergame in an interesting position.
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A New Lara Croft Design Will Now Have to Compete with Call of Duty
Over the last 27 years, Lara Croft has had her fair share of iconic outfits and character designs. Though some of her design is disappointingly exaggerated, theoriginal 1996 Lara Croft designis one of the character’s most iconic, with the pale blue top, huge brown belt, dual holsters, and green cargo shorts. Along with the physics-defying ponytail, this original design for Lara is truly one of her most memorable, and there’s a reason why her outfit has remained largely unchanged for years, albeit with better graphics and (barely) more realistic proportions.
But withTomb Raiderheading into a new stage back in 2013, it was time for a more realistic makeover, and that’s exactly what Crystal Dynamics gave her. Known generally as “Survivor” Lara, this version of the beloved adventurer still has some of the major trademarks of the original 1996 design, but gives them a much more modern look and feel. InTomb Raider2013, Lara still wears a pale blue top, but she swaps out the cargo shorts for regular brown pants, and her hair is a tad shorter, though it’s still fashioned into a more practical ponytail. Over the next few entries, this look for Lara would continue to evolve, with the character’s facial motion capture receiving continued improvement, making this version of Lara by far the most realistic so far.
Though details onthe nextTomb Raidergameare limited, it’s really only a matter of time before more is revealed. While they will be a ton of challenges for the nextTomb Raidergame to overcome, one of the most noticeable will be trying to outdo Crystal Dynamics' Survivor Lara design. The nextTomb Raidergame not only needs to create a brand-new look for Lara, but also ensure that it’s iconic from the get-go and hearkens back to the original design in some way. It’s a tall order, and unfortunately, more competition is about to enter the ring.
Lara Croft heading toCall of Duty: Warzonemeans that fans will soon see a modern Lara character model that will likely be pretty great.Call of Duty: Warzonehas some fairly impressive graphics, andthe recentThe Boyscrossoverhas shown that the developers behind it are more than capable of producing life-like character models. This potentially means thatWarzone’s version of Lara Croft could be the most realistic and graphically-impressive fans have seen yet, making the nextTomb Raidergame’s job even harder.
