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Unearthed Scans Corroborate Anime-Style Lara Croft Pitch Rejected by Tomb Raider's Creators

Co-creator Paul Douglas says late requests from Victor Interactive led to manga art in manuals, not changes to Lara's in-game model.

Overview

  • BlueSky user Tadashidaiba shared Saturn Fan magazine pages that include a 3D render aligning with previously seen manga-style illustrations of Lara.
  • Douglas recounts that Victor Interactive sought to tailor Lara for Japan with proposals like "huge eyes/head" and sent design faxes late in development.
  • Original developer Toby Gard resisted altering the character model, leading to a compromise that confined the manga influence to manuals and guides.
  • Douglas had posted similar manga-style concepts in 2021 and said the publisher appeared to underestimate the time required to rework early 3D models.
  • Reporting situates the archival reveal alongside current series activity, including the Legacy of Atlantis remake slated for later this year and Crystal Dynamics' next entry, Catalyst.