Natalie has seen new gameplay footage from the Tomb Raider remake. And she’s already drooling over it.
A long braid down to her hips, acrobatic jumps from a handstand, dual-wielded pistols—my Lara Croft is totally back! Why “my” Lara Croft? Because I grew up with this icon. The adventures of the fearless archaeologist were the reason I fell in love with video games in the first place and ended up here today at GlobalESportNews .
So my nostalgic heart is beating even faster as I watch brand-new hands-off footage of the Damocles Trial in Greece at gamescom 2026. Not that I ever doubted Dani’s Summer Game Fest preview, but I can only agree with my colleague: Even in its early alpha version, Legacy of Atlantis looks absolutely stunning!& nbsp;The remake is beautiful and looks exactly like how I remember the 1996 original in my nostalgic, idealized memories.
During the presentation and in a one-on-one conversation with Michał Kuk (Creative Director) and Jeff Adams (Experience Director), I dug deeper to highlight the biggest gameplay differences from the original for you. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
1. Crafting Instead of Medipacks
In the demo, it happens right at the start: Lara gets injured by a swarm of bats (yes, those pesky beasts are back, too!) and needs to heal herself. But instead of simply picking up an iconic first-aid kit off the ground, she gathers resources and quickly crafts her own healing ointment. Later in the level, she even brews herself an explorer’s stew, which noticeably reduces damage taken from traps—such as the famous Damocles swords raining down from the ceiling—for a short time.
Experience Director Jeff Adams provided me with a very convincing explanation for this in an interview. While you could forgive a lot amidst the pixelated graphics of 1996, in today’s nearly photorealistic rendering it simply seems completely absurd when a fresh, modern medipack is suddenly lying around in a tomb or ruins that have been sealed for thousands of years. The developers want Lara to navigate her way through the environment authentically and organically, taking her survival into her own hands.
I’d never thought about it that way before, but it sounds absolutely logical. Although I’d find small snacks like maggots and caterpillars wrapped in leaves a bit more realistic than stews and potato dishes. Hakuna Matata or something like that.
2. The New Scanner
When Lara stands in front of a massive gate in the demo, she pulls out a brand-new gadget: the scanner. Instead of silently searching the area as she used to, the device promptly analyzes the mechanism and tells us that four keys are needed, three of which are already in place. It can also highlight other interesting objects in the environment at the push of a button.
Jeff Adams explains right during the presentation what the gadget is actually meant for. Its greatest strength lies in the lore feature. The scanner analyzes ancient objects and provides fascinating historical context, allowing Lara to better reconstruct the history of the ruins. I’m actually really excited about this—after all, as a kid back then, I didn’t understand many of the references to mythology and legends in the original game.
For example, why did Lara turn into a golden statue when she climbed onto King Midas’s hand?! In *Legacy of Atlantis*, you no longer have to pore over books (or Google) for the explanation—you get the answer right in the game.
But don’t worry: the puzzle help is completely optional. If you’re looking for the satisfying feeling of deciphering the clues on your own and working hard to figure out the solutions, just leave the scanner in Lara’s backpack. So the game doesn’t force you to use it. But if you’d like a few hints, you can access the device at any time.
3. The New Level Structure
As Creative Director Michał Kuk reveals in an interview, the levels for Legacy of Atlantis weren’t simply recreated block by block. Instead, he revisited the old areas in his mind’s eye and used the defining core memories as a foundation. Everything in between was organically restructured to support and highlight those iconic moments.
In the demo, for example, the developers show us the Damocles Trial in Greece. Of course, the swords are a must here—they make it difficult for Lara to simply leave the chamber. So the swords were retained as a core element because many Tomb Raider fans also remember this trial. However, the puzzle surrounding them has been expanded and modernized, and now includes more platforming sections and climbing sequences than the original.
As a Tomb Raider veteran, I think that’s fantastic! After all, I get to experience my favorite adventure again from a completely new angle, even though I already know the levels inside and out.
4. Skill Trees and Slow Motion
It really comes as no surprise that we’re seeing some kind of evolution in the combat system in Legacy of Atlantis. After all, the shootouts in the original were kept to an absolute minimum. In the remake, Lara jumps around, dodges with acrobatic maneuvers, fires her iconic pistols for all she’s worth—and even uses slow motion to deal even more damage even faster. Once the so-called Focus Bar is full, we can slow down time and string together precise hits.
In an interview, Jeff Adams explains to me that modern progression systems have been built in so that players can find their own playstyle. Those who struggle at certain points can specifically improve Lara’s abilities.
The demo provided a perfect example of exactly that: When some of the Damocles swords hanging from the ceiling were too far away and too hard to hit with normal shots, the developers quickly added the “Dead Eye” ability, which helps Lara with precisely these kinds of long-range precision shots. According to Adams, players who don’t like these modern convenience features should be able to simply ignore the skill tree.
What else is new?
- Dynamic Music:The iconic melodies from back in the day have been completely rearranged for the remake to create a new atmosphere, and now accompany your exploration with a modern, dynamic orchestral soundtrack—surging during combat, for example, and fading into the background during pure exploration.
- Outfits from Collectibles:Players who diligently search every nook and cranny of the tombs for hidden artifacts will be rewarded by unlocking alternative outfits for Lara.
- The Grapple Hook:With the new “Grapple Cuff” on her wrist, Lara can now not only swing gracefully across chasms, but also activate distant switches or pull heavy objects toward her.
- Clever Wildlife:Predators like the leopard behave much more intelligently, using the terrain to their advantage and even attempting to sneak up on Lara from behind unnoticed.
- A Talkative Lara: Lara now not only occasionally comments on the action but even engages in radio banter with her rival, Pierre Dupont.
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis releases on February 12, 2027, for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Editor’s Verdict
Even though, as a die-hard fan of the classics, I had to take a moment to process the news when I first heard about crafting stations and skill trees in my beloved Tomb Raider—the gamescom presentation has put my mind at ease for now. Even after speaking with the developers, I feel that the series is in very good hands here. The team understands exactly what made the 1996 original so magical back then. They’re not just blindly copying it, but modernizing the franchise with a lot of finesse.
And most importantly: They’re giving us a choice! The fact that I can simply ignore almost all the modern aids—like the scanner or the skill tree—to craft my very own, purist retro experience is, for me, a great middle ground that appeals to both veterans and new players.
Legacy of Atlantis is on a fantastic path to capturing the magic of the past and bringing it meaningfully into the modern era. It looks absolutely stunning, and just watching it reawakens that spirit of exploration I used to have. Yes, the animations are still a bit choppy here and there—but we were also seeing a very early version of the game, one that’s still going to be polished to perfection several times over. I can’t wait to return to Peru, Greece, and especially Egypt.
P.S.: I do have one major complaint to wrap things up. Lara no longer says “Aha!” when she collects items. Flying Wild Hog, Crystal Dynamics, please fix this!!!
