Tomb Raider has set a benchmark for the genre of video games that it belongs to. It has been one of the longest and the most successfully running franchise and that is well deserved. There are a number of game releases and most of them are connected in one way or the other. So if you are confused about the sequence of the series, here in this guide, we have mentioned all the Tomb Raider games in order of their releases.
Tomb Raider Games In Order
Here are all the games of Tomb Raider in the order of their release dates:
Tomb Raider
- Release date: October 25, 1996
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation, MS-DOS, Classic Mac OS, N-Gage, iOS, and Android.
Unlike her rich aristocratic English family, Lara Croft has a pull towards rare artifacts. She writes about her expeditions and wants to create her own path. Natla Industries decide to hire her in search of Scion, a rare artifact. Everything seems normal and interesting until the contract is canceled and Natla decides to go out and find Scion on their own. Lara discovers that Natla has hidden motives that make everything personal. She decides to out there to find the artifact on her own and unveil the secrets that are buried.
The game has 3D features with aspects of puzzles and combat.
Tomb Raider II
- Release date: October 31, 1997
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation, Classic Mac OS, iOS, and Android.
Carrying forwards the vibe set by the first game, in the 2nd edition, Lara is out on an expedition for the Dagger of Xian. The dagger is rumored to possess the power of a dragon. Given the power and the value of the artifact, a mafia leader is also out there searching for it. The game revolves around how these two parties cross paths and what unfolds when they collide. The search is on and who will get the dagger is a revelation when you progress in the game.
Action and combat were the primary focus of this edition with better graphics and mechanics. They also added new weapons to the game.
Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft
- Release date: November 20, 1998
- Review: Mixed
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation, Classic Mac OS.
Starting from the beautiful jungles of India and finishing in ice-cold Antarctica, Lara has been hired to search for an ancient meteor that is said to have life-giving powers. As the story progresses, Lara discovers the true reason why her contractor wants the meteor so desperately and the story goes through some unexpected turns and twists.
Shifting from action, this one is more into puzzle-solving and exploration. The graphics were once again upgraded.
Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
- Release date: November 19, 1999
- Review: Bad
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, and Classic Mac OS.
Set in the location of Egypt, Lara has accidentally opened up the tomb of Sets where everything starts to fall apart. She has to go through traps and puzzles to survive and come face to face with the dark evil that is beyond the graves. This edition has a script that is slightly different from the other editions that had been released.
A little weaker than the other releases, the developers did try to get in better gameplay and new gear to improve the game and the technicalities.
Tomb Raider (Game Boy Color)
- Release date: June 8, 2000
- Review: Bad
- Platform: Game Boy Color.
The game boy edition is just the first tomb raider but in a 2D platformer and for a portable console.
Again, weaker than the initial releases.
Tomb Raider Chronicles
- Release date: November 17, 2000
- Review: Bad
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation, Sega Dreamcast, and Classic Mac OS.
This game expresses itself in a way that Lara Croft’s friends share her adventure stories that revolve around a hi-tech city, Catacombs of Rome, a German U-boat, and more. The game is divided into 4 storylines that are narrated after Lara Croft is assumed to be dead in the last edition.
This game could not live up to the standards of the series either.
Tomb Raider: Curse of the Sword
- Release date: June 25, 2001
- Review: Nil
- Platform: Nil
This edition was nothing but a remake of the first Tomb Raider game but in a 2D platformer mode designed by Game Boy Color. The game was however never released or ported to other platforms.
Tomb Raider: The Prophecy
- Release date: November 12, 2002
- Review: Good
- Platform: Game Boy Advance
Exclusively on Game Boy Advance. This edition was a handheld one with a top-down isometric view.
The game is difficult than the original one.
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness
- Release date: June 17, 2003
- Review: Mixed
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 2, and macOS.
With Europe as the location this time, Lara Croft is on the run this time trying to get a clean chit after being falsely accused of murdering her mentor Von Croy. She has no choice but to cross paths with a secret alliance that is destined to take over the world.
With mixed reviews under its belt, the storyline, and the graphics everyone appreciates the graphics. The game was criticized for the poor implementation of its newly introduced stealth mechanics.
Tomb Raider: Legend
- Release date: April 7, 2006
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, and Nintendo GameCube.
In this edition of the game, Lara is on an adventure to find the key to the Stone Dais. This is where she is diverted to search for another artifact and brought up against a rival tomb raider who she has assumed was dead.
This game finally lived up to the expectations of the franchise and had a perfect combination of puzzles, combat, and adventure. Crystal Dynamics, the new developers of the game had a large part to play in this.
Tomb Raider: Anniversary
- Release date: June 1, 2007
- Review: Good
- Platform: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, PSP, Xbox 360, Wii, and macOS.
With a new game engine, the Anniversary edition is a remake of the 1996 Tomb Raider with Natla and Scion. The puzzles are harder in this game than the previous version with a few overall modifications.
The game was completely revamped on a new engine and emphasized more on puzzle solving.
Tomb Raider: Underworld
- Release date: November 18, 2008
- Review: Mixed
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, Nokia N-Gage 2.0, and macOS.
Lara Croft is out to search for the entrance of Avalon where she searches for her long-lost mother. The story that started with Tomb Raider Legend concludes in this edition and ends the story.
The game was a little too simple to play with this time around and features a couple of levels that were almost unbeatable.
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
- Release date: August 18, 2010
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Sony PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, iOS, and Android.
Guardian of the light has two playable characters, Lara and Totec, a 2,000-year-old Mayan warrior. They work together to defeat the evil spirit of Xolotl and find the Mirror of Smoke.
This edition has a top-down view with emphasis on 2-player cooperative play. The game did not invest much time in the plot but the game overall was great to make up for it.
Tomb Raider (2013)
- Release date: March 5, 2013
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, macOS, Nvidia Shield, and Google Stadia.
This is an origin story that progresses to narrate the journey of Lara and what made her who she was. From a little girl to a hardcore survivor, the story tries to connect dots and give more background about the character to make the game more personal. It had a Japanese tone to it.
The 2013 edition aimed for a more realistic approach to the franchise adding a cover and a crafting system.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris
- Release date: December 9, 2014
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Players can find it on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
Sequel to Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, this edition has 4 playable characters that are in the Egyptian environment. Lara has teamed up with Carter Bell, a rival treasure hunter, and Isis and Horus gods to defeat set, a dark evil deity. They stop the diety from enslaving all of humanity.
With an isometric view and a co-op gaming mode, the game did not have anything significantly new but is a pretty decent edition.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
- Release date: November 10, 2015
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, and Google Stadia.
The adventure begins in Siberia where Lara Croft is searching for answers to questions that her late father left unanswered. Here, she is face to face with an ancient organization that does not want her to succeed.
Rise of the tomb raider is just plain beautiful. Keeping everything aside, the game features environments and locations that are just aesthetically pleasing.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
- Release date: September 14, 2018
- Review: Good
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, macOS, Linux, and Google Stadia.
Sequel to the Rise of the Tomb Raider, Lara now has the burden on her shoulders to save the world from a Mayan apocalypse. She realizes that this is what she was destined to do and everything is against her. The story is beautiful and will bring the true meaning of the video game series out.
Developed by Eidos Montreal, this is the latest addition to the Tomb Raider franchise and is going pretty well.
There have been a few mobile releases of the tomb raider game in the following order:
- 2003 – Tomb Raider: The Osiris Codex
- 2004 – Tomb Raider: Quest for Cinnabar
- 2004 – Tomb Raider: Elixir of Life
- 2005 – Tomb Raider: Puzzle Paradox
- 2013 – Lara Croft: Reflections
- 2015 – Lara Croft: Relic Run
- 2015 – Lara Croft Go
So that is all for our guide on Tomb raider games in order. If you would like to know more about some amazing games, we have covered some interesting guides that you might want to check out.
